Groundwater vulnerability : from scientific concept to practical application

The International conference on “Groundwater Vulnerability—From Scientific Concept to Practical Application” was the second on contemporary groundwater vulnerability issues to be organised in Ustroń, Poland. In fact, it was the third IAH conference on groundwater vulnerability organised in Poland by the University of Silesia. The first on “Karst-fractured Aquifers—Vulnerability and Sustainability” was held in Katowice and Ustroń in 1996. This conference was focused on techniques and strategies of investigation, protection and effective management of karst-fractured aquifers. Twenty-nine papers presented at this conference were published in a special volume of University of Silesia Scientific Works No. 1563 (Różkowski et al. 1996). The second one was also held in Ustroń in 2004. Eighty-six abstracts (including five keynote papers) of the papers presented at this conference were published in the conference abstract book (Witkowski et al. 2004). The best three papers were published in Environmental Geology (Volume 53, No. 3, November 2007) (Witkowski 2007), and the next 23 papers in Vol. 11 of IAH Selected Papers under the title “Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping” (Witkowski et al. 2007)

Representativeness of the groundwater monitoring results in the context of its methodology: case study of a municipal landfill complex in Poland

A representative monitoring of groundwater quality is the basis for a reliable assessment of the impact of pollutant sources on groundwater. This is especially the case in the area around old closed landfills. A study of different methods of groundwater sampling was conducted at a municipal landfill site in Tychy-Urbanowice (southern Poland). The study compared the results of the electrolytic conductivity values obtained during vertical profiling both before and after purging with a passive bailer. The results obtained from the well volume approach after purging up to nine volumes of stagnant water in the piezometer were also taken into account, as were the results of the purging of water volume equal to the double volume of the filtered part of the piezometer. Particular attention was paid to the nested piezometers. The presented values confirm very large differences in the research results of both the sampling technology and the depth of sampling, the piezometer construction and its lithological profile and in the duration and intensity of the tests carried out. In order to determine the real-time variabilit

Application of pollution indices for the assessment of the negative impact of a municipal landfill on groundwater (Tychy, southern Poland)

Risk assessment plays an essential role in the protection of groundwater resources, especially in the regions of potential contamination sources. The present research was aimed at assessing the risk of groundwater contamination in the vicinity of the Tychy-Urbanowice municipal landfill systems (southern Poland), using the contamination index tool. Groundwater samples from the Quaternary Aquifer were collected from 22 piezometers located near the former landfill site (currently closed) and the new sealed landfill site during a monitoring period from 1995 to 2015. Extremely high values (1700) of the groundwater contamination index were observed in a piezometer that captures water beneath the abandoned landfill. Very high index values (154 or 216) were also noticed in piezometers located in the groundwater outflow from the landfill site. Results of interpolation for individual piezometers, which capture only the upper or lower part of an aquifer, are unrepresentative. The interpolation for the mean values of the contamination index increased the groundwater risk assessment

The representativity index of a simple monitoring network with regular theoretical shapes and its practical application for the existing groundwater monitoring network of the Tychy-Urbanowice landfills, Poland

The representativity index Ru is a measure used in assessing the chemical status of groundwater based on monitoring studies. This index is designed to describe the spatial homogeneity of the monitoring network. The general formula for calculating the index Ru includes the following parameters: average distance to the nearest monitoring point, number of monitoring points, and size of the test area. Calculations to determine the representativity index for four different shapes of the theoretical test study with the same area and the same number of monitoring points have been done. These calculations suggest that the index value depends on the shape and the position of these points, and it is less dependent on the size of the surface. An assessment of the representativeness of the monitoring network for the different numbers and configurations of the piezometers around the Tychy-Urbanowice landfills based on the mentioned index has been done as well. The best and the worst configurations of the monitoring network for these landfill sites in mathematical terms have been presented in this paper. The results are surprising: the highest index value is obtained with a single measurement point. The calculations were performed with the area of landfill and the area limited by the range of piezometers as the exclusive test area. To choose the optimal test area, representativity indicator was calculated also for the monitoring network around waste landfills, including the buffer network behind the piezometers. The difference in the values of the representativity indicator for subsequent variants is astounding. The representativity index for the same monitoring network is about 20 % higher if we consider the test area limited by external piezometers, and higher by another 20 %, taking into account the 95-m buffer zone behind piezometers. Due to increase of the representativity index value with a different width of buffer zone, the mathematical calculations of the monitoring network’s representativeness should be supported by an analysis of the geological structure and hydrogeological conditions occurring in the analyzed area

Szacowanie precyzji oznaczeń zawartości chlorków z zastosowaniem fotometru Slandi LF300

Analysis of precision of the chloride content using a photometer Slandi LF 300 was carried out in groundwater samples from the region of municipal waste landfill in Tychy-Urbanowice. The analysis was conducted for the normal and duplicate samples from 5 piezometers of the groundwater monitoring network of the inactive site. The main aim of analysis was to evaluate the quality of sampling with the photometer. To evaluate the precision chose the chloride content as an important indicator of groundwater pollution in the region of municipal waste landfills. The re-sults show the biggest differences between the test samples in water from piezometer P10. The average difference be-tween the samples was equal at 3%

Pleiotropic effect of anticapsin on HeLa S3 cells

Anticapsin, L-β-(2,3-epoxycyclobexyl-4-on)alanine, is produced by a strain or Streptomyces griseoplanus (1). Also it constitutes 1be C-1erminal epo­xyaminoacid moie1y or the peptide antibiotic tetaine [2) (synonyms: baci­lysin (3, 4), bacillin [5)

Recent Progress in the Development of β-Ga2O3 Scintillator Crystals Grown by the Czochralski Method

A high-quality bulk single crystal of β-Ga2O3 has been grown by the Czochralski method and its basic scintillation characteristics (light yield, energy resolution, proportionality, and scintillation decay times) have been investigated. All the samples cut from the crystal show promising scintillation yields between 8400 and 8920 ph/MeV, which is a noticeable step forward compared to previous studies. The remaining parameters, i.e. the energy resolution slightly above 10% (at 662 keV) and the scintillation mean decay time just under 1 μs, are at the same level as we have formerly recognized for β-Ga2O3. The proportionality of yield seems not to deviate from standards determined by other commercial scintillators

Recent progress in the development of β-Ga2O3 scintillator crystals grown by the Czochralski method

A high-quality bulk single crystal of β-Ga2O3 has been grown by the Czochralski method and its basic scintillation characteristics (light yield, energy resolution, proportionality, and scintillation decay times) have been investigated. All the samples cut from the crystal show promising scintillation yields between 8400 and 8920 ph/MeV, which is a noticeable step forward compared to previous studies. The remaining parameters, i.e. the energy resolution slightly above 10% (at 662 keV) and the scintillation mean decay time just under 1 μs, are at the same level as we have formerly recognized for β-Ga2O3. The proportionality of yield seems not to deviate from standards determined by other commercial scintillators

Tailoring the Scintillation Properties of β-Ga2O3 by Doping with Ce and Codoping with Si

Measurements of pulse height spectra and scintillation time profiles performed on Czochralski-grown β-Ga2O3, β-Ga2O3:Ce, and β-Ga2O3:Ce,Si crystals are reported. The highest value of scintillation yield, 7040 ph/MeV, was achieved for pure β-Ga2O3 at a low free electron concentration, nevertheless Ce-doped crystals could also approach high values thereof. Si-codoping, however, decreases the scintillation yield. The presence of Ce, and the more of Ce and Si, in β-Ga2O3 significantly increases the contribution of the fastest components in scintillation time profiles, which makes β-Ga2O3 a very fast scintillator under γ-excitation

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