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 of the analytical relationship between the input and output data. In this paper we applied artificial neural networks to predict the PM 10 concentrations as factors determining the occurrence of smog phenomena. To create these networks we used meteorological data and concentrations of PM 10. The data were recorded in 2014 and 2015 at three measuring stations operating in Krakow under the State Environmental Monitoring. The best results were obtained by three-layer perceptron with back-propagation algorithm. The neural networks received a good fit in all cases.

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.

This paper presents the results of the preliminary experiments conducted on fly ash and bottom ash samples that were collected from a fluidised-bed boiler after biomass combustion. The purpose of the research was to determine potential possibilities of the introduction of such types of waste to soil, in accordance with the ecological engineering assumptions. The following physical and chemical properties of the analysed waste were determined: particle size distribution, pH, chemical composition, and leaching. The chemical properties of the tested power-generation waste were essentially different, depending on the time of waste sample collection from the installation, despite the fact that other identical sampling conditions were observed: the same installation, the same combustion process, and the same type of fuel. To determine the eco-toxicity of the tested waste samples, the vegetation experiments were conducted that allowed to evaluate the influence of the tested waste samples on selected test plant species. The tests concerned for example the influence of fly ash and bottom ash on such physiological processes as seed germination and plant growth (the growth of both roots and shoots). The experiments indicated certain options of the introduction of the tested waste into soil. However, due to a considerable changeability of the waste composition and structure that presented a risk of the introduction of undesired pollutants into soil, including heavy metals, such use would be possible upon previous regular evaluation of the waste's physical, chemical, and eco-toxic properties.

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 use of waste in land reclamation projects or road works is a generally applied method of waste recycling since coal bottom ash can be used in plant substrate. This paper presents the results of research on the physical and chemical properties and the toxicity of waste originating from power stations, in the form of coal bottom ash collected from pulverisedfuel and fluidised-bed boilers. To evaluate the eco-toxicological properties of waste, a series of plant growing tests were conducted, with the use of selected plant species, as well as germination tests in water extracts of waste. The latter were intended to determine whether coal bottom ash displayed cytostatic activity, while, in the case of pot experiments, the purpose was to determine the germination rates and growths of both above-ground and underground parts of plants. The test results indicated that the influence of the tested coal bottom ash on the plant development and growth depended on physical and chemical properties of that waste. The reactions of plants were also changing depending on the proportion of waste in soil.