Botryoidal and spherulitic hematite as experimental evidence of highly acidic conditions in burning coal-waste dumps and potentially on Mars.

In the extreme setting of burning coal-waste dumps in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland, botryoidal and spherulitic hematite occurs in association with sulphates and chlorides. A series of simple experiments aimed at replicating the conditions leading to the formation of hematite spherules on the burning dumps are described. Goethite synthesised in the laboratory, mixed with various combinations of other reactants, was heated in a heating chamber or a tubular furnace.

Phyllite/bentonite mixture-an alternative effective buffer material for a geological disposal of radioactive waste.

The use of phyllite (Phy) instead of quartz in mixtures with bentonite (B) is recommended as a buffer material for engineering barriers in a geological repository of nuclear waste. The recommendation is based on experimentally determined sorption properties of various Phy/B mixtures. The adsorption capacity of Phy/B mixtures (Phy/B: 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75), the removal efficacy of Eu(III) ions (an analog for fissiongenic lanthanides and actinides), and the rate of their binding reaction were studied using the batch adsorption equilibrium and kinetic experiments at different Eu(III) initial concentrations, solution pH, and solution to adsorbent (L/S) ratio.

Hydrocarbon Degradation and Microbial Survival Improvement in Response to γ-Polyglutamic Acid Application.

To improve the environmental sustainability of cleanup activities of contaminated sites there is a need to develop technologies that minimize soil and habitat disturbances. Cleanup technologies, such as bioremediation, are based on biological products and processes, and they are important for the future of our planet. We studied the potential of γ-poly glutamic acid (PGA) as a natural component of biofilm produced by sp.

The Influence of a Fire at an Illegal Landfill in Southern Poland on the Formation of Toxic Compounds and Their Impact on the Natural Environment.

Landfill fires pose a real threat to the environment as they cause the migration of pollutants to the atmosphere and water sources. A greater risk is observed in the case of wild landfills, which do not have adequate isolation from the ground. The aim of this article is to present the results of studies on the toxicity of waste from a fire in a landfill in Trzebinia (southern Poland).

Preservation of geochemical markers during co-combustion of hard coal and various domestic waste materials.

Combustion of domestic waste for heating purposes in non-adapted furnaces is a common environmental problem all over the world since it leads to significant emission of harmful substances to the atmosphere. In this project fly and bottom ash from hard coal and domestic waste co-combustion were investigated on the occurrence and distribution of geochemical markers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their alkyl derivatives. Hard coal with a domestic waste admixture (paper, ethylene propylene diene rubber, tire rubber, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride) was combusted in a certified domestic central heating furnace equipped with a control and measurement system.

Correction to: Investigation of organic material self-heating in oxygen-depleted condition within a coal-waste dump in Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland.

The original publication of this paper contains a mistake.

Investigation of organic material self-heating in oxygen-depleted condition within a coal-waste dump in Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland.

Self-heating occurring was studied in the Bytom coal-waste dump using petrographic, mineralogical, and organic geochemical to assess the changes induced by heating on organic material and quantify-qualify the emitted gases. The distribution of geochemical markers such as n-alkanes, alkylbenzenes, alkylcyclohexanes, phenols, sulfurous compounds, and emitted gases in the waste dump is outlined. Heating of organic material there is indicated by high vitrinite random reflectance (R)% values that typically characterize samples with short-chain n-alkanes, alkylbenzenes, and alkylmethylbenzenes.

Carbon‑nitrogen compounds, alcohols, mercaptans, monoterpenes, acetates, aldehydes, ketones, SF, PH, and other fire gases in coal-mining waste heaps of Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) - a re-investigation by means of in situ FTIR external database approach.

Coal-fire gas jets emanating from waste heaps are chemically very complex and variable mixtures, as proved by our former studies. The current paper is a result of further exploration of the GASMET FTIR system via an iterative external databases search. This allowed to pinpoint a number of subsequent chemicals, both in terms of (semi)quantitative analysis and occurrence probability (fit).

Occurrence of organic phosphates in particulate matter of the vehicle exhausts and outdoor environment - A case study.

The occurrence and concentrations of a wide range of organic phosphates (OPEs) in vehicle's exhaust (VPM), ambient air particulate matter (APM), and soil of various urban environments were researched. VPM comes from passenger cars, commercial vehicles, marine and bus engines emitted in New European Driving Cycle tests whereas APM was sampled in several sites of the Upper Silesia region (Poland). APM and VPM collected on filters and soil from the same locations as APM sampling sites were extracted with dichloromethane and extracts analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Distribution of coal and coal combustion related organic pollutants in the environment of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region.

In this study, a large sample set (276) was separated into up to 15 groups, including coal, fly ash, total particulate matter, coal wastes, river sediments, and different water types. Grouping the sample set into these categories helped to identify the typical features of combustion or water-washing and compare them using newly developed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diagnostic ratios. A wide range of organic pollutants were identified in samples, including aromatic and polycyclic hydrocarbons, nitrogen-heterocycles, sulphur-heterocycles + trithiolane, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons substituted with oxygen functional groups.

First multi-tool exploration of a gas-condensate-pyrolysate system from the environment of burning coal mine heaps: An in situ FTIR and laboratory GC and PXRD study based on Upper Silesian materials.

A methodological approach to the complex geochemical analysis of the coal fire in burning coal mine heaps (BCMH) of Upper Silesian Coal Basin has been developed. The other approach used is gas chromatography and indicatory tubes. Powder X-Ray Diffraction is applied for phase analysis to determine the species composition of mineral condensates present within and around gas flues.

Sources of organic pollution in particulate matter and soil of Silesian Agglomeration (Poland): evidence from geochemical markers.

The exact input of particular sources to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in urban and industrial agglomerations is still not well recognized. The major breakthrough is possible using geochemical markers. In the air aerosol and soil samples from areas located in the direct influence of industry/traffic in Silesian Agglomeration (Poland), PAHs and other organic compounds were analyzed, including geochemical markers (biomarkers) and polar compounds from fossil fuels and biomass.

Geochemical markers of soil anthropogenic contaminants in polar scientific stations nearby (Antarctica, King George Island).

The organic contamination of Antarctic soils and terrestrial sediments from nearby of five polar scientific stations on King George Island (Antarctica) was investigated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to find composition of dichloromethane extracts of soil and terrestrial sediments. The presence of geochemical markers, such as n-alkanes, steranes, pentacyclic triterpenoids, and alkyl PAHs, their distribution types, and values of their ratios indicates the predominating source of organic fossil fuels and products of their refining rather than from the natural Antarctic environment.

Bioelements and mineral matter in human livers from the highly industrialized region of the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (Poland).

Contents of mineral substance, silica, and a range of bioelements and toxic elements (Mg, Na, K, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cr, P Al, Cd, Mn Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, Fe) in 38 livers of donors from the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (southern Poland) are presented. Elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with the exception of silica that was estimated colorimetrically. Concentrations, concentration variability, and correlations between selected liver components determined for the total population are related to donor age, gender, and lesion occurrence.

Levoglucosan and other cellulose markers in pyrolysates of Miocene lignites: geochemical and environmental implications.

Using the pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and off-line pyrolysis/silylation methods for lignites from three Miocene brown coal basins of Poland resulted in the characterization of many organic compounds, including dominant cellulose degradation products such as levoglucosan, 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucofuranose, and 1,4:3,6-dianhydroglucopyranose. Levoglucosan is a general source-specific tracer for wood smoke in the atmosphere and recent sediments. The presence of unusually high levels of this compound in brown coal pyrolysates suggests that a portion of this compound concentration in some airsheds may originate from lignite combustion.