13 research outputs found
Evaluating the Impacts of Different Car Washing Systems on Carbon Footprint: Insights from Poland
No full textWith over 1 billion passenger cars worldwide, even an indiscernible carbon footprint (CF) of the maintenance of a single vehicle has the potential for a relatively large overall environmental effect on the part of the car washing services sector. This study presents a methodology for assessing the CF of car washing services with a focus on Polish conditions. It compares four types of professional car washes, i.e., jet, rollover, tunnel, and hand, analyzing their environmental impact based on CO2 emissions from water heating systems, energy consumption, water supply, and wastewater treatment. The results reveal that the total CF per vehicle ranges from 0.88 kg CO2 (hand wash with gas water heating) to 4.46 kg CO2 (rollover wash with electric heating). The key contributors to CF are electricity usage and the water heating system applied. Annual CO2 emissions from car washing services in Poland are estimated at between 373.5 and 709.4 Gg, representing 0.13–0.26% of the country’s total net CO2 emissions. Transitioning entirely to hand washes could reduce the emissions of the whole sector by approximately 50%. This study highlights the environmental significance of car washing services and provides practical insights for consumers and service providers
Identification of PM10 air pollution origins at a rural background site
No full textTrajectory cluster analysis and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) approach have been applied to investigate the origins of PM10 air pollution recorded at a rural background site in North-eastern Poland (Diabla Góra). Air mass back-trajectories used in this study have been computed with the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model for a 10-year period of 2006–2015. A cluster analysis grouped back-trajectories into 7 clusters. Most of the trajectories correspond to fast and moderately moving westerly and northerly flows (45% and 25% of the cases, respectively). However, significantly higher PM10 concentrations were observed for slow moving easterly (11%) and southerly (20%) air masses. The CWT analysis shows that high PM10 levels are observed at Diabla Góra site when air masses are originated and passed over the heavily industrialized areas in Central-Eastern Europe located to the south and south-east of the site
Comportement et reproduction d\u27Heterotis niloticus en petits étangs
No full textThe Author relates experiments on Heterotis niloticus culture led in 1963 and at the beginning of 1964 at Bouake fish culture station (Ivory Coast).He carefully describes the breeding process of this fish in small ponds and tries to explain the important mortality rate of fingerlings which was recorded. Among the reviewed hypotheses, cannibalism by the parents or other Heterotis appears likely, however possibility of predation from other animals (frogs, other fishes or birds) is not excluded.El autor da cuenta de las experiencias de piscicultura de Heterolis nilolicus, Ilevadas a cabo en 1963 y a principios de 1964, en la Estación de Piscicultura de Bouaké Costa del Marfil), describiendo detalladamente el proceso de reproducción de este pez en los estanques de superficie reducida e intenta explicar las mortalidades importantes de crías de esta especie de peces que han podido ser comprobadas. Entre las hipótesis examinadas, parece verosímil el canibalismo de los padres o bien de otros Heterotis, aun cuando no se excluye la posibilidad de ataque por parte de animales u otros peces que viven de las presas capturadas (ranas, diversos géneros de peces o bien, pájaros).L\u27auteur relate des expériences d\u27élevage d\u27Heterotis niloticus menées en 1963 et au début de 1964 à la station piscicole de Bouaké (Côte d\u27Ivoire).Il décrit minutieusement le processus de reproduction de ce poisson dans les étangs de la station et tente d\u27expliquer le taux de mortalité important des alevins qui a été enregistré. Parmi les hypothèses examinées, le cannibalisme par les parents ou d\u27autres Heterotis semble probable, mais la possibilité de prédation par d\u27autres animaux (grenouilles, autres poissons ou oiseaux) n\u27est pas exclue
Determination and analysis of PM10 source apportionment during episodes of air pollution in Central Eastern European urban areas: The case of wintertime 2006
No full textPhenotypic Analysis of a Novel Member of the Two-marked Treehopper (Enchenopa binotata) Complex
No full textTwo-marked treehoppers (Enchenopa binotata) form a complex of 11 closely related species across eastern North America. The members of this species complex have undergone sympatric speciation following a switch in host tree species. The senior author recently discovered a twelfth member of this species complex living on the common silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera). Reproductive isolation has occurred between these treehopper species as male and female mating calls diverge from their common ancestor.
