Mercury Air Emission from Coal-Fired Public Power Sector: Uncertainty and Its Monthly Distribution. Case Study from Poland

The paper presents two aspects concerned with the mercury air emission inventory from coal-fired public power and energy plants: an uncertainty analysis, using Monte Carlo simulation (Journal of the American Statistical Association, 44(247), 335–341 1949) and the monthly distributions applying the Denton-Cholette approach (Dagum & Cholette 2006). The analysis determines uncertainty about the estimates mercury air emission from 1990 to 2012 including the development of air pollution control (APC) technologies in the Polish public power and energy sector, also the monthly distributions in comparison with previously obtained results (H?awiczka 2008). The uncertainty of mercury (Hg) content in fuel is 31.6% for hard coal and 42.4% for brown coal. The confidence interval for the estimated emission changed from [kg] (16,082.2; 16,242.2) in 1990 to (10,525.9;10,671.1) in 2012. However, the Denton-Cholette approach overestimates the emissions for the warmer periods of the year, but it could, however, in our view, be applied to attain the monthly distributions.     

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a bioindicator of organochlorine compound contamination in terrestrial ecosystems of West Pomerania Province, NW Poland

The aim of this study was to detect the presence and determine the residue levels of DDT, lindane, endrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the liver of wild boars from the area of West Pomerania, NW Poland; to determine the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) as a biomarker of biological response and to assess the toxicological risk for consumers of the wild boar offal. The presence of pesticide residues and PCBs was found in all examined liver samples. The highest concentration was observed for endrin, and then, the descending order was PCBs >DDTs >lindane >dl-PCBs. The mean hepatic concentrations of endrin, PCBs, DDTs and lindane were 117.28, 78.59, 67.95 and 7.24 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Among the dioxin-like PCB congeners, 118 and 156 were dominant in liver samples. The mean toxic equivalent (TEQ) level calculated for dl-PCBs was 2.10?±?1.11 pg WHO-PCB-TEQ/g. There was a statistically significant (p?<?0.05) negative correlation between the concentration of lindane, DDTs and PCBs (as a sum of indicator congeners) in the liver and in the activity of GST. However, GST activities showed no significant correlation with any of the dl-PCBs. In five boar liver samples, the levels of certain organochlorine compounds exceeded the maximum residue levels (MRLs). In one sample, the MRLs were exceeded simultaneously for PCBs, endrin and DDTs and in another one—for endrin and DDTs. In the remaining three samples, only PCB levels were exceeded.     

Macro- and microelement distribution in organs of Glyceria maxima and biomonitoring applications

The content of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) and of trace metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Co and Ni) in water, bottom sediments and various organs of Glyceria maxima from 19 study sites selected in the Jeziorka River was determined. In general, the concentrations of nutrients recorded in the plant material decreased in the following order: leaf>root>rhizome>stem, while the concentrations of the trace elements showed the following accumulation scheme: root>rhizome>leaf>stem. The bioaccumulation and transfer factors for nutrients were significantly higher than for trace metals. G. maxima from agricultural fields was characterised by the highest P and K concentrations in leaves, and plants from forested land contained high Zn and Ni amounts. However, the manna grass from small localities showed high accumulation of Ca, Mg and Mn. Positive significant correlations between Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Co and Ni concentrations in water or sediments and their concentrations in plant indicate that G. maxima may be employed as a biomonitor of trace element contamination. Moreover, a high degree of similarity was noted between self-organizing feature map (SOFM)-grouped sites of comparable quantities of elements in the water and sediments and sites where G. maxima had a corresponding content of the same elements in its leaves. Therefore, SOFM could be recommended in analysing ecological conditions of the environment from the perspective of nutrients and trace element content in different plant species and their surroundings.     

Differences in the Spatial Distribution and Chemical Composition of PM10 Between the UK and Poland

The Fine Resolution Atmospheric Multi-pollutant Exchange Model was used to calculate the spatial distribution and chemical composition of PM₁₀ concentrations for two geographically remote countries in Europe—the UK and Poland—for the year 2007. These countries are diverse in terms of pollutant emissions as well as climate conditions. Information on the contribution of natural and anthropogenic as well as national and imported particles in total PM₁₀ concentrations in both countries is presented. The paper shows that the modelled national annual average PM₁₀ concentrations, calculated for the entire country area, are similar for the UK and Poland and close to 12 μg m^?3. Secondary inorganic aerosols dominate the total PM₁₀ concentrations in Poland. Primary particulate matter has the greatest contribution to total PM₁₀ in the UK, with large contribution of base cations. Anthropogenic sources predominate (81 %) in total PM₁₀ concentrations in Poland, whereas natural prevail in the UK—hence, the future reduction of PM₁₀ air concentrations by emissions reduction could be more difficult in the UK than in Poland.     

