In this study, we performed the qualitative analysis of exoproteins during granule formation in the pres- ence or in the absence of cations. The staining of thin granule cryosections showed that nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides and calcium cations were the dominant components of the granules. Proteins are the structural components associated with calcium ions. We determined changes in the proteomic profile and tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the slime. The exopolymeric matrix containing the proteins was extracted using the Dowex resin method. Proteomic profile was analysed by SDS-PAGE method (sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) using Coomassie blue staining in the samples of the aerobic granule matrix formed in the presence of multivalent cations and compared with that of the aerobic granules cultivated without cations. The results indicate that the granule matrix is predominantly composed of large and complex proteins that are tightly bound within the granular structure. The tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (TB-EPS) may play a role in improved mechanical stability of aerobic granules. In the supernatant fraction of the sludge, only a small amount of free proteins in the medium molecular mass range was detected. The protein with high molecular mass ( 116 kDa) produced in the reactors with added Ca2+. Ca2+ had a considerable regulatory influence on production of extracellular proteins during aerobic granulation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can affect all stages of plant growth from germination to reproduction. A sensitive response to PAHs loading can be assumed above all in the first stages of ontogenesis, the germination of seeds and the root elongation. The germination of the seed is the existential condition of the further development of the plant. In this relatively short period the plant has not yet sufficient detoxicative ability. The affection of germination due to the contamination of soils with polyaromatic compounds can be one of the factors of natural selection and even also of the plant evolution. It can be assumed that in plants there exists and is further developed the adaptation of germination to those selected conditions. In this study the phytotoxic effects of crude oil were studied. The effect of increasing concentration of the used oil in the soil (1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 g/kg) on: the root elongation, biomass of roots, the stalk elongation, biomass of stalk and synthesis of chlorophyll of rye Seca/e cerea/e L., red clover Trifolium repens L., charlock Sinapis alba L., were studied. The results demonstrated that the increasing concentration of used oil inhibited on: the root elongation, biomass of roots, the stalk elongation, biomass of stalk and synthesis of chlorophyll by all tested plant. The species studied showed different sensitivity to the concentration of used oil.

The effects of using three different biopreparations (one natural N2 and two commercial Kl and K2) in petroleum hydrocarbons age-polluted clay soil were studied. The samples of soil were taken from refinery in Czechowice-Dziedzice and classified as heavily degraded in proportion C:N = 100:0,7. Changes after introducing biopreparations into soil (bioaugmentation), their influence on microflora development and effects of removing polluting substances were studied. Bioaugmentation did not result in intensive growth of bacterial number, which was on the control sample's level during experiment. Soil's biodegradation activity also increased in level smaller than expected.

Many of the drugs used arc not completely metabolized in the human body and with urine and faces arc introduced into the sewage system. Finally, due to their incomplete removal during the conventional wastewater treatment process (CWTP), they can be released into the receiving water. One of the medicaments frequently detected in surface water is diclolcnac. The present study addresses the problem of diclofcnac removal in various aquatic samples using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The experiments were performed in distilled water and in biologically treated wastewater. The following AO Ps were applied: Fenlon 's reagent, UVand UV/H2O2-processes. The concentration of diclolcnac in distilled water corresponded to the concentration of this drug in human urine (ca. 20 mg-dm'). The real wastewater samples contained diclofcnac concentrations ranging from 630 to 790 ng-dm-'. The photodcgradation of diclolcnac was carried out in the photorcactor with a medium pressure Hg-vapor lamp (400 W). In the Fcnton's reaction different molar ratiosof H2O2/Fc'' were used. The diclotcnac mineralization (TOC removal) strictly depended on the amount of 1-1,0, applied in the Fcnton's reaction. Diclofcnac was rapidly degraded by direct photolysis (UV) and in UV/H2O2,-process both in distilled water and in wastewater samples. The results proved that the advanced oxidation processes arc cflcctive in diclofcnac removal from aquatic samples. The pseudo first order rate constants It)!' diclolcnac photodcgradation were determined.

