Analysis of costs for resignation or limitation of water intake from Water Treatment Plant Goczałkowice

Regional Upper Silesia Waterworks (GPW S.A.) are the biggest water supply system in Poland with 11 water treatment plants and 3 million of consumers. However this system is gradually disassembled. Local water and sewage utilities develop separate water intakes or import water from Czechia with using of GPW S.A. system only as reserve source. It is effect of increasing unit costs of water delivered by GPW S.A. These costs are partly associated with maintenance of flood control reservoirs and additional taxes. Water treatment plant Goczałkowice is main, most modern and cheaper water producer in GPW S.A. system. Thus full resignation of water intake from this source is unlikely. However limitation of water intake by Goczałkowice plant could reduce competitiveness of this WTP by increase of average fixed costs. Limitation of production by other water treatment plants should be more rational. Additionally in result of gravity flow intake of water by Goczałkowice plant from Soła river is more profitable than intake from other sources.Górnośląskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów (GPW S.A.) jest największym systemem zaopatrzenia w wodę w Polsce z 11 stacjami uzdatniania wody i 3 mln konsumentów. Jednak system ten jest stopniowo rozmontowywany. Lokalne przedsiębiorstwa wodno-kanalizacyjne rozbudowują własne ujęcia wody lub importują wodę z Czech, traktując system GPW S.A. tylko jako źródło rezerwowe. Jest to efekt wzrastających kosztów jednostkowych wody dostarczanej przez GPW S.A.Koszty te cześciowo są związane z utrzymywaniem zbiorników przeciwpowodziowych oraz dodatkowymipodatkami. Zakład Uzdatniania Wody Goczałkowice jest głównym, najnowocześniejszym i najtańszym producentem wody w systemie GPW S.A. Wobec tego całkowita rezygnacja z poboru wody z tego źródła jest mało realna. Jednakże ograniczenie poboru wody z zakładu Goczałkowice zmniejszyłoby konkurencyjność tej stacji w wyniku wzrostu średnich kosztów stałych. Bardziej racjonalne byłoby ograniczenie produkcji w innych stacjach uzdatniania wody. Ponadto, ze względu na spływ grawitacyjny, pobór wody z Soły przez zakład Goczałkowice jest bardziej opłacalny niż pobór z innych źródeł

Application of the Substance Flow Analysis for the Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution of Water in Poland

The substance flow analysis is a useful tool of the environmental policy. The application of this method allows identifying the main sources of mercury and lead emissions to the environment. It makes it possible to show the most effective and the most cost-effective emission reduction methods. Heavy metals are one of the most hazardous contaminants for humans and the natural environment. The largest emission of mercury to the environment comes from the production of electricity and heat from hard coal and lignite. A significant mercury load is recovered or sent to landfills for hazardous waste as a result of the use of mercury-containing products and from dental practice. It would be advisable to prohibit the use of amalgam fillings to reduce the pressure on the aquatic environment instead of additional burdens for the energy sector. The largest lead emission to the air and water comes from the ferrous and non-ferrous metals industries. The electricity and heat generation is not as important in terms of lead emission as in the case of mercury emission.Analiza przepływu substancji jest przydatna w prowadzeniu polityki ekologicznej. Zastosowanie tej metody pozwoliło zidentyfikować główne źródła emisji rtęci i ołowiu do środowiska. Umożliwia to wskazanie najskuteczniejszych i najefektywniejszych kosztowo metod redukcji emisji. Metale ciężkie to jedne z najgroźniejszych dla człowieka i środowiska naturalnego zanieczyszczeń. Największa emisja rtęci do środowiska pochodzi z produkcji energii elektrycznej i ciepła z węgla kamiennego i brunatnego. Znaczący ładunek rtęci podlega odzyskowi lub trafia na składowiska odpadów niebezpiecznych w wyniku użytkowania produktów zawierających rtęć i z praktyki dentystycznej. Wskazany byłby zakaz stosowania wypełnień amalgamatowych w celu zmniejszenia presji na środowisko wodne zamiast dodatkowych obciążeń dla sektora energetycznego. Największa emisja ołowiu do powietrza i wody pochodzi z przemysłu metali żelaznych i nieżelaznych. Produkcja energii elektrycznej i ciepła nie jest tak ważnym źródłem emisji ołowiu, jak w wypadku emisji rtęci

Analysis of the Water Footprint of Central and Eastern Europe Countries

The article presents an analysis of the water footprint of five Central and Eastern European countries, i.e. Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus. The first three are members of the European Union, the other two are not. These countries also differ in terms of climate. The green, blue and grey water footprints of crop production, grazing, animal water supply, industrial production and domestic water supply are analysed. The per capita water footprint is also calculated. It is the highest for the countries of the former Soviet Union, that is Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, and half as low for Poland and Slovakia. In the case of virtual water, Poland dominates in the area of import, and Ukraine in export. The index of the net import of virtual water is unfavourable for Ukraine and Lithuania and is much more positive for Poland and Belarus. When calculated per capita, the net import of green virtual water is the highest for Belarus (340 m3/person/year) and Poland (148 m3/person/year). A positive value of this index was also recorded for Slovakia and negative for Lithuania and Ukraine (-282 m3/person/year). Taking into account the exposure of the southern Ukraine steppe to water stress, this is not a favourable situation for greater export of virtual water than its import

The effect of red wine consumption on health

Introduction and purpose of the study: The impact of red wine consumption on the human body has been the case of research by many scientists. The aim of this study is to review the literature, present the most important research findings, and summarize the current knowledge about wine and other alcoholic beverages consumption. Methodology and materials: A review of the available literature in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using keywords such as "red wine," "cardiovascular disease," "red wine’’ and ‘’health benefits." State of knowledge: Red wine is an alcohol containing many active flavonoid and non-flavonoid substances that have multi-directional effects, including functioning as natural "sweepers" of free radicals. Ethanol itself, in moderate amounts, exhibits certain cardioprotective effects. Summary: Numerous studies indicate a positive effect of moderate red wine consumption in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of death regardless of the cause

Effects of the ketogenic diet on multiple sclerosis with a focus on the paediatric population

Introduction and Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system. Although MS is usually diagnosed in adults, it can also occur in children and adolescents, which presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the role of diet in alleviating MS symptoms, including in the pediatric population. The ketogenic diet, characterized by low carbohydrate intake, high fat intake, and moderate protein intake, is of interest as an additional therapeutic approach in MS due to its effects on metabolism and reduction of inflammation in the body.   Materials and methods: This article reviews the literature on the impact of the ketogenic diet on MS, with particular emphasis on its impact on the course of MS in the pediatric population. Articles were searched by key words, e.g. multiple sclerosis, paediatrics, children, diet, ketogenic diet, in various configurations, in Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar databases.   Current state of knowledge: While there are several studies on the effects of the ketogenic diet, including those on MS in children, the results are inconclusive and require further research. Some publications suggest that the ketogenic diet can help alleviate MS symptoms, such as problems with balance and coordination, and improve patients' quality of life.   Conclusions: In conclusion, the ketogenic diet may be a promising approach in the treatment of pediatric MS, but requires further research and careful assessment of benefits and risks before its introduction into therapy

Obesity of children and adults - pandemic of the 21st century

Objective: The aim of the study was to draw attention to the problem of overweight and obesity among children and adults. Another important aspect of this article was to indicate the need of promotion a healthy lifestyle as a way to reduce body weight.  Methods: Available literature was reviewed for the purpose of writing this article. Using keywords such as obesity, overweight, pandemics, diet, lifestyle, chronic diseases, metabolic disorders- PubMed was searched. Results: The incidence of overweight and obesity is constantly increasing. This phenomenon is observed all over the world. Obesity has become a pandemic of the 21st century. Consumption of unhealthy, highly processed food is increasing these days. In addition, sedentary lifestyle is very popular. Lifestyle and diet changes are the main causes of this pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 virus also had an impact on the development of the obesity and overweight pandemic. Obesity affects the quality of life and causes many chronic diseases. The effects on the community are also significant. Obesity and related diseases like diabetes, ischemic heart disease, heart attacks, asthma result in high health care costs. Conclusion: The percentage of overweight and obese people around the world is increasing. It is necessary to promote healthy eating, active lifestyle and look for alternative ways to reduce the scale of overweight and obesity problem

