The contamination of soils with metals applies, in particular, to areas related to industry, the mining of raw materials and ores, transport, and agriculture. Unlike organic materials, metals cannot degrade over time and need to be reduced, removed, or immobilized in soil. One of the remediation methods for soils contaminated with metals is phytoextraction, which uses plants’ ability to accumulate metals in their own tissues. Metals enter the plant organism through the roots and are transported to the aboveground parts, where they are accumulated. In this study, we evaluated the phytoaccumulative abilities of two plant species tested on soils from industrial areas contaminated with metals to different extents (Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cu). The research was conducted for three years under the conditions of a pot experiment. In order to obtain four soils with varying degrees of metal contamination, two soils from industrial areas, G1 (contaminated) and G2 (uncontaminated), were mixed in the following ratios: 1:1, 1:3, 1:7, and 1:9. In the phytoremediation process, Festuca rubra L. and Alyssum saxatile L. were tested. After analyzing the results of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) for the tested plants, it was noted that both of the tested plants accumulated Cd and Zn more easily, followed by Cu, Ni, and Cr, and then Pb to a lesser extent. The values of factors for Cd and Zn were correlated with the high mobility of these elements compared to other metals and their relatively easy uptake by plants. Alyssum saxatile L. has an ability to accumulate Cd compared to Festuca rubra L., which is confirmed by the BCF (0.764) and transfer factor (TF) (3.5) (for 1:7 combination) values. The calculated results for the BCFs for Alyssum saxatile L. are less than one for all tested metals, which allows us to state that Alyssum saxatile L. is not an accumulator.

Various factors can lead to the transformation of metal forms and to an increase in their solubility and, consequently, their mobility. One solution to the problem of increased solubility is the use of carbons as additives to soil in order to limit the potential migration of contaminants. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of using brown coal and activated carbon on metal forms that are available to plants. The mineral composition of the coals used in a pot experiment was analyzed. Observations were carried out with a JJSM-6380 LA scanning electron microscope (SEM) connected to an EDS electron micro-probe. The total contents of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in the assessed soils as well as the content of available metal forms were determined after single extractions with different reagents, namely 1 M NH4NO3, DTPA and 1 M HCl. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the stabilization methods in a long-term pot experiment. The carbons reduced the percentage of these forms relative to the total metal content in the soil. After adding brown coal, Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu forms were reduced by up to 32%, 30%, 33% and 43%, respectively. After adding activated carbon, the metal forms of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu were reduced by up to 47%, 44%, 40% and 50%, respectively. The following order of extracted metal forms with different solutions was found: HCl: Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd; DTPA: Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd; NH4NO3: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Eight years after setting up the pot experiment, the contents of humic substances in soils with the addition of both tested carbons were compared, and the soils with added carbons were found to have a stable content of humic fractions. The costs of remediation through the stabilization method using the tested brown coal and activated carbons do not exceed USD 75/t (taking into account the double doses of both carbons).

The subjects of this study were uncultivated mining waste heaps which are remnants of the territories abandoned after the exploration of iron ore. The aim of this analysis was the assessment of the influence of these objects on the soil located in the nearest surroundings, as well as estimation of the level of their degradation. It was ascertained that direct geomechanical degradation exists in the examined object, which is connected with soil profile destruction in consequence of transformation of hitherto existing geomorphological conditions, deformation of natural shape of territory, density of soil levels and deformation of the spatial layout. As a result of the examination, it was pointed out that chemical degradation as well as degradation of ecological structure occur on the analyzed territory. Progressing processes of water erosion on the side of waste heap are the consequence of improperly profiled, steep slopes causing the uncontrolled flow of rainwater, lack of flora and dense, micrograiny structure of soils which prevents the effective infiltration of water. Penetration of water into the ground causes the creation of channels which, in dry periods, can become additional pathways for the possible landslides.

Pollution migration is the main problem of the landfills that have been located, installed and operated without meeting basic environmental protection requirements. Undertaking effective reclamation treatments is conditioned by a good recognition of the object and its close and distant surroundings. The purpose of the work was to determine the potential hazard to the soil and water environment, based on selected factors, in the vicinity of a closed waste landfill at Głębocka Street in Warsaw. In the soil samples taken at the site from various depths, high concentrations of chlorides, EC, ammonium nitrogen and phosphates were found. Furthermore, the high ammonium nitrogen content correlated with the scent of ammonia, and the content of phosphates with the scent of organic compounds. These pollutants testify to the progressive decomposition of substances occurring in the mass of littering waste, which may pose a serious threat to groundwater. The landfill is also a potential geotechnical hazard because it is a dynamically changing object that can change stability, create caverns and landslides.

The aim of this work was to present Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the European Union and Poland. This publication reviews legal acts and documents in the range of issues connected with widely acknowledged energy and renewable energy. As well were presented perspectives of the development of Renewable Energy Sources in Poland based on currently submitted documentation on the subject of Energy Policy, existing regulations and goals that must be achieved by Poland in the following years, and the latest data on planned investments in the field of Renewable Energy Sources, such as offshore wind farms.