26 research outputs found
The volume of generated waste, population density and road network density : anthropogenic pressure index
The study attempt to define an anthropogenic pressure index (IA) on the basis of the data, available for Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union districts. The volume of generated waste, population density and road network density, were taken into account to determine this parameter. Each of these factors was given the same level of importance in assessing the degree of its contribution to deterioration of the natural environment. The data were related to the mean of each factor for all districts. This index uses values of I A100% represents an area subjected to the greatest anthropogenic pressure (more than a mean of the negative factors degree). The importance of individual factors was set as 1, assuming that each factor had an equal impact on the environment. In the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union districts, the estimated values of the anthropogenization index range from 3.1 to 14.9 (for Silesia region), and from 13.8 to 78.2 (for Poland). The graphic representation of data, was possible owing to GIS-supported analyses. Visual presentations are shown against the background of Silesian region and Poland maps
Antropogeniczne zmiany odpływu rzecznego w zlewni Rudy
Human activity represents an essential element which modifies size and regime of river runoff
and also water quality in Ruda catchment, which is right-bank Odra tributary (Fig. 2). The upper
part of the catchment is strongly influenced by human impact associated with hard coal mining,
industrial activity and urbanisation. The results of the research concerning last several decades
show that anthropogenic factors have not influenced water relations with the same intensity both
in time and space. A distinct relationship is observed between development of economic processes
in the catchment and intensity of water relation transformations.
Anthropogenic changes of the size of river runoff were stated in urbanised and industrialised
upper part of Ruda catchment. In lower part of the catchment, which is only slightly transformed
by human activity, no considerable changes of river catchment caused by anthropogenic factors
were observed (Tab. 22, 23; Fig. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29).
The valuation of anthropogenic changes of river runoff confirms growing, with the increase of
anthropogenic constituent of the runoff, disturbances in its seasonal course and natural
changeability (Tab. 24).
The main function of Rybnik Reservoir, which is a delivery and reception of cold storage
water from Rybnik power station, causes that not all typical for water retention reservoirs changes
of runoff size and regime in the profile located below the reservoir are observed. Rybnik Reservoir
does not regulate the minimal discharge and also its retention influence on spring thaw high water
is not visible. Moreover, some disturbances in runoff course during summer occur which result in
irreclaimable wastes (in cool cold storage circulation) and wastes associated with evaporation
(Tab. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29; Fig. 30, 31).
A synthetic picture of water condition transformation which took place in Ruda catchment
as a result of anthropopresion is a diagram of water circulation by Soczyńska and
Mikulski (1984) and Jankowski (1986) supplemented by the author (Fig. 35). Basing
on the introduced supplements, the water balance equation has been transformed in time
function. The water balance equitation in Ruda catchment has the following form:
P(i) + PW(i) + WK(t) = Q,(0 + + EVAP(i) + PWK(i) + d(INT + RPP + RPN + RSA +
+ RWP + RA + RZA + RKR + RG)(i)
where:
P — precipitation, PW — water transfer, WK — mining water, Q„ — natural constituent of
runoff, Q, — antropogenic constituent of runoff, EVAP — evaporation, PWK — transfers
of mining water, INT — interception, RPP — retention of permeability surface, RPN
— retention of non-permeability surface, RSA — retention of aeration zone, RWP
— retention of groundwater, RA — apotamic retention, RZA — retention of anthropogenic
water reservoirs, RKR — retention of river bed, RG — retention of economic
activity. Basing on data included in this work, an attempt was made to evaluate the elements which
influenced transformation of the natural water balance equation. The estimations are as follows:
PW (water transfer) — 0,85 m3 x s_1
WK (mining water) — 0,13 m3 x s_1
Q, (anthropogenic constituent of runoff) — 0,51 m3 x s_1
PWK (transfers of mining water) — 0,10 m3 x s_1
RG (retention of economic activity) — 0,15 m3 x s_1
Comparing the values of anthropogenic constituent of runoff obtained from this research
with data on size of mining water transfer, lower participation of evaluated anthropogenic
constituent of the runoff is observed that it would occur from the balance of the size of water
transfer and disposal. This results from irreclaimable wastes of water in industry and municipal use
which are difficult to define. Another element which is underestimated by the researchers and
which modifies water circulation are changes of evaporation. In Ruda catchment these changes
result from growing built-up areas and time-spatial changeability of water reservoirs (Rybnik
Reservoir, ponds in subsidence basins, groups of fishing ponds). Another element which is very
difficult to balance is water escape by intensive coal mining activity.
