Recently, a lot of attention was paid to the improvement of methods which are used to air quality forecasting. Artificial neural networks can be applied to model these problems. Their advantage is that they can solve the problem in the conditions of incomplete information, without the knowledge...

Combustion in fluidised bed boilers is one of the most commonly used methods of treatment of municipal sewage sludge. Fly ash (FA) and air pollution control (APC) residues are the solid by-products generated by flue gas treatment. There are significant differences in the chemical composition of these wastes. FA is composed of mainly SiO₂, P₂O₅, CaO and metals such as Zn, Ti, Cu, Cr, Pb and Ni. APC residues mainly contain SO₃ and Na₂O. The leachability tests that were carried out indicate that these wastes display very low leachability of heavy metals (for example leachability of Pb was equal 0.0004 mg·dm⁻³ in both wastes, leachability of Cd was equal 0.0012 mg·dm⁻³ in FA an 0.00004 mg·dm⁻³ in APC). On the other hand, very high sulphate concentrations (49,375 mg·dm⁻³) were found in water extract for the APC residues. In order to determine the toxicity of these wastes for plants, pot experiments with different additions of waste to the soil were carried out (on Lepidium sativum and Sinapis alba). Tests based on seeds germinations (on Lepidium sativum) in water extracts from waste (in different concentrations) were also performed. The results obtained indicate the very high toxicity of APC residues. Complete inhibition of germination and growth of the test plants was found for all concentrations of the tested waste in water extract and for all additions of waste to the soil in pot experiments. Seed germination tests on water extracts from FA did not show any toxicity of this waste. Pot tests with FA showed their toxicity only with a high (30%) addition in soil.

The study examines selected physical and chemical indicators of water at four sites in the Tatra National Park and one in Zakopane. The results were compared with the requirements to be met by water intended for human consumption. On the basis of the analyses, the examined samples of water were assessed in terms of their potential use as potable water supplies for the human population. It was found that water collected from selected intake points meets the standards for the tested physical and chemical indicators, which determine the drinkability of water. It was found that the main problem of the Tatra National Park is mass, uncontrolled tourism and tourists who do not comply with the regulations.

The bottom waste obtained from bio-mass burning shows a huge variability of chemical and physical properties, depending on the kind of bio-mass, the type of a cauldron and burning parameters. The huge variability of the bottom ashes from the incineration plant and co-combustion of bio-mass makes it difficult to find any way to its management. In reality, only the bottom ashes from coal combustion and the small amount from lignite combustion are used, mainly in the building industry and in mining industry. The article presents the initial research, concerning the estimation of the properties of the bottom ashes obtained from bio-mass congestion in the fluidized-bed boiler to use them safely for the environment. To determine the influence of the tested waste on plants, a number of pot experiments have been conducted. The plants which have been used are recommended for phytotoxicity estimation, and are also used for biological reclamation.

The mining industry is related with the production of waste, which are generated during the preperatory works, exploitation and processing of minerals. The type and quantity of generated waste result directly from the type of obtained mineral raw material (minerals), geological conditions of the deposit and the mining and processing technologies used. The changing approach to waste related to the circular economy model means that more and more waste is used economically. However, due to the different physicochemical properties of mining waste and the limited possibilities of its use, some waste is still deposited in mining waste landfills. Depending on the type of mining waste deposited, environmental and economic aspects, the landfill may be a source of raw materials (anthropogenic deposit) that may be exploited now or in the future. Some of this type of mining waste landfills are reclaimed and may be an important elements of the local landscape, as well as positively affect biodiversity through the development of specific natural habitats. The paper presents the concept of landfill reclamation of waste from hard coal mining, taking into account the importance of the phenomenon of natural succession in the formation of ecosystems in reclaimed landfills.