Workers' active involvement in the improvement of occupational safety and health in a textile enterprise--a case study.

Part of the Polish-Swedish OSHMAN project was carried out in a textile company. It aimed at implementing and improving effective health and safety management with workers' active involvement at all levels of the enterprise. The two main problems to be solved during the project were decreasing occupational risk and improving workers' poor knowledge on occupational risk. Training courses, workshops and practical activities were undertaken. As expected, there were changes in work organisation and improvement in the way workstations were looked after, which led to a decrease in occupational risk. Workers were highly committed during the project. Nevertheless it seems that more training should be directed at middle management.     

Monitoring of platinum in the environment

Since the introduction of catalytic converters for the control of vehicle emission, a controversial discussion has begun on platinum emission and its eventual consequences for the environment. This brief overview covers the main aspects of anthropogenic emission of platinum and its bioavailability. Modern analytical methods for Pt determination in different environmental samples are also presented.     

The disposition and metabolism of 1,3-dibromobenzene in the rat

The distribution, excretion and metabolism of 1,3-dibromobenzene following a single i.p. administration to rats 100 or 300 mg/kg was investigated using radiotracer [3H] and GC-MS technique. After 72 hours about 74 to 90% were excreted in urine. The highest radioactivity was observed in the liver, kidneys and fat tissue. Later on a steady decline of radioactivity was apparent in all investigated tissues except for blood cells and the sciatic nerve, where constant levels were noted. In urine the following substances were identified and quantified by GC peak areas: unchanged 1,3-DBB (18%), dibromophenols (34%), dibromothiophenols (28%), dibromothioanisole (1.8%), bromophenol (5.5%), bromohydroxythiophenols (5%), and bromohydroxythioanisole (7.5%).     

Some Remarks About the Effect of Smoke from Charcoal Kilns on Soil Degradation

The charcoal kilns under study were situated in the Polish Western Carpathiens (Bieszczady). Aromatic hydrocarbon products of wood burning in the kilns were identified. The rate of decomposition of beech leaves was relatively high as environmental conditions enhanced decomposition. The intensity of soil metabolism is increasing during a long-term exposure to smoke, which is one of the indicators of anthropogenic disturbance resulting from organic factors.     

The complexity of nectar: secretion and resorption dynamically regulate nectar features

In this paper, we review the phenomenon of nectar resorption, focusing on its physiological and ecological meaning. Nectar resorption is a phenomenon that has long been known but was rarely reported until the1990s. It has more recently been demonstrated in several species by various direct and indirect methodologies. It has generally been demonstrated in senescent flowers as a phenomenon separate in time from, and independent of, nectar secretion. The significance of this type of resorption is generally recognized as a resource-recovery strategy, recycling at least some materials invested in nectar production. Nevertheless, nectar resorption can occur concomitantly with nectar secretion. Nectar production is therefore best considered as a unified process comprising nectar secretion and resorption. The modulation of these two opposite phases allows nectar concentration to be maintained in a range suitable for pollinators (nectar homeostasis). The mechanism of nectar resorption at the cell level has received little attention, and its molecular basis can only be hypothesized on the basis of recent studies concerning sugar sensing.     

Mechanical,Thermal and Microstructural Characteristic of 3D Printed Polylactide Composites with Natural Fibers: Wood,Bamboo and Cork

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In the study, polylactide-based (PLA) composites modified with natural particles (wood, bamboo, and cork) and with different levels of infilling (100%,...     

Metals and mineral phases of dusts collected in different urban parks of Krakow and their impact on the health of city residents

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The authors present the results of chemical and mineralogical analyses of urban dusts collected in the spring seasons of 2015 and 2016 in three different...     

Potential toxicity of leachate from the municipal landfill in view of the possibility of their migration to the environment through infiltration into groundwater

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Leachate from landfills is a product of complex biological and physicochemical processes occurring during waste storage. In the present study, the toxicity...     

The reduction of dioxin emissions from the processes of heat and power generation

The first reports that it is possible to emit dioxins from the heat and power generation sector are from the beginning of the 1980s. Detailed research proved that the emission of dioxins might occur during combustion of hard coal, brown coal, and furnace oil as well as coke-oven gas. The emission of dioxins occurs in wood incineration; wood that is clean and understood as biomass; or, in particular, wood waste (polluted). This paper thoroughly discusses the mechanism of dioxin formation in thermal processes, first and foremost in combustion processes. The parameters influencing the quantity of dioxins formed and the dependence of their quantity on the conditions of combustion are highlighted. Furthermore, the methods of reducing dioxin emissions from combustion processes (primary and secondary) are discussed. The most efficacious methods that may find application in the heat and power generation sector are proposed; this is relevant from the point of view of the implementation of the Stockholm Convention resolutions in Poland with regard to persistent organic pollutants.     

Effectiveness of selected issues related to used tyre management in Poland

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This paper discusses interactions between the generation, collection and recovery of used tyres while considering an indicator of their mass...