Since the 12th century in the Silesian-Cracovian area, lead, litharge, and silver have been produced by the pyrometallurgical processing of Pb-Ag-Zn ore. Slags and soils contaminated with heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Mn, As) were the subject of this research. Samples were collected during archaeological works in the area of early medieval metallurgical settlement. The main goals of the analyses (Scanning Electron Miscroscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Electron Probe Microanalyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)) were the determination of the mineralogical composition of furnace batches and smelting temperatures and conditions. In soils, the anthropogenic phases enriched in Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, P, and primary minerals like goethite, ferrihydrite, sphalerite, galena, smithsonite, minrecordite, cerussite, gypsum, anglesite, jarosite, and hemimorphite were identified. The soil from former metallurgical settlements contained up to 1106 mg·kg⁻¹ Pb, 782 mg·kg⁻¹ Zn, 4.7 mg·kg⁻¹ Cd in the fine fraction. Much higher heavy metal concentrations were observed in the waste products of ore rinsing, up to 49,282 mg·kg⁻¹ Pb, 64,408 mg·kg⁻¹ Zn, and 287 mg·kg⁻¹ Cd. The medieval smelting industry and Pb-Ag-Zn ore processing are marked by highly anomalous geochemical pollution (Pb, Zn, Cd, Fe, Mn, Ba) in the topsoil. The methods of mineralogical investigation, such as SEM-EDS or EMPA, can be used to identify mineralogical phases formed during metallurgical processes or ore processing. Based on these methods, the characteristic primary assemblage and synthetic phases were identified in the area polluted by medieval metallurgy and mining of Pb-Ag-Zn ores, including MVT (Mississippi Valley Type) deposits. The minerals distinguished in slags and the structural features of metal-bearing aggregates allow us to conclude that batches have included mostly oxidised minerals (PbCO₃, ZnCO₃, CaZn(CO₃)₂, FeOOH), sulfides (PbS and ZnS) and quartz (SiO₂). The laboratory experiment of high-temperature heating of the examined slags showed that smelting temperatures used in the second half of 13th century were very high and could have reached up to 1550 °C. The results indicate, that geochemical and mineralogical methods can be used to obtain important information from archaeological sites, even after archaeological work has long ceased.

The study focused on the changes in vegetation and soils on an undeveloped area of coal mine spoil heaps. The process of vegetation changes was evaluated on the basis of historical cartographic materials and fieldwork. Changes of vegetation in nearly 200 years are presented herein. The main purpose of this study is to present an analysis of spatio-temporal changes in vegetation and their influence on soil features. The diversity of ecological species in terms of habitat requirements, tendency of hornbeam communities formation, and the relationship between forest communities and soil features was found. The basic soil properties were examined under selected plant communities (pH, C_org, N_t), available forms of elements (P, K, Mg), and as plant nutrients and heavy metal occurrence (Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Cd, Pb, Sr, Cr, Cu). The soil organic carbon (C_org) content varied from 3.17 ± 0.007% to 17.7 ± 0.21% and significant differences were observed between sites. The highest total nitrogen (N_t) content was recorded in the soils of the sites that were represented by Populus-Betula stands (0.60 ± 0.01%). Soil acidity (pH) varied greatly, ranging from acidic (pH = 4.1) to weakly acidic (pH = 5.9). The highest value for Mg_avail (205.43 ± 0.5 mg·kg⁻¹) was noted in the soils under Calamagrostis epegijos (L.) Roth community and for P_avail (184.07 ± 3.77) and K_avail (346.19 ± 2.92 mg·kg⁻¹) under the Quercus-Pinus stand. On all sites, Zn was a dominant element and its concentration ranged from 526.1 to 1060.4 mg·kg⁻¹. Obtained results show how important it is to study the issue of vegetation changes and the formation of the landscape within an industrial city. The described results are important for the management of urban greening issues. Human influence on the disintegration and development of the natural environment is clearly visible. Due to the diversity of former mining areas and their time of creation, the studied area is one of the most important experimental areas for the determination link between vegetation and soil.

