Despite the development of organic farming, the demand for mineral fertilizers is still high. Processes of fertilizer production are water-consuming, which is why factories are often located near ...large rivers. Such facilities should be monitored in detail because they might pose a threat to water quality. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of a nitrogen fertilizer factory chemical wastewater treatment plant (CWTP) on the water quality of nearby river-lake systems. Potential contamination could indicate installation defects. Six floodplain lakes were selected for analysis: three located within the embanked area and three outside the embanked area, all close to the CWTP. Two similar lakes 30 km upstream were chosen as controls. Water samples were taken monthly from March to November 2022. We analysed pH, electrical conductivity (EC), the content of Cl−, total nitrogen (TN), NH4+, NO3−, total phosphorus (TP), PO43−, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Ca2+, K+, Mg2+ and Na+. Statistical analysis indicated that the canal that drains, among others, the cooling towers wastewater, might have an impact on the nearby lakes, significantly increasing their content of Cl− and Na+. On the other hand, the concentration of NH4+ was significantly higher in the lakes located downstream of the CWTP, although they did not have any surface connection with the CWTP reservoir. This fact and NH4+-polluted water seeping under the dike indicate that the CWTP reservoir might be leaking. Further research on underground water is required to establish whether the CWTP reservoir is properly secured. It is extremely important because the CWTP is located in the Vistula River valley, which supplies drinking water to almost 2 mln people. Any damage to the reservoir, e.g., during a flood, would lead to an ecological disaster involving not only the Vistula but also the Baltic Sea, affecting millions of people.
•Environmental impact of fertilizer factories should be closely monitored.•Fertilizer factory in Puławy is one of the largest in Poland.•Study shows migration of Cl− and Na+ from wastewater canal to lakes.•NH4+ enriched wastewater is polluting downstream floodplain lakes.•The probable cause is a defect of the treatment plant reservoir.
Sediments of two small dam reservoirs in Poland, Zalew Zemborzycki (ZZ) and Brody Iłżeckie (BI), were studied. Sediments from both reservoirs were sampled at 17 sites in the transects perpendicular ...to the shoreline, at the river inflow and the frontal dam and analysed using the BCR procedure for speciation of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). The risk assessment code (RAC) and the individual contamination factor (ICF) were determined. In BI, the sediments were removed from the considerable part of the reservoir, creating an opportunity to study the effect of dredging on the speciation of trace metals. Trace metals partitioning was differentiated according to the transect/site and in the case of BI sediments also on the transect location in the dredged or undredged part of the reservoir. Considering ZZ sediments, the order of fractions for Zn, Pb and Cd according to a decreasing overall mean percentage contribution to total metal content was the same: F4 (residual) >F3 (oxidisable) >F2 (reducible) >F1 (acid soluble). In sediments of ZZ at most sites, the RAC for Zn, Pb and Cd revealed low or medium risk and ICF low or moderate contamination. For BI sediments, the order of fractions for Pb was similar while for Zn and Cd quite the opposite compared to the sediments of ZZ and it was: Pb–F4>F3>F1>F2, Zn–F1>F3>F2>F4, Cd–F1>F2>F3>F4. For BI sediments, RAC values for Zn, on average, indicated high and very high ecological risk; for Pb low and moderate risk and for Cd – high risk in the initial part and dredged part and according to the average value in the reservoir, while a medium risk in undredged part sediments. The ICF index showed high contamination with Cd for all BI sediments. The sequential analysis showed that Pb is poorly mobile as in sediments of both reservoirs residual fractions accounted, on average, for about 60% of the total content.
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•Heavy metals' speciation depended on the pollution sources and sampling site.•Dredging effected heavy metals speciation in sediments.•Lead was poorly mobile metal in sediments.•Partitioning of metals between fractions was controlled by Corg, Fe and Mn content.
Our work addresses a neglected aspect of heavy metal (HM) pollution of sediments in small floodplain reservoirs. Very little is known about this type of water bodies, in contrast to oxbow lakes or ...old river beds. The study examines the spatial horizontal distribution of HM and the effect of texture, organic carbon (OC) content, morphometric and location features on HM concentrations. Moreover, the data from the assessment of sediment toxicity were analysed with respect to recent years' droughts to estimate the potential toxicity of sediments as soils. The statistical analyses showed that the texture and the OC content had a significant impact on the HM concentrations. Fine-grained and OC-rich sediments exhibited higher HM pollution. Only one morphometric/location factor was shown to affect HM levels in sediments – the angle between the reservoir axis and the riverbed. The angle value affected the texture and, consequently, the HM content: with a rising angle the share of the coarse-grained fraction increased leading to a decrease in the HM concentration. The spatial horizontal HM distribution did not show statistically significant results, nonetheless, HM content was found to rise along with the distance from the initial part of reservoir. The toxicity levels were not exceeded in sediments, however, the evaluation of the material as soil showed that, according to European Union guidelines, the content of at least one HM was toxic in 80% of the samples. Contaminated floodplain reservoirs should be regarded as a double threat to riverine ecosystems. On the one hand, they are one of the main non-point sources of river valley pollution; on the other hand, given the drying up of reservoirs, sediments become soils and the soil-bound heavy metals become more toxic to the environment.
