Benzotriazoles (BTRs), used as corrosion inhibitors, and benzotriazole-based UV stabilizers (BUVs) are mobile and persistent contaminants of emerging concern. Both groups have been linked to aquatic toxicity and, in some cases, bioaccumulation, but their occurrence across contrasting environmental settings remains insufficiently characterized. We quantified BTRs/BUVs in waters collected during 2020-2024 from four largely remote regions: Svalbard (snowmelt, glacial runoff, and runoff from urban and airport surfaces), Iceland (road runoff and a glacial lake), Ireland (lakes in Killarney National Park, UNESCO site), and Sri Lanka (retention and irrigation reservoirs in an agricultural area). Among the target analytes, 5-chloro-1H-benzotriazole (5Cl-BTR), a chlorinated derivative of ecotoxicological concern, occurred in all samples, peaking at 11,600 ng/L in Icelandic road runoff and remaining elevated in Arctic glacial waters. Detectable 5Cl-BTR in protected Irish lakes and Sri Lankan irrigation reservoirs demonstrates that water resources used for conservation, agriculture, and local water supply remain exposed to anthropogenic contaminants and this compound can serve as a tracer of such activity. Benzotriazole-based UV stabilizers were more variable: UV-329, linked to aquatic toxicity, reached >2,000 ng/L in road runoff, whereas the persistent and bioaccumulative UV-328 was repeatedly observed at tens of ng/L in Arctic and Sri Lankan waters. The patterns indicate rapid wash-off from impermeable transport surfaces, potential atmospheric transport, and secondary release from snow and ice; underscoring a further need for source-oriented monitoring of roads, airports, tourism, and irrigation systems.

Coal mine closures represent a major anthropogenic shift in regional hydrology, as long-term mine dewatering has become an integral component of river flow regimes. This study assesses how the planned phase-out of mine drainage in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (2020–2049) may interact with climate change to reshape streamflow dynamics in the Upper Vistula River system, with a focus on the Przemsza–Vistula corridor. Future streamflows were simulated using the SWAT model within the CHASE-PL framework, driven by nine bias-corrected EURO-CORDEX climate projections under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. To improve predictive robustness, a machine-learning–based Conditional Weighted Regression (CWR) approach was applied to dynamically combine ensemble outputs into a Weighted Ensemble Streamflow (WES) projection. The hydrological impact of mine closures was quantified by removing water discharges according to the closure schedule. Results indicate that mine closure primarily affects low-flow conditions. In the Przemsza River system, the probability of flows below the historical 10th percentile increases markedly after closure. Monthly reductions in the 10th percentile for flows may reach up to 4.5 m³/s (~35%) in the Przemsza River and up to 1.4 m³/s (~15%) in the Vistula River. Seasonal patterns show increased flows in spring–summer, and decreased flows in autumn, reflecting combined climatic and anthropogenic effects. The study demonstrates that hybrid SWAT–machine learning frameworks enhance climate impact assessments and provide a robust tool for evaluating hydrological consequences of large-scale socio-economic transitions such as mine closures.

Wzrost opadów atmosferycznych przyspiesza erozję gleby, zwiększa też transport zawiesiny, zwłaszcza w zlewniach górskich. W obliczu zmieniających się warunków klimatycznych, w szczególności zwiększającej się intensywności zjawisk atmosferycznych, przy równocześnie silnej antropopresji, wiarygodna projekcja tych zmian w skali lokalnej jest kwestią kluczową m.in. dla zrównoważonego zarządzania usługami ekosystemowymi. Projekcje przyszłych zmian przeprowadzane są zazwyczaj dwuetapowo, gdzie w pierwszym etapie wykorzystywane są modele klimatyczne, a właściwa ocena wpływu tych zmian realizowana jest poprzez wykorzystanie modeli środowiskowych. Obydwa etapy przeprowadzane są zazwyczaj niezależnie i przez różne środowiska eksperckie. Celem pracy jest ocena wpływu, jaki wywiera dobór modeli i scenariuszy klimatycznych na wyniki modelowania środowiskowego. Na przykładzie zlewni górnej Raby dokonano szacowania ładunku zawiesiny dostarczanej do zbiornika z wykorzystaniem wybranych scenariuszy zmian. Różnice w opracowanych prognozach mogą sięgać nawet 6000 t zawiesiny rocznie. Uzyskane efekty udowadniają, że niewłaściwy dobór zmiennych modelu (w tym wypadku błędnie utworzona wiązka modeli klimatycznych) może prowadzić do skrajnych wyników i w rezultacie do niewłaściwego zarządzania środowiskiem przyrodniczym.

