The aim of the study was to determine the state of the environment in Sosnowiec (southern Poland) based on the ratio of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and the determination of concentrations of selected metals in soil and plant material. The study was conducted in ten stands: five of them were identified as 'polluted' and five as 'clean' stands. The metal content was evaluated by the atomic absorption method. For APTI calculation, analysis of total chlorophyll concentration and relative water content, the pH of the extract from the leaves was used. Analysis of the bioaccumulation of metals in the leaves revealed excessive concentrations of Pb (32.4 mg kg -1 ) and Zn (129.78 mg kg) at the KWK (coal mine) and Las (forest) stands. Higher capacity accumulation of Pb and Fe was characteristic for Plantago lanceolata. The permitted content of Pb (762.6 mg kg -1 ) in the soil samples collected at the Cedler stand was exceeded. Elevated levels, higher than the permissible concentration of Cd, were documented in soil samples from most stands within the city. In soil samples collected at the Cedler stand, Cd concentration was almost 15 times higher than acceptable for soil (4 mg kg -1 ). Based on the scope of the APTI 4.4-9.42 index obtained for the studied species, they should be considered sensitive plants. All selected species can be used as bioindicators for environmental pollution.

The aim of this study was to perform a complex assessment of changes in the elements of an ecosystem that are caused by environmental pollution in industrial and urban biotopes. The study focused on three sites: a park, a road and the site of the metallurgical plant “Pokój” in the city of Ruda Śląska (Southern Poland), which are each under a different level of anthropogenic load. Soil and plant material samples ( Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata leaves) were investigated by performing biochemical, ecophysiological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. A significant difference was observed in all of the study samples. The content of Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil samples that had been collected at the site of the metallurgical plant exceeded the permitted limits (Cd > 4 mg kg −1 , Pb > 100 mg kg −1 , Zn > 300 mg kg −1 ). The content of Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd and Zn in the plant material was much higher in unwashed samples than in washed samples. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were below the permitted level in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata for Cd (> 5 mg kg −1 ) and in the leaves of Plantago major for Zn (> 100 mg kg −1 ). The SEM observations revealed a significant decrease in the stomata pore length (SPL) in the Plantago lanceolata leaves that had been collected at the road site compared with the plants from the park site. The elemental content on the leaf surface was also determined using X-ray microanalysis. The total chlorophyll (Chl) content, ascorbic acid (AA), proline, guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity, pH, relative water content (RWC) and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) were evaluated. The APTI for the investigated species ranged from 5.6 to 7.4, which demonstrated that the studied plant species are sensitive to air pollutants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-019-05535-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In the conditions of the global ecological crisis in the world and Ukraine, the issue of finding alternative energy sources becomes relevant. One of the most common types of renewable energy is solar energy. In Ukraine today, the most promising direction of using solar energy is its direct transformation into low-potential thermal energy. To get electric power, solar radiation is the mere alternative to electric power generated from mined fuel, and without the pollution of air and water, or adverse consequences manifested in global warming. The disadvantage of this type of installation is the limitation of the duration of light time, as well as the effect of cloudiness. During the day, the number of solar radiation changes, to stabilize it is necessary to accumulate and accumulate it for further use, the technical implementation of stable operation of solar installation due to the use of terrestrial radiation and the accumulator of a specific part of solar energy is proposed. The purpose of the work is experimental studies to ensure the stable operation of the solar collector under cloudy conditions. The paper is aimed at the stabilization of the operation of the solar installation and to obtain additional heat after the Sun’s cloud cover. The use of a solar thermal collector is advisable in solar heating and hot water systems in conditions of alternating solar radiation. The results of physical modeling have proved the efficiency of the method of combining types of thermal radiation, due to the accumulation of energy it is possible to increase the quantitative index of solar energy in the conditions of cloudiness by 3 times Keywords: alternative energy, solar energy, solar collector, thermal energy, clouds, terrestrial radiation, ecology.