The article presents the research into hygienizing process of chicken manure using calcium peroxide (CaO₂) as an environmentally friendly biological deactivation agent. The influence of the addition of CaO₂ to chicken manure on the bioavailability of phosphorus was also analyzed. The process of biological deactivation using CaO₂, CaO and Ca(OH)₂ agents was analyzed applying the disk diffusion method. To optimize the effect of the hygienizing parameters, (CaO₂ concentration, pH, temperature and time) on the reduction of Enterobacteriaceae count the Taguchi method was applied. The content of bioavailable phosphorus was measured with the Egner-Riehm method and determined with spectrophotometry. The reduction in bacterial count followed an increase in the concentration of CaO₂ in a sample. The optimal experimental conditions (CaO₂=10.5 wt.%, pH=9.5, T=40°C, t=180 h) enabled a significant decrease in the Enterobacteriaceae count, from 10⁷ cfu/g to 10² cfu/g. Analysis of the samples with Egner-Riehm method showed that the phosphorus content decreased with the addition of biocide CaO₂: from 26.6 mg/l (for 3.5 wt.%) to 3.5 mg/l (for 10.5 wt.%). These values were slightly higher than the content of phosphorus deactivated with Ca(OH)₂ i.e., from 11.25 mg/l (for 3.5 wt.%) to 4.49 mg/l (for 10.5 wt.%). The application of CaO₂ for hygienizing chicken manure enables effective reduction of Enterobacteriaceae count to an acceptable level (below 1000 cfu/g). In comparison with the traditional techniques of hygienization, the application of CaO₂ has a positive effect on the recovery of bioavailable phosphorus.

The work concerns an important in our times problem related to different areas as ecology, economy and proper use of energy resources: reduction of NOx by rebuming process. The main goal of the work was to develop the technology of NOx reduction during zone combustion of coal and mine gas with process optimal conditions determination in power boilers in aspect of environmental protection. In the work was presented: investigation of numeric model of zone combustion of coal and mine gas; aplied combustion research of the boiler OCG-64 produce on RAFAKO.

The results of experimental investigations on landfill gas separation on hollow fibres membranes made of poly (4 methylpentene-1) are presented. The effect of operating parameters on the performance and effectiveness of separation process has been described. Permeation process has been carried out in countercurrent flow for medium methane landfill gases. Obtained results have been analyzed in aspect to optimization process conditions.

The possibility of removing organic compounds from wastewater originating from the photochemical production of printed circuit boards by use of waste acidification and disposal of precipitated photopolymer in the first stage and the UV-Fenton method in a second stage has been presented. To optimize the process of advanced oxidation, the RSM (Response Surface Methodology) for three independent factors was applied, i.e. pH, the concentration of Fe(II) and H2O2 concentration. The use of optimized values of individual parameters in the process of wastewater treatment caused a decrease in the concentration of the organic compounds denoted as COD by approx. 87% in the first stage and approx. 98% after application of both processes. Precipitation and the decomposition of organic compounds was associated with a decrease of wastewater COD to below 100 mg O2/L whereas the initial value was 5550 mg O2/L. Decomposition of organic compounds and verification of the developed model of photopolymers removal was also carried out with use of alternative H2O2 sources i.e. CaO2, MgO2, and Na2CO3·1,5H2O2.

The possibility of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Sn(II) removal from model solutions and real wastewater from

the production of PCBs using Na2

CS3

for precipitation was presented in this paper. The testing was carried out

on a laboratory scale using model and real industrial wastewater containing additives in the form of complexing

compounds used in the production of PCBs (Na2

EDTA, NH3(aq), thiourea) and recommended by the USEPA

(Na3

MGDA, Na4

GLDA). Application of Na2

CS3

in optimal conditions of conducting precipitation process was

connected with obtaining wastewater containing low concentrations of metals (Cu 0.02 mg/L, Sn <0.01 mg/L, Ni

<0.005 mg/L at pH 9.39 and Cu 0.07 mg/L, Sn <0.01 mg/L, Ni 0.006 mg/L at pH 7.79). Controlled application of