The 2022 ecological disaster in the Oder River highlighted the urgent need for effective and scalable methods to monitor and protect freshwater ecosystems. This study evaluates the feasibility of using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for multi-temporal water quality assessments, focusing on detecting key parameters such as dissolved matter, turbidity, chlorophyll concentration and algal blooms. The analysis, based on satellite data from 2018 to 2024, emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring to capture the variability of water quality indicators and uncover trends that short-term datasets might overlook. The findings demonstrate that satellite-based remote sensing is a powerful tool for tracking spatial and temporal changes in water quality, enabling proactive detection of anomalies. While the results illustrate significant variations in water quality indices over time and space for the analyzed river sections—Ostrava, Wrocław Frankfurt and Szczecin, they also underscore the risks of relying solely on short-term data, which can lead to misleading interpretations. The study highlights the potential of multi-temporal satellite imagery to serve as a foundation for integrated water quality monitoring frameworks, contributing to early detection of ecological threats and improved water resource management.

Chlorides are considered as an important factor promoting the development of the golden algae (Prymnesium parvum) and their presence was crucial during the Oder River ecological disaster in 2022. Since industrial waters from mining activities in the Upper Silesia region are discharged not only into the Oder River, but also into the other large European River (Vistula), there is growing concern about a possible re-occurrence of such an event. Combining catchment modeling and insitu monitoring, the impact of mining discharges from 17 active and inactive hard coal mines on the calculation profile of the Vistula River, located in a potential risk zone of golden algal blooms, has been investigated. Moreover, future chloride concentrations have been predicted through model simulations for two time horizons: near- (2024-2050) and far-future (2074-2099), and for two Representative Concentration Pathways: RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The results showed significant variability in chloride concentrations with monitoring data, indicating concentrations already exceeding those observed during severe algal bloom events. Furthermore, despite the selected scenario and time horizons, the simulated chloride concentrations may still promote golden algae development under both dry- and wet-climate scenarios, with extreme values potentially surpassing 3000 mg/L. Our results emphasize the urgent need for proactive water management strategies to reduce chloride contamination, and to protect aquatic ecosystems in this river. Failure to act in this area may lead to a repetition of catastrophic ecological events.

Water contamination is a longstanding global issue with micropollutants (MPs) posing risks to ecosystems and human health. This study aimed to: (i) identify 10 benzotriazoles (BTRs) and 10 bisphenols (BPs) in a mid-sized agricultural catchment, (ii) estimate daily loads of hazardous MPs and assess their environmental risks (iii) evaluate the mutagenicity of surface runoff (SR), riverine water (RW), supernatant from bottom sediment (SBS) and suspended sediments (SS) from the We & lstrok;na River catchment (Oder River basin, Poland). Samples were collected in October 2022 and January 2023. BTRs and BPs were analysed using USAEME and GC-MS, mutagenicity was assessed via microplate Ames MPF test. 5Cl-BTR was detected in all samples, BPA appeared in 71.4 %, the highest concentrations were 16,393 ng/L for 5Cl-BTR and 99,998 ng/L for BPAP. The Ames test confirmed mutagenicity in all collected sampleswith higher levels in autumn than in winter. Environmental risk assessment classified most BTRs as low-risk, except 1H-BTR, 5Cl-BTR and UV-P (medium) while BPs posed low to high risks. Findings confirm the presence of MPs in aquatic environments and their potential mutagenic effects although other pollutants may also contribute.

Organic ultraviolet filters (OUVFs) are widely used as personal care products and increasingly detected in freshwater environments, raising concerns over their persistence and potential ecological risks. This study presents the first appraisal of OUVF-related ecological risk in Poland, providing novel insights into ecological risk assessment within the One Health framework in the context of emerging contaminant threats. The occurrence, seasonal variability, and environmental risk of selected OUVFs in sediments from three freshwater bathing areas and one reference site in Southern Poland. Sediment samples were collected during spring (April) and summer (July) to capture seasonal patterns linked to recreational activity. Concentrations of eight OUVFs were determined using a highly sensitive and sustainable ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. A clear influence of seasonal human presence was observed. Significantly higher levels of IAMC, 4MBC, OC, and HMS were detected during the summer bathing season, particularly at highly frequented sites such as the Kryspinów and Balaton reservoirs. In contrast, BP3 exhibited higher concentrations in spring, likely reflecting both environmental processes and off-season inputs. Across all sampling sites and periods, most OUVFs, including BP3, 4MBC, IAMC, and MBBT, exhibited RQ and RQmix values, determined by probabilistic risk assessment (Monte Carlo simulations), below 0.01, indicating negligible ecological risk. In contrast, EHMC and HMS showed elevated concentrations in all studies reservoirs, with RQ values reaching up to 7.8 × 10⁻³ and 1.1 × 10⁻², corresponding to low-to-moderate risk. These results demonstrate that freshwater sediments function as a significant reservoir for OUVFs and highlight the necessity of incorporating temporal dynamics and sediment-based monitoring into environmental risk assessment frameworks for recreational waters.

Buffer zones are considered as the most common measures aimed at reducing nutrient loadings into aquatic environments. Assessment of their effectiveness, especially under climate change scenarios, is crucial for planning future mitigation measures, and implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential effect of buffer zone implementation in the Nurzec River catchment (eastern Poland) under current and future climate conditions. Nutrient loads were modelled with the use of the SWAT model (Soil & Water Assessment Tool), and simulated influences of four buffer zone widths (2, 5, 10, and 20 m) using an inbuilt SWAT model option (FILTERW). All variants were examined using climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and 8.5) in three-time horizons (2026-2050, 2051-2075, and 2076-2100), resulting in 35 individual model settings. Implementation of buffer zones in the study area reduced nutrient loads by approximately 27-55 % and 19-37 % for total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), respectively, depending on the increase of buffer width. These values correspond with a reduction of 396.7 and 18.6 tons per year of TN and TP, respectively. Moreover, our results show that climate change will have an ambiguous impact on nutrient loads (TN decrease and TP increase). Despite these differences, we forecast that the effectiveness of the implemented buffer zones will be maintained at 66 % and 30 % for TN and TP, respectively. Even more important in our research is the detailed information on the effectiveness of the described research, which is a significant step forward in the use of model analyses of water quality.

AbstractAlthough the Carpathian Mts. area is considered as extremely prone to surface erosion which results in capacity loss of the dammed reservoirs, a lack of data to follow details of this process is perceivable. The research of the selected sediment fractions transport tracking was conducted using the capabilities of the digital platform—Macromodel DNS (Discharge‐Nutrient‐Sea) for the catchment with drinking water reservoir in the Polish part of Western Carpathian. The continuity of sediment transport simulation in two hydrologically different elements of the catchment—the river and the reservoir—was possible due to consolidation of two models in the platform—SWAT (Soil & Water Assessment Tool) and AdH/PTM (Adaptive Hydraulics Model/Particle Tracking Model). The result of those modules' integration was a database for tracking the individual sediment fractions delivered to the reservoir and deposited in specific reservoir zones. The implementation of climate and land use change scenarios allowed additionally to analyse the estimation of those processes in the future. The simulation outcomes consist of daily flows and monthly sediment loads at the reservoir inflow and the individual sediment particle fractions deposition location inside of the reservoir.

Increasing precipitation accelerates soil erosion and boosts sediment loads, especially in mountain catchments. Therefore, there is significant pressure to deliver plausible assessments of these phenomena on a local scale under future climate change scenarios. Such assessments are primarily drawn from a combination of climate change projections and environmental model simulations, usually performed by climatologists and environmental modelers independently. Our example shows that without communication from both groups the final results are ambiguous. Here, we estimate sediment loads delivered from a Carpathian catchment to a reservoir to illustrate how the choice of meteorological data, reference period, and model ensemble can affect final results. Differences in future loads could reach up to even 6000 tons of sediment per year. We suggest there must be a better integration between climatologists and environmental modelers, focusing on introducing multi-model ensembles targeting specific impacts to facilitate an informed choice on climate information.

An expansion of impervious surfaces in urban areas leads to increases of nutrient loads discharged with the surface runoff to receivers. A study of a different density of urban development impact on total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) loads from the city of Lublin (eastern Poland) with the use of the SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) model was performed. To distinguish between areas with high and low density of urban development (UHD and ULD), a special analysis of hydrological parameters has been proposed. Moreover, to investigate the impact of climate change, four variant scenarios were taken into account, combining the RCP (representative concentration pathway) 4.5 and 8.5 forecasts and the adopted time horizons (2026–2035 and 2046–2055). The results showed a much higher share of TN and TP from UHD compared to ULD (86

Currently, climate change is considered as an important factor affecting nutrient loads introduced through riverine systems into the Baltic Sea. Although the prospect of a large increase in pollution has long seemed very real, it still does not translate into planning of effective remedial actions. One of the factors limiting the development of such activities is the scale of simulations, focusing generally on catchment outlet profiles. To fill this gap and enable a step forward in understanding responses towards future predictions in a higher resolution scale (subcatchment), we assessed nutrient load contribution using calculation profiles localised along a main watercourse and its tributaries. To track spatial and seasonal changes of total nitrogen and phosphorus under short- and long-term (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) climate change scenarios we used the digital platform Macromodel DNS/SWAT. Having at our disposal a catchment model with a good performance we could follow not only total load changes in particular subcatchments, but also track localisation of the pollution sources and their direct impact on load estimations. Our results showed an increase of the loads, especially from the agricultural landuse type, up to 34% for TN and 85% for TP in the most extreme scenario. Moreover, forest areas have been noted as highly reactive to the climate changes, and through their localisation able to distinctly alter nutrient outflow. Finally, the contribution of urban areas should be further investigated since the dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus release from impervious surfaces is noticeably different here than from the other diffuse sources.

This study, conducted in 2020–2022, was designed to determine the impact of livestock grazing on habitat biodiversity and Carabidae beetles. Two research plots (a meadow and a pasture) were established on a farm in the village of Otapy, located in the agricultural catchment area of the Nurzec River in Eastern Poland. They were located next to each other so that they would possess the same set of atmospheric phenomena and processes shaped by the physical and geographical characteristics of the area. The study showed that the pasture was the richest in terms of the magnesium and calcium contents, while the meadow had significantly higher levels of phosphorus and zinc. The study also showed some differences in the abundance and species composition of plants and animals. The meadow had higher biodiversity, while the pasture was dominated by grasses. A disparity in the abundance of individual species was also presented. The study indicated the preference of individual species for particular forms of land use. Anisodactylus binotatus, Harpalus rufipes and Poecilus cupreus were most abundant in the meadow, while Carabus granulatus and Pterostichus melanarius were mostly represented in the pasture. The number of species, on the other hand, was the same. Our research concluded that proper landscape management through different uses affects plant and beetle diversity and soil element content.

Precipitation is one of the essential driving factors of natural processes influencing the structure and functioning of river catchment ecosystems. Changes in precipitation conditions have a significant impact on surface runoff and consequently the intensity of sediment transport, and its deposition especially in mountain catchments exposed to frequent rainfalls and prone to erosion. Therefore, insightful information about future precipitation regional projections seems to be crucial for ecosystem services management, including dammed reservoirs and fresh water resources.In general, precipitation is projected to change its annual structure over Central Europe in relation to enhanced atmospheric moisture, moisture convergence and extratropical cyclone activity. Although new generations of climate models focus on improved simulation of water cycle, precipitation projections still become a challenge as key processes driving precipitation changes at local and hemispheric scale remain significantly sensitive to model resolution.The aim of the study is to indicate the differences between particular precipitation projections for the exemplary Carpathian mountains catchment (Raba River, Poland) and their further evaluation towards the impact of the chosen climate model on the environmental modelling results (sediment load variability). The outcomes of High Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP) - CMIP6 and higher-resolution regional data for Europe from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (EURO-CORDEX) will be taken into account. Absolute and relative changes in annual precipitation structure will be examined for the whole period of 2026-2100 with short-term (2026-2050) and long-term (2051-2100) perspectives.The research conducted so far revealed that both sediment yields from the exemplary catchment and the sediment loads from the studied river could be greatly altered due to the predicted changes in precipitation and temperature. Since such changes can have a pronounced impact on vital ecological processes ongoing in the catchment the utmost attention should be paid to assessment of differences between climate change scenarios applied in such studies.

To investigate and assess the effects of land use and its changes on concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Fe) in the tributary of drinking water reservoir catchment, soils of different land use types (forest, arable land, meadows and pastures, residential areas), suspended sediment and bottom sediment were collected. Heavy metals were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The metal distribution pattern was observed, where Zn and Cd could be considered as main metal contaminants. The variation in the concentration level of Zn and Cd in studied soils showed the impact of pollution from anthropogenic activities. Also some seasonal variations were visible among the suspended sediment and bottom sediment samples which could be associated with land agricultural practices or meteorological conditions. The sediment fingerprints approach used for determining sources of the suspension in the catchment showed (Kruskal-Wallis H test, p<0.05), that only Mn and Ni were not able to be distinguished among the potential sediment sources. A multiple linear regression model described the relationship between suspended sediment and 4 types of soil samples. The results related suspended composition mostly to the samples from the residential land use. Considering the contemporary trend of observed changes in land use resulting in conversion of agricultural areas into residential and service structures these changes can be essential for the contamination of aquatic environment. This situation is a warning sign due to the rapid industrialization, urbanization and intensive agriculture in this region what can significantly affect the drinking water quality.

