Drying is an inseparable part of industrial microalgae production. In this work, the impacts of eight different drying methods on the metabolome and lipidome of Arthrospira platensis were investigated. The studied drying methods were freeze drying (FD), sun drying (SD), air drying at 40 and 75 °C (AD′ and AD″), infrared drying at 40 and 75 °C (IRD′ and IRD″), and vacuum drying at 40 and 75 °C (VD′ and VD″). Results gathered by reversed-phase liquid chromatography separation coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (RP-LC-ESI-Orbitrap HRMS/MS) analysis allowed researchers to identify a total of 316 metabolites (including lipids) in aqueous and ethanolic extracts. The compounds identified in ethanolic extracts were mainly lipids, such as neutral and polar lipids, chlorophylls and carotenoids, while the compounds identified in the aqueous extracts were mainly amino acids and dipeptides. Among the identified compounds, products of enzymatic and chemical degradation, such as pyropheophytins, monoacylglycerols and lysophosphatidylcholines were also identified and their amounts depended on the drying method. The results showed that except for FD method, recognized as a control, the most protective method was AD′. Contrary to this, VD′ and VD″, under the conditions used, promoted the most intense degradation of valuable metabolites.

Global warming results in increasingly widespread wildfires, mostly in Siberia, but also in North America and Europe, which are responsible for the uncontrollable emission of pollutants, also to the High Arctic region. This study examines 11 samples of rainfall collected in August in a coastal area of southern Bellsund (Svalbard, Norway). It covers detailed analysis of major ions (i.e., Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻) and elements (i.e., Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) to Hybrid Single-Particle Langrarian Integrated Trajectory( HYSPLIT) backward air mass trajectories. The research of wildfires, volcanic activities, and dust storms in the Northern Hemisphere has permitted the assessment of their relations to the fluctuations and origins of elements. We distinguished at least 2 days (27 and 28 August) with evident influence of volcanic activity in the Aleutian and Kuril–Kamchatka trenches. Volcanic activity was also observed in the case of the Siberian wildfires, as confirmed by air mass trajectories. Based on the presence of non-sea K (nsK), non-sea sulphates (nss), and Ca (the soil factor of burned areas), the continuous influence of wildfires on rainfall chemistry was also found. Moreover, dust storms in Eurasia were mainly responsible for the transport of Zn, Pb, and Cd to Svalbard. Global warming may lead to the increased deposition of mixed-origin pollutants in the summer season in the Arctic.

Permafrost is rapidly degrading in the sporadic zone, including palsa mires in Scandinavia. Peatlands in the area have likely accumulated heavy metals from atmospheric deposition of industrial contaminants in the wider region. As the palsa mire chemical composition is not well known, and in other permafrost regions the permafrost thaw may contribute elevated heavy metal concentrations in surface waters, we hypothesized that palsa mires may act as a source of inorganic input to the local aquatic environment. We verified this hypothesis in a short‐term study of water and sediment composition in the area of Skalluvaara palsa mire in northern Finland. During a time of likely palsas thaw, we compared the physical and chemical parameters in the collected water and aquatic sediment samples from the Skalluvaara palsa mire and its drainage to other streams, rivers, and lakes (in the area facing Varanger Fjord that is, the Jääräjoki‐Nuorgam area). The determined levels of water temperature, conductivity, pH, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), and isotope ratios (δ ¹⁷ O, δ ¹⁸ O, and δ ² H), and the elemental and ionic concentrations, total organic carbon (TOC), and chlorophyll a concentration showed clear differences for objects related to the Skalluvaara palsa mire and outside of it, as revealed in the principal component analysis (PCA). In particular, elevated rock weathering indices and anomalous concentrations of Ni, Zn, and Hg were found in these aquatic environments. However, the highest concentrations of several metals and metalloids, including heavy metals, were found in the water not impacted by palsa mires, and their concentrations correlated with TOC concentrations. We conclude that other sources are more important inorganic inputs in the area, and it may be possibly connected to the erosion of peat or soil, which requires further investigation.

The global spread of glyphosate (GLY) via agricultural runoff poses a significant threat to ecosystems, human health, and the environment, underscoring the need for sustainable agricultural practices. A comprehensive study on glyphosate contamination in runoff water, flowing surface waters, groundwater-influenced, and stagnant water samples was conducted from 2019 to 2021, across a diverse range of landscape types and environmental zones. This research constitutes a novel contribution to the field, focused on several distinct regions, including agricultural regions, tourist zones, and ecologically sensitive areas, including the Beka Natura Reserve, Natura 2000 sites and the Coastal Landscape Park in Poland. Glyphosate residues, with a maximum concentration range of 43.0–8406 ng/L, were detected in 63.5% of water samples collected from protected and unprotected areas. Glyphosate concentrations in water at high-tourism areas were highest in runoff samples from recreational and protected areas, including the Czarna Wda River in Ostrowo (512 ± 9.91 ng/L). Investigated water samples showed target hazard quotient values for glyphosate < 1, indicating no human health risk, and risk quotient values for GLY < 0.1, indicating a low ecotoxicological risk. The presented study is aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aiming to contribute to global sustainability goals.