Czesława Jasiewicz

Assessment of the use of municipal and industrial wastes in agriculture

Assessment of the use of municipal and industrial wastes in agriculture Agricultural usability of urban and industrial wastes was investigated in 2004 - 2006 in a pot experiment carried out in the vegetation hall. In the first year of the experiment maize was the test plant, oat grass in the second and oat in the third. The experimental design comprised 11 treatments differing with fertilizer and the kind of the supplied fertilizer components. The experiment used: mineral salts, farmyard manure, compost, municipal sewage sludge and industrial sewage sludge in two fertilizer doses. Metal concentrations in the test plants were diminishing in the following direction: oat grass < maize < oat. The lowest concentrations of the analyzed heavy metals were assessed in the plants fertilized with farmyard manure and compost (Zn, Cu). Among the tested plants the highest quantities of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd were removed with the yield of the oat grass, then maize and oat. The highest uptake of Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb by plants was registered on a double dose of industrial sludge and Cd on a single dose of municipal sludge.

Determination of lithium bioretention by maize under hydroponic conditions

Abstract Irrigation of cultivated plants can be a source of toxic lithium to plants. The data on the effect of lithium uptake on plants are scant, that is why a research was undertaken with the aim to determine maize ability to bioaccumulate lithium. The research was carried out under hydroponic conditions. The experimental design comprised 10 concentrations in solution differing with lithium concentrations in the aqueous solution (ranging from 0.0 to 256.0 mg Li ∙ dm-3 of the nutrient solution). The parameters based on which lithium bioretention by maize was determined were: the yield, lithium concentration in various plant parts, uptake and utilization of this element, tolerance index (TI) and translocation factor (TF), metal concentrations in the above-ground parts index (CI) and bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Depression in yielding of maize occurred only at the highest concentrations of lithium. Lithium concentration was the highest in the roots, lower in the stems and leaves, and the lowest in the inflorescences. The values of tolerance index and EC50 indicated that roots were the most resistant organs to lithium toxicity. The values of translocation factor were indicative of intensive export of lithium from the roots mostly to the stems. The higher uptake of lithium by the above-ground parts than by the roots, which primarily results from the higher yield of these parts of the plants, supports the idea of using maize for lithium phytoremediation.

The effect of municipal sewage sludge on the chemical composition of spring barley

Abstract Due to the fact that soils in Poland are mostly light soils, there is a need to improve their physical, chemical and biological properties. In addition, as a result of the decrease in the number of farm animals, a decrease in production of natural fertilizers can be observed. Low production of natural fertilizers speaks in favor of agricultural use of municipal sewage sludge in Poland. Municipal sewage sludge is composed of large quantities of macronutrients necessary for plants. This waste also contains significant amounts of organic substance. Chemical properties, including a high content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and often calcium, speak in favor of environmental use of municipal sewage sludge. Increasing requirements with respect to environmental protection cause the necessity to assess the effects of using organic waste for fertilization. In a farm located in the commune of Iwanowice (Małopolska province), municipal sewage sludge was applied under spring barley cultivation. The soil on which municipal sewage sludge was applied was classified into the category of heavy soils with neutral reaction. When assessing the content of available nutrients (P, K, Mg) in the soil, their low content was determined. After application of municipal sewage sludge in a dose of 24 Mg fresh matter per hectare, which corresponded to 5.34 Mg DM·ha−1, under spring barley, beneficial changes in chemical properties of the soil were observed. An increase in soil abundance in organic carbon and total nitrogen was observed, as well as an increase in the content of available forms of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Based on the results of the conducted chemical analyses, it was established that biomass of spring barley fertilized with sewage sludge contained more macronutrients (N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg), which improved its feed value. The field experiment showed that application of municipal sewage sludge increased uptake of macronutrients by spring barley.

Content and health risk assessment of selected elements in commercially available fish and fish products

ABSTRACT Selected elements (Na, K, P, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Pb, Hg) in fish and fish products bought in supermarkets in Krakow were investigated. Contents of elements were analyzed using AMA 254 apparatus for Hg, and ICP-AES method on JY238 ULTRACE apparatus after samples digestion (HNO3+HClO4 3:1) for other elements. Elements’ concentrations in six fish species and fish products were within the range of (mg/kg w.m.): 2151–6239 for Na; 855–2500 for K; 49.3–183 for P; 353–531 for Mg; 32.6–61.3 for Fe; 4.01–17.6 for Zn; 7.04–12.9 for Cr; 4.25–7.98 for Ni; 1.30–2.27 for Cu; 0.99–1.51 for Mn; 0.09–0.21 for Pb; and 0.01–0.13 for Hg. Human health risk assessment revealed that total non-carcinogenic risk was low to medium with general decreasing order: tuna > salmon > herring> pollock > crab sticks > iridescent shark-catfish. The carcinogenic risk was acceptable for adults and unacceptable for children. Carcinogenic risk values for all subpopulations for Pb were decreasingly ordered as follows: tuna > salmon > herring > pollock > iridescent shark-catfish > crab sticks; and for Cr(VI): tuna > salmon > herring > pollock > crab sticks > iridescent shark-catfish.

Content and health risk assessment of selected elements in the Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, St. hillaire)

ABSTRACT Element contents and radical scavenging activity in commercial Yerba mate tea blends from Paraguay and Argentina were determined. The potential health risk for the consumers was also calculated. Element contents in Yerba mate was arranged as follows: K > Ca > Mg > Mn > Fe > Zn > Na > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd (leaves and stalks) and K > Mg > Mn > Ca > Zn > Na > Fe > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd (infusion). In total 73% of K, 69% of Mn, 15% of Ni and Cu, 9% of Cr, 8% of Zn, 7% of Mg, 6% of Pb, 3% of Na, 2% of Cd, 0.34% of Ca, and 0.13% of Fe were extracted from leaves and stalks to the brew. Yerba mate tea was characterized by very high antioxidant activity. Argentinean Yerba mate had slightly higher antioxidant activity than Paraguayan. The combined non-carcinogenic effect (HI values) for each infusion and for all three infusion were below 1, which indicated that daily consumption of Yerba mate tea infusions did not cause essential non-carcinogenic health risk. The daily consumption of Yerba mate infusions provided necessary elements in the amounts significantly below 1% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) daily intake. The exception was amount of Mn in I infusion from the despalada kind of Yerba mate, which was equal to 1.43% of RDA for men and 1.82% of RDA for women.