Participation of quaternary aquifers in groundwater inflow to mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB)

The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) is situated within Variscean depression in the southern Poland. Mining of the hard coal, ore and sand deposits in the USCB has a long-lasting tradition. Exploitation has been carried out with both – open pit and mainly underground operations. The intensity of water inflows to mines depends on geogenic and technological factors. Among geogenic factors the main one is occurrence of thick water – bearing Quaternary sediments in the roof of Carboniferous ore deposits. Among technological factors the essential influence on the inflows to the mine workings have: time, depth and surface of exploitation, as well as drainage intensity

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the water environment of Poland : a review

The issue of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the water environment has gained increasing interest worldwide. To determine the nature and extent of this problem for Poland, this paper presents a review of research on the presence of PPCPs in Poland, looking at results for different water samples, including wastewater (before and after treatment), landfill leachate, surface water (standing water bodies and rivers), seawater, groundwater and drinking water. The review is based on over 50 scientific articles and dissertations referring to studies of PPCPs. It also briefly outlines possible sources and the fate of PPCPs in the aquatic environment. The review of Polish research has revealed that studies have previously covered at least 39 PPCP groups (270 compounds in total). These studies focused mainly on wastewater and rivers, and only a few concerned landfill leachate and seawater. They most often reported on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. The highest concentrations of the analysed PPCPs were found mainly in raw wastewater (e.g., naproxen, up to 551,960 ng/L), but they were also occasionally found in surface water (e.g., azithromycin, erythromycin, irbesartan and metoprolol) and in groundwater (e.g., N,Ndiethyl- meta-toluamide, known as DEET, up to 17,280 ng/L). Extremely high concentrations of bisphenol A (up to 2,202,000 ng/L) and diclofenac (up to 108,340 ng/L) were found in landfill leachate. Although numerous substances have been detected, PPCPs are still not monitored regularly, which makes it difficult to obtain a clear understanding of their incidence in the water environment

Chemizm wód podziemnych w Smoczej Jamie, Kraków, Polska

The chemical composition of the water in Smocza Jama cave (city of Kraków, Kraków-Wieluń Upland) was studied. The cave is 276 m long and it was developed in the Upper Jurassic limestone. Nineteen water samples were collected between March 1995 and January 1998. The pool water and drip water were sampled. The former water samples represent Ca - Na - HCO3 - SO4 - Cl, while the latter ones SO4 - Ca - Na type. In pool water the concentrations of Cl are higher than in drip water, while in drip water the SO4 predominates. The chemical composition of the studied samples of both the pool and drip waters differs considerably from the composition typical of the limestone cave water. The studied water differs also in its chemical composition from the ground- water of the Kraków-Wieluń Upland. High concentrations of NO3, SO4, Cl, Na, K, and P suggest that the water in Smocza Jama is considerably affected by pollution. The chemical composition of the studied pool water can be the effect of mixing of, at least, two components. The water can: (i) filtrate from the Vistula river, (ii) percolate down from the surface of Wawel Hill, (iii) migrate from the nearby area, where the city centre is located, and (iv) ascend as artesian water from deeper confined aquifer. The former three of the four mentioned water sources may be strongly degraded due to long lasting human occupation of both Wawel Hill and the city centre, as well as pollution of the Vistula river. The high amount of SOS ions reaching 1439 mg/L in drip water results probably from leaching of litter and rubble poured over the cave in the 19th century.Jaskinia Smocza Jama jest usytuowana w centrum Krakowa, w południowej częoeci Wyżyny Krakowsko-Wieluńskiej (Fig. 1, 2). Powstała ona w wapieniach jury górnej budujących niewielki zrąb otoczony głównie iłami mioceńskimi znajdującymi się w sąsiednich rowach tektonicznych. W jaskini występują jeziorka (Fig. 3); ich powierzchnia położona jest w przybliżeniu na poziomie wód Wisły, która płynie w odległości ok. 50 m od jaskini. Fluktuacje poziomu wody w jaskini nawiązują do zmian poziomu wody w Wiśle (Kleczkowski, 1977). Badane było szesnaście próbek wody pobranych z jeziorek i trzy próbki wody kapiącej ze stropu jaskini (Fig. 3). Wszystkie próbki reprezentowały wody słabo alkaliczne. Mineralizacja ogólna wód z jeziorek była mniejsza niż wody kapiącej. W pierwszym przypadku wynosiła od 779,25 mg/L do 1013,01 mg/L podczas gdy w drugim od 1752 mg/L do 2841,73 mg/L (Tabela 1)