The Release of Trace Elements in the Process of Coal Coking

In order to assess the penetration of individual trace elements into the air through their release in the coal coking process, it is necessary to determine the loss of these elements by comparing their contents in the charge coal and in coke obtained. The present research covered four coke oven batteries differing in age, technology, and technical equipment. By using mercury analyzer MA-2 and the method of ICP MS As, Be, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn were determined in samples of charge coal and yielded coke. Basing on the analyses results, the release coefficients of selected elements were determined. Their values ranged from 0.5 to 94%. High volatility of cadmium, mercury, and thallium was confirmed. The tests have shown that although the results refer to the selected case studies, it may be concluded that the air purity is affected by controlled emission occurring when coke oven batteries are fired by crude coke oven gas. Fugitive emission of the trace elements investigated, occurring due to coke oven leaks and openings, is small and, is not a real threat to the environment except mercury

Trace Elements Speciation of Submicron Particulate Matter (PM1) Collected in the Surroundings of Power Plants

This study reports the concentrations of PM1 trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se) content in highly mobile (F1), mobile (F2), less mobile (F3) and not mobile (F4) fractions in samples that were collected in the surroundings of power plants in southern Poland. It also reports source identification by enrichment factors (EF) and a principal component analysis (PCA). There is limited availability of scientific data concerning the chemical composition of dust, including fractionation analyses of trace elements, in the surroundings of power plants. The present study offers important results in order to fill this data gap. The data collected in this study can be utilized to validate air quality models in this rapidly developing area. They are also crucial for comparisons with datasets from similar areas all over the world. Moreover, the identification of the bioavailability of selected carcinogenic and toxic elements in the future might be used as output data for potential biological and population research on risk assessment. This is important in the context of air pollution being hazardous to human health

Analysis of Air Pollution Based on the Measurement Results from a Mobile Laboratory for the Measurement of Air Pollution

One of the most important effects of the smog phenomenon is the presence of high concentrations of substances hazardous to human life and health in the air. Environmental monitoring, including the monitoring of substances hazardous to human life or health, is an element of preventive measures that allow to identify current hazards and to define future actions aimed to improve (protect) the state of the environment. The article presents the results of measurements of the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 as well as SO2, NO, NOx and O3 based on a mobile laboratory located on the campus of the Silesian University of Technology. By treating the following weeks as “objects”, points in the multidimensional space (the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 as well as SO2, NO, NOx and O3 were the measures/describing features), similarities between them were determined, and then they were grouped into the “summer period” (from 01/04/2020 to 30/09/2020) and “winter period” (from 01/01/2020 to 31/03/2020 and from 01/10/2020 to 31/12/2020). The article aimed to determine a linear ordering of weeks divided into the “summer period” and the “winter period”. The software MaCzek v. 3.0 (an application working in Windows) was used in the computing layer

Indoor Air Quality in Urban and Rural Preschools in Upper Silesia, Poland: Particulate Matter and Carbon Dioxide

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in preschools is an important public health challenge. Particular attention should be paid to younger children, because they are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children and because they spend more time indoors. Among air pollutants, particulate matter (PM) is of the greatest interest mainly due to its acute and chronic effects on children’s health. In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels indicate ventilation conditions. In this paper, we present the concentrations of PM (PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and total—TSP) and CO2 monitored in four naturally ventilated nursery schools located in the area of Gliwice, Poland. The nursery schools were selected to characterize areas with different degrees of urbanization and traffic densities during the winter season. The results indicate the problem of elevated concentrations of PM inside the examined classrooms, as well as that of high levels of CO2 exceeding 1000 ppm in relation to outdoor air. The characteristics of IAQ were significantly different, both in terms of classroom occupation (younger or older children) and of localization (urban or rural). To evaluate the children’s exposure to poor IAQ, indicators based on air quality guidelines were proposed to rank classrooms according to their hazard on the health of children

Determination of water-soluble elements in PM2.5, PM10, and PM2.5-10 collected in the surroundings of power plants

