Southwest Poland Research Articles

Modeling groundwater flow and salinity evolution near TSF Żelazny Most. Part I – groundwater flow

Tailings which are by-product of the extraction of various metals (copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, etc.) are often stored in so called Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF), where they are deposited as a soil-water mixture by spigotting. In many cases the water discharged together with tailings to the TSF is rich in salts and other chemical compounds imposing negative pressure to the groundwater environment. Even in the case of total or partial lining of such facilities and well-developed drainage systems to control leaching, some portion of contaminated water often seeps either through the surrounding dams or the bed into adjacent groundwater bodies. Numerical models can be very helpful tools to assess the extent of the contamination and particularly to predict its potential development in the future. This paper and the companion one describe such a numerical model developed for Żelazny Most Tailings Storage Facility (south-west Poland), one of the world’s largest tailings sites. In the first part general information about the facility is provided and a 3D hydrogeological numerical model of the structure is described. Groundwater flow pattern near the facility obtained from numerical simulations is confronted with the measurements from a comprehensively developed monitoring system. Part II will be focused on the modelling of chloride transport in groundwater.

Simulation of the minimum annual river flows based on the RCP climatic scenario, time horizon up to 2060-2080 and the Kaczawa River

In this paper a new simulations of minimum daily flow for Kaczawa River a left side tributary of the Odra River in south-west Poland are presented. Generated data were made based on very long series of 35 years of observed data and 24 sites of meteorological stations for south-west Poland gathered from the the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management National Research Institute (IMGW). For the data generation the spatial weather generator SWGEN producing the multisite daily time series was applied. Data were generated for the present (the year 2000 are used as a background) as well for future climate condition for 2060 and 2080 according Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios. The flow simulation in the river catchment is made using MIKE SHE hydrological model. Simulations are done for 2060 and 2080. The large number of new simulated series determined by the lead time, two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP6.0), and number of generated years (1000 for each case) is equal to 5000 for a single station. Finally, Lognormal Pdf function for the minimum flow is presented as well probability of exceedance of minimum values.

Long-term temperature fluctuations in rivers of the Fore-Sudetic region in Poland

The paper presents an analysis of water temperature fluctuations in four rivers: Nysa Łużycka, Bóbr, Bystrzyca, and Nysa Kłodzka, in south-west Poland (Fore-Sudetic region) in the period 1971–2014. The obtained results show an evident increase in water temperature ranging from 0.15 °C·dec/1to 0.33 °C·dec/1. Such changes were particularly determined by changes in air temperature. Water temperature increased in two analyzed stations: Zielona Góra and Wrocław by 0.37 and 0.35 °C·dec/1, respectively. While the variability of the rate of warming of particular rivers in the analyzed region should be associated with local factors occurring in the catchments, the contribution of forest cover is of key importance. A change in water temperature constituting its primary parameter will cause further transformation of the discussed river ecosystems. Combined with poor water quality, rising water temperatures can become a factor inhibiting further economic development of the Fore-Sudetic region in Poland.

Evaluation of multisite synthetic data generated by spatial weather generator and long climate data series

In this paper a new validation test for the spatial weather generator SWGEN producing the multisite daily time series of solar radiation, temperature and precipitation is presented. The method was tested by comparing statistics of 1000 years of generated data with extra long series of 35 years of observed weather parameters and 24 sites of meteorological stations for south-west Poland. The method evaluation showed that the means (sums) and variances of generated data were comparable with observed climatic data aggregated for months, seasons and years.

Obraz historii Polski w narracjach dolnośląskich maturzystów

The article presents the results of the small-scale (220 responses) research conducted in 2015 on the final-year secondary school students from south-west Poland. The students were asked to write a story they would tell to a foreign visitor who would come to Poland and want to know the history of Poland. The stories were written at school during one lesson period (45 minutes). The analysis concentrates on the types of narratives (from just enumeration of facts, to more coherent narratives with certain dominating motives, such as the martyrdom of Poland or her victories), areas covered (political, military, social, cultural history), and phenomena (persons, events, processes) selected. The findings are confronted with the results of earlier research on historical consciousness of the Polish youth conducted by Janusz Rulka, Łukasz Michalski and Krzysztof Malicki. Considerable continuity of interests and attitudes of the young people has been observed.

