Volume 24 (2013): Issue 3 (September 2013)

The aim of this study was to compare two soil tests, 1 M HCl and Mehlich 3, to extract phytoavailable Cu forms from the soil. The evaluation of tests was performed on the basis of the correlation between soil Cu extracted by the studied extractants, and plant Cu or yield of a test plant. Data for the calculation originated from the microplot experiment with winter wheat. The experiment included three soils that differed in texture, pH level and copper content. Each of the soil was fertilized with five doses of Cu: 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 kg • ha⁻¹ against two pH levels. The results showed a strong correlation between the two soil tests and their similar usefulness for the extraction of copper available to plants. On the basis of Pearson correlation coefficients and equation of simple regression, it was found that Mehlich 3 was slightly more useful for heavier soils with higher pH, whereas 1 M HCl was better suitable for acid sandy soil.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of pH on arsenic solubility in soils heavily contaminated by the former arsenic industry. For the purpose of the study, three soil samples were collected from the area affected by ore processing in Złoty Stok. Soils differed in initial pH, calcium carbonate content, organic matter content and total arsenic concentration. The amounts of arsenic released from soils at various pH were measured using extraction tests, where soil samples were shaken with various doses of HCl and NaOH in the presence of 0.01 mol • dm⁻³ CaCl₂ as the background solution. Arsenic solubility in soils was considerably low at neutral or slightly acidic pH and increased considerably in both strongly acidic and alkaline conditions. The importance of these effects for environmental risk was discussed.

Molybdenum is one of the major trace elements for plants, but its excess and the deficiency of copper in soils can lead to the production of feed that may be toxic to animals and cause molybdenosis. Menilite shales that occur in the Eastern Beskids Mts. are characterised by an elevated content of this element. The concentration of molybdenum and copper has been determined in samples of bedrock, soils and plants (Trifolium hybridum L. and Plantago major L. plants), taken in the area of occurrence of menilite shales and the Otryt Sandstones. The molybdenum concentration in rocks varies from 0.80 to 40 mg/kg, in soils - from 1.97 to 19.58 mg/kg, and in plant material - from 0.54 to 11.76 mg/kg. The copper concentration in rocks ranges from 11 to 111 mg/kg, in soils - from 23 to 76 mg/kg, and in plants - up to 20 mg/kg. The average Mo concentration in all kinds of plants is significantly higher in the area of occurrence of menilite shales than in the area where the Otryt Sandstones are dominant. The higher content of Mo in the samples collected from clover was accompanied by the lower Cu/Mo ratio, which may cause a molybdenosis disease in animals in the study area.

Rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soils were collected from six topsoils of grasslands in the Lower Vistula River Valley. The research covered the areas of the floodplains between the stream channel of the Vistula River and the flood embankment within the mesoregions of the Fordon Valley and the Grudziądz Basin. The research area, found in the Chełmiński and Nadwiślański Complex of Landscape Parks, is exposed to annual floods. The fluvial sediments are deposited during short-term and, most frequently spring, high discharges of the Vistula River. The amount of the material deposited in the floodplain valleys depends on the range of the flood and landscape-specific local conditions. In the rhizospheric soil of the common dandelion, a higher content of the clay fraction and organic matter was found, as compared with the non-rhizospheric soil material. The total content of Fe, Mn, Cd and Ni and their forms extractable with the DTPA solution differed between the rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil. A lower total concentration of the metals was noted in the rhizospheric soil at all the sampling sites. The concentrations of Fe_DTPA and Mn_DTPA forms in Fluvisols were much higher than the concentration defined as the deficit one. A relatively high content of organic matter and the clay fraction in rhizospheric soil makes the metals bound by the sorption complex, thus limiting their bioavailability. Under Regulation of Minister of the Environment of 9 September 2002, concerning soil quality standards for protected areas compliant with nature protection laws, the total concentration of Cd and Ni in non-rhizospheric soil was slightly higher than the admissible value (1.0 and 35.0 mg • kg⁻¹, respectively). Since no unfavourable effect of trace elements on the environment was demonstrated and as the floodplain areas are under agricultural use, to evaluate the pollution, the standards applicable for agricultural land were assumed. According to those criteria, the soils are not classified as polluted with cadmium and nickel.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biostimulators: Kelpak, Asahi SL and Goëmar Goteo on some biochemical parameters-proline and MDA concentration in leaves and florets of Monaco F1cultivars of broccoli grown under field conditions. Biostimulators applied in the experiment caused changes of some biochemical parameters in the plants. Kelpak and Goëmar Goteo significantly increased the oxidative stress parameters like the concentration of proline and malondialdehyde in leaves and florets of broccoli cultivar Monaco F1. Although, Asahi SL affected the content of chosen biochemical parameters although not seriously.

The aim of this study was to assess the changes of biometric and biochemical parameters in the radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L. subvar. radicula Pers.), depending on the content of ions Fe^III+ in the hydroponic culture. Seedlings were grown in Hoagland’s complete hydroponic culture without Fe^III+ ions or with the addition of Fe^III+ ions in an amount of 30 and 300 mg/l. During the experiment, the plants were illuminated by a sodium vapor lamp Son-T-Agro-400 W Philips (40 μE • m²/s PAR at the medium level). After 7 days, some biometric and biochemical measurements were made: shoot and embryonic root length (cm), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) activity and antioxidant capacity. It was observed that Fe^III+ added to hydroponic culture caused changes in the activity of enzymes and biometric parameters in radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L. subvar. radicula Pers.).

Electricity and heat have been produced in Poland by the combustion of coal. Ash-slag, a by-product of this process, has been mainly deposited in landfills. Until the end of 2011, about 258 million tonnes of ash-slag have been deposited in landfills. Herbaceous plant and soil samples were taken from four directions (east, west, south and north) in three locations on the landfill embankment: base, middle and top. The negative influence of furnace waste landfill on herbaceous plants was confirmed by the phytoaccumulation indexes (WF) of the examined elements: WF Cd - medium to intensive; WF Pb - low to medium; WF Zn - low to intensive and WF Cu - low to medium.

In the years 2001-2003, a study on thrips (Thysanoptera) was conducted in Lublin (south-eastern Poland). The aim of the research was to determine the species composition of the insects on selected plants from the Asteraceae family collected at sights of varying anthropopressures in Lublin. Fifteen designated sites, classified as semi-natural and anthropogenic, were located in different parts of the city. As a result of the study, the occurrence of 36 thrips species was recorded. The species dominating in the whole material were: Thrips physapus, Thrips trehernei, Thrips validus and Frankliniella intonsa. The greatest thrips species variety was characteristic of the following plant species: Hieracium umbellatum, Matricaria perforata, Taraxacum officinale, Erigeron strigosus. The research conducted shows that urban environment is quite rich in terms of thrips species diversity. The number of species caught indicates their tolerance to moderately adverse conditions in the city. The most important factor affecting the number of collected species is plant diversity. The sites of different levels of athropopressure varied both in their species composition and in the number of thrips found.

The Polish emission reporting system - “Krajowa baza o emisjach gazów cieplarnianych i innych substancji” (or National Emission Database (NED)) - was established at the end of 2010. Initially (data submitted for 2010), the database contained reported emission data for greenhouse gases and air pollutants from plants that have had proper Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control permissions (i.e., integrated permission for the release of gases and dusts into the air). The emissions reported to the NED are recognised as the emissions from local sources and partly as the emissions from point sources, with the possibility of including them into a national emission inventory as point source data (in the case of air pollutants). In the near future, it is planned that the database will be perceived as an integrated system for national air emission management (and the emission data from all sources will be required to pay a “tax for the use of the environment”, which will be regulated by national Polish law). This paper is a part of the work related to the analysis of reported emission data. Additional research on the data collected in the national database might be used to develop a National Emission Inventory, in addition to evolution of country-specific emission factors (e.g. from combustion and industrial processes). The analysed data (emission of NO_X, CO, SO_X and TSP) were taken from the data for point sources submitted for 2011 primarily with the aim of improving the quality of data submitted previously - for 2010. This paper is the first study in the research to investigate outliers among the reported data using some basic statistical methods.

This paper presents the ecological grounds of interaction between animals and their living habitats, which in economic terms is referred to as damages. In addition, an analysis of the legal and economic aspects of the liability for damages caused by wild animals in different types of natural habitats was carried out. Liability for damages is a special law in relation to the general principles of civil law in this area. At the same time, it is also limited, both objectively and subjectively. The increase in the interaction of animals with environments, which results directly in the size of compensation amounts paid, is closely associated with the dynamics in the number of damaging species, whereas the specificity of the damage results from the behavior of perpetrator animals. Multidirectional preventive measures using different methods generally produce short-term effects and their use is not always economically justified.

The paper presents the changes in chromium and nickel content in goat’s rue biomass cultivated in the years 2005-2007. Field test was carried out on the experimental field belonging to the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce. The tests included six objects with constant phosphorus fertilisation and differentiated potassium fertilisation. During each year of the tests, three cuts of the test plant in budding stage were harvested. Total Cr and Ni content in the plant and soil was determined using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer. The uptake of the elements being analysed with the crop of dry mass of the test plant was calculated.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilisation had significant influence on the increase in chromium and nickel content in goat’s rue biomass. The highest content of chromium was determined on P₅₀ object and of nickel on P₅₀K₁₅₀ object. The lowest content of Cr and N was determined in the test plant cultivated on control objects. The highest content of chromium and nickel was found in soil taken from the control object. The highest uptake with crop was observed for goat’s rue fertilised with P₅₀ dose and of nickel with P₅₀K₁₅₀ dose.