Wojciech Rogóż, Agnieszka Owczarzy, Karolina Kulig, Agnieszka Chećko, Małgorzata Maciążek-Jurczyk

The use of physicochemical methods used in pharmaceutical research to assess the quality of stagnant water in a revitalized post-mining excavation site

2025-10-31

Object of study. Physicochemical methods play a key role in the pharmaceutical research and industry. Some of them can also be adapted to monitor the changes in the quality of standing surface and groundwater in post-industrial areas. An example of this type of location is the closed dolomitic limestone quarry Sadowa Góra in Jaworzno. Analysis of the physicochemical parameters of water can make it easier to assess the efficiency of revitalisation activities and adaptation to the new functions of mining areas after the end of exploitation.

Aim of study. The aim of this study was to determine the selected physicochemical parameters of standing waters located in a revitalised post-mining area and analyse their changes over the next six months. In this study the possible relationship between these changes and the most important average parameters determining the weather conditions in the subsequent months was assessed. An attempt was also made to verify the hypothesis that it is possible to use pharmaceutical analytical methods in environmental research.

Materials and methods. To achieve the aims of the study, conductometric, refractometric and spectrophotometric measurements were performed. Data from a meteorological station were also used. Samples from four different (artificial and natural) standing water reservoirs (W1, W2, W3, W5) and groundwater intake W4 were analysed.

Results. The total dissolved solids (TDS) content in the samples W1-W4 did not exceed 650 ppm. The greatest TDS variations were recorded in the sample W5. The highest TDS and refractive index (n) values for W5 were recorded in April. In the all included cases, regardless of the measurement time, the concentration of Fe³⁺ cations was not higher than 4.5 mg×dm^-3, and the pH values were not lower than 7. In the case of W1, W2 and W5, the lowest pH values were recorded in winter, and the highest in autumn and spring. This was correlated with changes in atmospheric conditions: air temperature and cloud cover.

Conclusions. The quality of standing water in the studied area, in terms of the analysed parameters, did not differ from the general standards applied to water from natural sources and intakes. This means that the quality of selected water environment parameters should be regarded as satisfactory, and the revitalisation process carried out in the excavation site after the exploitation of dolomitic limestone in Sadowa Góra in Jaworzno can be assumed to be proceeding correctly. It has been confirmed that selected physicochemical methods can be used in the analysis of standing water quality.

Keywords: stagnant waters, physicochemical methods, pharmaceutical sciences, pollutions.

© Farm Pol, 2025, 81(2): 67–79