Aeolian silt contribution to soils on mountain slopes (Mt. Ślęża, southwest Poland) – ERRATUM

This paper evaluates the possible contribution of aeolian silt to soils of Mt. Śleza (southwest Poland). Silt loam textures are common across Lower Silesia and are often confused with silt clay loam, especially at the outer boundaries with thin loess deposits. Eight study sites with different thicknesses of silt loam mantles that are covered and/or mixed with underlying sediments were examined in the field. To test our hypothesis, we analyzed the particle size and geochemistry of representative horizons. Concentrations of major and trace elements as well as their cross ratios confirmed the aeolian origin of silt loam materials and clearly distinguished them from basal sediments. There is a clear relationship between the presence and depth of aeolian mantles and mixing zones with the type of underlying material. Furthermore, the incorporation of aeolian silt to regoliths/soils was a main agent initiating and stimulating clay translocation leading to the formation of an argic horizon below the silt mantles. Mixing aeolian silt with acid granite regoliths and further illuviation resulted in the formation of alisols, while silt contributions to serpentine sediments resulted in development of skeletic luvisols. Soils receiving very weak input of aeolian silts remain as leptosols/cambisols.

Changes in the number of nesting pairs and breeding success of theWhite Stork Ciconia ciconia in a large city and a neighbouring rural area in South-West Poland

Abstract During the years 1994–2009, the number of White Stork pairs breeding in the city of Wrocław (293 km2) fluctuated between 5 pairs in 1999 and 19 pairs 2004. Most nests were clumped in two sites in the Odra river valley. Two nests were located only cca. 1 km from the city hall. The fluctuations in numbers can be linked to the availability of feeding grounds and weather. In years when grass was mowed in the Odra valley, the number of White Storks was higher than in years when the grass was left unattended. Overall, the mean number of fledglings per successful pair during the years 1995–2009 was slightly higher in the rural than in the urban area. Contrary to expectation, the mean number of fledglings per successful pair was the highest in the year of highest population density. In two rural counties adjacent to Wrocław, the number of breeding pairs was similar to that in the city in 1994/95 (15 vs. 13 pairs). However, in 2004 the number of breeding pairs in the city almost doubled compared to that in the neighboring counties (10 vs. 19 pairs). After a sharp decline between 2004 and 2008, populations in both areas were similar in 2009 (5 vs. 4 pairs), but much lower than in 1994–1995. Wrocław is probably the only large city (>100,000 people) in Poland, where the White Stork has developed a sizeable, although fluctuating, breeding population. One of the most powerful role the city-nesting White Storks may play is their ability to engage directly citizens with nature and facilitate in that way environmental education and awareness.

Aeolian silt contribution to soils on mountain slopes (Mt. Ślęża, southwest Poland)

AbstractThis paper evaluates the possible contribution of aeolian silt to soils of Mt. Ślęża (southwest Poland). Silt loam textures are common across Lower Silesia and are often confused with silt clay loam, especially at the outer boundaries with thin loess deposits. Eight study sites with different thicknesses of silt loam mantles that are covered and/or mixed with underlying sediments were examined in the field. To test our hypothesis, we analyzed the particle size and geochemistry of representative horizons. Concentrations of major and trace elements as well as their cross ratios confirmed the aeolian origin of silt loam materials and clearly distinguished them from basal sediments. There is a clear relationship between the presence and depth of aeolian mantles and mixing zones with the type of underlying material. Furthermore, the incorporation of aeolian silt to regoliths/soils was a main agent initiating and stimulating clay translocation leading to the formation of an argic horizon below the silt mantles. Mixing aeolian silt with acid granite regoliths and further illuviation resulted in the formation of alisols, while silt contributions to serpentine sediments resulted in development of skeletic luvisols. Soils receiving very weak input of aeolian silts remain as leptosols/cambisols.

Targeted massively parallel sequencing characterises the mutation spectrum of PALB2 in breast and ovarian cancer cases from Poland and Ukraine

Loss-of-function germline mutations in the PALB2 gene are associated with an increase of breast cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to characterise the spectrum of PALB2 mutations in women affected with breast or ovarian cancer from South-West Poland and West Ukraine. We applied Hi-Plex, an amplicon-based enrichment method for targeted massively parallel sequencing, to screen the coding exons and proximal intron–exon junctions of PALB2 in germline DNA from unrelated women affected with breast cancer (n = 338) and ovarian cancer (n = 89) from Poland (n = 304) and Ukraine (n = 123). These women were at high-risk of carrying a genetic predisposition to breast and/or ovarian cancer due to a family history and/or early-onset disease. Targeted-sequencing identified two frameshift deletions: PALB2:c.509_510del; p.R170Ifs in three women affected with breast cancer and PALB2:c.172_175del;p.Q60Rfs in one woman affected with ovarian cancer. A number of other previously described missense (some predicted to be damaging by PolyPhen-2 and CADD) and synonymous mutations were also identified in this population. This study is consistent with previous reports that PALB2:c.509_510del and PALB2:c.172_175del are recurrent mutations associated with breast cancer predisposition in Polish women with a family history of the disease. Our study contributes to the accumulating evidence indicating that PALB2 should be included in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility in these populations to enhance risk assessment and management of women at high-risk of developing breast cancer. This data could also contribute to ongoing work that is assessing the possible association between ovarian cancer risk and PALB2 mutations for which there is currently no evidence.

