ABSTRACT
The influence of the coal mining industry, especially waste landfills, on the water environment was studied at three landfills, situated in the Upper Silesia. Changes that occurred in the surface hydrographic network under the influence of waste deposition were surveyed. Special attention was paid to leachate formation focusing on their hydrographic and hydrochemical characteristics. It has been shown that leachate outflows can be point-like (concentrated), and the efficiency of individual leachates can be several L/s. Leachate waters are characterized by a high degree of mineralization. The concentrations of individual ions, mainly sulphates, are very high and exceed several thousand mg/L.
