In the defunct Górka heading there is both a waste disposal site with an area of 6.7 ha containing approximately 600 000 m3 of waste generated in the course of aluminum oxide production and a pond with an area of 3 ha and depth ofup to 15 m containing about 400 000 m3 of effluent (leachate water). The reservoir is filled with infiltrates flowing in from the above-mentioned disposal site at a rate - 130 m3/day. The subsidence of the pond bottom and infiltration of solutions into the Triassic and Jurassic water resources, estimated at - 40 m3/day, is a cause of serious concern. The basic problem of the effluents in the Górka pond is their high alkalinity (pH 12-14) and variable pollutant content, the level of which increases with the pond's depth. The proposed solution involves pumping out and treating about 500 000 m3 of effluents retained in the Górka reservoir. The effluents would be treated in a reverse osmosis plant using a process which has so far been verified on a quarter-commercial scale. The treatment process by-product would be discharged into the Ropa stream. The brine solution (containing - 25% NaCl), would be solidified. The next stage after pumping would be the utilization of approximately 50 000 m3 of bottom slurry. Highly alkaline slurries would be utilized in the production of self-solidifying mixtures. These mixtures would be used to scal the bottom of the Górka reservoir and part of the edges of the defunct quarry, according to requirements. The next stage would involve outcropping the feed-water sources located in the northern section of the old heading to reconstruct the original flow system from the sources to the Ropa River. The excavated solid waste would be relocated into the remainder of the disposal site containing solid aluminium waste. The surface ofthc site would be scaled and then reclaimed. The final stage involves macrolcvclling of the site into an amphitheatre system, outcropping the fertile soil layer, constructing a lake and streams, and finally land reclamation of the whole site.

I n t r o d u c t i o n: Fecal calprotectin (FC) rises significantly in intestinal inflammation accompanied by neutrophil activation — such as Clostridium diffi cile infection (CDI). The aim of the study was to evaluate the benefi t of FC testing in assessing the severity of CDI.

Ma t e r i a l s a n d M e t h o d s: The study group included 76 patients with CDI hospitalized in the Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow from July 2017 till January 2018. FC levels were measured using an EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay). Demographic, clinical information and blood tests were recorded using standardized data collection forms. The selection of patients into non-severe and severe groups was carried out in accordance with the ESCMID criteria (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) and some modifications to those criteria were proposed.

R e s u l t s: The studied population included 76 patients (39 men and 37 women) with CDI aged from 24 to 98 years (mean: 72). Median calprotectin level was 739 (Q25–Q75: 612–799 μg/g), characteristic of patients with colitis. A statistically signifi cant diff erence in FC concentration in patients with severe vs non-severe CDI was observed (severe — 770 vs non-severe — 659 μg/g, p = 0.009). FC directly correlated with platelets level; however, no correlation between FC level and the blood parameters prognostic for CDI (leukocyte, neutrophil count, albumin, creatinine levels) was found.

C o n c l u s i o n: FC level is an indication of ongoing intestinal inflammation in CDI patients. FC level significantly correlated with CDI severity, which demonstrates that FC could serve as a predictive marker for assessing CDI severity.