The results of the studies have revealed also that in the catchments of complicated system of
water transfer and considerably transformed water conditions (what applies to the majority of
catchment in the Upper Silesian region) methods based on hydrological and statistic analysis of
long-lasting measurement series are much more reliable. Additional advantage of such methods
is much larger access to applied observational materials and their greater reliability.
The evidence of anthropogenic changes of river runoff in Ruda catchment is poor
quality of surface water (Tab. 30; Fig. 32). Ruda, Potok Boguszowicki, Nacyna and Sumina
lead classless water. The following contaminations cause poor water quality: biogenic substances
(nitrates and phosphates) mineral substances represented by chlorides and sulphates which come
from disposed to Nacyna mining water (Tab. 18, 19, 29; Fig. 20, 21, 22), heavy metals (lead) and
bacteriological contaminations. The source of water pollution of Ruda and its tributaries are
numerous disposals of industrial and domestic sewage, mainly from the area of Żory, Rybnik and
Kuźnia Raciborska (Tab. 31; Map 1). The activities taken up to improve water quality in the
catchment (arrangement of water-sewage system, construction of sewage treatment plants) resulted
in reduction of the suspension and BZT5. On the other hand, an increasing amount of biogenic
substances which are disposed to water is alarming. This is especially important for proper
functioning of Rybnik Reservoir which have become a waste-water tank and has undergone slowly
eutrophication. This situation occurred despite the fact that part of the most polluted water was
disposed to Nacyna, below the reservoir.
The results of the investigation on water quality in the catchment which were not included in
state monitoring show that also Rudziczka, Klokocinka and streams which drain Ruda Kozielska
area, contaminate Ruda (Tab. 32; Fig. 33). Also in other areas a considerable influence of
uncontrolled waste water disposal on the quality of surface water is observed.
Poor quality of water in Ruda catchment induces considerations concerning possibilities
of its improvement (Fig. 36). The improvement of water quality in Ruda catchment would
decrease pollutant load which is disposed to Rybnik Reservoir and which is delivered to Odra
river. The protection and improvement of water quality in Ruda catchment is also necessary
due to establishment of Rudy Wielkie Cistercian Composition Landscape Park in this area.
Ruda is an hydrographic axis of this protected area and a natural ecological passage between
the Wisła and Odra drainage basins where water, side by side with woods, represents an
essential value. Restoration of water values of this area would result in increase of its tourist
attraction and could be a model for other areas of the Upper Silesian Region which are not totally
degraded
Novel methods and solutions in hydrology and water management : National Conference (Sosnowiec and Szczyrk, Poland, 25th-27th May, 2015)
On 25th–27th May 2015 the Poland-wide conference on “Novel methods and solutions in hydrology and water management” was held in Sosnowiec and Szczyrk. It was organised under the honorary patronage of the Dean of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Prof. dr hab. Adam Idziak. The conference was organised to commemorate a distinguished geographer and hydrologist – Professor Andrzej T. Jankowski. The organisers of the Conference included the University of Silesia – Faculty of Earth Sciences, the Centre for Polar Studies, the Polish Geographical Society – Katowice Branch, the Hydrological Commission of the Polish Geographical Society and the Association of Polish Hydrologists..
