Environmental Aspect of the Cement Manufacturing in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Southeastern Poland)

Abstract

The research area located in south-eastern Poland is exposed to alkaline pressure from a cement plant in Nowiny, which has been operating there since 1960. Both biotic and abiotic components of the natural environment remain in the zone of the plant’s negative impact. Their reaction, described according to the concept of geo- and bioindicators, provides valuable information on the state of the natural environment in this area. In 2016–2018, the properties of precipitation were being investigated by determining its pH, EC (specific electrolytic conductivity), and chemical composition in terms of the presence of selected heavy metals. Additionally, the chemical composition of samples of two-year-old pine needles, bark, and wood, as well as soil taken from the immediate vicinity of the cement plant, was analyzed. The analysis performed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer-Time-of-Flight (ICP-MS-TOF) showed the presence of heavy metals. The highest contents were recorded in soils (Pb 123 mg·kg−1; Cr 138 mg·kg−1; Cu 18 mg·kg−1; Zn 699 mg·kg−1), while the lowest ones were found in the wooden cores of drilled trees (Pb 0.1 mg·kg−1; Cr 1 mg·kg−1; Cu 0.1 mg·kg−1; Zn 4.1 mg·kg−1). On the basis of the research conducted on precipitation, it was found that the pH and EC values were increased, and the presence of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cu) indicating a local source of pollution was indicated.

Snow Cover as an Indicator of Dust Pollution in the Area of Exploitation of Rock Materials in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains

“…Comparing the obtained results with other industrialized regions of Poland, an unfavorable influence of industrial impacts in the southeastern part of the Kielce-Łagów Vale on the physico-chemical properties of snow cover was found. Both mean and maximum concentrations of analyzed ions as well as pH and EC in the vicinity of Łagów were higher than those recorded in previous years within the Białe Zagłębie [37], Odra Cement Plant [13], Krakow and Upper Silesian Industrial District [14]. The obtained results for elemental composition are also several tens of times higher than those recorded in the monitored reference areas for the Spitsbergen [15] and Waldai Highlands [16] snow cover studies.…”

“…The research area was located within the mesoregion of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains [31,32] and the southeastern part of the microregion, including the Kielecko-Łagowski Vale [33]. Apart from the commonly known in this region center of the White Basin (Białe Zagłębie) in the Świętokrzyskie voivodeship [34][35][36][37][38][39], an example of the negative impact of rock mines is the mining area in the vicinity of Łagów (an urban-rural municipality with 6880 inhabitants and a population density of 61 inhabitants per 1 km 2 [33]). In the area of approx.…”

The screening method for use of wild pheasant feathers in the monitoring of environmental pollution with heavy metals

“…Similarly, for the Ostrów Świętokrzyski Forest District, its location is of great importance. In the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, there are aggregate mines and cement plants that are a source of dust, the role of which in polluting the natural environment of the smelter has already been quite well known 70 , 71 , which confirms our thesis that pheasant feathers are a very good bioindicator of environmental pollution.…”

Assessment of the Railroad Transport Impact on Physical and Chemical Soil Properties: The Case Study from Zduńska Wola Karsznice Railway Junction, Central Poland

“…Metals getting into soil may undergo various transformations, ranging from deposition in the form of insoluble compounds with a relatively low impact on plants and microorganisms, to occurrence in a very active ionized form. They may also form chelate connections with humic substances, which provide protection against the toxic effects of a metal ion [38,39]. Liu et al [40] argue that high organic matter content may contribute to PHEs retention in the immediate vicinity of railroad areas.…”