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Urban development is not a process of even and planned progression on residential-industrial sites. Enclaves of high-standard space separate degraded and abandoned areas after industrial use has ended. The idea of the compact city is challenged by the need to search for niches for possible development and even to respond to crisis situations. Changing the approach to postmining sites located inside urban spaces generates an alternative to urban sprawl and the squandering of the stock of fertile suburban agricultural land. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the urban presence of postmining sites, to take a systemic view of ways to identify and describe their specific elements and to determine their impact, from the perspective of different user groups, on the quality of space. This research combined expert knowledge and the practical experience of users to create a model for a multilevel audit of postmining spaces. Knowledge about the postmining environment was transferred to landscape and urban design, creating a universal tool for developing strategies to increase the standard utilitarian functions of revitalized postmining areas. This tool will be useful at an early stage of urban development, management and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the quality of 30 biomass pellets sold for residential use in Poland. It provides data on their physical, chemical, and petrographic properties and compares them to existing standards and the information provided by the fuel producers. The results reveal considerable variations in the quality of the pellets and show that some of the purchased samples are not within the DINplus and/or ENplus certification thresholds. Among all 30 purchased samples, only one passes the quality thresholds set by the PL-US BIO, a newly established quality certification in Poland that combines quality assessment following DINplus with optical microscopy analysis. The primary issues causing a decrease in pellet quality include elevated ash and fines content, compromised mechanical durability, too low ash melting temperature, and additions of undesired additions like bark, inorganic matter, and petroleum products. Our research highlights the need for improved fuel quality control measures, and transparent and accurate product labeling, as well as the need for a comprehensive and publicly available national database of solid biomass fuel producers and fuels sold. These are essential steps toward increasing customers' awareness and trust, encouraging them to embrace biomass fuels as reliable and sustainable sources of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, at the request of PJSC "Dnepropetrovsk Coke Plant", city Kamianske, we conducted research at the facility where coke-chemical waste is stored on one of the coal waste collectors. The study area was 9.37 ha. The research subject was anthropogenic formations, which were formed due to the storage of coal-floated sediments on the company's premises. The research aimed to determine the characteristics and analysis of the quantity and quality of coal accumulations, determine the retention of the insulating layer and its composition, and create maps of the quality and capacity of accumulated anthropogenic sediments. The ordering company decided to use both – the latest ground penetration technology and the traditional methods of drilling and laboratory, thanks to which an unusually large number of parameters were obtained and processed during the research process. Similar research was conducted on other industrial facilities, but to a much lesser extent; since we have implemented a combined, comprehensive methodology for the assessment of anthropogenic deposits, because of which the effectiveness of geological research and economic assessment increased, the time of conducting research shortened to 40-45 calendar days, and the cost of such tests decreased five times. At this stage, some things could be improved in the methodology, such as imperfection of the mathematical model and methodology of statistical data processing. These errors will be eliminated during further modelling work under the prepared implementation plan for the tested methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the level of solid pollution in beach sands located near artificial inland water bodies in order to maintain high safety standards is a difficult and expensive task. The tests aimed at determining beach pollution caused by solid wastes through analysis of toxic and chemical concentrations, are time-consuming and usually require several days before the results are available. In addition, the maintenance of the beach area involving beach raking or grooming, and the seasonal replenishment of sand makes it difficult to realistically determine the chemical or bacterial contamination of the tested material. Solid pollutants, such as glass, caps, cans, thick foil, metal, and plastic fragments, pose a greater health risk to beachgoers. The above-mentioned pollutants, especially small ones, are hardly visible on the surface or they are buried at shallow depths. Beach garbage poses a serious threat that can lead to infections from cuts and scratches. These injuries can become infected, further jeopardizing the health and lives of beachgoers due to risks like tetanus, staphylococcus, etc. The authors presented a new petrographic method aimed at assessing the quality of sand by examining the content of solid pollutants. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that the mentioned procedure can be used for a quick quantitative estimation of the content of potentially dangerous and undesirable pollutants in beach sands. Consequently, the method implemented to determent the amount of solid pollutants in beach sands has proven to be a valuable tool for recreational facility administrators, helping them in taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of beach users. Petrographic analysis of beach sands revealed the presence of pollutants of plant origin (0.4-1.8%), plastic (0.1-0.4%), paper (0.1-0.6%), charcoal (0.1-0.5%), glass (0.1-0.4%), metals (0.1-0.4%), rust (0.1-0.3%), ash and slag (0.1-0.3%), and fossil coals (0.1-0.2%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organised bathing areas located within leisure facilities, in addition to the function typical of their purpose, allow in most cases the use of their own barbecue facilities. This type of cooking of food before consumption is very popular during leisure time at the waterfront. However, cooking food on a barbecue produces fumes emitted from both the fuel being burned and the food being grilled. In addition, the fat from the grilled food falls on the hearth, contributing to the release of further toxic compounds and, in many cases, together with other exhaust fumes, causing considerable smoke and the summer smog effect. Such cumulative gases emitted by irregularly dispersed barbecues repeatedly irritate the respiratory tract of beachgoers in the area of these devices, and the residue of unburned barbecue fuel contaminates the resting area. Small pieces of charcoal of various textures tend to sink into the sand when exposed to the elements and can pose a risk to young children playing on the beach by causing choking and minor injuries. The study revealed an assumed range of exposure to dust and gases emitted from barbecuing that extended up to 40 m from the hearth. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the thermal processing of food using barbecue fuels could lead to increased contamination of beach sands from the fuel itself and food storage materials. Therefore, taking into account the studies carried out showing the adverse effects of active barbecues on beach sands and, above all, the atmospheric air and directly on beachgoers, administrators of recreational facilities should strive to concentrate these devices at a distance (up to several tens of metres) from beaches and bathing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abandoned mine lands are a common element of the contemporary landscape. In administrative practice, they are rated low, yet they are of interest to informal users and scientific and cultural communities. The aim of our research was to identify the possibilities of using qualitative research methods, applied in architecture, to create friendly, urban spaces with a universal character in the areas of abandoned quarries. The study was conducted in the Sadowa Góra quarry area in southern Poland, using the post occupancy evaluation (POE) method. The results of the conducted analysis confirm the effectiveness of the POE method in restoring abandoned mine lands to an economically usable state by surveying users' opinions on accessibility, functionality, and visual quality. The applied methodology was used as effective support for the transformation process of post‐mining areas and as a tool to optimize the costs of their reclamation and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Energy Policy Journal / Polityka Energetyczna is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the work described in the article was to find the optimal location of the pumping station for the mining area Krzyżowice III Hard Coal Mine "Pniówek". Mining exploitation causes lowering of the area and changes in water relations. Hence, it is necessary to perform a gravitational, and if it is impossible, forced outflow of water. Localization of the pumping station should assure removal of excess water and prevent flooding. Not only was the present relief taken into account, but also the entire period of the mine's existence. On the basis of the results of airborne laser scanning a digital terrain model (DTM) was generated. Then a catchment division was made for the entire analyzed area. The article presents the workflow of performing the simulation as the area will be changed due to forecasted mining operations. A practical way to solve the problem of simplifying large amounts of data was also shown. The obtained source materials were developed with the use of the Geolisp software. The system operates in a CAD graphic environment and allows for automation of the most frequently performed works in the field of mining map preparation. The Geolisp cooperates with EDN-OPN program. Thanks to this fact it is possible to combine the obtained results of calculations of predicted deformations of the mining area and the rock mass with the digital map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Energy Policy Journal / Polityka Energetyczna is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The utilization of herbaceous biomass as a potential source of low-cost energy can benefit the environment and contribute to the economical use of renewable energy sources. Increasing the use of various types of grasses (meadow grass, hay, miscanthus, or fescue) could be a possible solution to the problem of dwindling woody biomass resources. Currently, approximately 95% of pellet production is based on material derived from