Contemporary consumer behaviour of consumption of water and waste production - an attempt to assess based on survey
Zmiany demograficzne, w tym wielkosc gospodarstw domowych, warunkuja w du zym stopniu zachowania konsumenckie na danym obszarze. Pomimo wielu badan ogólnoeuropejskich na ten temat, wcia ciekawe i warte uwagi sa badania takich zachowan na małych obszarach, gdzie ze wzgledu na mo liwosci finansowe lub specyfike miejsca, zachowania te moga bardzo sie ró nic od ogólnych trendów. W pracy poddano dyskusji twierdzenie o ró nej wielkosci zu ycia wody i produkcji odpadów w zale nosci od wielkosci gospodarstwa domowego i wieku mieszkańców zamieszkujacych centralna czesc województwa slaskiego. W tym celu przeanalizowano prognozy demograficzne na lata 2010-2030 na badanym obszarze. Z przeprowadzonych
badan mo na wnioskowac o czesciowej zgodnosci wyników z innymi badaniami europejskimi, które wskazuja na wy sze zu ycie wody na osobe w gospodarstwach małych. Badania wykazały tak e, e najmniej wody zu ywaja najstarsi (>75 lat) i najmłodsi (<25 lat) mieszkancy województwa slaskiego. W zakresie wytwarzanych odpadów zdecydowanie najwiecej wytwarza ich gospodarstwo małe, jednoosobowe, bo o 51,2% wiecej ni gospodarstwo 2-osobowe i o 67,4% wiecej ni ż gospodarstwo 3-osobowe oraz o 57,4% wiecej ni gospodarstwo 4-osobowe
Surface Water Quality Analysis Using CORINE Data: An Application to Assess Reservoirs in Poland
Reservoirs are formed through the artificial damming of a river valley. Reservoirs, among
others, capture polluted load transported by the tributaries in the form of suspended and dissolved
sediments and substances. Therefore, reservoirs are treated in the European Union (EU) as “artificial”
or “heavily modified” surface water bodies. The reservoirs’ pollutant load depends to a large extent
on the degree of anthropogenic impact in the respective river catchment area. The purpose of this
paper is to assess the mutual relation between the catchment area and the reservoirs. In particular,
we focus on the e ects of certain land use/land cover on reservoirs’ water quality. For this study,
we selected twenty Polish reservoirs for an in-depth analysis using 2018 CORINE Land Cover data.
This analysis allowed the identification of the main triggering factors in terms of water quality of the
respective reservoirs. Moreover, our assessment clearly shows that water quality of the analysed
dam reservoirs is directly a ected by the composition of land use/land cover, both of the entire total
reservoir catchment areas and the directly into the reservoir draining sub-catchment areas
Mathematical modelling as a tool for the assessment of impact of thermodynamics on the algal growth in dam reservoirs – case study of the Goczalkowice Reservoir
Depending on climate conditions, bathymetry, basin morphology, management practices and other factors, some
reservoirs are more or less prone to stratification, which can strongly affect both chemical and biological status
of water. In the Goczalkowice Reservoir (the biggest dam reservoir in the south of Poland), water quality parameters,
such as chlorophyll a concentration, change very dynamically. In the presented study, the Estuary, Lake and
Coastal Ocean Model (ELCOM) was applied to simulate water thermodynamics in a period of summer and autumn
when the highest concentrations of chlorophyll a were observed, based on the continuous water monitoring in
the ZiZOZap project (Łaszczyca et al., 2011). The purpose of the application of ELCOM was to simulate the thermal
stratification in the reservoir and to prepare a basis for analyses of the relationship between water thermodynamics
and quality. Simulations allowed the identification of several short water mixing events in summer and the final
mixing event at the end of summer. The study also included the first application of model results to analyse the
relation of changes in water temperature with observed concentration of chlorophyll a (ChlA). Analysis confirmed
that each water mixing event was followed by a significant increase in ChlA concentration
Wpływ urbanizacji na zmiany hydrogramu odpływu w zlewni Żylicy (Beskidy Zachodnie)
Mathematical models which transfer downfall to surface runoff are applied for a catchment whose
area is smaller than 50 km2 and where high-water stages are caused by rainfall. The aim of the paper was to
investigate changing hydrographs as a result of increasing urbanization. Calculations were performed using
