Precipitation characteristics in the open-pit limestone mining area in Celiny near Kielce

Open-cast mining in the Świętokrzyskie region has a long history, and the role of this industry in Poland and worldwide can be seen from economic, social and environmental perspectives. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of the open-cut limestone mine in Celiny, near Kielce. Total atmospheric precipitation was used for the study, along with the chemical composition and microscopic structure of particulate matter deposited on the surface of the precipitation water filters. The study showed a relatively small level of dissolved substances in the precipitation, consisting mainly of calcium compounds and ions SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and Mg²⁺. When depicted with a Quanta 250 FEI scanning electron microscope (SEM), the surface of the filters showed varying particle sizes, predominantly in the 20 – 50 μm range. Analysis using the EDAX Genesis analyser (EDS - energy-dispersive spectroscopy) showed mainly silicon and aluminium in their composition. Calcium, magnesium and iron were also present. Dust in the atmospheric air, especially in exceedingly high concentrations, can be dangerous for people and the natural environment. During the study period, no exceedances of the permissible standards for PM₁₀ dust were found, although daily values exceeded the limit of 50 μg/m³ seven times.