The recycling of REEs from the end of life (EoL) products, such as nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH), offers great opportunities for their supply in Europe. In the presented paper, the application of ‘green’ extractants such as citric (CA), metatartaric (TA), and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) (also with H₂O₂ addition) for the recovery of REEs was studied. The studies were conducted considering the effects of the phase contact time, the initial concentration of CA, TA, and EDDS, as well as H₂O₂, pH, and temperature. It was found that the addition of TA to the CA solution meant that higher rates of metal ion binding and, thus, leaching was observed. The optimal conditions were obtained in the system: CA-TA and H₂O₂ for the concentration 0.6M-0.3 M-2%.

The adsorption capacities of ion exchangers with N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) groups (Amberlite IRA 743, Lewatit MK 51, Purolite S110 and Purolite S108) relative to V(V) ions were tested in a batch system, taking into account the influence of various parameters, such as the adsorbent mass (0.05–0.20 g), phase contact time (1–240 min), initial concentration (10–150 mg/L), and temperature (293–333 K), as well as in a column system where the variable operating parameters were initial concentration (50, 100 mg/L), bed volume (10, 100 mL) and flow rate (0.6, 6 mL/min). Pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intraparticle diffusion and Boyd models were used to describe the kinetic studies. The best fit was obtained for the pseudo-second order model. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption models were used to describe the equilibrium data to acquire better knowledge about the adsorption mechanism. The thermodynamic parameters were also calculated, which showed that the studied processes are endothermic, spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable. The physicochemical properties of the ion exchangers were characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS). The point of zero charge (pH_PZC) was also determined.

The accuracy and precision of radiocarbon dating largely depend on the quality of sample preparation prior to measurement. Proper selection of material, identification of potential contaminants, and application of appropriate purification procedures are the basis of reliable ¹⁴ C analyses. Modern preparation laboratories not only support the process of obtaining reliable results but also play a key role in integrating the scientific community and educating future geochronologists. In 2025, a new Laboratory of Preparation for Radiocarbon Dating (LBC14) was established at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The laboratory has been adapted for the selection and purification of macroscopic organic samples, such as charcoal, wood, peat, organic sediments, macrofossils, and bone—both unburned and cremated. The protocols used are acid-base-acid (ABA), ultrafiltration, and apatite preparation, modified according to the material’s state of preservation. The paper presents the scope of the new laboratory, the procedures used, and the first results of dating performed at the AMS Laboratory at ETH Zurich. The presented initiative is an important step towards the development of ¹⁴ C research infrastructure in Poland and the construction of sustainable, interdisciplinary standards for working with dating material.