This paper presents the results of an analysis of the pace of filling one of the deepest European granite quarries with water. A DTM (digital terrain model) based on data from LiDAR ALS (light detection and ranging airborne laser scanning) was used to create a model of the pit of the Strzelin I granite quarry and to determine the reach and surface area of the direct catchment of the excavation pit. The increase in the volume of water in the excavation pit was determined. Analogue maps and DTM were used to calculate the maximum depth of the pit (113.3 m), its surface area (9.71 ha), and its capacity (5.1 million m3). The volume of water collected in the excavation pit during the years 2011–2018 was determined based on the analogue base map and the DTM. The result was 0.335 million m3. Based on the data made available by the mining company, the correlation of the DTM with the orthophotomap of the mining area and additional field measurements, the ordinates of the water level in the years 2011–2018 were determined. Initially, the water surface level in the quarry was located on the ordinate of 66.6 m a.s.l. (July 20, 2011). After the pumping of water was discontinued, the level rose to 96.1 m a.s.l. (January 28, 2018). The increase in the water volume in the quarry pit during specific periods was determined (actual retention increase). The obtained data on the volume of the retained water referred to the period during which it accumulated in the quarry. On average, the net increase in water retention in the excavation pit was 138.537 m3∙d−1, and the calculated net supply from the direct catchment (16.04 ha) was 101.758 m3∙d−1. The use of DTM and measurements of the water level in the excavation pit seem to be an efficient means of estimating the pace of spontaneous filling of the quarry with water supplied from the direct physiographic catchment.

The aim of this study was to determine the change of water quality in the Trzemna River after modernisation of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Gołuchów and wastewater effluent diversion (WED) to the Prosna River in 2008. Data was acquired from the State Environmental Monitoring database for the period before and after changing the location of discharge from the treatment plant. The before-after (BA) and before-after-control-impact (BACI) analyses were used to determine the effectiveness of applied solutions. The BA study covered 12 physicochemical parameters and showed improvement of water quality in terms of phosphorous compounds, EC, ammonium nitrogen, TKN, TN, and BOD 5 . Lack of statistically significant differences for nitrates, pH, and TOC were noted. The BACI analysis was only applicable for six physicochemical parameters, and statistically significant differences were shown for TN, TKN, ammonium nitrogen, and TP. There were no differences in the case of nitrates and DO. After wastewater effluent diversion, a high concentration of nitrates in Trzemna water was still observed, with a statistically confirmed increasing trend. This is an effect of the negative impact of agricultural diffuse pollution. Modernisation of a WWTP and wastewater effluent diversion positively affected the quality of Trzemna water. The BA and BACI analyses in relation to statistical tests applied in hydrology can be successfully used to evaluate the impact of changes in the environment on water quality. In the case of BA design it was possible to analyse 12 parameters, whereas in BACI analysis it was only half of them. However, this method is recognised as more reliable and eliminates the impact of natural temporary variations.

The article presents a comprehensive and cross-cutting review of key marine waste issues, taking into account: sources, fate, risks, transport pathways, threats, legislation, current challenges, and knowledge gaps. The growing amount of both human-created waste in seas and oceans and waste reaching marine ecosystems from land is one of today’s challenges for the global economy and the European Union. It is predicted that if no decisive steps are taken to limit the amount of this type of waste, there may be more plastic waste than fish in the oceans after 2050. The influence of microplastics and nanoplastics on living organisms remains undiagnosed. Within the international and EU law, solutions are being developed to properly manage waste on board ships and to reduce the impact of processes related to the recycling of the vessels on the environment. Currently, over 80% of ships are dismantled in the countries of South Asia, in conditions that threaten the environment and the safety of workers. After World War 2, large quantities of chemical weapons were deposited in the seas. Steel containers with dangerous substances residing in the sea for over 70 years have begun leaking, thus polluting water. For many years, radioactive waste had also been dumped into marine ecosystems, although since 1993 there has been a total ban on such disposal of radionuclides. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine waste generation has also been presented as a significant factor influencing marine waste generation and management.