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•Knowledge about the functioning of small water reservoirs is very limited.•Features influencing heavy metal content are established.•Climate change causes drying out of reservoirs.•Non-toxic sediments transform into toxic soils.
Recent actions aimed at creating an environmentally sustainable economy, as well as very high inorganic fertiliser prices, have begun a ‘renaissance’ of alternative fertilisation. It includes ...utilisation of dam reservoir (DR) sediments. The aim of our study was to evaluate the agricultural value of non-toxic material to be dredged from a dam reservoir in the face of changing mineral fertiliser prices. The quality of sediments was established based on pot experiment: four different sediment dosages (5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 40 %) and three plants in rotation (maize, mustard and grass mix) were tested. Application of DR sediments into sandy soil improved its texture (depending on dose 4–31 % less sand, 50–412 % more silt and 40–70 % more clay) and sorption properties, increased pH (the soil was acidic). The content of total organic carbon increased 1.4–4.3 times, total nitrogen (N) 1.4–4.7 times, ammonium nitrogen 1.3–5.2 times, nitrate nitrogen 1.7–11.8 times, total phosphorus (P) ∼1.4 times and available phosphorus ∼2.0; most changes were statistically significant. Yield of all three plants increased significantly correspondingly to the sediment application. It shows that DR sediments might be a good alternative to chemical fertilisers. Since the catchment of the analysed reservoir is mostly agricultural, N and P compounds accumulated in sediments originated from farming. Therefore, using DR sediments as fertilisers closes the cycle of these elements; N and P compounds can be used by plants. Additionally, this alternative fertiliser is cheap – since the analysed reservoir has to be dredged, large amounts of sediments will be obtained as a ‘side-effect’ of this process. Agricultural application of this nutrient-rich material would transform sediments from waste into a resource. Recent steep increase of mineral fertilisers prices – in Poland, the prices in 2022 were 2–3 times higher than in 2018 – showed that we have to diversify fertiliser sources. Low cost, ecological sustainability and good physical and chemical properties make DR sediments, if not a substitute, a good addition to the traditional methods of agricultural fertilization.
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•Political disturbance can strongly influence fertiliser prices.•Dam reservoir (DR) sediments are a cheap alternative.•DR sediments cause a permanent improvement of soil quality.•Sustainable growth requires reusing N and P from DR sediments.•Agricultural application transforms sediments from waste into a resource.
Recent years have brought dynamic developments in surveying equipment and techniques. These include reflectorless electromagnetic distance measurement (RL EDM), which is used in a range of devices, ...especially total stations. Studies concerning the influence of the reflecting surface on the accuracy of RL EDM tend to focus on the colour of the measurement surface, while the influence of the density and thickness of materials is usually neglected. Therefore, this study undertook to examine 53 samples representing various materials of dissimilar features: colour, type of surface and density. The results show that dark and mat surfaces cause higher RL EDM errors than bright, gloss materials. Nonetheless, 76% of the results were in compliance with equipment specifications. Moreover, it was found that the density of the samples had significant impact on the overall accuracy. RL EDM to EPS (expanded polystyrene sheets, low-density material, commonly called Styrofoam) involved a significantly higher error rate. It demonstrates that total station measurements and laser scanning should be performed cautiously, especially with regard to materials of low density (e.g., EPS) and on short distances, where the value of relative error is high.
The objective of the study was the estimation of the effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on the biological properties of soils in the vicinity of biochar production sites. Assays ...performed in the soils included the content of PAHs, as well as the microbiological (counts of bacteria and fungi), biochemical (enzymatic activity: dehydrogenases, acidic and alkalic phosphatase, protease and urease) and ecotoxicological properties of the soils (phytotoxicity to Lepidium sativum, Microtox®—Vibrio fischeri, MARA—11 different microorganisms, Daphtoxkit F™—Daphnia magna). In spite of the low level of industrialisation of the area studied, the content of PAHs in the soils was very high. Depending on the soil sampling site, the content of total PAHs varied from 1796.8 to 101,282.7μg/kg. The highest levels in the soils studied were characteristic of fluoranthene and pyrene. The counts of bacteria and fungi, as well as the enzymatic activity, were clearly related with the sampling sites. In most of the objects studied those parameters had high values, which indicated correct runs of the biological processes in most of the soils studied. Depending on the ecotoxicological assay applied, and on the sampling sites, the toxicity of the soils was varied, but only in a few cases the phytotoxicity was correlated with the content of PAHs.