Changes in activity of amylase, cellulase, protease and dehydrogenase during biodegradation of petroleum contaminants were investigated in laboratory studies. Refinery soil polluted for a long time was modified by commercial biological preparation and natural biological preparation (prepared from this soil). These modifications did not influence cellulase and protease activity. Activity of amylase and dehydrogenase changed in these samples. In the sixth week the highest activity of dehydrogenase was noticed, especially in soil with commercial biological preparation. Modifications had a great influence on contaminants degradation. The highest elimination of TPH (20,4%) and heavy fractions (10,5%) took place in soil modified by commercial biological preparation. The highest PAH elimination was in soil with natural bacterial preparation

Odcieki wysypiskowe są to wody deszczowe migrujące przez złoże wysypiska, wymywające z niego rozpuszczalne frakcje organiczne i mineralne zawarte w składowanych odpadach.Trzyletnie badania odcieków pochodzących ze składowisk odpadów komunalnych w Siemianowicach Śląskich i Dąbrowie Górniczej wykazały, że ChZT odcieków na ogół waha się między wartościami 1000 i 2000 mg/dm3, a w nielicznych okresach w roku przekracza te wartości, osiągając stężenia nawet powyżej 14 000 mg ChZT/dm3• W przypadku gdy stężenie ChZT odcieków jest niskie i nie przekracza 2000 mg//dm3, mamy do czynienia ze związkami trudno rozkładalnymi biologicznie. Odmienną sytuację obserwowano, gdy ChZT odcieków znacznie przekraczało typowe niskie wartości. Napowietrzanie odcieków z osadem czynnym powodowało szybki rozkład związków organicznych i spadek ChZT. Już po 5 godzinach napowietrzania uzyskano 75% obniżenie stężenia ChZT.

This article describes monitoring results of raw wastewater from one Polish municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The residues of 30 pharmaceutics belonging to particular drugs classes such as contrast media. antibiotics, lipids regulators, antiphologisties, psychiatric and anticpilcptic agents, drug's metabolites and 2 musk compounds have been investigated. The investigation showed occurrence of 20 out of 32 selected compounds above their limit of detection. Iopromide, a compound belonging to contrast media, was noticed at the highest concentration. The concentration of this compound in WWTP-influent was equaled to 27.0 μg/dm3• Other drugs, such as, like iopamidol, iomeprol, diatrizoat, iohexol, sulfomethoxazole, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, ibuprofen-OH, naproxen, diclofenac, bczafibrate, ketoprofen, and musk compound - galaxolide were detected at maximum concentration between I .O μg/dm3 (bezafibratc) and 13.0 μg/dm3 (iomcprol). The acidic compounds such as gemfibrozil and indomethacin were determined above their limit of detection, with concentration up to 0.22 μg/dm3 and 0.42 ug/dm', respectively. Based on the literature data, the above-mentioned drugs arc not completely removed from sewage during treatment processes and with effluent from WWTP they are introduced to receiving waters. Due to their chemical properties, residues of pharmaceutics may persist in the environment and the present knowledge about their ccotoxicological effects is insufficient.

In order to keep the WWTP performance under control and to make decisions of minimizing the potential influence of wastewater components on the stable and proper WWTP operation, the devices for on-line control of oxygen uptake rate were designed and manufactured. The devices were used for three aims: controlling the presence of harmful substances for microorganisms in raw wastewater (Toximctcr), assessment of the real physiological condition of activated sludge in the aeration chamber (Activmcter), determining of the effects of activated sludge settling properties deterioration and its influence on the secondary clarificrs operation as well as microorganisms presence in treated wastewater (Sedimctcr). The results confirmed that the devices arc helpful for the WWTP operators as an early warning system and enable optimal decisions making.

The polycyclic musk fragrances AHTN (Tonalide) and HHCB (Galaxolide) are the most common components of cosmetics and detergents. Use of AHTN and HHCB per year (in the USA and in EU) was estimated at 1500 Mg and 3800 Mg, respectively. Because of their persistent character, musk compounds are introduced into environment mostly via urban sewage treatment plant effluents. The aim of the presented research was to assess the receptivity of AHTN and HHCB to the oxidation by means of UV-radiation and in the UV /H2O2 process. The investigations were performed in the treated wastewater and the drinking water. After 8 minutes, in all experiments performed on drinking water, the degradations of AHTN and HHCB in the range of 99% were observed. The removal of HHCB from wastewater by means of UV radiation exceeded up 93% (after 8 minutes of the process), whereas the disappearance degree of this compound in wastewater, after only 3 minutes ofUV/H2O2 process, exceeded 99%. The degradation constant rate for AHTN in drinking water using UV radiation was equal to 0.764 rnin' when the degradation rate ofHHCB was estimated at 0.634 min'. In the wastewater, the coefficient rate ofHHCB degradation by means ofUV/H2O2 was nearly 4.5 times higher (1.580 min') in comparison to the value obtained by direct photolysis of HHCB (0.354 min').