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Abstract. The paper presents historical background, up-to-date situation and future perspectives for the development of nutrient pollution threats to European surface water quality, as well as the evolution of the approach to water pollution. Utilized agricultural area in European countries is slightly diminishing, however the consumption of mineral fertilisers is steadily increasing. The consumption in Europe in the years 2015-2030 is projected to increase by 10%, and in the world by 20%. Both climate changes leading to the increase of temperature even of ca. 6°C (in comparison to the pre-industrial period) and accelerated soil erosion due to high intensity rainfall cause increased productivity of water ecosystems. Those aspects have to be taken into consideration in water management. Due to legal regulations introduced in the last twenty years, wastewater treatment has been made more effective and population connected to wastewater treatment systems has increased. The improvement has been seen mainly in eastern and southern parts of Europe. After the implementation of Water Framework Directive theories regarding modern water management have been developed, with the aim to increase the ecosystem's capacity and its resilience to climate changes and anthropopressure.

Climate, land use and human activity have an impact on the Qingshui River in Chongli County. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to separately analyze the contributions of climate, land use and direct human activity on the discharge variations. The results indicated that human activity had been the dominant factor for the discharge decrease, while climate and land use change had a positive influence on the discharge increase. The contributions of these three factors were −56.24%, 38.59% and 5.17%, respectively. Moreover, on the seasonal scale, the impact of those factors was consistent with their impact on the annual scale. Human activity was the main factor for discharge decrease in the summer, the contribution accounting for −77.13%. Due to the over-extraction of groundwater for irrigation and use in the mining industry, the discharge showed a decreasing tendency, which has the potential to place stress on sustainable water use in the future. The result of the study may contribute to the optimization of water resource allocation and management.

Praca dotyczy doboru rozkładu czasowego opadu wykorzystanego do procesu modelowania typu opad-odpływ. Jako obszar badawczy wykorzystano zlewnię Bystrzycy, będącej lewostronnym dopływem Nysy Kłodzkiej. Dla realizacji założeń konieczne było stworzenie kilku wariantów możliwego rozkładu czasowego deszczu, w tym jednego wykorzystującego szeroko stosowaną metodę opartą na zaleceniach Niemieckiego Związku Gospodarki Wodnej i Melioracji DVWK. Do weryfikacji i kalibracji wyników modelowania wykorzystano dane opadowe oraz pomierzone wartości przepływów pozyskane z zasobów IMGW-PIB. Dane związane z zagospodarowaniem terenu oraz rozkładem gleb na terenie zlewni, które zostały wykorzystane w procesie modelowania, wymagały analizy przy użyciu narzędzi pozwalających na przetwarzanie informacji przestrzennej w środowisku GIS. Proces modelowania został przeprowadzony w programie HEC-HMS 4.2 za pomocą zaimplementowanego w nim modelu NRCS-UH (dawniej SCS-CN) opracowanego przez Amerykańską Służbę Ochrony Gleb (Soil Conservation Service SCS). Celem modelowania było sprawdzenie, który z przyjętych rozkładów czasowej zmienności opadu wygeneruję falę hipotetyczną najbardziej zbliżoną do fali rzeczywistej z 13.06.2015 roku. Jako niezależne miary dopasowania hydrogramu symulowanego względem obserwowanego wykorzystano statystyki w postaci: współczynnika efektywności modelu Nash-Sutcliffe (NS), średniego błędu bezwzględny MAE oraz pierwiastka błędu średniokwadratowego RMSE. Na podstawie kalibracji modelu przeprowadzonego na podstawie wezbrania z 2015 roku wskazano na wariant z rozkładem czasowym opadu, w którym kulminacja przypada na 12 godzinę opadu.

Groundwater drought leads to the lowering of the ground water level and affects the functioning of whole ecosystems. This is why the determination of areas most exposure to drought. For the purposes of the study, a multi-layer model was created with use of AHP and GIS method. It constitutes a basis for the determination of areas characterised by various levels of exposure to groundwater drought (within classes I–IV). The analysis was prepared basing on data from the Lower Odra river and the Western Pomerania Region.