The concentration of hydrocarbons in the yield of dry matter in ryegrass depended upon the sludge dose. The highest concentrations of hydrocarbons in ryegrass were found in a control object. In objects fertilized with waste activated sludge the highest concentration of hydrocarbons was found in ryegrass with 20% ofwaste activated sludge. After a two-year experiment, the highest concentration of hydrocarbons was found in the control object. In soil materials fertilized with waste activated sludge the concentration of hydrocarbons grew along with the sludge dose.

The paper presents the results of field studies carried out in I O chosen forest islands in a suburban area of the town of Jaworzno in the years 1995-2002. Different objects have been studied, among others: natural remnants of oak-hornbeam forest and planted pine-larch woodlots cultivated on the habitat of xerothermic grasslands. In comparison with the total nora of the town, the participation of non-synantropie species and synecological groups associated with natural habitats is much bigger. There are 24 protected species to be found, 40% of protected nora of the town. Despite their diversity, they are precious refugees of many woodland and grassland as well as meadow species occurring within the areas and in their vicinity.

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of aluminium coagulants basicity on the minimalisation of undesirable effects of coagulation such as decreasing pH and alkalinity, thereby water corrosivity. The experiments involved three types of surface water samples: from the Odra and Oława Rivers and a mountain stream, which differed in physico-chemical composition (especially in pH values and alkalinity). Alum (ALS) and polyaluminium chlorides (PACI) characterized by various basicity (r, %) were used as coagulants. The experimental results showed that decrease in water corrosivity depended on the basicity and dose of coagulant, pH and temperature of water prior to coagulation. With the increment of coagulation basic i ty the chemical stability of treated water improved and coagulants PAX-XL 3 and PAX-XL6 l were the best. Using of polyaluminium chlorides instead of alum decreased not only undesirable effects of coagulation but improved also the efficiency of water treatment.

Soil contamination with pesticide and biogenie compounds is a serious problem. The following compounds are detected most often and in largest quantities: lindan, DDT (not used for many years now), Simazine, Atrazine, Chlorfenvinphos and Fenitrothion. The presence of pesticides in surficial waters in the Żuławy Wiślane region has been described many times. Additionally, my own research con finned the presence of pesticides in superficial waters in Podlasie. This paper presents the results of the concentrations determination ofphenoxyacetic herbicides , biogenics and other pollutants in the Białka river. The samples were collected over a period of one year, from April 2000 to March 200 I. The analysis was carried out by reverse phase HPLC and TLC chromatography and colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods by HACH apparatus.

Wild boars use natural feed such as ground cover for about half a year. In this work the contamination of boar muscles with caesium-137 and contamination of ground cover were compared. The level of caesium- 137 was measured by spectromertic method. Muscle samples from total 86 wild boars were collected just after Chernobyl accident (years I 986-1988 and in years I 998-1999). The results of the studies indicate that there is a relationship between radiocontamination of the environment as well as muscles of wild boars. It seems that animals at large can be good indicators of radiocontamination of the environment.

Problem of dynamics sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was examined in the soil in 2000 for 16 PAH compounds recommended by EPA. They were examined using computer methods of concerning their sorption by the soil. PAHs and their soil sorption wise examined using computes methods. Samples were collected in the distance of 1.5 m from the shoulder of the roads with intensive traffic, i.e. Warszawska Street and Brzeska Street in the town of Siedlce. The analysis was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with reversed phases. In the investigation granulometrie composition of the matrix was taken into consideration.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between magnetic susceptibility of topsoil and content of heavy metal being the result of urban and industrial dust-fall. Tools for this study were some complementary statistic methods such as: correlation analysis using Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, stepwise regression and .chi-kwadrat" test. The base for statistic analysis was dataset of ca. 600 topsoil samples (20 cm) form Upper Silesian Industrial Region, including content ofAs, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb as well as values of low-field specific magnetic susceptibility (x) measured for the same samples. The study clearly confirms a significant correlation between the level of inorganic contamination and the measured susceptibility value, although the correlations in soil are usually more sophisticated. The most often observed correlation coefficients between magnetic susceptibility and heavy metals content were on medium (r = 0.5--0.7) and high (r = 0.7--0.9) level. The statistic analysis of the studied parameters can not be based only on Pearson correlation coefficient. The use of some complementary statistic methods allows for more correct interpretation of existing relationships. The comparable values of Pearson linear correlation coefficient and Spearman rank the correlation coefficient, observed in studied dataset within the range of accuracy used, shows the existence of linear correlation. The similar conclusions have been drawn from the analysis of reverse stepwise regression. The observed model of linear multiple regression explains almost 80% of variability of the X value. Foregoing statistical analysis confirms some earlier observations that magnetometry based on topsoil magnetic susceptibility measurement could be a very interesting and alternative or complementary method for monitoring anthropogenic soil pollution and especially heavy metal contamination level.

