The air contamination in Cracow and Tarnov

The aim of this work is a comparison between the actual state of the air in Cracov and Tarnov and perceptual assessment of the contamination level in Cracow.

The environment contamination is leading solid, liquid, gaseous substances and energy into environment, in the quantity or composition which may influence human health, climate, living nature, soil, water or cause other changes in the environment, including cultural.
The contamination is sometimes understood as exceeding conventional standards of the state of the environment or acceptable pollution emission indicators. The most dangerous sorts of pollution are carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), selphur dioxide (8O2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), phosphorus (P), mercury (Mg), lead (Pb), petroleum, DDT, other pesticides and ionizing and non ionizing electromagnetic radiation.

Tarnov is the city situated in the south of Poland in the malopolska province area, by the Biala river. It covers an area of 72,4 square kilometres and its population number is 117,6 thousand (2005). The first mention of Tarnov was date to the beginning of the XII century. Tarnov was given the city charter in 1330. In the period between 1975- 1998 Tarnov was a capital of tarnovskie province. There was a cultural and tourist centre during the interwar period nearby Moscice (nowadays the Tarnov's district). At present, there are Nitrogen plants on the Great Moscice district area. Moreover, Moscice is the place where engineering, metallurgical, building material's, food and glass industry is located.
Tarnov is also an important road and rail hub.

Cracov- city in the south of Poland, situated by the Vistula river. It is the third city in Poland, after Warsaw and Lodz, in respects of population number and the senond in respects of area.
Cracov is the one of the oldest Polish cities, with millenary history and high cultural and architectural values. In the past Cracow was the administrative capital of Poland and the seat of Polish kings.
Nowadays, Cracov is the capital of malopolska district and historical Malopolska. It is the city chartered according to the district law and the seat of malopolska district's authorities. There is the head office of the institution with a central character on the premises of Cracov.
Cracov performs a very important administrative, cultural, educational, economic, subordinate and tourist function. It is crutial road and rail hub. There is the second largest Polish airport of international significance and transatlantic character (Balice). With the help of a track service, we are able to get from the centre of the city to Balice.

Cracov lies on the south of Poland in a valley by the Vistula river, at the foot of the edge of Pogorze Karpackie, at the height 219 metres above sea level. 300 kilometres away to the north of the Cracov, Warsaw- the capital of Poland, is situated and 100 kilometres to the south, in Tatry mountains, runs a south Polish border. The city covers 327 square kilometres area, what makes 0,1% of the country area.

The air is a mixture composed mainly of nitrogen (78%volume) and oxygen (21%) as well as a few second- rate ingredients: carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour, inert gases (mainly argon) and other (about 1% together). The contents of this two basic ingredients (nitrogen and oxygen) is generally constant, however, the rest may change as a result of natural factors as well as human actions.
Natural changes in the air composition chiefly concern a water vapour concentration (so called humidity) and to a lesser degree, carbon dioxide.
CO2 content instability are bound up with photosynthesis intensity, which first and foremost, depends on the time of day and a sort of flora mainly.
As a result of human actions not occuring naturally in the atmosphere gases and solid substances (dust) described as air pollutants, get into the atmosphere.
Pollution may be dangerous for a man mainly because of a direct, toxic influence on the human body as well as all living organisms. What is more, they are able to cause changes of a climate in a global scale. The flagship example is an anthropogenical emission discharge of the gases like: carbon dioxide and methane, which may be the cause of an air temperature growth by the Earth surface ( so called greenhouse effect).

In many cities all over the world air contamination exceeds all established norms and it is necessary to announce the so called smog alarm. The word "smog" means a smoke and fog combination. It was first used by the doctor Harold Des Voeux in the year 1911.

For the each polluter the acceptable concentration in the air, which must not be exceeded, were established. Otherwise, air contamination can be harmful and dangerous for our health. Acceptable and dangerous concentrations for the Eropean Union countries were established in the directive 96/62/EC on 27 September 1996 year. Detailed regulations include three further directives: 1.1999/30/EC on 22 April 1999 year, 2.2000/69/ EC on 16 November 2000 and 3.2002/3/EC on 12 February 2002 year. The regulations fas been in effect on the strength of environment Minister on 6 June 2002 year.

For nitrogen dioxide (NO2), selphur dioxide (SO2), lead (Pb) and suspended dust with the diameter up to ten l'm (PM10), acceptable concentrations average annual concentrations were astablished. Acceptable SO2 and Pb concentrations are significiently lower than NO2 and PM10, because these substances are very harmful for peoples' health even in little doses and short periods of their influence.
For NO2, SO2 and O3, apart from acceptable concentrations, danger values were established. There are average one-hour concentrations. When these values are exceeded, local authorities are obliged to inform a public opinion and take precautionary measures.

The quality of Cracov air measurments taken in 2004-2005 as a part of pilotage Polish-union programme, revealed that so called law gases emission coming from domestic coal hearths and the permanent increase in the cars number, with which do not keep up a transport investements - are the main causes of the air pollution increasing. On their basis was found, that the level of the dust suspended in the Cracov air is very high. It is noticed that the values of acceptable daily and annual levels of stężeń are exceeded. Dust overdrafts are very small (smaller than one fraction of a microne), what has a great influence on permanently detoriorating inhabitants' health. During a campaigne 600 people were examined in order to check the occurence of respiratory system diseases. A lot of examined were pronounced cough and chronic bronchitis with complications

The air quality assessment system in malopolskie district, function on the basis of permanent measurments results, taken in the stable measurement points complex (automatic, manual and passive stations) and periodic measurments.

The air pollution monitoring automatic system in Cracov consists of 10 stable and one movable station, what lets measuring concentration SO2, NO2, NOx, Co, O3 and suspended dust
(dust diameter<10 mm) In a 5 stations also suspended dust for the chemical analysis is taken and 3 stations take permanent meteorological measurements.

The researches were carried out in two stages, on whom basis a seperate hypotheses were constructed. The first stage concerned the analysis of collected theoretical material and taking an easy pollution measurement. The second stage consisted in carrying out a survey on the subject of the pollution in the city and its' effects on their frames of mind, among Cracov inhabitants.