Ewa Kmiecik

AGH University of Krakow | AGH

Bottled mineral and spring water constitute one of the main sources of drinking water. Relevant legal acts in each country individually regulate the highest permitted concentrations of harmful substances in these waters. However, current regulations do not take into account newly emerging contaminants such as BPA. Analysis of the chemical compositi...

Regarding the aspect of mineral, thermo-mineral, and thermal waters, on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia, there are 65 registered locations, of which 8 are categorized as spas. This includes the Kežovica spa, also known as the Štipska spa. In the vicinity of Kežovica Spa is the thermo-mineral L’Dži spring with mineralization around...

The paper presents the possibility of using data mining tools — artificial neural networks — in prediction of hydrometer reading after 24 h in order to limit the duration of the test to 4 h. The authors analysed a database of 693 granulometric composition analysis results of genetically different soils with the use of radial basis function network...

Contamination of surface and groundwater by neonicotinoids is a global problem and requires comprehensive action by individual countries in order to identify in detail the processes affecting the transport of these pesticides, their properties, and their harmfulness to the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the transport (expressed by...

(1) Background: The influence of tap water fittings construction and internal pipe-work on the release of heavy metals was investigated. (2) Methods: A statistical approach was applied for the examination of the chemistry of tap water in five different cities in southern Poland. In total, 500 samples were collected (from 100 to 101 samples in each...

The enormous amount of spent catalysts generated worldwide may pose a risk to the environment because of their high load of metals, including vanadium. The latter may be mobilized and released to the environment if managed improperly. Moreover, the catalysts could be considered as secondary resources rather than waste. This study aimed at the effic...

The aim of the study was to assess the risk posed by Legionella bacteria in a public building in Krakow. An old building with internal installation risers of different ages, as well as draw-off points of different types, was selected for testing. Samples were collected during two campaigns. In one sample of the first series of tests, no bacteria we...

The present study reports for the first time the occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the shallow aquifer underlying the Kraków city. Urban groundwater samples were gathered from 11 wells, which can serve as the emergency water supply wells. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method with the...

The most promising Polish region in terms of its geothermal resource potential is the Podhale Trough in the Inner West Carpathians, where the thermal water occurs in the Eocene-Mesozoic strata. The origin and conditions of formation of the chemical composition of the thermal water are different in a regional scale due to the impact of infiltrating...

Spent catalysts being considered hazardous wastes exhibit a high metal content in mobile forms. In addition, growing demand for circular economy policy applications requires proper utilization of these wastes. This study aimed at the assessment of vanadium leaching from spent desulfurization catalyst derived from sulfuric acid plant dump located ne...

The processes affecting the formation of the chemical composition of the waters take place in specific hydrochemical zones. The knowledge of such phenomena allows to draw conclusions regarding the origin and conditions prevailing in the regions of their occurrence, e.g. indicate a zone of active water exchange, i.e. an inflow of infiltration waters...

The results of total chromium determination (by ICP-OES method) in samples collected from nine working wells named GW1-GW9, exploiting geothermal water from the Podhale Trough (southern part of Poland, near the Tatra Mountains), which is used for recreational purposes, were implemented for hydrogeochemical modeling to indicate dominating chromium s...

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. As an endocrine-disrupting compound, it has been included in the list of substances requiring special supervision as a very high-risk substance due to its toxic influence on reproduction. BPA with a reference...

In some countries (e.g. Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Russia, Germany), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) measurements are required to document the quality of groundwater which are planned to be used as therapeutic waters. ORP is still rarely studied and not fully availed in therapeutic water research. Studies of ORP in various types of therapeutic,...

The occurrence of emerging contaminants, such as: personal care products, medicines, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and their transformation products in the environment is of concern for human health and aquatic ecosystems due to their high persistence, toxicity and potential to bioaccumulation. Among pesticides, the main attention and thus our focus...

The work presents the results of geothermal water sample analysis with respect to the determination of total selenium concentration. For this purpose, geothermal water (GT) samples were collected from three different intakes (GT-1, GT-2, GT-3) with similar temperatures of about 85ºC. Tests were carried out to see if the methodology of sample prepar...

Knowledge of uncertainty in analytical results is of prime importance in assessments of compliance with requirements set out for the quality of water intended for human consumption. Assessments of drinking water quality can be performed using either a deterministic or a probabilistic method. In the former approach, every single result is referred d...

Knowledge of transport patterns of chemicals in groundwater is essential for environmental assessment of their potential impact. In the present study, the mobility of a chloride tracer injected into three different soils was investigated, using column experiments. The column tests were performed under steady-state conditions to determine parameters...

A proper methodology for collecting samples of geothermal water makes it possible not only to determine the hydrochemical characteristics of the water, but also to assess its temporal and spatial variability. The knowledge about the concentration of selected elements as well as the values of field measurements can help to indicate their impact on o...

Global economy faces an increasing problem of the supply risk of critical raw materials, therefore the search for secondary resources has become an urgent issue. Copper orebodies in Poland contain substantial amounts of metals deemed critical (e.g. Co, Mo, rare earth elements (REE) or V), which are not recovered during processing. The metals of int...

The contamination of water with pesticides used in agriculture and urban areas is a priority issue that is currently of global concern. In 2015 the European Union (EU) published the first Watch List (1st WL), which showed the necessity for Union‐wide monitoring of ten organic substances/groups of substances in the field of water policy. The list in...

The work was carried out to develop and validate a method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous detection and quantification of five neonicotinoid insecticides: acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam in groundwater samples for the purpose of a further column experiment...

The aim of the study was to check the occurrence of Legionella pneumophila in thermal water and to compare different analytical methods of its determination and/or quantification used in different laboratories. The research has shown that there are noticeable differences between results from culture method, qPCR, and FISH. Significant influence on...

Acta Balneol, TOM LX, Nr 4(154);2018:272-276 Wiarygodna analiza składu chemicznego próbek wód podziemnych, w szczególności składników swoistych, które determinują jej właściwości lecznicze, jest bardzo trudna. Kluczową kwestią jest wybór laboratorium, które ma wykonać analizy, wiążący się ze stosowaniem odpowiednich technik badawczych. Wody lecznic...

Acta Balneologica, 2018, 60(4), 233-238. Oxidation-reduction conditions are one of the most important factors affecting on the chemical composition of groundwater. The redox potential is an unstable parameter which measurement is required i.a. to determine curative properties of water. In a field practice this measurement is exacting, it should be...

The results of research conducted in recent years indicates that microplastic particles are widely distributed in the aquatic environment. The investigations are mostly focused on marine waters and there is still a lack of information about their presence in both surface water and groundwater. In this paper, preliminary results of research conducte...

Three different residues from Pb recovery (lead slag - LS) and Cu smelting (shaft furnace slag - SFS, and granulated slag - GS) in Cu foundries, located in the SW Poland, were examined with respect to chemical and phase composition. The examined materials reveal distinct mineral composition. The LS slag exhibits crystalline structure, and main phas...

Iodine is a microelement which occurs in natural water in different concentrations dependent on water type, origin and total dissolved solids concentration. The objects of research were natural geothermal water. In this paper, the fitness of the ICP-MS method for iodine determination in water with higher temperatures was tested and selected methodo...

Efforts directed to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have led to the introduction of new firing/co-firing technologies and alternative fuels in the coal-based power industry. This has resulted in the formation of combustion products with new properties that can affect the reuse of these wastes and/or pose a hazard to the environment. One of th...

Plastic is a material commonly used in many different areas of our life. Due to the large quantities of plastics produced the risk of their released as a waste to the natural environment increases each year. The UV radiation and mechanical abrasion cause that plastic is transformed into smaller particles called microplastic which then get into envi...

We present an innovative method of lithium removal from geothermal water by hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) process working with tree-stage operation: electrosorption on electrodes and desorption with and without an electrical field. The conducted tests showed that the system was able to selectively capture lithium salt. It was noted the tota...

In the Busko-Zdrój and Solec-Zdrój region (Poland), curative waters with different concentrations of sulphur(II) compounds are extracted. In this paper, waters from 14 intakes were considered. The waters analysed are chloride-sodium, sulphide, iodide (Cl–Na, S, I) or chloride-sodium, sulphide (Cl–Na, S) and are especially associated with deep circu...

Three different residues from Cu smelting (shaft furnace slag - SFS, and granulated slag - GS) and Pb recovery (Pb slag - LS) in Cu foundries, located in the SW Poland, were examined with respect to chemical and phase composition. The examined materials reveal distinct mineral composition. The Pb slag exhibits crystalline structure, and main phases...

The main purpose of a physical act of measurement is to enable decisions to be made. In case of an assessment of the chemical status of groundwater body, or assessment of suitability of water for drinking purposes, or possibility of discharges sewage into surface waters, the measurements of physicochemical parameters of water are an indispensable f...

The attenuation of climate changes through substitution of coal with GHG-neutral or low-emission fuels, a replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable ones and reuse of waste materials is being achieved among others by partial or total substitution of coal in power plants with alternative fuels that may affect the composition and leaching...

Empirical equations and numerical modelling methods are used to predict the possibility of sediments precipitating on the membrane used during the reverse osmosis process. The use of empirical formulae allows approximations to be made of the trends which can exist on the surface of the membrane during the water treatment process. The use of numeric...

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of samplers change on the uncertainty associated with the process of the geothermal water sampling. The study was carried out on geothermal water exploited in Podhale region, southern Poland (Małopolska province). To estimate the uncertainty associated with sampling the results of determinations of meta...

The article presents the results of the research carried out in order to assess the possibility of using surface water of the Bystrytsya-Nadvirnyans'ka River in Cherniiv (western Ukraine), for the public supply of water intended for human consumption. For this purpose an existing database that contains the results of analyses of surface water sampl...

Electricity production in Poland is carried out mainly in conventional power plants, and the necessary resources include fuel and water. Significant water intake and production of sewage necessitate the application of technological solutions limiting the negative impact on the water environment. For this reason, Tauron Group's power plants for repl...

The exploitation of thermal waters from the Triassic, Jurassic and carbonate Eocen is conducted by PEC Geothermia Podhalańska with three wells: Bańska PGP-1, Bańska PGP-3 and Bańska IG-1. The groundwater discharge rates from each well change over time, depending on the energy requirements of the heating installation. As a consequence, the proportio...

Drinking water samples were collected from 501 points in five cities located in south Poland - Krakow, Myszkow, Jaworzno, Raciborz and Kamienna Gora, using the random daytime sam-pling method (RDT). All samples were collected by trained samplers from randomly chosen buildings, at random hours and without prior flushing. Analysis of chemical composi...

According to the requirements of Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption and Regulation of the Minister of Health of 13 November 2015 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, drinking water should be characterized by the appropriate concentration of selected parameters, i.e...

According to the requirements of Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption and Regulation of the Minister of Health of 13 November 2015 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, drinking water should be characterized by the appropriate concentration of selected parameters, i.e...

The exploitation of sulphurous water in Krzeszowice has been taking place since 1780. The water is being used only for balneological treatment. The quality of this water has been controlled by Department of Hydrogeology and Geology Engineering (AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection) si...

https://www.min-pan.krakow.pl/Wydawnictwa/TPG2017/4_art_TPG_1_2017.pdf Zakład Górniczy Sobieski będący częścią Tauron Wydobycie S.A. zlokalizowany jest w Jaworznie, w województwie śląskim. Należy do kopalń węgla kamiennego o największym dopływie wód podziemnych do wyrobisk, wynoszącym około 60 m3/min. Decyduje o tym położenie zakładu w tzw. subreg...

Geothermal water which is discharged into surface waters following use has a negative impact on the water biocenosis. For this reason, the desalination of geothermal waters using membranes can not only be considered as a means of providing water for irrigation purposes, but also as a possible source of drinking water supply. Geothermal water has a...

One of the main operational problems when using reverse osmosis (RO) technology is membrane scaling. Scaling directly affects membrane service life, the efficiency of the desalination process and operating costs, therefore predicting and preventing sediment precipitation in membrane systems is a key aspect of their operation. This process also play...

Analysis of diversification of chemical composition of water intended to a human consumption using factor analysis

In Poland, electricity is still produced mainly in conventional power plants where fuel and water are materials necessary to generate the electricity. Even in modern power plants operating according to the principles of the sustainable development, this involves a high intake of water and considerable production of wastewater. This, in turn, necess...

The paper presents the assessment of using Quaternary groundwater as the low–temperature energy source for heat pumps in the Małopolska Province. The analysis demonstrates that the Małopolska region has potential to use Quaternary groundwater in low–temperature systems both in terms of potential well flow rates and water temperature. Water as a hea...

Thermal water study – the proposal for sampling technical solutions

Estimation of measurement uncertainty of the silica concentration in thermal water from the Bańska PGP-3 well, Podhale

The use of the reverse osmosis process in water treatment often requires the careful selection of methods of pretreatment. This especially applies to mineralised water, ferruginous water, water with a high carbonate hardness and also water with a tendency to precipitate sulphate and silica deposits. Increased feed water temperature may be a further...

The aim of the study was to compare the two reference methods for the determination of boron in water samples and further assess the impact of the method of preparation of samples for analysis on the results obtained. Samples were collected during different desalination processes, ultrafiltration and the double reverse osmosis system, connected in...

The paper presents the results of a study aimed at fortifying mineral waters with iodine ions. In the study, natural mineral water with low CO2 content was used, which had a high content of bioelements and minerals including calcium and magnesium and also included iodine concentrate and lemon flavour. Within the framework of the experiment, several...

Boron presence in groundwater and surface water is caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Owing to their molecular nature, the removal of excessive boron concentrations from water is a serious problem. Among the water treatment systems used on an industrial scale, the most important ones are membrane systems, and among these a special ro...

In Poland, curative waters, as minerals, are a subject to the Geological and Mining Law (GML in Geological and mining law of 9 June 2011 (Journal of Laws [Dz. U.] No. 163/2011 item 981), 2011). In accordance with the guidelines set forth in this Law, as a curative waters are recognised groundwaters uncontaminated by chemical and microbiological age...

Wysiłki na rzecz powstrzymania zmian klimatycznych poprzez redukcję emisji gazów cieplarnianych doprowadziły do wprowadzenia do energetyki zawodowej opartej na spalaniu węgla nowych technologii spalania/współspalania i paliw alternatywnych. Spowodowało to powstawanie odpadowych produktów spalania o nowych, nierozpo-znanych w dostatecznym stopniu wł...

This paper presents an analysis of trends in the chemical composition of thermal waters exploited by Bańska PGP-1 well. Trends have been assessed for major ions (SO42–, Cl –, Na+, Ca 2+), which determine the hydrogeochemical type of water. Assessment of trends was performed using GWSDAT software, using the results of the chemical composition conduc...

According to European Union directives (WFD, 2000; GDD, 2006) the identification and determination of uncertainty-also this associated with sampling, preservation and transport of samples-is an important part of the overall groundwater monitoring effort. Moreover, directive (DT 2009) indicate necessity of implementation the quality assurance and qu...

This paper is the second one of two companion papers. It presents results of a study aimed at assessing the effect of real time weathering transformations of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCRs) on trace element binding/release and its environmental implications. The study is based on the chemical composition of pore solutions extracted from primary al...

Curative water is the groundwater characterized by natural variation of physical and chemical parameters (Ustawa, 2011). Curative character valuation for natural resource (including curative water) should be made on the basis of documented investigations continuing at least three years (Rozporządzenie, 2006). Analysis ofstability of chemical compos...

The paper presents the possibilities of utilization of Quaternary groundwater in low-temperature geothermal systems in Małopolska. Water as a heat source must fulfill the relevant requirements for physicochemical parameters. In this paper, physicochemical parameters of water used in low temperature systems: pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, su...

Abstrakt RDW (2000) wymaga ustanowienia dwóch programów monitoringu wód podziemnych: stanu ilościowego i stanu chemicznego. Sieć monitoringu dla oceny stanu chemicznego wód podziemnych powinna pozwolić na przeprowadzenie oceny w każdym dorzeczu oraz wykrycie długoterminowych trendów zmian jakości wód. W niniejszym artykule zaprezentowano ocenę stan...