cuttings and tree waste. Given the limited supply of woody biomass, pellets produced from herbaceous biomass could be essential to ensure the sustainable use of forest resources. Not only will this type of production help to reduce the environmental impact of wood harvesting and transportation, it also would increase resource efficiency. For example, grass cuttings acquired during mowing are typically composted, often leading to material decay and, consequently, the release of methane. To minimalize the emission impact of this greenhouse gas on the environment, the utilization of green waste for energy purposes seems a more desirable option. However, the production of pellets from herbaceous biomass requires different shredding and pressing techniques than woody biomass, making the process more complex. Most importantly, herbaceous pellet biomass manufacturing requires maintaining appropriate proportions of the material mix due to the differing nature of the components and, subsequently, controlling the combustion emissions they generate (especially nitrogen and chlorine). Composition control of the pellets by physico-chemical methods at the qualitative-quantitative level is often challenging. Therefore, the goal of our project was to check if such a control would be enhanced by implementing petrographic analysis. Conducted tests showed that reflected-light microscopy can be an excellent tool to distinguish between herbaceous and woody plants and to determine the component proportions of the pellets. The tests also indicated that the optimal pellet blend should contain about 40% of herbaceous and 60% (by weight) woody material, as such proportions reduce the negative environmental impacts of excessive emissions. Our results showed that combusting such samples yields from 300 to 350 mg/m³ of CO, the VOC ranged between 20 and 25 mg/m3, PM 10 and PM 2.5 contents were about 15 mg/m³, and chlorine-based chemicals (HC1) about 10 mg/m³. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirements and testing methods for charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal used for barbecuing are regulated by norms EN 1860-2:2005 and ISO 7404-3 with the purpose of implementing quality standards to reduce the risks associated with using solid fuels for grilling. Nowadays, with high manufacturing standards, charcoal contamination during the production phase is rather rare. However, contamination can occur during product packing, transport, and storage. Inorganic matter, petroleum products, slag, metals, rust, coke, and coal are among the most common impurities. While most of these undesired components are easily identified applying incident light microscopy, distinguishing inertinite from coal and modem charcoal can be challenging. Since the addition of coal in charcoal-based BBQ fuels increases emissions of harmful substances and gases, qualitative-quantitative identification of coal is extremely important. During the microscopic analysis of coal, three groups of macerals (vitrinite, liptinite, and inertinite) can be distinguished. If these macerals occur in association in a single coal fragment (Figs la, b), identification of coal does not pose difficulties. The challenge arises when a single fragment of inertinite is encountered (Fig. lc), as it appears indistinguishable from the image of modern charcoal fragments (Fig. Id). In this preliminary study, an attempt was made to distinguish coal inertinite from modern charcoal using white light combined with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) and fluorescent filters. The examination was made on 10 samples of Carboniferous coal from the Upper Silesian Basin in Poland and 10 samples of modern charcoal (grilling fuels). The DIC filter produced an apparent relief and depth of field effect. Its application made it possible to see numerous cracks, scratches, and small and larger pores in coal inertinite fragments; these features were absent from modern charcoal. Coal inertinite also showed rather blurry edges, while charcoal demonstrated sharp outlines typical for modern hardwoods. The use of the fluorescence filter allowed us to clearly see the preserved cellular structure in charcoal. Analyzed fossil inertinite did not have the characteristic structure of modern wood due to the different precursors and the sedimentary and diagenetic processes. This experimental comparative analysis with the application of filters indicated a potential for developing effective tools to distinguish coal from charcoal during microscopic analysis. The work is ongoing to acquire better ways to enhance the description of their morphological and optical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering global market trends and environmental climate, increased biomass use for energy is expected to continue. As more diverse materials are being utilized to manufacture solid biomass fuels, it is critical to implement quality assessment methods to thoroughly test these fuels. One such method is reflected light microscopy, which has the potential to complement and enhance current standard testing, leading to improving fuel quality assessment and, ultimately, preventing avoidable air pollution. An interlaboratory study (ILS) was conducted to test the reproducibility of biomass fuel component identification using a reflected light microscopy (RLM) technique. The exercise was conducted on 30 photomicrographs showing biomass and various undesired components of solid biofuels, which were purposely added to contaminate wood pellets and charcoal-based