Gut microbiota disorders in obesity and colorectal cancer

Obesity and related diseases such as colorectal cancer are an important clinical problem in highly developed countries. In this article, the relationship between the occurrence of these diseases and the gut microbiome is presented on the basis of scientific research. The gut microbiome increases the energy value of consumed meals by breaking down to simpler substances not digested by human enzymes, and is involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism in the body. A proper microbiota influences the formation of SCFAs, or short-chain fatty acids, which have a protective effect on intestinal cells.  Intestinal dysbiosis affects endotoxaemia and inflammation, which accompanies cancer and obesity

Chronic sinusitis diagnosis and treatment

The growing popularity and use of endoscopic surgery in the field of otolaryngology prompts an attempt to organize knowledge about possible methods of surgery in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Chronic sinusitis is an inflammatory process involving the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses, lasting more than 12 weeks. The system of fissures in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity is an ostiomal ductal complex, the obstruction of which is the direct cause of chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. FESS is a modern method in which access to the paranasal sinuses is obtained through the nasal cavity. The aim of the procedure is to widen, above all, too narrow sections of the middle meatus and the orifice-ductal complex. Compared to traditional methods, it is less invasive, allows you to regain the proper function of the maxillary sinus and, moreover, allows you to correct a deviated nasal septum, remove or reduce overgrown turbinates during one operation using the same access. Although traditional methods of surgery are still used in some groups of patients, modern minimally invasive endoscopic surgery strongly limits their use and becomes the method of first choice. Method: The literature was reviewed using the Pub med search engine and Google scholar using the words: Chronic nasal sinusitis, reasons of chronic nasal sinusitis, FESS, acute nasal sinusitis, nasal sinusitis radiology

Osteoarthritis - epidemiology, risk factors and methods of conservative treatment

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases, which is characterized by the destruction of joint cartilage and leads to changes in the structure of other joint elements, the formation of osteophytes and the development of inflammation in the immediate area. Precise assessment of the frequency and distribution of the disease in the population may be difficult due to the inconsistent definition of the disease and the selected diagnostic criteria, but it is estimated that it may occur in up to 60% of the elderly population, more often in women than men. There are many documented risk factors for the occurrence of the disease, such as age or genetic predisposition, but the modifiable ones deserve special attention. Recently, great emphasis in the context of osteoarthritis has been put on the fight against obesity, which not only increases the mechanical load on the joints, but also intensifies the generalized inflammation in the cartilage and its surroundings. This is one of the reasons why non-pharmacological therapy, i.e. patient education and physiotherapy, is a basic element of management, both alone and in combination with pharmacological treatment. The most common drugs used in OA are non-opioid analgesics from the lowest level of the analgesic ladder - mainly NSAIDs, and their proven effectiveness is consistent with the current concept of inflammation as the main pathogenetic factor. As a second-line treatment, injections of glucocorticoids, hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) directly into the joint may be considered. Unfortunately, most randomized studies show that the administration of steroids is effective, but the effects are relatively short-lived, up to a few weeks, while more reliable scientific evidence is needed to confirm the effectiveness of other substances

Impact of sleep disorders on cardiovascular diseases

Introduction and purpose: Sleep disorders are a diverse and widespread group of diseases affecting the cardiovascular system. The aim of this paper is to review the available literature and to summarize how selected sleep disorders affect the development of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and stroke. Methods and materials: Materials available in the PubMed and Google Scholar database were analyzed using the keywords “sleep disorders”; “sleep apnea”; “insomnia”; “restless legs syndrome”; “cardiovascular disease”; “hypertension”; “coronary artery disease”; “stroke " in various configurations. State of knowledge: Sleep disorders are a wide group of diseases with a diverse phenotype and pathomechanism, having a diverse impact on the condition of the cardiovascular system, leading to the development of diseases in the above system. Summary: The risk of developing hypertension, ischemic heart disease and stroke depends on the accompanying sleep disorders. Occurs with obstructive sleep apnea and sleep shortening. The correlation of restless legs syndrome to stroke is unclear. The relationship between insomnia and hypertension and stroke is not clarified. Keywords: sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome. &nbsp