222Rn and 220Rn concentrations in soil gas of the Izera Massif (Sudetes, Poland) as a function of sampling depth

This research presents soil gas 222 Rn and 220 Rn concentrations measured at 17 locations in the Izera Massif of southwest Poland. The average 222 Rn concentrations at sampling depths of 10, 40 and 80 cm were 8, 78 and 224 kBq m –3 , respectively. The average 220Rn concentrations for the same depths (10, 40 and 80 cm) were 6, 10 and 13 kBq m –3 , respectively. Profiles of the concentrations versus depth can be fitted by exponential, linear and polynomial functions for soils developed on fault zones, above uranium mineral deposits, and above faulted uranium deposits, respectively. Soils developed on bedrock without fault zones or uranium mineralisation exhibit concentrations that follow a power function with an exponent of p <1

Phenotype Heterogeneity in Glucokinase-Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (GCK-MODY) Patients.

Objective:The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical phenotypes of glucokinase-maturity-onset diabetes of the young (GCK-MODY) pediatric patients from Southwest Poland and to search for phenotype-genotype correlations.Methods:We conducted a retrospective analysis of data on 37 CGK-MODY patients consisting of 21 girls and 16 boys of ages 1.9-20.1 (mean 12.5±5.2) years, treated in our centre in the time period between 2002 and 2013.Results:GCK-MODY carriers were found in a frequency of 3% among 1043 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and constituted the second most numerous group of DM patients, following type 1 DM, in our centre. The mean age of GCK-MODY diagnosis was 10.4±4.5 years. The findings leading to the diagnosis were impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (15/37), symptoms of hyperglycemia (4/37), and a GCK-MODY family history (18/37). Mean fasting blood glucose level was 6.67±1.64 mmol/L. In the sample, there were patients with normal values (4/37), those with DM (10/37), and IFG (23/37). In OGTT, 120 min glucose level was normal in 8, diabetic in 2, and characteristic for glucose intolerance in 27 of the 37 cases. Twelve of the 37 cases (32%) were identified as GCK-MODY carriers. In the total group, mean C-peptide level was 2.13±0.65 ng/mL and HbA1c was 6.26±0.45% (44.9±-18 mmol/mol). Thirty-two patients had a family history of DM. DM autoantibodies were detected in two patients. The most common mutations were p.Gly318Arg (11/37) and p.Val302Leu (8/37). There was no correlation between type of mutations and plasma glucose levels.Conclusion:The phenotype of GCK-MODY patients may vary from those characteristic for other DM types to an asymptomatic state with normal FG with no correlation with genotype.

The diatom-inferred pH reconstructions for a naturally neutralized pit lake in south-west Poland using the Mining and the Combined pH training sets

Many artificial lakes in various parts of the world were formed as a result of the exploitation of lignite and other mineral deposits. Usually, lakes created after the end of lignite mine activity have extremely acidic or very acidic water, with pH<3.0, caused by the oxidation of pyrite and marcasite and other sulfide compounds. After the closure of mines, the lakes undergo natural neutralization. However, this process is long-term and depends on many different factors, such as the amount of carbonates, the geological structure of bedrock, hydrology and hydrobiology, climate and the method of lignite exploitation. In some types of anthropogenic lakes (i.e., clay pits), water pH is almost neutral or alkaline due to the adsorption properties of clay minerals. Along the Polish-German border in the Łuk Mużakowa Geopark, over 100 post-mining lakes were formed as a result of lignite and clay exploitation. The Mining pH training set of modern diatom samples and water chemistry was created from 69 lakes to quantify the relationship between the diatom assemblages living in these water bodies and the lakes' chemical composition. Then, this database was applied to the reconstruction of diatom-inferred pH in the sediments of a post-mining lake TR-33. The results of reconstruction was compared to similar analysis based on the Combined pH training set containing more variety of diatom taxa from a higher number of lakes. Although the second dataset was larger and gave a smaller root mean square error, the Mining pH training set has a longer gradient of pH including lakes with extremely acidic water and gives more reliable results. The reconstruction of DI-pH in TR-33 which had very acidic water in the past and currently neutralized from acidification was more precise and reliable using the database sensu stricto, which consists of only the post-mining lakes.

A comprehensive framework for the study of species co‐occurrences, nestedness and turnover

Binary presence–absence matrices (rows = species, columns = sites) are often used to quantify patterns of species co‐occurrence, and to infer possible biotic interactions from these patterns. Previous classifications of co‐occurrence patterns as nested, segregated, or modular have led to contradictory results and conclusions. These analyses usually do not incorporate the functional traits of the species or the environmental characteristics of the sites, even though the outcomes of species interactions often depend on trait expression and site quality. Here we address this shortcoming by developing a method that incorporates realized functional and environmental niches, and relates them to species co‐occurrence patterns. These niches are defined from n‐dimensional ellipsoids, and calculated from the n eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the variance–covariance matrix of measured environmental or trait variables. Average niche overlap among species and the spatial distribution of niches define a triangle plot with vertices of species segregation (low niche overlap), nestedness (high niche overlap), and modular co‐occurrence (clusters of overlapping niches). Applying this framework to temperate understorey plant communities in southwest Poland, we found a consistent modular structure of species occurrences, a pattern not detected by conventional presence–absence analysis. These results suggest that, in our case study, habitat filtering is the most important process structuring understorey plant communities. Furthermore, they demonstrate how incorporating trait and environmental data into co‐occurrence analysis improves pattern detection and provides a stronger theoretical framework for understanding community structure.

Effects of catchment area forestation on the temperature of river waters

Abstract The objective of this paper was to analyse the effects of catchment area forestation on the temperature of river waters. Two rivers, Czerna Wielka and Szprotawa, were covered in this research project and both are located in south-west Poland, running through the largest compact forest complex in the country, Bory Dolnośląskie. Both of the rivers are located within the same climatic region, and are similar in terms of their hydrology. Land use in the catchment area however is very diverse with 71.6% forest cover in the case of the Czerna Wielka River and direct contact of the forest with the river occurs over 68.3% of its length. For the Szprotawa River, the indices amount to only 39.3% and 21.6%, respectively. Data on the daily water temperatures for both of the rivers were obtained from the Hydrological Yearbooks of Surface Waters for the period 1969–1983. The mean annual water temperature in the analysed period in the case of the Czerna Wielka River amounted to 8.0°C, and in the case of the Szprotawa River it equalled 9.2°C. During the cooler half of the year (November-April), the mean water temperature for the entire examined period amounted to 3.8°C for Czerna Wielka, and 3.6°C for Szprotawa. Higher variability was recorded for the warmer seasons (May-October), where mean temperatures amounted to 12.1°C and 14.7°C, respectively. The obtained results concur with other similar research conducted around the world, and in the context of climate change are of practical value. The important role of forests in the moderation of thermal conditions is evidently unquestionable. Therefore, minimising the impact of unfavourable climatic changes on river ecosystems and their surroundings requires striving for appropriate forest management in the near-bank (buffer) zone along banks of both larger rivers and their tributaries

Modelling of water reserves in mineral soils with different retention properties

AbstractThis work focuses on modelling soil water reserves using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Four model variants were established based on 843 records (verified through 268 measurements) of soil water content (SWC) measured at full‐scale field sites located in Southwest Poland. It is revealed that commonly recorded climatic data (precipitation and temperature) linked with SWC and field water capacity (FWC) are applicable in the ANN modelling. The basic model (utilising the meteorological data) was the most suitable for soil profiles with thicknesses of 0–25 cm, while in profiles with thicknesses of 0–50 cm and 0–100 cm the comprehensive ANN model (linking climatic data, FWC and SWC) was the most appropriate. Furthermore, comparative studies of the measured and modelled data indicated their statistical convergence, thus providing support for the practical implementation of the proposed ANN modelling.

Lay beliefs on Polish oncology in the evaluation of healthy individuals.

Poland is among the countries which reported the highest rates of mortality from cancer. The health behaviours of people are influenced, among other things, by their beliefs about cancer, but their evaluation of oncological institutions and specialists seems also to be of great importance. Objectives. 1. How the respondents evaluate Polish oncology: a) the conditions of treatment in oncology hospitals, b) access to oncological medical services, c) the competence of oncologists. 2. What are the socio-cultural factors of the assessment of Polish oncology? 3. What is the influence of the grade level of the assessment of Polish oncology on the degree of fear and the knowledge about cancer? The study was carried out with a sample of 910 adult residents of Wroclaw in south-west Poland. Quota sampling was used. An interview questionnaire was used as the method. Analysis of the data showed a negative image of Polish oncology, according to the study participants: dissatisfaction with both treatment conditions and with access to medical services. Assessment of Polish oncology depends primarily on education, age and economic situation, as well as 'family history of cancer', and attitude towards doctors. The lower the rating of Polish oncology, the lower the medical knowledge, and the higher the level of fear of cancer. Negative assessment of Polish oncology perpetuates the fear of cancer in society. There is a need for constant improvement of the quality of medical oncology services, for building public trust in physicians, to fight inequalities in health, and to take into account the lay perspectives in developing strategies to combat cancer.

Accounting for the environmental impacts of sulfidic tailings storage in the Life Cycle Assessment of copper production: A case study

Most of the existing Life Cycle Assessment studies addressing the environmental impacts of copper production exclude the emissions generated by tailings. This study aims at compiling the life cycle inventory related to the storage of tailings from sulfidic copper ore concentration, in the specific case of a plant located in south-west Poland. The environmental impacts induced by these tailings are compared with the rest of the environmental impacts of copper production. This study demonstrates that, when considering toxicity-related environmental impact categories, the potential impacts related to the storage of tailings in dedicated facilities are a key issue in the life cycle impact assessment of copper concentrate production, and consequently of copper production. Depending on the temporal perspective considered in the study, the disposal of sulfidic tailings induces impacts that may be several orders of magnitude larger than those of copper concentrate production. Yet, when limiting the considered temporal perspective to 100 years, tailings storage has a relatively low contribution to the impacts of concentrate production. The discrepancy between the impacts related to copper concentrate production and those of tailings disposal is highly dependent on both the temporal perspective considered in the LCA study and the actual conditions of tailings management in the future.

The forms of occurrence and geochemistry of sulfides in hard coal deposits of the Libiąż Beds in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Southern Poland

Samples of coal from the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, between Jaworzno and Libiąz, were collected from test boreholes and underground excavations in the Janina Coal Mine, southwest Poland. The No. 111-119 hard coal seams are in the upper part of the Cracow Sandstone Series (the Libiąz Beds, Westphalian D). Macroscopically, iron sulfides (pyrite and marcasite) found in hard coal seams are usually in vein and impregnation forms. On the basis of microscopic observations, the following forms of iron sulfides occurrence in the studied coal were observed: framboidal pyrite, euhedral crystals, skeletal and massive vein forms, or pocket-like (impregnation) forms. On the basis of SEM-EDS analysis and X-ray diffraction it can be stated that the iron sulfides observed in coal are a mixture of pyrite and marcasite. WDS analysis in the micro area revealed the chemical composition of sulfides. The iron sulfides contain admixtures of Pb, Hg, Zn, Cu, Au, Ag, Sb, Co, and Ni. There was no As and Cd found in the examined minerals. It has been shown that the tested iron sulfides do not include significant admixtures. There is only a slight enrichment in lead in the vein forms of sulfides. In addition to the iron sulfides, individual inclusions of galena and sphalerite within the pyrite and marcasite have been observed.

Comparison of methods for solids retention time determination and control

Solids retention time (SRT) is the basic and most important process parameter in design, operation and control of activated sludge (AS) systems, especially with nitrification and biological nutrient removal. However, determination of SRT at the full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) may not be straightforward and the significance of proper SRT control is often underestimated by plant operators, which may lead to severe operational problems, including complete nitrification failure. This paper presents different methods for SRT determination and control, including simple hydraulic method and phosphorous mass balance method. The comparison is based on an extended data set from a large WWTP in south-west Poland, both in stable and transient operational conditions. The results of the comparison show that during stable operational conditions, all the SRT determination methods give similar results, thus the simple hydraulic method can be applied during standard operation, even at small WWTPs, which lack laboratory facilities. Hydraulic method is based on continuous on-line flowrate measurements, therefore it gives opportunity to implement an algorithm to automatically control SRT and sludge wastage from the system.

Bradatica from the Strzelińskie Hills

The excavations in the Strzelinskie Hills, regularly conducted for more than 10 years led to discoveries of many interesting sites. In 2015 was examined the area of the Borowe Skalki located on the slopes of the Gromnik - the highest peak of the Strzelinskie Hills. In the vicinity of the rock outcrops were encountered traces of settlements from the Upper Palaeolithic, the Mesolithic, the Iron Age as well as the early and late Middle Ages. Also an iron battleaxe, the so-called bradatica was found associated with the Great Moravian influence. This artefact belongs to relatively rare finds. From the area of south-west Poland it is the seventh battleaxe of this type, and yet one of the best preserved. This find sheds a new light on the other artefacts from the early Middle Ages in the Strzelinskie Hills, which allow to identify new links between this part of the Sudetes Foreland an the Great Moravian sphere of influence.