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.

The: PM2.5/PM10 ratio expresses the anthropogenic share in atmospheric dusl. Very high values or this ratio, i.e. high contribution or PM2.5 to PM10. have occurred recently in atmospheric air within European indusuializcd areas. The paper compiles results of three year pair wise measuring ofconcentrations or PM2.5 and PM2.5-PM10 and compares shares or PMM2.5 in PM10 al three urban background sites in Upper Silesia Poland I towns or Zabrze. Katowice and Częstochowa). At all the three local ions, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio nr daily conccntrations nr dust only occasionally differed considerably from the PM2.5/PM10 ratios for the seasonal and yearly concentrations that, in turn. did not differ from the PM2.5/PM10 ratios al urban sites in Europe.

In this work, sorption of chromium on granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) has been investigated using batch and column techniques. The adsorption behavior of Cr on GFH, depending on pH, contact lime and sorbent amount were studied. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of GFH for Cr was measured and cxtrapo latcd using Freundlich isotherms. Metal ions bounded lo the GFH could be recovered by alkaline solution, and the GFH can be recycled. The sorption capacity of GFH was 25.0 mg/g. The ion exchange of chromium on GFH follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The intraparticlc diffusion of chromium on GFH presents the limiting rate. The results indicated practical value of this method for industry and also provide strong evidence to support the proposed thesis about the adsorption mechanism.

The Sudety Mountains are located close to industrial areas of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic and are the most polluted Polish mountains, Among air pollutants such as SO2 NO,, fly ashes from local and transboundary power plants emission have a significant input. In determination of soil pollutants, magnetic susceptibility measurements find application. The use otmagnetic measurements as a proxy lor chemical methods is possible because air pollutants and magnetic particles arc interrelated. The major sources or air pollution in the Sudety Mountains arc fly ashes from burning process of fossil fuels. This paper presents content and distribution of heavy metals in soil profiles, depending on their natural or industrial origin and the results of magnetic susceptibility measurements.

70 Mg/day of fine grained waste gneiss in slurry condition, together with 700 m3/day or water from the wet bencfication plant flow from the Miklcuśka gneiss quarry (Croatia) into the Kamcnjaća stream. The stream flows between two gneiss quarries, originating in the northern catchment area or which approximately 15 km2 is predominantly covered by forest. The quality ofwater in the Kamcnjaća permanent stream should be protected from any contamination due to the activities in the Miklcuśka quarry. The paper describes the aspects of sustainable technical, environmental and economical protection ofthe water quality in Karncnjaća regarding gneiss mining.

The research covered the determination: of the numbers or hcicrorrophic bacteria: psychrophil ic, psychrctolcrant, mcsophilic and percentage participation or hemolytic bacteria and .ieromonas hydrophila (with acrolysinc and hcmolysine genes) in the waters of the Drwęca River depending on environmental Ilictors and fishery management. The mean quantities 01· hclcrotrophic bacteria (Ht'C) at 4, 14 and 2~°C ranged: O. 78-7.57-101, 1.40-6.65-101 and 1.93-16.23- 103 efuen -3, respectively. The percentage participation 01· hemolytic heterotrophic bacteria (HemPC) and A. hvdrophila among psychrophilic, psychrotolcrant, mcsophilic microorganisms determined at 4, 14, 28°C, ranged: 7.9-10.4, 6.8-12.2, 8.6-22.0 ,111d 1.1-6.4%, respectively. Statistically significant correlation between examined bacteria and temperature values, flows and O2 saturations confirm that the occurrence of those microorganisms depends on the degree of microbiological contamination of that ecosystem, resulting from the fishery management and environmental factors.

The likelihood nr phosphorus release from lake bottom sediments inio bulk water as a result or changes in the physicochcmical conditions in the lake has been analyzed by the method or sequential extraction proposed by Tessier et al. The procedure developed for estimation of the threat to waler ecosystems posed by heavy metals accumulated in the bottom sediments, can be successfully applied in estimation of the release or other substances, including biogenie ones, as the subsequent states of extraction simulate the abioric conditions and processes that can naturally take place in the near-bottom water layer and in the bottom sediment.