Deposits used as fertilizer bring to soil both biogens necessary for plant growth and other ingredients such as metals. including heavy metals. Knowledge of quantities and rate in which heavy metals are to be released to soil from granulates is important because of their toxic influence on plants (in the case of high metals concentration). This paper presents results of investigation of elution of Cu. Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb. and Cr from granulates prepared from municipal sewage sludge, hard coal ash and brown coal ash. Elution to water solution was carried out in static conditions with single-stage and tree-stage extraction. Heavy metal a component of sludge-ash granulates eluted in various quantities, i.e. from trace for cadmium to 9.26-9.53 mg/kg of d.m. for zinc. Among the soluble forms of metals the most mobile are (in decreasing sequence): Cu > Pb> Zn> Ni in granulates containing brown coal ash and Cu> Pb> Ni> Zn in granulates contain hard coal ash.

The problem of the migration of metal ions in the environment remains a current problem in light of the quality of obtained crops. The necessity of more and more frequent use of alternative sources of biogens in the form of waste substances, poses a threat of loading significant amounts of metals into the soil – including heavy metals harmful to human health and life. The article discusses a significant problem, namely the comparison of the results of the environmental impact of waste, obtained on the basis of legally authorized leaching tests (three-stage leaching test according to PN-EN 12457:2006), with results obtained from sequential chemical extraction (performed in 4-step chemical extraction developed and recommended in European Union countries by Communities Bureau of References – BCR). The study covered an investigation of industry fly ash from the combustion of lignite, in which Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, Na, K, Li concentrations and loads were calculated. A mobility of analyzed elements was established on this basis. From heavy metals, the highest values in fraction I were noted for nickel and copper and zinc as well as nickel were noted for fraction IV . Peaking values of electrolytic conductivity in eluates was created by high concentrations of macroelements (Na and K). These tests confirm that the leaching tests used for their application in the natural environment indicate such concentrations at the highest levels that can be obtained at the first or second stage of sequential chemical extraction, and thus their proper full environmental impact is not known.

This work presents results of the release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from granules composed of fly ashes, which are the product of hard and coal combustion and sewage sludge. 3 types of granulates by a weight ratio of ash to sludge 3:7 and 1: 1 were used. The research of PAH leaching was conducted within a simulated period of 24 months, with the examination of PAH washing out every three months. The highest amounts of PAH (297 - 330 μg/kg dw.) were obtained_from granulates containing 7 parts by weights of sewage sludge (3 times higher in comparison with the granulate containing ash and sludge in ratio of I: 1 ). The maximum PAH release from all the examined granulates took place in the 9th month of the research. Benzo(k)fluoranthene revealed the highest fraction (67.4-76.0%) of all examined compounds.