Na2

CS3

by the use of a platinum redox electrode was also connected with obtaining treated wastewater containing

low concentrations of metals (Cu 0.019 mg/L, Sn <0.05 mg/L, Ni <0.0098 mg/L at pH 9–9.5 and E= -142 mV in the

laboratory scale and Cu 0.058 mg/L, Sn <0.005 mg/L, Ni 0.011 mg/L at pH 9.14 and E= +10 mV in the industrial

scale). Changing the value of redox potential of treated wastewater by dosing Na2

CS3

made it possible to control

the precipitation process on laboratory and industrial scale by the use of a platinum redox electrode. Controlled

application of Na2

CS3

can be used to remove Cu(II), Ni(II) and Sn(II) from industrial effl uent containing chelating

compounds like Na2

EDTA, NH3(aq), thiourea, Na3

MGDA and Na4

GLDA.

Previous research showed that children can exhibit preferences for social categories already at preschool age. One of the crucial factors in the development of children’s attitudes toward others is children’s observation and imitation of adults’ nonverbal messages. The aim of our study is to examine whether children’s tendency to perceive and follow nonverbally expressed attitudes toward other people is related to ingroup bias, i.e. the tendency to favor one’s own group over other groups. We examined 175 preschool children (age in months: 61–87; M = 72.6, SD = 6.53) presenting them with a video of a conversation between a message sender and a message recipient. The study was conducted in a minimal group paradigm. We found that children accurately identified the message sender’s attitude toward the recipient and also generalized this attitude to other members of the new group. We also found explicit ingroup bias among children from the message sender’s group. However, no generalization of the sender’s attitude to other ingroup members was found. The results are discussed in reference to previous findings on the role of imitation of adult’s non-verbal behavior for the development of social attitudes among children.

Rare earth elements are characterized by the high risk of their shortage resulting from limited resources. From this reason REE constitute a group of elements of special importance for the European Union. The aim of this study was to evaluate ashes from the burning of coal in fluidized bed boilers as an potential source of REY . Twelve samples of fly ash and bottom ash taken from power plants in Poland were analyzed. Tests have shown that despite some differences in chemical composition, the fly ash and bottom ash from fluidized beds could be classified as the calsialic, low acid type. It was found that fly ashes contained more REY than bottom ashes. Among REY , the light elements (LREY ) had the highest share in the total REY content in both fly ashes and bottom ashes. Heavy elements (HREY ) had the lowest content. The normalized curves plotted for fly ash samples within almost all of their entire range were positioned above the reference level and these curves were of the L-M or H-M type. The content of the individual REY in these samples was even twice as high as in UCC . The normalized curves plotted for bottom ash samples were classified as of L, L-M or H type. They were positioned on the reference level or above it. The content of the individual REY in these samples was the same or up to about 4 times lower than in UCC. It was found that the content of critical elements and of excessive elements in fly ash and bottom ash differs, which has an effect on the value of the outlook coefficient Coutl, and which is always higher in the case of fly ash than in the case of bottom ash. Nevertheless, the computed values of the outlook coefficient Coutl allow both fly ash and bottom ash from fluidized beds to be regarded as promising REY raw materials.

The aim of the work was to draw attention to the usefulness of the alkaline thermal activation process with sodium hydroxide in the process of rare earth metal leaching (REE), from fly ash with hydrochloric acid and nitric acid(V). The work is a part of the authors’ own research aimed at optimizing the REE recovery process coming from fly ash from hard coal combustion.

The article contains an assessment of the possibility of leaching rare earth metals (REE) from fly ash originating from the combustion of hard coal in one of the Polish power plants. The process was carried out for various samples consisting of fly ash and sodium hydroxide and for different temperatures and reaction times. The process was carried out for samples consisting of fly ash and sodium hydroxide containing respectively 10, 20 and 30% on NaOH by weight in relation to the weight of fly ash. Homogenization of these mixtures was carried out wet, and then they were baked at 408K, 433K and 473K, for a period of three hours. The mixture thus obtained was ground to a particle size of less than 0.1 mm and washed with hot water to remove excessive NaOH. The solid post-reaction residue was digested in concentrated HCl at 373K for 1 hour at a weight ratio fs/fc of 1:10. The results of chemical analysis and scanning microscopic analysis along with EDS analysis and X-ray analysis were used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the tested material.

