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University of Silesia in Katowice

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Team

ULAC DIRECTOR

Dr hab. Mariola Jabłońska, prof. UŚ. Fot. B. Smieja-Król

MARIOLA JABŁOŃSKA, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY LABORATORIES
FOR ATMOSPHERE CONTROL

e-mail: mariola.jablonska@us.edu.pl

Co-organiser of the first Polish Overhead Mobile Laboratory placed in the basket of a manned hot-air balloon for interdisciplinary research on atmospheric pollution. Currently the Director of the University Laboratories for Atmosphere Control (ULAC).

Responsible for equipping the laboratory with equipment that enables conducting interdisciplinary research of the atmosphere.

She conducts studies of mineral, phase and chemical composition of particulates in the atmosphere.

Research interests:

research in the field of environmental and medical mineralogy, with a particular focus on the mineralogy of particulates in the human pulmonary tissue. Research in the field of geochemistry and environmental mineralogy using SEM and TEM electron microscopy methods.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH EMPLOYEES COOPERATING WITH ULAC

Dr hab. Stanisław Duber, prof. UŚ

STANISŁAW DUBER, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: stanislaw.duber@us.edu.pl

He conducts research in the fields of physics and environmental physics. He focuses on the analysis of particulate pollutants using an XRF spectrometer.

He conducts studies on the structure of different forms of natural coal (hard coal, anthracite and graphite), as well as synthetic coal materials (active carbon, glassy carbon, carbon foam, carbon nanotubes), including examination of the structure of technical soot and soot in the atmosphere.

The scientific activity also includes research commissioned by the carbon and graphite material industry.

Prof. dr hab. Monika Fabiańska, prof. UŚ

Prof. MONIKA FABIAŃSKA

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: monika.fabianska@us.edu.pl

A chemist by education, an expert in the field of environmental organic geochemistry.

She conducts research in the field of organic geochemistry of atmospheric particulates.

Interests: organic geochemistry, depositional organic matter, fossil fuels, environmental protection in the context of fossil fuel utilisation and waste storage.

Specialist in the use of GC-MS methods and interpretation of analyses in environmental research.

Prof. dr hab. Janusz Janeczek

Prof. JANUSZ JANECZEK

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: janusz.janeczek@us.edu.pl

A co-organiser of the first Polish Overhead Mobile Laboratory placed in the basket of a manned hot-air balloon for interdisciplinary research on atmospheric pollution.

He conducts research on the mineral and phase composition of atmospheric particulate pollutants and their spatial dispersion, including the identification of sources of atmospheric pollution and the role of air particulates in the mineralisation of human lungs.

He has conducted mineralogical and geochemical research on natural nuclear reactors with a particular focus on uranium minerals and the migration of radioactive elements.

He focuses on different problems of mineralogy, including environmental mineralogy.

dr hab. Mirosław Nakonieczny, prof. UŚ

MIROSŁAW NAKONIECZNY, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: miroslaw.nakonieczny@us.edu.pl

A co-organiser of the first Polish Overhead Mobile Laboratory placed in the basket of a manned hot-air balloon for interdisciplinary research on atmospheric pollution.

A biologist, whose scientific specialisation is the physiology of animals and ecotoxicology.

His research interests include:

  • environmental stress (mainly environmental pollution with metals), as well as physiological and biochemical processes in invertebrates, mainly insects;
  • the phenomenon of multi-stress and its impact on living organisms (insects as the research model, with particular use of honeybee);
  • host plant–herbivore relationship using insects as a research model;
  • structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract of insects with particular focus on microbiome;
  • active species-specific protection of invertebrates using physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology methods;
  • problems of sustainable development.

 

Text from the website: usosweb.us.edu.pl.

dr Piotr Siupka

PIOTR SIUPKA, PhD

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: piotr.siupka@us.edu.pl

A biologist and microbiologist. He conducts research ranging from microbiological characteristics of hard coal environments, through mechanisms of adaptation of microorganisms for life in such environments, to determination of the potential of using microorganisms from such environments.

He was the first person in Poland to use a μCoriolis air particle sampler for collecting microbiological samples in the air using an overhead mobile laboratory placed in a manned hot-air balloon.

Interests:

  • microbiology of environments related to hard coal
  • microorganisms in air pollutants and their migration in the environment,
  • use of microbiology in new technologies,
  • discovering new bacteria strains and the possibility of their practical application (e.g., the discovery of a new strain of actinobacteria in soot).

 Dr hab. Beata Smieja-Król, prof. UŚ

BEATA SMIEJA-KRÓL, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: beata.smieja-krol@us.edu.pl

She conducts research in the field of mineralogy and environmental geochemistry.

Research interests:

  • deposition of geogenic and anthropogenic dust in peat bogs in Poland and around the world,
  • use of non-organic particles for the determination of dust sources and as industrial activity markers,
  • biogeochemistry of trace elements,
  • biogenic metal sulphides,
  • use of SEM and TEM electron microscopy methods, and XRF spectroscopy in environmental research.

Dr hab. Danuta Smołka-Danielowska, prof. UŚ

DANUTA SMOŁKA-DANIELOWSKA, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: danuta.smolka-danielowska@us.edu.pl

She conducts research in the field of environmental geochemistry and applied mineralogy.

Research interests:

  • inorganic environmental geochemistry,
  • particulate biogeochemistry,
  • analysis of potentially toxic and rare earth elements in industrial waste, slag and ash from the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass,
  • radioactive and rare earth minerals in produced ash,
    in the hard coal combustion process, taking into consideration different technology regimes.

Specialist in the field of application of geochemical analysis methods for examination of environmental samples.

mgr inż. Mirosław Szczyrba (fot. B. Smieja-Król)

MIROSŁAW SZCZYRBA, MSc Eng.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

e-mail: miroslaw.szczyrba@us.edu.pl

A specialist in the field of operating mobile equipment of overhead mobile laboratory placed in the hot-air balloon basket, and field laboratory using an off-road vehicle.

Research interests:

  • atmospheric particulate pollution in the mountainous areas of southern Poland,
  • electron microscopy and phase analysis methods with the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
  • application of technical solutions enabling connecting equipment in mobile laboratories.

ULAC BALLOON CREW

dr inż. Witold Filus

WITOLD FILUS, PhD Eng.

PILOT – CAPTAIN

 

A pilot of PLL LOT – captain of Embraer aircrafts, balloon, glider and aircraft instructor, academic at the Silesian University of Technology, multiple Polish champion in balloon competitions, coach of the sports national balloon team, co-organiser and sports director of international balloon competitions in Krosno and Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska.

Certified to fly a hot-air balloon (full scope), examiner at the Civil Aviation Department.

mgr inż. Tomasz Filus

TOMASZ FILUS, MSc Eng.

PILOT

 

An Embraer PLL LOT airliner pilot. Multiple Polish champion and the world vice-champion in hot-air balloon competitions.

Certified to fly a hot-air balloon (full scope).

mgr inż. Krzysztof Korepta

KRZYSZTOF KOREPTA, MSc Eng.

RESERVE PILOT 

 

An academic at the Kraków University of Technology.

Authorised to fly a hot-air balloon (full scope).

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