Although adult two-marked treehoppers are morphologically indistinguishable between members of the complex, there are clear differences in phenotype within the first and fifth instar nymphs. Our objectives were to measure the morphology of field-collected nymphs from this new two-marked treehopper species and compare them to existing data on 9 other members of the species complex and an outgroup, the wide-footed treehopper (Campylenchia latipes).
Nymphs were digitally photographed in the laboratory and traits were measured using ImageJ software. We quantified 7 characters on first instar nymphs and 24 characters on the fifth instar nymphs. We used Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) analyses to determine the phenotypic similarity between nymphs at both stages within the species complex.
We used four distance measures (Eulidean, Manhattan, Mean Square Deviation, and Root Mean Square Deviation) in the UPGMA and created a bootstrapped dendrogram from the distance measure with the highest cophenetic correlation value. We found that first instar nymphs on common silverbell were morphologically most similar to the first instar nymphs on common hoptree (Ptelea spp.; cophenetic correlation = 0.7356). In the 5th instar, nymphs from common silverbell clustered as most similar to the outgroup, the wide-footed treehopper (cophenetic correlation = 0.8355). For the combined first and fifth instars, treehoppers from common silverbell were once again morphologically most similar to the outgroup, the wide-footed treehopper (cophenetic correlation index = 0.83527).
Keywords: evolution, phenetics, Membracida
Future climate and adverse health effects caused by fine particulate matter air pollution: case study for Poland
No full textPublished: 15 November 201
Analysis of National Verses Long-Range Transport Contribution to Organic and Inorganic Aerosol Load in Selected Location in Poland
No full textBioavailability of elements in atmospheric PM2.5 during winter episodes at Central Eastern European urban background site
No full text245final_published1SustainableCitiesAndCommunitiesAT_PUBLICATIONPublikacja bezkosztow
Radiological Assessment of Coal Fly Ash from Polish Power and Cogeneration Plants: Implications for Energy Waste Management
No full textThe combustion of hard coal and lignite in power and combined heat and power plants generates significant amounts of coal fly ash (CFA), a waste material with variable properties. CFA naturally contains radionuclides, specifically naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), which pose potential radiological risks to the environment and human health during their storage and utilization, including their incorporation into building materials. Although global research on the radionuclide content in CFA is available, there is a clear gap in detailed and current data specific to Central and Eastern Europe and notably, a lack of a systematic analysis investigating the influence of installed power plant capacity on the concentration profile of these radionuclides in the generated ash. This study aimed to fill this gap and provide crucial data for the Polish energy and environmental context. The objective was to evaluate the concentrations of selected radionuclides (232Th, 226Ra, and 40K) in coal fly ash samples collected between 2020 and 2023 from 19 Polish power and combined heat and power plants with varying capacities (categorized into four groups: S1–S4) and to assess the associated radiological risk. Radionuclide concentrations were determined using gamma spectrometry, and differences between groups were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods, including PERMANOVA. The results demonstrated that plant capacity has a statistically significant influence on the concentration profiles of thorium and potassium but not radium. Calculated radiological hazard assessment factors (Raeq, Hex, Hin, IAED) revealed that although most samples fall near regulatory limits (e.g., 370 Bq kg−1 for Raeq), some exceed these limits, particularly in groups S1 (plants with a capacity less than 300 MW) and S4 (plants with a capacity higher than 300 MW). It was also found that the frequency of exceeding the annual effective dose limits (IAEDs) showed an increasing trend with the increasing installed capacity of the facility. These findings underscore the importance of plant capacity as a key factor to consider in the radiological risk assessment associated with coal fly ash. This study’s outcomes are crucial for informing environmental risk management strategies, guiding safe waste processing practices, and shaping environmental policies within the energy sector in Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland
