The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is becoming increasingly frequent during search and rescue (SAR) operations conducted to find missing persons. These systems have proven to be particularly useful for operations executed in the wilderness, i.e., in open and mountainous areas. The successful implementation of those systems is possible thanks to the potential offered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which help achieve a considerable reduction in operational times and consequently allow a much quicker finding of lost persons. This is crucial to enhance their chances of survival in extreme conditions (withholding hydration, food and medicine, and hypothermia). The paper presents the results of a preliminary assessment of a search and rescue method conducted in an unknown terrain, where groups were coordinated with the use of UAVs and a ground control station (GCS) workstation. The conducted analysis was focused on assessing conditions that would help minimise the time of arrival of the rescue team to the target, which in real conditions could be a missing person identified on aerial images. The results of executed field tests have proven that the time necessary to reach injured persons can be substantially shortened if imaging recorded by UAV is deployed, as it considerably enhances the chance of survival in an emergency situation. The GCS workstation is also one of the crucial components in the search system, which assures image transmission from the UAV to participants of the search operation and radio signal amplification in a difficult terrain. The effectiveness of the search system was tested by comparing the arrival times of teams equipped with GPS and a compass and those not equipped with such equipment. The article also outlined the possibilities of extending the functionality of the search system with the SARUAV module, which was used to find a missing person in Poland.

Satellite monitoring systems can be used for remote monitoring of the atmosphere over a given area but they do not provide information on the state of pollution at a given time. Additional information could only be obtained after several days. Measurements from an aircraft may be obtained almost at real-time and in different geometries – vertical and horizontal. The future of this type of monitoring is remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (airplanes, helicopters and balloons tethered), equipped with telemetric monitoring.

Large-scale usage of oxygen therapy (OT) may lead to increased oxygen concentrations (OC) in places where COVID-19 patients are treated. The aim of the study was to establish in an empirical way the OC in COVID-19 at the patient’s bedside and to assess the relationships and reactions that occur during OT in an uncontrolled oxygen-enriched environment. We analyzed and took into account the OC, the technical conditions of the buildings and the air exchange systems. Based on the results, we performed a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis to assess evacuation conditions in the event of a fire outbreak in the COVID-19 zone. A total of 337 measurements of OC were carried out, and three safety thresholds were then defined and correlated with fire effects. The highest ascertained oxygen concentration was 25.2%. In the event of a fire outbreak at 25.2% oxygen in the atmosphere, the response time and evacuation of medical staff and patients is no longer than 2.5 min. Uncontrolled oxygen enrichment of the environment threatens the safety of medical staff and patients in COVID-19 hospitals.

In many countries around the world (including the United States, Canada, and Spain), research is being conducted into the impact of air pollution on the formation of various types of cancer. For a long time it was thought that the inhalation of pollutants could lead to lung diseases. Now the effects of air pollutants on tumors in the airways, kidneys, bladder, breast, and colon have been investigated and are better understood. It is now known that particulates in air pollution can cross the blood–brain barrier and also reach the placenta. The aim of this study was to find a possible relationship between the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere and the formation of specific types of tumors in the Polish population. Two databases available on the Internet were used in the analysis: the bank of measurement data on air quality in Poland (the repository of Environmental Protection Inspection) and cancer statistics. The pollution measurement data for the years 2000–2016 were taken from the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection website, a database with results from 264 stations located in Poland for 13 types of gases and atmospheric pollutants. Statistical data on cancer C00–D09 (according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10)) in the Polish population in the years 1999–2015 were retrieved from onkologia.org.pl. A novel code was constructed, allowing the downloading of statistics from the databases, examination of their correlation, and selection of the best model of regression through machine learning. The results of the analyses indicate a high correlation of air pollution with the incidence of selected types of cancer. Particularly noteworthy is the observed effect of NO_x on the incidence of small and large intestine cancers in the Masovia and West Pomerania provinces. The other gases and pollutants with the most significant impact on the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer have also been identified. Based on statistical analysis, we found a correlation between air pollution and tumor incidence in individual provinces, as well as an influence of the emission of nitrogen oxides on the cancer incidence rate.

On 2 October 2003 in Saint-Romain-en-Jarez (France) a fire in a farm building triggered an explosion in which 26 people were injured. Police investigation, based solely on an analysis of the effects and on general engineering knowledge, showed that the explosion was caused by an uncontrollably generated mixture of ammonium nitrate (AN) and molten plastic crates which formed an explosive mixture similar to ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO). This is the only commonly known example of an ammonium nitrate blast taking place at its end user destination. Is such an explanation of the incident plausible and could a similar blast possibly happen anywhere else? The experimental results support this thesis of French investigators but raise further doubts. Laboratory reconstruction of the self-acting process of generating the explosive material confirmed the investigators’ report. However, other materials at the incident site could have influenced the final outcome too. The lab-recreated explosion of a mixture of AN and molten plastic partially confirmed the report’s thesis.

This article is a continuation of a case study in which we presented the results of research on processes generated under fire conditions by mixing molten ammonium nitrate (AN) with selected polymers. Here, we present an analysis of how certain materials, which may frequently appear in farm buildings and are commonly used in the immediate vicinity of humans, can potentially form explosives. The chosen materials include polyamides (PA) from which the wear-resistant machine elements are made (e.g., high-performance gears, wheels of transport trolleys); polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used, i.e., in construction carpentry, electrical insulation, and hydraulic pipes; polystyrene (PS) used, i.e., in insulation and containers; and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), i.e., so-called organic glass and plexiglass. The research results showed that these seemingly harmless and safe materials, mixed with AN and heated under fire conditions, may turn into explosives and stimulate stored AN. This creates significant risks of an uncontrolled fire progress.