Distribution of volatile organohalogen compounds in petrochemical plant water streams

The study assesses halogenated volatile organic compound concentrations in the water and wastewater streams of a petrochemical plant. Water samples were collected at 11 sampling points during 5 sampling campaigns. The samples were collected from the oil dewaxing unit and in the wastewater treatment plant. Dichloromethane and 1,2-dichloroethane were the most frequently determined compounds. Tetrachloroethene was also detected at the wastewater treatment plant inlets. The concentrations of halogenated volatile organic compounds dropped significantly at wastewater discharge points compared to wastewater treatment plant inlets. The application of 1,2-dichloroethane/dichloromethane ratio as a tool to assess evaporation processes is discussed.     

Strategic planning for sustainable tourism development in Poland

The aim of this article is to evaluate selected tourism development strategies in Poland, in the context of strategic planning, stakeholders’ participation, and sustainable development principles. A questionnaire evaluation of strategy (44 questions) was established and based on measurement scales developed and validated by other authors in earlier studies. The five authors of the study rated 37 tourism development strategies in 13 provinces, 11 cities, 5 counties, 6 municipalities, and 2 other areas. Analysis revealed that they implement paradigms of sustainable development of tourism to only a small extent. Definitely higher quality is documented for higher levels of administrative division. The highest rated domains of the tourism development strategy in the examined documents are Strategic Planning Indicators and Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation.     

The field experiments and model of the natural dust deposition effects on photovoltaic module efficiency

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The maximisation of the efficiency of the photovoltaic system is crucial in order to increase the competitiveness of this technology. Unfortunately,...     

Characteristics of organic acid profiles in 16 species of wild growing edible mushrooms

The aim of study was to determine 9 organic acids in nine aboveground and seven wood-growing wild edible mushroom species originated from an area under the direct influence of a busy trunk road in Poland. The organic acids in the extracts of samples were identified by reversed-phase column liquid chromatography (RPLC). The presented results show that all the mushroom species were characterized by high variation in the profile and content of the analyzed acids. Each of mushroom species contained oxalic acid, the profiles of the other acids strictly depended on mushroom species. Among aboveground species, the highest total content of organic acids was found in Lepista gilva (267.5 ± 26.6 mg g^?1 dry weight (DW)), while Laccaria amethystina was characterized by the lowest content (37.7 ± 6.5 mg g^?1 DW). Within wood-growing species, the highest content of organic acids was determined in Flammulina velutipes (171.9 ± 26.7 mg g^?1 DW), whereas the lowest content (34.2 ± 2.9 mg g^?1 DW) of the studied acids was observed in Grifola frondosa.     

The Crisis Map of the Czech Republic: the nationwide deployment of an Ushahidi application for disasters

Crisis mapping is a legitimate component of both crisis informatics and disaster risk management. It has become an effective tool for humanitarian workers, especially after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Ushahidi is among the many mapping platforms on offer in the growing field of crisis mapping, and involves the application of crowdsourcing to create online and interactive maps of areas in turmoil. This paper presents the Crisis Map of the Czech Republic, which is the first such instrument to be deployed nationwide in Central Europe. It describes the methodologies used in the preparatory work phase and details some practices identified during the creation and actual employment of the map. In addition, the paper assesses its structure and technological architecture, as well as its potential possible development in the future. Lastly, it evaluates the utilisation of the Crisis Map during the floods in the Czech Republic in 2013.     

Voltammetric determination of platinum at a lead film electrode in environmental water samples

The paper presents the first report on the application of a lead film electrode for the determination of ultratrace concentrations of platinum. The procedure is based on preconcentration of the Pt(IV)-formaldehyde complexes at an in situ plated lead film electrode held at ?0.9 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), followed by a negatively sweeping differential pulse voltammetric scan. The composition of the supporting electrolyte, the influence of accumulation potential and time on the sensitivity of platinum responses are discussed. The detection limit of Pt(IV) with the accumulation time of 60 was equal to 9.2?×?10^?12 mol L^?1. The application of this method was tested by recovery of Pt(IV) from spiked environmental water samples.