The analysis reported in this study was performed to characterize the concentrations and water-soluble content of trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se) in PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5-10 samples collected in the surroundings of power plants in southern Poland. The solubility of trace elements bound to PM2.5 and PM10 was higher than for PM2.5-10, and in most cases, significant differences were revealed in the relative percentage concentrations of the water-soluble fractions. The occurrence of Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Se in first PCA (Principal Component Analysis) factor (PC1) – indicate coal combustion processes as the potential source of these elements. Other factors indicate two further anthropogenic sources: the resuspension of road dust due to vehicular activities and waste burning in domestic sources – factor (PC2), and, soil dust sources affected by fugitive dust from the mining processes and unpaved roads, as well as transportation and deposition of coal –factor (PC3)

The impact of sources burning solid fuels on environmental pollution with PM10 on the example of the city Tarnowskie Góry

One of the most dangerous pollutants in the atmospheric air is particulate matter (PM). The National Center for Emissions Management (KOBiZE) indicates that approx. 50% of PM10 emission is responsible for the so-called low emission. Home sources are particularly dangerous during the heating season, not only because of the higher amount of fuel burned compared to the rest of the year but above all because of its quality. Individual sources use low-quality coal, biomass for heating purposes and municipal waste (despite the government ban). Dust emitted from households, due to its chemical composition, and toxic effects pose a threat to human health. The aim of the work was to investigate the concentration of PM10 and trace elements content (chromium, zinc, cadmium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and lead). The studies were carried out in Tarnowskie Góry, Upper Silesia Region during the heating season. The measuring point was located on the estate of single-family houses at a distance of 100 m from the road with high traffic volume. The 24 h PM10 samples were collected for 30 days from 3.01.2018 to 3.02.2018 using the gravimetric method. Dust samples were collected using the ATMOSERVICE dust sampler. The next step obtained the determination of the concentration of heavy metals in PM10 by atomic absorption spectrometry, AVANTA PM, GBC. The results show that PM10 concentration in the heating season exceeded the limit value 50 μg/m3 (for 19 out of 30 days). The average concentration was 64.56±30.38 μg/m3, the highest concentration of PM10 was 119.99 μg/m3 (exceeded the limit value 2.4 fold), while the lowest concentration was 18.78 μg/m3. On the basis of the chemical analysis, small concentrations of heavy metals were found. The following order of average concentration of seven trace elements was found: Zn > Pb > Mn > Cr > Cd > Co > Ni. The concentration values of individual heavy metals in samples collected in the area of Tarnowskie Góry ranged from 0.14 ng/m3 in the case of cadmium to 476.97 ng/m3 for zinc. The concentration of cadmium, nickel, and lead in PM10 did not exceed the permissible level, while in the case of cadmium, the permissible level was exceeded for 14 days from 30 measurement days. Higher concentrations of Zn and Pb indicate the important role of Zinc Smelter Miasteczko Śląskie influencing the air quality of the city of Tarnowskie Góry. In order to improve the air quality in the city of Tarnowskie Góry, strict control activities should be carried out in order to execute the ban on waste incineration. The second aspect should include the guidelines on working heat and electricity supply systems that do not cause excessive pollution, in particular, particulate matter.Przedstawiono wyniki pomiarów stężeń pyłu PM10 pobranego w mieście Tarnowskie Góry woj. śląskie w trakcie sezonu grzewczego (styczeń 2018 r.). Zgodnie z indeksami jakości powietrza, ze względu na stężenie pyłu PM10 uzyskane wyniki pomiarów wskazują na umiarkowaną jakość powietrza w mieście. Przeprowadzone badania występowania wybranych pierwiastków śladowych, takich jak: chrom, cynk, kadm, kobalt, mangan, nikiel oraz ołów, w pyle PM10 utworzyły następujący szereg Zn > Pb > Mn > Cr > Cd > Co > Ni. Analiza uzyskanych stężeń pierwiastków śladowych wskazuje na dwa istotne źródła emisji tych metali do powietrza atmosferycznego. Stężenia kadmu, przekraczające wartość dopuszczalną, wskazują istotny wpływ niskiej emisji z palenisk indywidualnych, w szczególności ze spalania odpadów. Natomiast 10-krotnie wyższe stężenia cynku oraz 20-krotnie wyższe stężenia ołowiu w porównaniu do innych miast Śląska wskazują na istotny udział Huty Cynku Miasteczko Śląskie w kształtowaniu jakości powietrza miasta Tarnowskie Góry

