The leaching potential of sewage sludge and municipal waste incineration ashes in terms of landfill safety and potential reuse

Incinerations residues from different types of materials (sewage sludge incineration ash and municipal waste incineration ashes) can either be by-products used in industry, or can pose a serious environmental problem related to their composition and the presence of potentially hazardous elements. State regulations and standards indicate whether material is inert, non-hazardous or hazardous. These standards, however, do not provide a complete overview on the leaching behavior of potentially hazardous elements in the environment. This study presents the result of batch experiment performed in accordance with the PN-EN 12457-2 (2006) and PN-EN 12457-4 (2006) standards. The results indicated that the leachability of elements is strongly dependent on the mineral composition of the waste product (the concentration and composition of soluble phase), the chemical composition (the mobility of hazardous elements and their affinity to soluble minerals), and the pH. To ensure environmental safety a thorough characterization of the waste is required followed by qualitative assignment to a particular waste type based on available guidance. Furthermore, to avoid leaching of potentially harmful elements into soils or surface water, it is also paramount to perform environmental impact assessment of wastes used as by-product in industry e.g., as building or road construction materials (aggregate) and fertilizers

Assessment of valuable and critical elements recovery potential in ashes from processes of solid municipal waste and sewage sludge thermal treatment

Due to the increasing amount of produced and accumulated wastes, a potential source of elements might be the global waste stream coming from the waste incineration process. As a result of this process, bottom ash, fly ash and air pollution control residues are produced. The goal of this study was to evaluate the raw material potential of the anthropogenic materials which are fly ashes from municipal waste incineration and municipal sewage sludge incineration, and the possibility for the recovery of metallic or other economically valuable elements by comparison of their chemical composition with the chemical composition of Earth materials (ultramafic, mafic and felsic igneous rocks, various sedimentary rocks), and with their lowest content in currently exploited ores. Fly ashes contain more valuable and critical elements when compared to Earth materials; however, they are less concentrated in comparison to the content in currently exploited ores. Since natural resources are becoming depleted, the costs of exploitation, mineral processing and related operations are increasing and the fly ashes are easily accessible. Cheap materials do not demand complicated treatment which might be considered as a future source of P, Zn, Sn, Cr, Pb, Au and Ag, and thus fulfilling the assumptions of close-loop economy and to maximize natural resources protection

SKELETONS OF SEIROCRINUS SUBANGULARISCRINOIDS (CRINOIDEA, ECHINODERMATA)(MILLER, 1821) FROM THE COLLECTION OFTHE NATURE EDUCATION CENTRE OF THEJAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

The Nature Education Centre of the JagiellonianUniversity in Krakow has in its collection a spectacular fossil ofa Jurassic crinoid, in literature known as Seirocrinus subangularis(Miller). Only several museums in Central Europe can boast sucha perfectly preserved and complete specimen of Seirocrinus. Asseen against Polish museum collections the slab in questionis an outstanding object. That very form was a cosmopolitanand pseudoplanktonic crinoid species spread throughoutAsia, Europe, and Northern America, yet it has never beendocumented in Poland. The particular specimen reached Polandin the mid-19th century from Germany to enrich the collectionof the Mineralogical Cabinet. The paper presents the turbulenthistory of the slab with some dozen specimens of echinodermson it, the story which will shortly have a happy end, since itwill be permanently placed as a geological exhibit at the NatureEducation Centre of the Jagiellonian University

Mineralogical-geochemical study on granular disintegration of granites based on selected examples from Poland

Celem niniejszej pracy było wyjaśnienie genezy gruzów granitowych oraz sprawdzenie, czy wspominany przez wielu autorów wpływ fluidów hydrotermalnych na rozwój gruzu dotyczy pojedynczych przykładów gruzyfikowanego granitu, czy jest warunkiem koniecznym do jego rozwoju. Do badań wykorzystano gruzy rozwinięte na granicie karkonoskim (trzy odsłonięcia z rejonu Kotliny Jeleniogórskiej: Głębock, Kowary Średnie i Miłków), granicie izerskim (odsłonięcie w Siedlęcinie) oraz zgruzyfikowany granit tworzący wąską strefę na kontakcie skał osadowych i granitu Tatr Wysokich (Skrajna Turnia). W terenie wykonano badania wytrzymałości na ściskanie przy użyciu młotka Schmidta, a z pobranych próbek wykonano szereg badań mineralogicznych i geochemicznych. Podstawowe obserwacje i analizy chemiczne w mikroobszarze wykonano za pomocą mikroskopu petrograficznego, skaningowego mikroskopu elektronowego z systemem mikroanalizy EDS oraz mikrosondy elektronowej. W celu identyfikacji fazowej zastosowano rentgenowską analizę dyfrakcyjną oraz absorpcyjną spektroskopię w podczerwieni. Analizy chemiczne skał zostały wykonane przy użyciu metod ICP-AES oraz ICP-MS. Z wybranych próbek wykonano analizy stosunków izotopowych H i O (całej skały, frakcji ilastej oraz kwarcu) oraz datowania frakcji ilastej metodą 40K-40Ar. Ponadto kostki wycięte z referencyjnych granitów umieszczono na ok. 1,5 roku w warunkach zmieniającej się dwa razy w ciągu dnia temperatury (eksperyment gelacyjny). Wykonano szczegółową charakterystykę ok. 65 próbek, co pozwoliło na wydzielenie trzech grup zwięzłości (grupa I – granity zwięzłe, grupa II – granity rozsypliwe, grupa III – gruzy granitowe). Przeprowadzone badania pozwoliły na skonstruowanie schematu gruzyfikacji granitów. W obrębie granitów w wyniku aktywności tektonicznej, odciążenia mechanicznego lub stygnięcia rozwija się sieć spękań pozwalających na krążenie roztworów w obrębie skały; Krążące w granicie hydrotermalne roztwory powodują szereg zmian minerałów, m.in. wzmożoną serycytyzację skaleni, albityzację plagioklazów czy rozkład pierwotnych fosforanów REE i krystalizację faz wtórnych; W wyniku oddziaływania niżejtemperaturowych roztworów (hydrotermalnych lub wietrzeniowych) następuje wermikulityzacja biotytu, który pęczniejąc prowadzi do dezintegracji skały, towarzyszy temu intensywny rozwój krzemianów warstwowych (głównie smektyt i wermikulit) kosztem pierwotnych plagioklazów; Całkowita gruzyfikacja granitu nie zachodzi, jeżeli w wyniku oddziaływania roztworów hydrotermalnych pierwotny magmowy biotyt został zastąpiony przez wtórne minerały (np. muskowit lub chloryt). Badania gruzów pochodzących ze Skrajnej Turni w Tatrach potwierdziły, że ich powstanie należy łączyć z mechaniczną aktywnością tektoniczną w strefach ścinania, a nie przemianami minerałów skałotwórczych.The aim of this study was to explain the origin of granitic grus and also to assess whether the activity of hydrothermal fluids is a necessary factor in grusification of granites. The gruses that developed on the Karkonosze granite (from Głębock, Kowary Średnie and Miłków), the Izera granite (from Siedlęcin) and the High Tatra granite (from Skrajna Turnia peak) were investigated. Field investigation of the surface hardness and penetration resistance of the altered granites were performed using Schmidt’s hammer (rebound hammer). The gruses were subsequently examined with a petrographic microscope, scanning electron microscope equipped with EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer) and electron microprobe . Phase identification was accomplished using XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and FTIR (Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy). Chemical analysis of the whole rock samples was performed with ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of selected samples (whole rock, clay fraction and quartz) as well as K-Ar dates of the clay fraction were obtained. Reference granites were cut into cubes and used in the freeze – thaw experiment which last for about 18 months. Detailed characteristics of ca. 65 samples was determined. Three groups of samples were distinguished according to the degree of grusification (group I - compact granite; group II - friable granite; group III – granitic grus). The results of the examination allowed creating a scheme of the grusification. Microcracks in granites caused by tectonic activity, mechanical upload or magma cooling proceses promote circulation; Hydrothermal fluids in granite contribute to the increase of alteration of primary minerals (e.g. sericitization and albitization of feldspar, decomposition of monazite-(Ce) and formation of secondary REE phosphates); Circulation of low-temperature fluids can cause hydratation and expansion of primary biotite (vermiculitization), what causes cracking of the rock; such fluids can also induce advanced alteration of plagioclases into clay minerals (mainly smectite or vermiculite); If primary biotite becomes altered during hydrothermal events (muscovitization, chloritization), complete grusification of granite does not occur. Investigation of the granitic grus from the Skrajna Turnia peak (Tatra Mts.) confirms that its genesis is a result of the mechanical stress within the shear zone

