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Impact of Cigarette Butts on Plant Germination Based on Sinapis alba L. and Hordeum vulgare L. Seeds

Jakimiuk Aleksandra, Bulak Alicja, Barroso Petra Martínez, Podlasek Anna, Vaverková Magdalena Daria

Journal of Ecological Engineering

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2022

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Vol. 23, nr 7

226--237

EN

Cigarette butts (CBs) have only recently begun to be considered environmentally harmful waste. CBs are common waste in the environment, that can cause air, soil, and water pollution and pose a threat to the living. CBs should be treated as toxic and hazardous waste due to its slow decomposition and accumulation of many toxic substances. There is a lack of research on the adaptation of CBs to the environment and what impact they have on vegetation. Therefore, the present work aimed to understand the toxicity of smoked CBs. Leachates of various concentrations were assessed with ecotoxicological tests. The effect of CBs on germination and development of plants at their early stage of growth was determined. Seeds of Sinapis alba L. and Hordeum vulgare L. were used in the CBs toxicity test. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the main effects on plants. From the results, it is evident that low concentrations of toxic substances contained in CBs have a positive effect on plants; however, Hordeum vulgare L. expresses higher toxic resistance than Sinapis alba L. It has been proven that high concentrations of CBs in a water solution have negative effects on seed germination and radical growth. This research shows that varied plant species can cope with different levels of contamination by hazardous elements. CBs are an important source of contamination for the environment and the hazardous elements that are released from them when inappropriately disposed of can impair the development of plants and accumulate in them.

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Influence of land use on plant community composition in Vysocina Region grasslands, Czech Republic

Winkler Jan, Mazur Łukasz, Smékalová Marta, Podlasek Anna, Hurajová Erika, Koda Eugeniusz, Jiroušek Martin, Jakimiuk Aleksandra, Vaverková Magdalena Daria

Environment Protection Engineering

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2022

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Vol. 48, nr 4

21--33

EN

Human disturbance is an important factor in forming vegetation. According to our hypothesis, anthropogenic activity and changes in the species composition of grass communities occur in the process of co-evolution. Understanding co-evolution, to better predict future changes in the entire ecosystem. Five grassland sites were selected with different methods of use and hence different anthropogenic disturbance regimes. The results show that the composition of grassland communities responds to the methods of their use. The needs and demands of our civilization are changing. Humans co-create plant communities the preservation of which depends on their use by humans.

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Food Waste – Challenges and Approaches for New Devices

Maxianová Alžbeta, Jakimiuk Aleksandra, Vaverková Magdalena Daria

Journal of Ecological Engineering

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2021

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Vol. 22, nr 3

231--238

EN

Food waste has recently received attention due to its environmental, economic and social impacts. Final processing of food waste encounters a number of technical challenges, arising from weak physical structure of food waste with weak porosity, high content of water, and low carbon-to-nitrogen relation. This study deals with the research of food waste processing in households by using an automatic device. The main objective of the study was to assess the toxicity of the end-product produced by an automatic device. The research included 10 experiments. The input foundation consisted of common food waste generated in household kitchens. Following its processing, the end-product was tested in a pot experiment for the germination capacity and biomass increase in different concentrations. The end-product was mixed with the reference soil in concentrations 5/95, 30/70, 50/50 (tested/reference substrate). The testing included three different plant species, i.e. Sinapis alba L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Cannabis sativa L. The germination capacity of plants and their increase in biomass were evaluated after 21 days. The increase in biomass was monitored by using the Before-After-Control-Impact method. The plants developed much better without the end-product additive to the soil substrate than with its small addition. The best germination capacity in the case of end-product addition was observed in the concentration ratio 30/70 in all plants. In spite of this, the highest increase in biomass was recorded in the concentration ratio 5/95. This might have caused the occurrence of mould in the pots. The test shows that the end-product made of food waste is toxic to plants; therefore, it is not recommended for direct application as a soil amendment.

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Consumption and Savings of Drinking Water in Selected Objects

Vaverka Igor, Jakimiuk Aleksandra, Trach Yuliia, Koda Eugeniusz, Vaverková Magdalena Daria

Journal of Ecological Engineering

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2021

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Vol. 22, nr 5

13--25

EN

Water is essential to the proper functioning of kindergartens and schools. Nevertheless, water consumption in public facilities is usually high, often exceeding the average household water consumption. Recently, increasing pressure on this valuable and depletable natural resource has been noticed and, therefore, it is interesting to study the water consumption in kindergartens and the possibilities of water saving. The present work examined 6 kindergarten facilities in Kyjov, Czech Republic, where the equipment has been enhanced with the faucet water saving technology. The work analyzed the impact of the equipment on the reduction of water consumption as a raw material and on the financial and economic profitability. The results were estimated based on the variation of two parameters such as average daily water consumption and demand per person. The experiment showed that installing the savers resulted in water savings ranging from 8% to 18.7% for average daily consumption and from 10.02% to 23.2% for per capita demand.