The results indicated that REE recovery from fly ash strictly depends on heat treatment temperature with NaOH, and an increase in REE recovery from alkaline-activated fly ash along with increasing the amount of NaOH in relation to fly ash mass.

Fly ash which has been separated from the flue gas stream as a result of fossil fuels combustion constitutes a huge amount of waste generated worldwide. Due to environmental problems, many directions of their rational use have been developed. Various attempts to convert fly ash into sorption materials, mainly synthetic zeolites, are conducted successfully. In this paper, an attempt was made to convert fly ash from lignite combustion from one of the Polish power plants, using alkaline hydrothermal synthesis. The primary phases in the fly ash were: quartz, gehlenite, mullite, hematite, feldspar, lime, anhydrite, occasionally grains of ZnO phase and pyrrhotite, glass and unburned fuel grains. As a result of hydrothermal synthesis a material containing new phases – pitiglianoite and tobermorite was obtained. Among the primary ash constituents, only gehlenite with an unburned organic substance, on which tobermorite with crystallized pitiglianoite was present. As a result of detailed testing of products after synthesis, it was found that among the tested grains:

• two populations can be distinguished – grains containing MgO and Fe2O3 as well as grains

containing Fe2O3 or MgO or containing none of these components,

• the main quantitative component was pitiglianoite,

• pitiglianoite was present in larger amounts in grains containing Fe2O3 or MgO or in the absence of both components than in grains in which Fe2O3 and MgO were found.

The results of the study indicate that in post-synthesis products, the contribution of components were as follows: pitiglianoite – 39.5% mas., tobermorite – 54% mas., gehlenite – 3% mas. and organic substance – 3.5% mas.

The paper presents the results of hydrothermal zeolitization of fly ash from hard coal combustion in one of the Polish power plants. The synthesis was carried out using various NaOH fly ash mass ratio (3.0, 4.0 and 6.0) and the effect of NaOH concentration in the activating solution on composition of synthesized sample was tested. The process was carried out under the following permanent conditions temperature: 90°C, time – 16 hours, water solution of NaOH (L)/fly ash (g) ratio – 0.025. In the studied fly ash the dominant chemical components were SiO2 and Al2O3, while the main phase components were mullite, quartz and hematite, and a significant share of amorphous substance (glass and unburnt organic substance). After hydrothermal synthesis, the presence of unreacted fly ash phases was found in the products, as well as new phases, the quality and quantity of which depend on the NaOH to fly ash mass ratio used for synthesis:

 for ratio 3.0 – Na-LSX type zeolite and hielscherite,

 for ratio 4.0 – Na-LSX type zeolite, hielscherite and hydrosodalite,

 for ratio 6.0 – hydrosodalite and hielscherite.

The grains in all products of synthesis are poly-mineral. However, it was found that the new phases, overgrowing the unreacted phase components of fly ash, crystallize in a certain order. Hielscherite is the first crystallizing phase, on which the Na-LSX type zeolite crystallizes then, and the whole is covered by hydrosodalite. In the products of synthesis, the share of sodium-containing phases (the Na-LSX type zeolite and hydrosodalite) increases with the increasing concentration of NaOH in the solution used for the process.

This paper presents the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis and a cost-benefit analysis for the production of X-type zeolites from fly ash.
Positive results of the laboratory tests on the quality of zeolites derived from fly ash initiated a cost analysis on the production of this materials on an industrial scale. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using the dynamic generation cost indicator (DGC). The calculated DGC expresses the technical manufacturing cost of 1 Mg of synthetic zeolites. Whereas the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was completed using the economic net present value (ENP V) and the economic internal rate of return (EIRR ) indicators.
The calculated unit technical cost of producing 1 Mg of zeolites using an installation consisting of five reactors with a capacity of 25 m3 each is 211 EUR and is lower than the current market price of this product, including transportation costs. This proves the financial viability of the investment. The calculations of the economic efficiency of the installation (CBA method) show that it is fully economically viable to operate and use the products from a social point of view.