Agnieszka Podolak

Industrial-residue valorisation through polymer-composite manufacturing can reduce reliance on virgin resources, yet the environmental safety of such materials is rarely evaluated beyond conventional physicochemical characterisation. This study provides a novel, integrated assessment of a waste-derived phenol–formaldehyde/glass-fibre composite by combining pH-dependent leaching analysis with a multispecies ecotoxicological test battery. The composite contained post-production glass fibres, paper flakes, and viscose fibres bound with phenol–formaldehyde resin. Under near-neutral extraction conditions, most analysed metals and metalloids showed limited release. In contrast, acidic conditions substantially increased the mobilisation of Ba, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Pb, while the phenol index increased approximately 28-fold, from 0.25 ± 0.06 to 6.9 ± 1.7 mg L⁻¹. Biological responses differed markedly among taxa. Hordeum vulgare and Eisenia andrei showed limited short-term effects, whereas the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi exhibited pronounced concentration- and time-related inhibition, with no cells detected after three days of exposure to the highest extract loading. The Aliivibrio fischeri assay also revealed concentration-dependent acute toxicity, with the strongest effects observed during the initial exposure period. The pronounced algal response could not be fully explained by the targeted chemical analyses, indicating a possible contribution of unidentified leachable constituents or mixture effects. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating that technical functionality, waste diversion, and low concentrations of selected regulated contaminants do not alone ensure the environmental safety of waste-derived polymer composites. Integrating stress-condition leaching with sensitive biological endpoints offers a practical framework for safe-by-design formulation, application selection, and end-of-life management. Further studies should address material ageing, repeated leaching, particle release, and non-target identification of bioactive constituents.

Industrial-residue valorisation through polymer-composite manufacturing can reduce reliance on virgin resources, yet the environmental safety of such materials is rarely evaluated beyond conventional physicochemical characterisation. This study provides a novel, integrated assessment of a waste-derived phenol–formaldehyde/glass-fibre composite by combining pH-dependent leaching analysis with a multispecies ecotoxicological test battery. The composite contained post-production glass fibres, paper flakes, and viscose fibres bound with phenol–formaldehyde resin. Under near-neutral extraction conditions, most analysed metals and metalloids showed limited release. In contrast, acidic conditions substantially increased the mobilisation of Ba, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Pb, while the phenol index increased approximately 28-fold, from 0.25 ± 0.06 to 6.9 ± 1.7 mg L⁻¹. Biological responses differed markedly among taxa. Hordeum vulgare and Eisenia andrei showed limited short-term effects, whereas the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi exhibited pronounced concentration- and time-related inhibition, with no cells detected after three days of exposure to the highest extract loading. The Aliivibrio fischeri assay also revealed concentration-dependent acute toxicity, with the strongest effects observed during the initial exposure period. The pronounced algal response could not be fully explained by the targeted chemical analyses, indicating a possible contribution of unidentified leachable constituents or mixture effects. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating that technical functionality, waste diversion, and low concentrations of selected regulated contaminants do not alone ensure the environmental safety of waste-derived polymer composites. Integrating stress-condition leaching with sensitive biological endpoints offers a practical framework for safe-by-design formulation, application selection, and end-of-life management. Further studies should address material ageing, repeated leaching, particle release, and non-target identification of bioactive constituents.

Landfill leachate (LL) is one of the most complex types of wastewater treated in municipal plants due to its high concentrations of organic pollutants, nitrogen compounds, and potentially toxic substances. Although biological treatment is commonly used to reduce conventional pollution indicators, the effect of this treatment on the biological toxicity of the resulting treated leachate (TL) is not well understood. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment on the toxicity of leachate towards activated sludge microorganisms. Two SBR configurations were investigated: a conventional reactor containing only activated sludge (SBR1) and a hybrid reactor combining activated sludge with polyurethane foam (SBR2). Toxicity was assessed using oxygen uptake rate (OUR) inhibition assays to determine IC50 values and toxicity units (TU) for total, heterotrophic and nitrifying microorganisms. These results were integrated with physicochemical and multivariate statistical analyses, including correlation and principal component analyses, to elucidate the mechanisms driving the changes in toxicity. Despite the effective removal of selected pollutants (BOD5, ammonium nitrogen, and free ammonia nitrogen), biological treatment resulted in a significant increase in effluent toxicity, particularly in SBR1. The presence of polyurethane foam mitigated, but did not eliminate, the development of toxicity. These results demonstrate that reductions in conventional wastewater quality indicators may coincide with increased ecological and operational risk. The observed increase in toxicity indicates that adhering to physicochemical standards alone can underestimate the risks associated with the treatment of municipal wastewater containing TL.

Landfill leachate (LL) is one of the most complex types of wastewater treated in municipal plants due to its high concentrations of organic pollutants, nitrogen compounds, and potentially toxic substances. Although biological treatment is commonly used to reduce conventional pollution indicators, the effect of this treatment on the biological toxicity of the resulting treated leachate (TL) is not well understood. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment on the toxicity of leachate towards activated sludge microorganisms. Two SBR configurations were investigated: a conventional reactor containing only activated sludge (SBR1) and a hybrid reactor combining activated sludge with polyurethane foam (SBR2). Toxicity was assessed using oxygen uptake rate (OUR) inhibition assays to determine IC50 values and toxicity units (TU) for total, heterotrophic and nitrifying microorganisms. These results were integrated with physicochemical and multivariate statistical analyses, including correlation and principal component analyses, to elucidate the mechanisms driving the changes in toxicity. Despite the effective removal of selected pollutants (BOD5, ammonium nitrogen, and free ammonia nitrogen), biological treatment resulted in a significant increase in effluent toxicity, particularly in SBR1. The presence of polyurethane foam mitigated, but did not eliminate, the development of toxicity. These results demonstrate that reductions in conventional wastewater quality indicators may coincide with increased ecological and operational risk. The observed increase in toxicity indicates that adhering to physicochemical standards alone can underestimate the risks associated with the treatment of municipal wastewater containing TL.

The growing demand for sustainable materials and the need to reduce environmental impact have sparked interest in composite products made from industrial waste. While these materials offer mechanical durability and resource efficiency in line with the principles of the circular economy, their environmental safety is not well understood. This study provides a preliminary ecotoxicological assessment of a novel composite consisting of glass fibres coated with phenol–formaldehyde resin, paper flakes and viscose fibres. The mobility of organic and inorganic contaminants in aqueous extracts of the material was analysed, and its acute toxicity was tested across multiple trophic levels, including: Skeletonema marinoi, Hordeum vulgare, Eisenia andrei, and Aliivibrio fischeri. Chemical analyses revealed very low leaching of most organic and metallic constituents, with only phenanthrene, naphthalene and the sum of PAHs exceeding quantification limits. Lowering the pH to 3.5 increased the mobility of selected metals (barium, chromium, zinc, copper, lead) and phenolic compounds, indicating potential sensitivity to acidic conditions. Ecotoxicological bioassays demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of S. marinoi, whereas H. vulgare and E. andrei exhibited high tolerance, displaying adverse responses only at the highest extract concentrations. The bioluminescence inhibition test revealed low acute toxicity at lower concentrations, with partial attenuation of toxicity over time. Overall, the composite exhibited low acute ecotoxicity and limited contaminant mobility under neutral conditions. These findings support its potential for environmentally responsible applications. However, further long-term and chronic studies are needed to refine its environmental risk profile and ensure the safe deployment of waste-derived composites.

The study implements the Weibull reliability theory and reliability coefficient (RC) to analyse the rural municipal wastewater treatment plant performance (WWTP), considering the removal of several pollution indicators covering organic compounds, suspended solids and bio-genes. Full-scale...

The growing population generates a lot of waste, including industrial waste. These wastes can be used as sorbents, for example in the form of aggregates, which have a porous structure and the ability to absorb pollutants. The use of natural sorbents, which are characterised by low toxicity and...

Earthworms of the species Eisenia fetida and Dendrobaena veneta, referred to as composting earthworms, are commonly used in the processing of organic waste of plant origin. The product of this process is vermicompost, i.e. fertilizer used in agriculture. Both species, despite morphological and...

The circular economy (CE) aims to keep the maximum value of products and materials in a closed loop for longer periods, thus decoupling the use of natural resources from economic growth. Reverse logistics in the management of municipal biowaste falls within the scope of CE activities. This study compares the mass of bio-waste collected separately to the mass forecast at various administrative levels in Poland: country, voivodeship, cities with over 50 thousand inhabitants, and cities under 50 thousand inhabitants. Discrepancies were found between the collected mass of bio-waste and its predicted mass, which may be due to several reasons. Firstly, rural residents often use bio-waste for their own household needs. Additionally, in rural areas, due to the dispersion of buildings, the cost of obtaining the same amount of bio-waste is much higher compared to more urbanized areas. Processing bio-waste into organic fertilizer is a process that meets the assumptions of a circular economy and creates an environmentally friendly product. Unfortunately, in the case of Poland, there is no data on collected bio-waste earlier than 2019. There is also no information on the mass of biologically managed bio-waste at all administrative levels. Therefore, reporting on the management of municipal bio-waste at all administrative levels should be improved. The work also discusses the issue of collection and management of bio-waste, taking into account logistics processes.

Article 168 TFEU defines the European Union’s activity in the field of health, allowing Member States the freedom to decide on the priorities of the health system. Due to limited resources, decision-making on the development of public health is carried out on the basis of policies and strategies that implement public health tasks. The article identifies selected legal elements which, in the authors’ opinion, in the context of the implementation of public health tasks, should perform an important role in the health system in the future. Artykuł 168 TFUE określa działania Unii Europejskiej w dziedzinie ochrony zdrowia, pozwalając państwom członkowskim na swobodę w decydowaniu o priorytetach systemu ochrony zdrowia. Ze względu na ograniczone zasoby podejmowanie decyzji o kształcie zdrowia publicznego realizuje się na podstawie polityk i strategii, które obejmują zadania z zakresu zdrowia publicznego. W artykule wskazano wybrane elementy prawne, które zdaniem autorów w kontekście realizacji zadań zdrowia publicznego powinny w przyszłości pełnić ważną rolę w systemie ochrony zdrowia.