models which transfer effective rainfall into surface runoff. The modelling was carried out for three different
periods which were characterized by different use: historical, current and predicted. Effective rainfall was
transferred into surface runoff using Snyder’s model. Retention was calculated by SCS-CN model
Factors influencing floods in the urbanized and industrialized areas of the Upper Silesia Industrial Region in the 19th and 20th centuries (the Kłodnica catchment case study)
The occurrence and pattern of floods in urban industrial areas depend on both the
hydro-meteorological and physico-geographical properties of the catchment area and on the degree
of anthropogenic transformation of land. The area selected for research is one of the largest
urban mining-industrial districts in Europe, known as the Upper Silesian Industrial Region
(USIR). Besides the ‘typical’ flood risk, which manifests itself in rivers overflowing their banks,
this catchment is also threatened with floods that do not depend on meteorological factors but
are caused by the formation of flood lands in areas transformed due to deep mining of hard coal.
The pattern of floods in the catchment has also been influenced by changes in the forms of land
use resulting from the growth of urbanized areas. Because of the increasing flood risk and the
fact that it is impossible to build water storage reservoirs other possibilities of improving water
retention capacity in the catchment have been indicated
Inventory of reservoirs of key significance for water management in Poland – evaluation of changes in their capacity
Dam reservoirs constitute an important element of protection against floods and hydrological
droughts, and they ensure the possibility of producing electricity. Loss of reservoirs’ storage
capacity has a significant impact on the management of their water resources, including flood protection
and counteracting the effects of drought and the possibility of producing electricity. The
paper presents changes in the capacity of 47 reservoirs in Poland that have the status of key objects of
protection against floods and hydrological drought. Based on the collected, unpublished data, the
changes in capacity from the beginning of the reservoirs’ existence to 31 March 2021 were calculated,
which allowed us to determine the total amount of lost capacity and the pace of the processes taking
place. From the beginning of operation (average operation time 48 years), the capacity has decreased
by about 5%, which means that almost 200 million m3 less water is stored. Detailed analyses of
the lost capacity also allowed for an illustrative presentation of forecasts for further changes in
the short and long term. The results obtained represent a unique contribution to future national
strategies for the management of sediment and reservoirs’ flood reserve and reduction of drought.
The presentation of this problem seems to be important also in the context of climate chang
Estimating the impact of inflow on the chemistry of two different caldera type lakes located on the Bali Island (Indonesia)
This paper is a preliminary attempt to assess the composition of pollutants in two different caldera lakes situated in the Indonesian Archipelago: Batur and Bratan. Both lakes are characterized by largely different physico-chemical regimes; Batur Lake is located in an area that is currently volcanically active, unlike Bratan Lake. The latter is much smaller and shallower than Batur Lake. The concentration of pollutants in the Indonesian equatorial lakes is largely unknown, and the impact of both biological and geothermal processes on their distribution requires attention. This study shows that the concentrations of cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), anions (SO42-, F-, Cl-, Br-) and trace elements (Li, B, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Cs, Ba, Pb, U, Be, Ag, Sb, Tl, Bi) differ greatly between both lakes. Most chemical parameters determined in volcanically influenced Batur Lake were tens to hundreds times higher than in Bratan Lake, and in the case of trace metals, the ratios of the two lakes' concentrations reached several hundreds. This study also compared the composition and concentration levels of organic compounds in both lakes, such as fatty acids, halocarbons and esters. On the other hand, the content of organic chemicals in the lakes also results from biological activity by phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria