PARTICULATE MATTER IN ATMOSPHERIC AIR IN URBAN AGGLOMERATION

The study aimed to determine the mass concentration of PM10 in the air in urban area. The specific objective of the research was to analyze and assess the impact of transport road emissions on the level of concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere in the Lublin agglomeration. The measuring points were located in places at different distances from the communications emission sources and, at the same time, possibly varying degrees of air pollution dust. Measuring the concentration of dust at the measuring points was performed using an indirect method using a laser photometer. In the research point which was not under direct influence of a heavy traffic road dust levels lower by 10.5% to 65.4% than in the vicinity of the transport route were reported. Small particle air pollution at all the points covered by the study increased significantly during the heating season. Based on the comparison of the obtained values of PM10 concentrations with legal standards, it was found that the air pollution exceeded the limits in all measurement points only during a series of measurements in the months of November-December. The recorded increase in air pollution during the heating season should be associated with an increased dust emissions in this period from the "low" emitters - local house boilers and detached houses

EVALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY RESULTING FROM THE APPLICATION OF MODERN BUSES IN URBAN COMMUNICATIONS

The use of modern vehicles may contribute to limiting the adverse impact of urban transport on the environment. Evaluation of options for choosing new means of transport in terms of economic and ecological benefits allows for the identification of the most advantageous variants. The solution is to consider replacing a bus compliant with a Euro III norm (base variant) with a bus compliant with Euro VI (option 1) or with an electric bus (option 2). The evaluation of the solutions was based on the calculated parameters: a monetary value reflecting the energy cost of the analyzed buses and the ecological effect of the reduced emissions from the Euro VI bus and the electric bus compared with the Euro III vehicle. The ecological effect resulting from the use of the electric bus was determined taking into account emissions from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas) and biomass. The method of cost analysis was used to evaluate the solution of replacing older buses with new ones (with different types of propulsion). It is based on calculating the unit cost of achieving the ecological effect of the solution

Comparative Laser Spectroscopy Diagnostics for Ancient Metallic Artefacts Exposed to Environmental Pollution

Metal artworks are subjected to corrosion and oxidation processes due to reactive agents present in the air, water and in the ground that these objects have been in contact with for hundreds of years. This is the case for archaeological metals that are recovered from excavation sites, as well as artefacts exposed to polluted air. Stabilization of the conservation state of these objects needs precise diagnostics of the accrued surface layers and identification of original, historical materials before further protective treatments, including safe laser cleaning of unwanted layers. This paper presents analyses of the chemical composition and stratigraphy of corrosion products with the use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. The discussion of the results is supported by material studies (SEM-EDS, XRF, ion-analyses). The tests were performed on several samples taken from original objects, including copper roofing from Wilanów Palace in Warsaw and Karol Poznański Palace in ŁódŸ, bronze decorative figures from the Wilanów Palace gardens, and four archaeological examples of old jewellery (different copper alloys). Work has been performed as a part of the MATLAS project in the frames of EEA and Norway Grants (www.matlas.eu) and the results enable the comparison of the methodology and to elaborate the joint diagnostic procedures of the three project partner independent laboratories

APPLICATION OF THE ELASTIC-PLASTIC MODEL IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE DISPLACEMENT IN A ROCK MASS

The concern of this article is the analysis of the impact of increased volume (dilation) and decreased strength of the rock material in the plastic zone on the displacement field in the vicinity of the roadway. Elastic-plastic model of the behaviour of the rock material and the strength criterion of Coulomb-Mohr were assumed. The volume change of the rock material is controlled by the angle of dilation ψ, which determines dilation parameter β that is taken into account in the analysis. The influence of parameter β and the strength of the rock material, after crossing the border state of stress, in the field of displacements in the vicinity of the excavation and rock pressure on the elastic support of the excavation was proved. The relationships determining displacement fields in the plastic zone which were obtained with consideration to in this zone of both the elastic and plastic displacement, as well as the relationships which were obtained without elastic deformations was discussed. The exact form of the equation for the displacement field in the plastic zone depends on how the elastic deformation in the plastic zone is defined. There are three ways of describing these deformations. In the first method it is assumed that in plastic deformation area the elastic deformation constants are equal to the deformation constants at the plastic and elastic border. The second method of description is based on the assumption that the plastic zone is a thick-walled ring whose edges: internal and external have been appropriately debited. In the third method, elastic deformations in the plastic zone were made dependent on the state of stress in the zone. The results are illustrated in a form of response curves of the rock mass

SIMULATIONS OF THE INFLUENCE OF CHANGES IN WASTE COMPOSITION ON THEIR ENERGETIC PROPERTIES

The objective to obtain the recommended (at least 50% by weight) level of recycled and reprocessed raw fractions of municipal waste in the perspective of 2020 might in turn contribute to the deterioration of the fuel properties of waste stream that is intended for incineration. In order to avoid oversizing heat recovery plants their construction should be based on well-defined properties of the waste fuel. The author carried out simulation calculations of the impact of changes in the composition of municipal waste on their energetic properties. The calculations of the calorific value of the waste fraction (so called combustible fraction) with the potential to be used as an alternative fuel were done

Analysis of Energy Consumption in the Production Chain of Heat from Pellet

Wood pellets, as a renewable energy source, are an alternative to fossil fuels. Their use contributes to the quantitative protection of the traditional energy resources which are non-renewable and single use. The combustion of pellets has a neutral effect on increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. An important environmental aspect of the Life Cycle Assessment of pellets is the energy consumption over its life cycle. The results of this assessment can be helpful in improving the environmental management in the companies related to the pellet life cycle. They can also be used in the comparative assessment of pellets and other energy carriers in terms of the environmental load resulting from the energy consumption over the entire life cycle of the analyzed fuels. The work aimed at analyzing and assessing the energy efficiency of using wood pellet taking into account its life cycle. In order to achieve the purpose of the work, the energy efficiency index, calculated as the quotient of energy benefits and energy expenditure incurred at individual stages of the pellet life cycle, was used. The results of the analysis indicate that among the studied stages of the pellet life cycle, the highest energy consumption occurs in the pellet use and production phases. Research shows that the energy benefits expressed in the amount of energy emitted in the form of heat in the pellet combustion process outweigh the energy expenditure being the sum of energy spent in subsequent stages of the pellet life cycle. The obtained results indicate a positive energy balance. The use of pellets for heating purposes allows for the recovery of energy spent throughout its entire life cycle

Modeling of Post-Failure Behavior of the Rock Mass and its Effect on the Stress-Deformation State in the Vicinity of a Mining Excavation

The study investigated the impact of post-failure properties of the rock mass on the stress-deformation state in the vicinity of the underground excavation and the pressure exerted on the support. An analytical solution to the problem was presented, including the creation of inelastic zones in the vicinity of the excavation: ideal-plastic zone with residual strength and plastic zone with mild decrease of rock medium strength and taking into account the dilatancy. The analysis of the obtained dependencies was carried out using geotechnical parameters characterizing the Carboniferous rock mass of a hard coal mine. The influence of the plastic zone was determined with a mild decrease in strength to the state of stress, deformation and pressure on the rock mass support. The results of the considerations were compared with the solution, which omitted the softening of the rock mass and the solution based on the model of the elastic-plastic-brittle medium. The results of the analysis broaden the knowledge on the behavior of the rock medium in the vicinity of the excavation. The obtained solution can be further developed in order to enable its practical application, especially under the conditions in which the behavior of the rock medium in the vicinity of the excavation well reflects the elastic-plastic model with a gentle drop in the strength of the rock material

LOGISTICS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS

The waste management system in health care is a tool that allows to conduct reasonable steps to reduce their amount, collection, storage and transport, and provide a high level of utilization or disposal. Logistics solutions in waste management are intended to make full use of the infrastructure and technical resources, optimize costs, ensure the safety and health at work and meet legal requirements. The article discusses the elements of the logistics system of waste management in hospital, necessary to ensure the smooth flow of waste from its origin to landfilling. The following criteria were characterized: technical and technological, ecological and economic that can be used in the analysis and evaluation of solutions in waste management in the hospital. Finally, solutions to improve waste management system in the hospital on the example of the real object have been presented

PARTICULATE MATTER IN ATMOSPHERIC AIR IN URBAN AGGLOMERATION

The study aimed to determine the mass concentration of PM10 in the air in urban area. The specific objective of the research was to analyze and assess the impact of transport road emissions on the level of concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere in the Lublin agglomeration. The measuring points were located in places at different distances from the communications emission sources and, at the same time, possibly varying degrees of air pollution dust. Measuring the concentration of dust at the measuring points was performed using an indirect method using a laser photometer. In the research point which was not under direct influence of a heavy traffic road dust levels lower by 10.5% to 65.4% than in the vicinity of the transport route were reported. Small particle air pollution at all the points covered by the study increased significantly during the heating season. Based on the comparison of the obtained values of PM10 concentrations with legal standards, it was found that the air pollution exceeded the limits in all measurement points only during a series of measurements in the months of November-December. The recorded increase in air pollution during the heating season should be associated with an increased dust emissions in this period from the "low" emitters - local house boilers and detached houses

EVALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY RESULTING FROM THE APPLICATION OF MODERN BUSES IN URBAN COMMUNICATIONS

The use of modern vehicles may contribute to limiting the adverse impact of urban transport on the environment. Evaluation of options for choosing new means of transport in terms of economic and ecological benefits allows for the identification of the most advantageous variants. The solution is to consider replacing a bus compliant with a Euro III norm (base variant) with a bus compliant with Euro VI (option 1) or with an electric bus (option 2). The evaluation of the solutions was based on the calculated parameters: a monetary value reflecting the energy cost of the analyzed buses and the ecological effect of the reduced emissions from the Euro VI bus and the electric bus compared with the Euro III vehicle. The ecological effect resulting from the use of the electric bus was determined taking into account emissions from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas) and biomass. The method of cost analysis was used to evaluate the solution of replacing older buses with new ones (with different types of propulsion). It is based on calculating the unit cost of achieving the ecological effect of the solution