Issue 03/2024 (March)

One of activities meant to confirm the validity of laboratory’s results is comparison with results obtained by other laboratories. Laboratory’s ability to analyse results of its participation in intercomparisons and to utilise them for effective oversight of its calibrations is an important element of assessing the competence of laboratories in accreditation and supervision processes. The paper presents issues related to the organization of comparisons, as well as the calculation methods used and the analysis of the results of interlaboratory comparisons organized by the Gas Meter Calibration Laboratory at the European level. The Gas Meter Calibration Laboratory carries out its tasks as part of Testing and Certification Division of the Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., which plays a strategic role in the Polish economy and is responsible for natural gas transmission.

The aim of this article was to assess of improving surface water quality in Poland. A proper assessment of surface waters quality is based on appropriate monitoring of various components, including physico-chemical and biological. A history of national surface waters monitoring and the surface water quality assessment process were provided. Data analysis from the last monitoring has shown a bad state of surface waters quality. Preliminary water pollution control measures were provided.

Due to embargoes currently imposed on many goods and services from Russia, the energy security of countries importing Russian gas, oil and coal has been at risk. Therefore, many EU member states are considering a change of their energy policy, but whether this is possible in the short term is thought-provoking. This paper attempts to outline the energy policy of selected EU member states and propose how they can become independent from the supplies of Russian energy commodities. The study uses Germany and France as examples in the context of the adopted criteria. It was based on an analysis of legal acts, regulations, documents, government publications, reference literature and Internet sources. The study made use of the quality technique for the analysis of documents and descriptive analysis. Among other findings, it was demonstrated that, at present, aiming at carbon neutrality should not be the sole criterion for the energy policy. A national energy policy should ensure that the national economy has regular access to relatively inexpensive and permanently available energy sources, which will allow it to develop and operate efficiently. At the same time, the energy policy should optimize the carbon footprint and energy security (independence).

This paper presents a study of the content of heavy metals in landfill leachates after wet mineralization according to two methodologies – the reference method with royal water (A) and, for comparison, the microwave method (108 kJ/cm3) (B) in a Perkin Elmer MW-3000 microwave mineralizer. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of the applied mineralization method on the results of heavy metal content in leachate samples taken from the municipal landfill in Barcza (Swietokrzyskie voivodeship) and subjected to Fenton treatment.

The results of research investment expenditures for the construction or modernization of industrial heat and power plants are presented. The modernization of these cogeneration power plants (usually low or medium power and fired with coal or other non-ecological fuels) is necessary due to the development of heat and electricity production in cogeneration. This will make it possible to meet the recommendations set out in the Green Deal, especially in the European Union’s Medium Combustion Plants Directive. The goal of the paper is to present a new approach to the annual cost in industrial cogeneration plants as a tool supporting the quick estimation of the costs of their modernization. The novelty of this approach is that it proposes a multidimensional estimation of the cost of risk when making the initial modernization decision. The proposed model can be used to quickly assess the level of investment expenditures necessary to decide on the stage of planned cogeneration plants modernization. Additionally, on the example of typical heat and power plants in the chemical industry, a simplified analysis of the impact of the increase in steam parameters on investment expenditures was carried out. Using the techniques of econometric modelling and computer applications, formulas were derived to roughly define the dependence of investment expenditures in cogeneration plants on steam parameters and power of the plant. This can be useful for decision-makers in the industrial cogeneration plants rational modernization planning process.