Malwina Tytła

This study assessed the potential human health risks associated with metal(loid)s (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) present in the bottom sediments of four lakes in northern Poland (Central Europe) that are used for tourism and recreation. Bibliometric analysis indicated that health risk assessments of metal(loid)s in water-body sediments are less frequently addressed than those in water or soil. Data for the health risk assessment were obtained from the official website of the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ). The findings indicate that accidental ingestion is the primary exposure route for both adults and children, with children experiencing higher exposure to health effects. In two lakes, arsenic in bottom sediments posed a non-carcinogenic risk via ingestion (HQing > 1) to children and a carcinogenic risk to both adults and children (CRing > 1×10-4). No non-carcinogenic risk was identified for the other elements. However, in some cases, arsenic, cadmium, and nickel presented acceptable carcinogenic risks via ingestion or dermal exposure (CRing and/or CRdermal; in the range from 1×10-6 to 1×10-4).

Edition 1st Edition First printing Warsaw 2025Publisher Akademia Pożarnicza (Fire University)DOI https://doi.org/10.70402/apoz.2025…….. ISBN 978-83-973476-5-6 Pages 205 Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska, Karolina BralewskaForeword DOI: 10.70402/apoz.2025.safeng.9788397347656.pp910Ł. BednarczykInteractive Dashboard as a Tool for Building Society’s Resilience to Threats DOI: 10.70402/apoz.2025.safeng.9788397347656.pp1116J. BihałowiczModelling and Geographic Information Systems in Safety Management – Example of Landfill Fires DOI: 10.70402/apoz.2025.safeng.9788397347656.pp1723K. Bralewska, W. Rogula-Kozłowska, J. Białas, A. DmochowskaQuantitative Share of Air Pollution Sources

The research aimed to assess the ecological and health risks of selected metal(loid)s (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As) in the bottom sediments of four water reservoirs located in various regions of Poland (Central Europe). The results of the ecological assessment indicate that Cd is the primary element posing a risk among analyzed metal(loid)s. Health risks assessment revealed that the analyzed elements enter the human body mainly through ingestion. Moreover, both from a non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic perspective, children are more exposed to the negative impact of these elements. Although the obtained result indicates that carcinogenic risk is acceptable, appropriate actions should still be taken to prevent the possible negative effects of metal(loid)s in the analyzed bottom sediments, particularly regarding Cd, Cr, Ni, and As.

Edition 1st EditionFirst printing Warsaw 2024Publisher Akademia PożarniczaDOI https://doi.org/10.70402/apoz.2024.wip ISBN 978-83-968293-9-9Pages 118 CONTENTS Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska, Klaudiusz Grübel Foreword https://doi.org/10.70402/apoz.2024.wip.pp.7-8 Jan Stefan Bihałowicz, Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska, Paweł Gromek, Joanna Bihałowicz Remote Sensing of Water Areas. Analysis of the Consistency Between Topographic Maps and Satellite Land Cover Maps https://doi.org/10.70402/apoz.2024.wip.pp.9-14 Joanna Bihałowicz, Alex Schwerk, Izabela Dymitryszyn, Adam Olszewski Water

This study aimed to identify and carry out a preliminary assessment of the health exposure ofemployees working in beauty salons to selected compounds from the BTEX group. The selectedsalons were all situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, recognized as one of the most polluted regionin Poland and European hot spot area in terms of air pollution. Measurements encompassed weeklymonitoring of marked BTEX compounds in beauty salons specializing in nail styling, hairdressingand cosmetics. As an internal substrate, measurements were also taken in a children’s hairdressingsalon where no chemical products were used; also a weekly measurement was performed foroutdoor air to look for outdoor background BTEX concentrations.For BTEX determination, Tenax sorbent tubes insertion was employed. The collected samples wereanalysed using a Clarus 500 gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (FID) connectedto a Perkin Elmer Turbo-Matrix 100 thermal desorber . Toluene concentrations were found to benotably elevated, reaching up to 73.19 μg/m in adult hairdresser salons, representing an orderof magnitude higher than that found in indoor background (children’s hairdresser) and outdoorbackground. Importantly, the concentrations of the measured BTEX compounds remained belowthe acceptable levels defined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).Among the individual BTEX compounds, nail treatment salons exhibited the highest meanconcentrations for benzene; m,p-xylene; n-propylbenzene; styrene; isopropylbenzene; and1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Conversely, cosmetic salons registered the highest mean concentrationof ethylbenzene; o-xylene; and n-propylbenzene. The results indicate a chronic exposure ofsalon employees to the tested compounds, with heightened levels particularly noticeable amongindividuals with extensive professional experience. These findings underscore the importance ofongoing monitoring and occupational health measures in beauty salons, emphasizing the potentialrisks associated with long-term exposure to BTEX compounds.

This study aimed to assess the potential risks posed by heavy metals in sewage sludge (SS) produced by municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the most industrialized region in Poland, the Silesian Voivodeship. The ecological risk was assessed using three indices: the Geoaccumulation Index (I_geo), Potential Ecological Risk Factor (ER), and Risk Assessment Code (RAC), while the health risk was estimated by using carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk indices. The average concentrations of metals in the sludge samples were determined revealing that Zn was the predominant element, whereas Cd and Hg were present in the lowest concentrations. The study showed that the processes used in wastewater treatment plants influenced the overall metal content and chemical speciation. According to I_geo values, the dewatered sludge samples exhibited higher contamination levels of Cd and Zn, while Cu and Pb were upon to a lesser extent. The ER values suggest that Cd and Hg present the highest ecological risk. Considering the chemical forms and RAC values, Ni (26.8–37.2%) and Zn (19.8–27.0%) were identified to cause the most significant risks. The non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children was below acceptable levels. However, the carcinogenic risk associated with Ni (WWTP1) for both demographic groups and Cr and Cd (WWTP2), specifically for children, exceeded the acceptable threshold. Ingestion was the primary route of exposure. Although the dewatered SS met the standards for agricultural use, there is still a risk of secondary pollution to the environment and possible adverse health effects.

This study aimed to assess the ecological and human health risks of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu,Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the bottom sediments of the Pławniowice reservoir, which is located in theSilesian Voivodeship, one of the most polluted regions in Poland. Sediment samples were collectedat 5 sampling points located along the main axis of the reservoir. The concentrations of heavy metalswere determined using Avio 200 ICP-OES atomic absorption spectrometer (PerkinElmer Inc.).The geochemical quality classification, Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Ecotoxicological criteria,and Potential Ecological Risk Factor (ER) were used for the assessment of the ecological risk,while for the human health risks, the Hazard Quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI), CarcinogenicRisk (CR) and Total Carcinogenic Risk (TCR). The results of the ecological risk analysis indicatedthat among the studied metals, only Cd may pose a potential hazard to the fauna and flora of thereservoir. The results of the health risks assessment indicated that the primary exposure pathwayfor adults and children can be accidental ingestion of polluted sediments. In both cases, childrenare far more exposed to the health effects. Although the studied metals did not pose a direct threatto human health, due to the values of CRs and TCRs to Cd, Cr and Ni it is recommended to takeappropriate steps to reduce the concentrations of these heavy metals in the bottom sediments bytheir periodical removal.