Nitrogen and phosphorus budgeting is considered to be a key tool for policy makers and stakeholders when dealing with nutrient contamination issues, however no unified method has been employed in countries affected by this eutrophication problem. The current study offers a detailed insight into the estimations of nutrient loads and their distribution between different sources for a middle-sized agricultural catchment, with the use of two approaches: mass balance (static) and modelling (dynamic). Both methods revealed similar contributions of analysed nutrient sources, although the final estimates in the chosen calculation profile were divergent due to the various reasons related to the methods’ specificity. The advantages and disadvantages of both approaches have been specified in our study, and a hybrid solution on a local and country wide scale has been proposed.

Purpose The study tracks spatial and temporal distribution of sediment particles from their source to the deposition area in a dammed reservoir. This is particularly important due to the predicted future climate changes, which will increase the severity of problems with sediment transport, especially in catchments prone to erosion. Methods Analyses were performed with a monthly step for two mineral and one mineral/organic sediment fractions delivered from the Carpathian Mts. catchment (Raba River) to the drinking water reservoir (Dobczyce) by combining SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), and AdH/PTM (Adaptive Hydraulics Model/Particle Tracking Model) modules on the digital platform—Macromodel DNS (Discharge Nutrient Sea). To take into account future changes in this catchment, a variant scenario analysis including RCP (representative concentration pathways) 4.5 and 8.5, and land use change forecasts, was performed. Results The differences between the two analyzed hydrological units (catchment and reservoir) have been highlighted and showed a large variability of the sediment load between months. The predicted climate changes will cause a significant increase of mineral fraction loads (silt and clay) during months with high flows. Due to the location and natural arrangement of the reservoir, silt particles will mainly affect faster loss of the first two reservoir zones capacities. Conclusions The increased mobility of finer particles (clay) in the reservoir may be more problematic in the future, mainly due to their binding pollutant properties, and the possible negative impact on drinking water abstraction from the last reservoir zone. Moreover, the study shows that the monthly approach to forecasting the impact of climate change on sediment loads in the reservoir is recommended, instead of a seasonal one.

Excessive production of biomass, in times of intensification of agriculture and climate change, is again becoming one of the biggest environmental issues. Identification of sources and effects of this phenomenon in a river catchment in the space-time continuum has been supported by advanced environmental modules combined on a digital platform (Macromodel DNS/SWAT). This tool enabled the simulation of nutrient loads and chlorophyll "a" for the Nielba River catchment (central-western Poland) for the biomass production potential (defined here as a TN:TP ratio) analysis. Major differences have been observed between sections of the Nielba River with low biomass production in the upper part, controlled by TN:TP ratios over 65, and high chlorophyll "a" concentrations in the lower part, affected by biomass transport for the flow-through lakes. Under the long and short-term RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate change scenarios, this pattern will be emphasized. The obtained results showed that unfavorable biomass production potential will be maintained in the upper riverine sections due to a further increase in phosphorus loads induced by precipitation growth. Precipitation alone will increase biomass production, while precipitation combined with temperature can even enhance this production in the existing hot spots.

The issue of whether land use changes will balance out sediment yields induced by climate predictions was assessed for a Carpathian basin (Raba River, Poland). This discussion was based on the Macromodel DNS (Discharge–Nutrient–Sea)/SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) results for the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios and LU predictions. To track sediment yield responses on the sub-basin level the studied area was divided into 36 units. The response of individual sub-basins to climate scenarios created a mosaic of negative and positive sediment yield changes in comparison to the baseline scenario. Then, overlapped forest and agricultural areas change indicated those sub-basins where sediment yields could be balanced out or not. The model revealed that sediment yields could be altered even by 49% in the selected upper sub-basins during the spring-summer months, while for the lower sub-basins the predicted changes will be less effective (3% on average). Moreover, the winter period, which needs to be re-defined due to an exceptional occurrence of frost and snow cover protecting soils against erosion, will significantly alter the soil particle transfer among the seasons. Finally, it has been shown that modeling of sediment transport, based on averaged meteorological values and LU changes, can lead to significant errors.