Remobilization of polychlorinated biphenyls from sediment and its consequences for their transport in river waters

A laboratory experiment was performed to examine the remobilization of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (iPCBs) from sediments and its results were applied to the real-world data for explaining the transport of PCBs in river. Seven PCB concentrations were determined in three series of model water–sediment systems (3 g of river sediment, three different volumes of distilled water (0.5, 0.25, and 0.15 ml), and 5 mg of biocide) after 11 days of incubation. Solid-phase extraction was used for separation of analytes from the aqueous phase and solvent extraction for isolation of analytes from the sediments, respectively. The extracts were analyzed for individual iPCB congeners using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method. For each series of the experiment, the concentrations of PCBs in aqueous phase were similar. The average sediment/water partition coefficient value was 10⁴?l/kg. The solubility of individual PCB congeners in water did not influence the desorption of PCBs from the sediment. Although the dominant form of PCBs in a water–sediment system occurs as suspended and colloidal fractions, these compounds are transported mostly in a dissolved form. Suspended and colloidal matter is a major sink for PCBs in low-energy aquatic environments. In contrast, the dissolved PCBs are readily transported in running waters. The mobilization of PCBs from sediments to aqueous phase, with respect to their solubility in water, seems to be limited, thus reducing the risk of secondary pollution.     

Organochlorine contaminants in the Vistula Lagoon sedimentation zone as possible source of lagoon recontamination

The presented results include decade of monitoring of the Vistula Lagoon waters and have been supplemented by the determination of chlorinated compounds, as well as on concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the sedimentation zone. Monitoring of river waters entering the Polish part of the lagoon and the lagoon waters confirmed the presence of plant protection chemical; the largest contributors has lindane (34%) and DDT_total (21%); the same as for sediments were dominate lindane (19%) and DDT_total (14%) within pp-DDT isomer dominate (13%). In the lagoon water, PCDD/Fs were determined within a range of 1.5–5.6 ng dm^?3, leading to average toxicity of 0.18?±?0.13 ng TEQ·dm^?3. In sediments, their concentrations fell within a range of 22.7–405.7 ng kg^?1 dw and the average toxicity of the lagoon sediments was set at 5.00?±?1.98 ng TEQ·kg^?1 dw. Both in water and sediments, the greatest share among PCDD/Fs has octa-chlorodibenzodioxin. Due to the hydromorphological conditions of the lagoon, the waters are mixed to the bottom causing the surface layer of sediment to become remobilized—this is suggested as the key factor when it comes to water recontamination and increased access of POPs to marine organisms.     

Honeybees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>) as a biological barrier for contamination of honey by environmental toxic metals

The aim of the study was to investigate the transfer of toxic metals from honeybee workers (Apis mellifera L.) to bee honey in relation to the ecological state of the environment. The materials of the study consisted of samples of honeybee bodies and varietal honeys taken from the same apiary located in three areas: R1—urbanized (16), R2—ecologically clean (16) and R3—industrialized (15) of south-eastern Poland. The contents of 14 elements in all tested samples, including toxic metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Al, Ni, Tl) as well as bioelements (K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se), were analysed by the ICP-OES method with prior microwave mineralization. The concentrations of the majority of the studied elements, excluding aluminum and lead, were significantly higher in bee bodies than in honey samples (P?<?0.05). The pollution of bee bodies by toxic metals was dependent on the environmental cleanliness, and the most pollution was observed in the industrialized area. The bee body was the most effective barrier for Cd and Tl transfer to the honey, while the level of Ni was similar in both tested materials. The Al concentration was significantly higher in honey than bee bodies (14.81?±?24.69 and 6.51?±?5.83 mg kg^?1, respectively), which suggests the possibility of secondary contamination of honey. The greatest sensitivity to heavy metal pollution was observed in honeydew honey compared to nectar honeys (P?<?0.05). It was proved for the first time that bees work as biofilters for toxic metals and prevent honey contamination.