The concentration of hydrocarbons in the yield of dry matter in ryegrass depended upon the sludge dose. The highest concentrations of hydrocarbons in ryegrass were found in a control object. In objects fertilized with waste activated sludge the highest concentration of hydrocarbons was found in ryegrass with 20% ofwaste activated sludge. After a two-year experiment, the highest concentration of hydrocarbons was found in the control object. In soil materials fertilized with waste activated sludge the concentration of hydrocarbons grew along with the sludge dose.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can affect all stages of plant growth from germination to reproduction. A sensitive response to PAHs loading can be assumed above all in the first stages of ontogenesis, the germination of seeds and the root elongation. The germination of the seed is the existential condition of the further development of the plant. In this relatively short period the plant has not yet sufficient detoxicative ability. The affection of germination due to the contamination of soils with polyaromatic compounds can be one of the factors of natural selection and even also of the plant evolution. It can be assumed that in plants there exists and is further developed the adaptation of germination to those selected conditions. In this study the phytotoxic effects of crude oil were studied. The effect of increasing concentration of the used oil in the soil (1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 g/kg) on: the root elongation, biomass of roots, the stalk elongation, biomass of stalk and synthesis of chlorophyll of rye Seca/e cerea/e L., red clover Trifolium repens L., charlock Sinapis alba L., were studied. The results demonstrated that the increasing concentration of used oil inhibited on: the root elongation, biomass of roots, the stalk elongation, biomass of stalk and synthesis of chlorophyll by all tested plant. The species studied showed different sensitivity to the concentration of used oil.

Cyanobacterials (Cyanophyta) belong to phytoplancton. In normal stale concentration of cyanobacterial cells in water rangs between a few hundreds to a few thousands in I drn' of water but while blooming may be increased even to one million in I dm3. At this time water has characteristic color, depending on dominated species. Also characteristic smell is the results of the presence ofcyanobacterial and phytoplankton cells producing odour substances. The cyanobacterial blooms are very important hygienic problem for both human and animal health. While blooming they form foams and head coating on water surface. Also cyanobacterial toxins are huge problem. Cyanobacteria may produce acute toxins such as hepatotoxic peptides (microcystins, nodularins and cylindrospermopsin) and neurotoxic alkaloids (anatoxin-a, anatoxin-a(s), homoanatoxin and aphanotoxins). Cyanobacterial toxins are very dangerous substances which can intoxicate hepatocytes and the nervous system in humans and animals. In this situation it is very important to remove them effectively in water pretreatment processes. In the present paper have been presented for the first time in Poland data on removing cyanobacterial toxins from water in pretreatment process with application of chlorine dioxide and ozone on the example of Sulejów - Łódź water pipe system. In period I 998-200 I the effectiveness rnicrocystin-LR removal ranged between 74--92% while for other izoforms they were between 45-94%.

Searching for dependance of odour intensity on degree of dillution of basic samples with pure air, samples aromatised with citrus oil and containing difTerent amounts of acetone, ethanol, isopropanol, isoamyl acetate were studied. 192 individual odour intensity assesments of 16 samples were collected. Dependence of odour intensity on acetone concentration determined with chromatographic analysis (110-16500 mg/m3) was defined on the basis of 311 individual odour intensity assessments of 24 samples. The measurements' results were elaborated without initial assumptions concerning character of a psychophisical equation and without initial selection of empirical data. Automatic Networks Designer (Statistica Neural Network, StatSoft) was used. Dependence of odour intensity on concentration was described with logistic function resembling Stevens law within a small concentrations range and Weber-Fechner law within a high concentrations range.