Trace Elements Speciation of Submicron Particulate Matter (PM1) Collected in the Surroundings of Power Plants

This study reports the concentrations of PM1 trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se) content in highly mobile (F1), mobile (F2), less mobile (F3) and not mobile (F4) fractions in samples that were collected in the surroundings of power plants in southern Poland. It also reports source identification by enrichment factors (EF) and a principal component analysis (PCA). There is limited availability of scientific data concerning the chemical composition of dust, including fractionation analyses of trace elements, in the surroundings of power plants. The present study offers important results in order to fill this data gap. The data collected in this study can be utilized to validate air quality models in this rapidly developing area. They are also crucial for comparisons with datasets from similar areas all over the world. Moreover, the identification of the bioavailability of selected carcinogenic and toxic elements in the future might be used as output data for potential biological and population research on risk assessment. This is important in the context of air pollution being hazardous to human health

PM2.5 in Urban and Rural Nursery Schools in Upper Silesia, Poland: Trace Elements Analysis

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in nursery schools is an emerging public health challenge. Particular attention should be paid to younger children, because they are more vulnerable to air pollution than older children. Among air pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is of the greatest interest mainly due to its strong association with acute and chronic effects on children’s health. In this paper, we present concentrations of PM2.5 and the composition of its trace elements at naturally ventilated nursery schools located in the area of Gliwice, Poland. The nursery schools were selected to characterize areas with different degrees of urbanization and traffic densities during the winter and spring seasons. The results indicate there is a problem with elevated concentrations of PM2.5 inside the examined classrooms. The children’s exposure to trace elements was different based on localization and season. PM2.5 concentration and its trace element composition have been studied using correlation coefficients between the different trace elements, the enrichment factor (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). PCA allowed the identification of the three components: anthropogenic and geogenic sources (37.2%), soil dust contaminated by sewage sludge dumping (18.6%) and vehicular emissions (19.5%)

Determination of water-soluble elements in PM2.5, PM10, and PM2.5-10 collected in the surroundings of power plants

The analysis reported in this study was performed to characterize the concentrations and water-soluble content of trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se) in PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5-10 samples collected in the surroundings of power plants in southern Poland. The solubility of trace elements bound to PM2.5 and PM10 was higher than for PM2.5-10, and in most cases, significant differences were revealed in the relative percentage concentrations of the water-soluble fractions. The occurrence of Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Se in first PCA (Principal Component Analysis) factor (PC1) – indicate coal combustion processes as the potential source of these elements. Other factors indicate two further anthropogenic sources: the resuspension of road dust due to vehicular activities and waste burning in domestic sources – factor (PC2), and, soil dust sources affected by fugitive dust from the mining processes and unpaved roads, as well as transportation and deposition of coal –factor (PC3)

Investigation of air pollutants in rural nursery school – a case study

Children’s exposure to air pollutants is an important public health challenge. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in nursery school is believed to be different from elementary school. Moreover, younger children are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children because they spend more time indoors, and their immune systems and bodies are less mature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) at naturally ventilated rural nursery schools located in Upper Silesia, Poland. We investigated the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), bacterial and fungal bioaerosols, as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in younger and older children's classrooms during the winter and spring seasons. The concentration of the investigated pollutants in indoor environments was higher than those in outdoor air. The results indicate the problem of elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 inside the examined classrooms, as well as that of high levels of CO2 exceeding 1,000 ppm in relation to outdoor air. The characteristics of PM and CO2 levels were significantly different, both in terms of classroom occupation (younger or older children) and of season (winter or spring)