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria communities were evaluated in a completely mixed, laboratory scale membrane reactor (MBR) working under anoxic conditions for 5 months. The microorganisms in activated sludge were fed a synthetic medium containing 66-150 mg NH4 +-N/l. The age of the activated sludge in MBR was 50 days and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 3.3 days. The estimation of the diversity and complexity of the AOB community together with the identification of the dominant bacteria in the activated sludge under anoxic conditions were performed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequencing. Molecular analysis of the microbial community carried out with two microbial molecular markers, 16S rRNA gene and amoA gene, suggested that nitrification was led by a Nitrosomonas-like species. In the biocenosis of the investigated bioreactor, oxygen was the crucial selective parameter. The results obtained in this work showed that amoA gene research is more suitable to study the stability and effectiveness of ammonia oxidation. This information emphasizes the necessity of the usage of molecular markers based on functional genes instead of ribosomal ones in order to present the actual state of the process performed in bioreactors. It was also stated that Nitrosomonas -like bacteria are able to perform nitritation even in anoxic environment, that is probably the reason why these bacteria are the most common AOB in different bioreactors.

The aim of this work was to determine the influence of native and alien keratinolytic fungi inocula on the petroleum hydrocarbon removal rate in soil covered and not covered with hair. The hair was the major nutrient for keratinolytic fungi and other soil microorganisms. The fungal inocula accelerated the petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation process during the first month of the experiment. During the second month, TPH removal rates were similar for soil inoculated and not inoculated with fungi. The highest petroleum hydrocarbon removal rate was observed in soil inoculated with native fungal strains. The TPI-I removal rates were about 64% in soil covered with hair and 77% in soil not covered with hair. The lowest removal rate was observed in soil not inoculated with fungi (60%). The hair applied as additional nitrogen, sulfur and carbon source did not impact, or slightly inhibited, the petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation process. The fungal inocula caused dramatic changes in soil fungal qualitative composition.

This study investigated the quantity and distribution of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in aerobic granules. Results showed that EPS play an important role in the formation and stabilisation of granules. The content of EPS significantly increases during the first weeks of biogranulation. An analysis of EPS in the granules revealed that the protein level was 5 times higher than in polysaccharides. The increase of protein content correlated with the growth of cell hydrophobicity (r2 = 0.95). EPS and hydrophobicity are important factors in cell adhesion and formation of granules.

The aim of this work was also to determine the distribution of EPS in the granule structure. In situ EPS staining showed that EPS are located mostly in the center of granules and in the subsurface layer. The major components of the EPE matrix are proteins, nucleic acids and β-polysaccharides. These observations confirm the chemical extraction data and indicate that granule formation and stability are dependent on protein content.

The paper deals with the problem of the determination of the effects of temperature on the efficiency of the nitrification process of industrial wastewater, as well as its toxicity to the test organisms. The study on nitrification efficiency was performed using wastewater from one of Polish chemical factories. The chemical factory produces nitrogen fertilizers and various chemicals. The investigated wastewater was taken from the influent to the industrial mechanical-biological wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The WWTP guaranteed high removal efficiency of organic compounds defined as chemical oxygen demand (COD) but periodical failure of nitrification performance was noted in last years of the WWTP operation. The research aim was to establish the cause of recurring failures of nitrification process in the above mentioned WWTP. The tested wastewater was not acutely toxic to activated sludge microorganisms. However, the wastewater was genotoxic to activated sludge microorganisms and the genotoxicity was greater in winter than in spring time. Analysis of almost 3 years’ period of the WWTP operation data and laboratory batch tests showed that activated sludge from the WWTP under study is very sensitive to temperature changes and the nitrification efficiency collapses rapidly under 16°C. Additionally, it was calculated that in order to provide the stable nitrification, in winter period the sludge age (SRT) in the WWTP should be higher than 35 days.