grilling fuels. Forty-six organic petrographers from all over the world had various levels of difficulty identifying the marked components and. as a result, the percentage of correct answers ranged from 52.2 to 94.4%. Among the most difficult components to distinguish were different petroleum products and various types of inorganic matter. This erroneous identification resulted from a lack of sufficient morphological descriptions which would unquestionably characterize the components; ambiguities of the nomenclature; limitations of the analytical and exercise method; and insufficient experience of the participants. The results of the exercise led to proposing a simplified classification of the biomass fuel components, and concluding that while RLM has significant potential to enhance the quality assessment of the fuels, the technique still requires refinement before it can be standardized. Future research must be conducted to refine the nomenclature, develop a microscopic morphological description of the components, and conduct a follow-up ILS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore network within organic matter rich shales is responsible for transport, sorption, and gas storage capacity, the latter very important for unconventional shale gas reservoirs. Shale porosity consists of inorganic mineral matrix pores and pores hosted within organic matter. Organic hosted pores are the most important for shale gas storage capacity; they evolve in response to increasing thermal maturity, change in maceral composition, and hydrocarbon generation. The lower Paleozoic shales from the Baltic Basin were recently targeted for exploration of unconventional resources of hydrocarbons. So far, the exploration results have not been promising, even though the shale has elevated organic matter content of several wt.%, and sometimes reaching more than 15 wt.%. Thermal maturity of the shale ranges from immature in the NE region of the Baltic Basin, gradually increasing to overmature in the SW of the basin, allowing for the opportunity to observe evolving maceral composition and pore network. Organic petrography was applied to monitor maceral composition changes, while low pressure gas sorption (both N2 and CO2) was used for porosity and surface area measurements. Maceral composition in low maturity samples is dominated by liptinites with some solid bitumen present. Increasing maturity within the oil window results in a decrease and eventual disappearance of liptinites and an increase of solid bitumen content. This change is accompanied by decreasing porosity and specific surface area. The decreasing porosity can be attributed to compaction with increasing burial and also plugging of the pore system with secondary solid bitumen. Further increase in maturity within the gas window results in a slight increase in porosity and specific surface area, which can be attributed to the hydrocarbon generation from solid bitumen associated by secondary porosity development within organic matter. Further maturity increase in overmature samples results in a slight porosity decrease, which again can be attributed to compaction. Organic petrography also revealed the presence of graptolites within the studied shales. Observations of a wide maturity range of graptolites indicate they behave differently than other primary macerals. While other primary macerals eventually convert to solid bitumen, graptolites persist through increasing maturity and are present even in overmature samples. Thermal endurance of graptolites may suggest they contribute to a lesser degree towards hydrocarbon generation than remaining macerals. The lower Paleozoic shale from the Baltic Basin can be locally enriched in graptolites, as often visible macroscopically within the cores. Graptolite enrichment contributes to the shale's organic richness, but their low hydrocarbon generation potential could be one of the reasons the exploration results are lower than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-one batches of commercial charcoal from various regions of Poland and Germany were tested for the presence of 20 toxic elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Elements that are toxic to living organisms were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). They were classified as elements representing a very high degree of hazard (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb), high degree of hazard (Zn, Ba, Cr, Mn, and Mo), moderate degree of hazard (Co, Ni, Sn, and Te), and a low degree of hazard for living organisms and the environment (Ag, Bi, Ce, Se, Sr, and Zr). In regard to the most toxic elements, the highest concentration in the whole tested material was recorded for Cu. In addition, considerable amounts of Ba, Mn, and Sr, i.e., elements representing a high or moderate degree of hazard, were found in the tested charcoals. Moreover, all charcoals contained a wide range of PAHs, from naphthalene to benzo(ghi)perylene, with concentrations in a range between 12.55 and 3554.11 ng/g charcoal. In total, 25 unsubstituted PAHs were identified in the charcoal extracts. PAHs distributions were dominated by five-ring PAHs. The results indicate high carcinogenicity with ∑PAHcarc/∑PAHtot close to 1, as well as high TEQ and MEQ values. Thus, prolonged exposure to charcoal and charcoal dust might cause serious health problems. This applies to employees actively involved in the production and transport of charcoal and, to a lesser extent, users of this fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]