The automotive industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the modern economy. Growing customer expectations, implementing solutions related to electromobility, and increasingly stringent legal restrictions in the field of environmental protection, determine the development and introduction of innovative technologies in the field of car production. To power the most modern vehicles that include electric and hybrid cars, packages of various types of lithium-ion cells are used, the number of which is constantly growing. After use, these batteries, due to their complex chemical composition, constitute hazardous waste that is difficult to manage and must be recycled in modern technological lines. The article presents the morphological characteristics of the currently used types of Li-ion cells, and the threats to the safety of people and the environment that may occur in the event of improper use of Li-ion batteries and accumulators have been identified and described on the basis of the Regulation of the European Parliament and Council (EC) No. 1272/2008 of 16 December 2008 and No. 1907/2006 of 18 December 2006 on the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures and the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH), establishing the European Chemicals Agency.

In the next decade, due to the desire for significant reduction in the carbon footprint left by the aviation sector and the development of a sustainable alternatives to petroleum, fuel from renewable sources will play an increasing role as a propellant for turbine aircraft engines. Currently, apart from five types of jet fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons that are certified by the ASTM D7566 standard, there is yet another synthetic blending component that is at the stage of testing and certification. Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids enable the production of a synthetic component for jet fuel from any form of native fat or oil. Used feedstock affects the final synthetic blending component composition and consequently the properties of the blend for jet fuel and, as a result, the operation of turbine engines. A specialized laboratory test rig with a miniature turbojet engine was used for research, which is an interesting alternative to complex and expensive tests with full scale turbine engines. The results of this study revealed the differences in the parameters of engine performance and emission characteristics between tested fuels with synthetic blending components and neat jet fuel. The synthetic blending component was obtained from two different feedstock. Noticeable changes were obtained for fuel consumption, CO and NO_x emissions. With the addition of the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) component, the fuel consumption and CO emissions decrease. The opposite trend was observed for NO_x emission. The tests presented in this article are a continuation of the authors’ research area related to alternative fuels for aviation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the toxicological impacts of exhaust generated during the combustion process of aviation fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons.Design/methodology/approach: Tests on aircraft turbine engines in full scale are complex and expensive. Therefore, a miniature turbojet engine was used in this paper as a source of exhaust gases. Toxicity was tested using innovative BAT–CELL Bio–Ambient Cell method, which consists of determination of real toxic impact of the exhaust gases on the human lung A549 and mouse L929 cells. The research was of a comparative nature. The engine was powered by a conventional jet fuel and a blend of conventional jet fuel with synthesized hydrocarbons.Findings: The results show that the BAT–CELL method allows determination of the real exhaust toxicity during the combustion process in a turbine engine. The addition of a synthetic component to conventional jet fuel affected the reduction of toxicity of exhaust gases. It was confirmed for both tested cell lines.Originality/value: In the literature related to the area of aviation, numerous publications in the field of testing the emission of exhaust gaseous components, particulates or volatile organic compounds can be found. However, there is a lack of research related to the evaluation of the real exhaust toxicity. In addition, it appears that the data given in aviation sector, mainly related to the emission levels of gaseous exhaust components (CO, Nox and HC) and particulate matters, might be insufficient. To fully describe the engine exhaust emissions, they should be supplemented with additional tests, i.e. in terms of toxicity.

The exploitation of natural resources is associated with many natural hazards. Currently, the copper ore deposits exploited in Polish mines are located at a depth of about 1200 m below the surface. The primary temperature of the rocks in the exploited areas reaches 48 ${}^{\circ }$C, which constitutes a major source of heat flux to the mine air. However, another important source of heat is the machine plant, which mainly consists of machines powered by diesel engines. Following the results of in situ measurements, boundary conditions for a simulation were determined and a geometric model of the cabin was created. Furthermore, an average human model was created, whose radiative heat transfer was included in the analysis. Three cases were studied: the first covering the current state of thermal conditions, based on the measurement results, and two cases of forecast conditions. In the second case, the temperature of the conditioned air was determined, and in the third, the flow velocity required to ensure thermal comfort was found. The results of the simulation indicated that for the microclimatic conditions established based on the measurements (ambient air temperature in the excavation 35.0 ${}^{\circ }$C, air-conditioned airflow 2.4 × 10${}^{-2}$ m${}^3$/s, and temperature 10.0 ${}^{\circ }$C), the temperature of the air inside the air-conditioned operator’s cabin would be 20.4 ${}^{\circ }$C. Based on the personal mean vote (PMV) index, it was concluded that the thermal sensation would range from neutral to slightly cool, which confirmed the legitimacy of the actions taken to reduce the adverse impact of the microclimatic conditions on workers in the workplace. However, for the case of predicted conditions of enhanced heat flux from strata and machinery, resulting in an average ambient temperature increased to 38.0 ${}^{\circ }$C, it would be necessary to lower the temperature of air from the air conditioner to 8.00 ${}^{\circ }$C or increase the flow rate to 3.14 × 10${}^{-2}$ m${}^3$/s to maintain thermal comfort at the same level of PMV index.

Legal restrictions on vehicle engine exhaust gas emission control do not always go hand in hand with an actual reduction in the emissions of toxins into the atmosphere. Moreover, the methods currently used to measure exhaust gas emissions do not give unambiguous results on the impact of the tested gases on living organisms. The method used to assess the actual toxicity of gases, BAT-CELL Bio-Ambient-Tests using in vitro tests, takes into account synergistic interactions of individual components of a mixture of gases without the need to know its qualitative and quantitative composition and allows for determination of the actual toxicity of the gas composition. Using the BAT-CELL method, exhaust gases from passenger vehicles equipped with spark-ignition engines complying with the Euro 3 and Euro 6 emission standards were tested. The results of toxicological tests were correlated with the results of chromatographic analysis. It was shown that diverse qualitative composition of the mixture of hydrocarbons determining the exhaust gases toxicity may decrease the percentage value of cell survival. Additionally, it was proven that the average survival of cells after exposure to exhaust gases from tested vehicles meeting the more restrictive Euro 6 standard was lower than for vehicles meeting the Euro 3 standard thus indicating the higher toxicity of exhaust gases from newer vehicles.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an assessment method of the toxicity emission evaluation during combustion in the miniature turbojet engine. Design/methodology/approach: A small-scale turbojet engine was used for the research because measurements on real aircraft turbines are complex and expensive. The experiment was performed in accordance with innovative BAT – CELL Bio – Ambient Cell method which consists of determination of virtual toxic impact of the gas mixture on the living cells; it is therefore a direct method. The most significant innovation of this method is that, during the test, which consists of exposing the cells to the gas mixture, the cells are deprived of culture fluid. Findings: The preliminary analysis shows that the method used here allows to determine the virtual impact of the gases on the human respiratory system and skin. It could be useful in defining the arduousness of an airport. The obtained results show that both of exhaust gases represent similar toxicity. Practical implications: The new in vitro method allows to determine the virtual impact of the gases on the human respiratory system and skin. Significant potential for further research not only on the miniaturised engines, but also in the case of real objects, as this method does not have to be performed in a laboratory. Originality/value: The work presents potential application of the innovatory method for exhaust gases toxicity evaluation in jet engines, which could be useful in defining the arduousness of an airport.