•Soils in the area of biochar production were characterised by high content of PAHs.•No impact of PAHs was observed in relation to microbial parameters.•Microbial parameters (bacteria and fungi, enzymatic activity) had high values.•Ecotoxicological tests showed low sensitivity to investigated soils.
Waste management is one of the greatest contemporary challenges as the world strives for sustainable development. We set out to investigate the impact of mining waste (carboniferous rock) and organic ...waste (biogas digestate) on the physical properties of soils. The wastes were applied to Podzol, soil characterised by low chemical and physical quality with the particle size distribution (PSD) of loamy sand. The paper sets out to answer the question of whether a one-time application of mine and/or biogas digestate onto soil positively affects the durability of the soil structure and if the changes were permanent. For this purpose, we analysed soil texture, total organic carbon (TOC), water-stable aggregates and the mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates (MWD). The combined addition of biogas digestate and the two types of waste improved the soil structure. The content of soil water-stable aggregates with dimensions 5–10 mm (A5–10) and 1–5 mm (A1–5) increased the MWD and the content of aggregates of diameters <1 mm (A<1) decreased. The effects of the experiment were permanent, as differences resulting from the soil treatments were still visible four years after the application. This shows that wastes, especially biogas digestate, could be successfully used in agriculture.
The accumulation of selected N, K, and P forms in soils within three perennial colonies of black cormorant (
Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) and grey heron (
Ardea cinerea) located in northern and ...eastern Poland were investigated. Soil samples were collected beneath the nests from the most representative for each colony plots. Control samples were taken outside the colonies within sites adjacent to the nesting areas but not affected by bird excrement. From each genetic horizon (20 horizons) in soil profiles, a cumulative sample of about 25–30 kg of soil was taken for analysis. Nitrogen by Kjeldahl, ammonium ions (N
NH
4
), nitrates (N
NO
3
), exchangeable potassium (K
ex), available potassium (K
av), and available phosphorus (P
av) were determined. The soils affected by birds demonstrated a very strong enrichment with N, K, and P in comparison to the control sites, especially in the topsoil horizons. The content of N
NH
4
in individual soil horizons from the colonies was from 1.7 to 10.1 times higher than the respective control, N
NO
3
from 2.9 to 215.7, K
ex from 2.0 to 35.1, K
av from 1.1 to 48.1, and P
av in the range from 2.4 to 53.0 times. The highest increment of chemical elements was noticeable in the soils of territories inhabited by cormorants and the least in forest occupied by herons. Some relationships between soil texture and accumulation of biogenic nutrients were determined. Clay loam soil showed the greatest enrichment with analysed forms of elements with the exception of N
NH
4
.
Purpose
This paper investigates the morphological and location features influencing the sediment texture of small reservoirs located within the embanked floodplain of a lowland river. Bed and ...suspended loads deposited in these reservoirs, settle as sediments, whose texture could indicate factors shaping processes within the embanked floodplains.
Materials and methods
Sediment samples were extracted from three sections of each of 10 reservoirs and measured with respect to the grain size distribution. The statistical analyses determined factors affecting the texture and enabled the comparison of the reservoirs and their initial, middle, and final sections.
Results and discussion
Factors such as the length of the reservoir, its area, the distance from the river, the width of the embankment area, and the location along the river were found to have a negligible effect on proportion of sediment fractions. The maximum depth and the angle between the reservoir axis and the riverbed were the only two characteristics that notable contributed to the differences in the sediment texture. In deeper reservoirs the content of sand fraction was considerably higher, while simultaneously the share of silt was lower. The angle value influenced the sediment texture of each reservoir in general as well as considering their final parts. As the angle increased, the sand content increased as well, whereas the shares of silt and clay decreased.
Conclusions
The maximum depth and the angle between the river and the reservoir can be considered as the key determinants of the sediment texture in small floodplain reservoirs.
The study set out to determine changes in the soil air-water properties, the water-stable aggregate share and organic carbon content as effects of a five-year application of effective microorganisms ...(EM-A). The hypothesis that long-term applied EM-A biopreparations have a positive effect on the soil physical condition has not been confirmed. Haplic Luvisols originating from silt were studied in a field experiment after EM-A biopreparation treatment. The soil samples with the natural structure preserved intact were collected three times each year. The properties of the soil determined in the study were: particle density, total organic carbon content, bulk density, total porosity, air capacity, air permeability, soil moisture at sampling, field water capacity, available water content, unavailable water content, and water-stable aggregate content. The ratio of field water capacity and total porosity (FC/TP) was calculated. It was found that EM-A application primarily leads to a decrease in the content of organic carbon and water-stable aggregates. This was an adverse effect. Total organic carbon (TOC) and water-stable aggregates proved to be very sensitive indicators for assessing the soil physical condition. However, changes in soil compaction and air–water properties did not show significant deterioration. Our research addresses the data gaps about EM application to soil.
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