Variability of morphological, physical and chemical properties of soils derived from carbonate-rich parent material in the Pieniny Mountains (south Poland)

Carbonate-rich soils are characterized by great diversity in content of carbonate and non-carbonate mineral substances in soil substrate which largely influences soil properties. The study presents the analysis results of four soil profiles located at the area of Pieniny National Park. The aim of this study was to characterize and classify the soils developed from the mixture of carbonate and carbonate-rich rock material, formerly classified as pararendzinas. It was achieved by determination of morphological, physical, and chemical properties, as well as mineralogical composition of selected carbonate-rich soils occurring in the Polish part of the Pieniny Mts. Soils were classified as typical chernozemic rendzina (P1), typical eutrophic brown soils (P2, P4), as well as typical pararendzina (P3) according to Polish Soil Classification (2011)

Mechanisms of granite alteration into grus, Karkonosze granite, SW Poland

Granitic gruses are usually considered as a product of deep weathering, but the influence of hydrothermal fluids was also noticed. In this work, a wide range of mineralogical and chemical methods performed on 43 samples from three representative outcrops and a reference site is used to determine the influence of hydrothermal and weathering fluids on the development of granitic gruses from the coarse grained Karkonosze granite. Four types of altered granites have been distinguished, including compact and friable granite, typical grus, and localized heavy altered zones. Mineralogical observations such as complete albitization of plagioclase and crystallization of secondary quartz revealed an important role of hydrothermal alteration at the early stage of grusification. The origin of smectite and alteration of biotite into muscovite are likely to be connected with circulation of hydrothermal fluids too. Grusification sensu stricto was primarily caused by vermiculitization of biotite which resulted in volumetric expansion and the development of transmineral microcracks with non-accordant pore surfaces. Thus, it requires hydrothermal alteration to be relatively minor, confined to postmagmatic changes, since more advanced alteration of biotite into muscovite rather than vermiculite arrests further development of microcracks and leads to the development of friable granite

Szkielety liliowców (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) <i>Seirocrinus Subangularis</i> (Miller, 1821) z kolekcji Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego

W zbiorach Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w Krakowie znajduje się spektakularna skamieniałość jurajskiego liliowca znanego w literaturze jako Seirocrinus subangularis (Miller). Tylko kilka muzeów w Europie Środkowej może pochwalić się tak doskonale i kompletnie zachowanym przedstawicielem rodzaju Seirocrinus. W skali polskich zbiorów muzealnych płyta ta to ewenement. Forma ta była kosmopolitycznym i pseudoplanktonicznym gatunkiem liliowca rozprzestrzenionym w Azji, Europie i Ameryce Północnej i nigdy nie została udokumentowana w Polsce. Okaz ten przybył do Polski w połowie XIX w. z Niemiec i zasilił zbiory Gabinetu Mineralogicznego. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia burzliwą historię płyty, na której spoczywa kilkanaście okazów szkarłupni, a która wkrótce będzie miała szczęśliwe zakończenie, gdyż na stałe zawiśnie na wystawie geologicznej w Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego

Skeletons of <i>Seirocrinus Subangularis</i> Crinoids (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) (Miller, 1821) from the Collection of the Nature Education Centre of the Jagiellonian University

The Nature Education Centre of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow has in its collection a spectacular fossil of a Jurassic crinoid, in literature known as Seirocrinus subangularis (Miller). Only several museums in Central Europe can boast such a perfectly preserved and complete specimen of Seirocrinus. As seen against Polish museum collections the slab in question is an outstanding object. That very form was a cosmopolitan and pseudoplanktonic crinoid species spread throughout Asia, Europe, and Northern America, yet it has never been documented in Poland. The particular specimen reached Poland in the mid-19th century from Germany to enrich the collection of the Mineralogical Cabinet. The paper presents the turbulent history of the slab with some dozen specimens of echinoderms on it, the story which will shortly have a happy end, since it will be permanently placed as a geological exhibit at the Nature Education Centre of the Jagiellonian University