The black locust Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a common species that originated from North America. In Europe, it is an invasive and introduced plant. Due to its low habitat requirements and ecological plasticity, this species colonizes new anthropogenically transformed areas quickly. This study investigated the chemical composition of selected tissues of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in five various habitats with different levels of anthropopression conditions in southern Poland. The presented research aimed to compare the chemical composition of black locust parts tissues (leaves, branches, and seeds) and the soil under its canopy. To determine the heavy metal contamination and enrichment in soil, the geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor, pollution load index, and potential ecological risk index were calculated. The results showed that all examined soils are considerably or very highly contaminated and the main heavy metals, which pollute the studied samples, are cadmium (1.3–3.91 ppm), lead (78.17–157.99 ppm), and zinc (129.77–543.97 ppm). Conducted research indicates that R. pseudoacacia leaves are the primary carrier of potentially toxic elements. Due to low bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values, it is clear that black locusts do not accumulate contaminants in such amounts that it would pose risk to its use in degraded area reclamation. The obtained results showed that R. pseudoacacia is able to grow in a wide range of habitats and could be applied for greening urban habitats and disturbed ecosystems caused by industry.

The mayenite group includes minerals with common formula Ca₁₂Al₁₄O_32−x(OH)_3x[W_6−3x], where W = F, Cl, OH, H₂O and x = 0–2. This distinction in the composition is associated with W site which may remain unoccupied or be occupied by negatively charged ions: OH⁻, F⁻, Cl⁻, as well as neutral molecules like H₂O. However, there is no experimental approach to easily detect or differentiate mineral species within the mayenite group. Electron micro-beam facilities with energy- or wavelength-dispersive X-ray detectors, as most common tools in mineralogy, appear to be insufficient and do not provide a definite identification, especially, of hydroxylated or hydrated phases. Some solution provides typical Raman analysis ensuring identification of minerals and 3D Raman imaging as an innovative approach to distinguish various co-existing minerals of the mayenite group within a small area of the rock sample. Raman spectroscopy has also been successfully used for a determination of water type incorporated into the mineral structure as well as for a spatial distribution of phases by cluster approach analysis and/or integrated intensity analysis of bands in the hydroxyl region. In this study, Raman technique was for the first time used to reconstruct a 3D model of mayenite group mineral zonation, as well as to determine a way of water incorporation in the structure of these minerals. Moreover, for the first time, Raman data were correlated with alterations during the mineral-forming processes and used for reconstruction of the thermal history of studied rock. As a result, the influence of combustion gases has been proposed as a crucial factor responsible for the transformation between fluormayenite and fluorkyuygenite.

Chlorellestadite (IMA2017–013), ideally Ca₅(SiO₄)_1.5(SO₄)_1.5Cl, the Cl-end member of the ellestadite group was discovered in a calcium-silicate xenolith in rhyodacite lava from the Shadil Khokh volcano, Greater Caucasus, South Ossetia. Chlorellestadite forms white, tinged with blue or green, elongate crystals up to 0.2–0.3 mm in length. Associated minerals include spurrite, larnite, chlormayenite, rondorfite, srebrodolskite, jasmundite and oldhamite. The empirical crystal chemical formula of the holotype specimen is Ca_4.99Na_0.01(SiO₄)_1.51(SO₄)_1.46(PO₄)_0.03(Cl_0.61OH_0.21F_0.11)_Σ0.93. Unit-cell parameters of chlorellestadite are: P6₃/m, a = 9.6002(2), c = 6.8692(2) Å, V = 548.27(3)ų, Z = 2. Chlorellestadite has a Mohs hardness of 4–4.5 and a calculated density of 3.091 g/cm³. The cleavage is indistinct, and the mineral shows irregular fracture. The Raman spectrum of chlorellestadite is similar to the spectra of other ellestadite group minerals, with main bands located at 267 cm⁻¹ (Ca–O vibrations), and between 471 and 630 cm⁻¹ (SiO₄⁴⁻ and SO₄²⁻ bending vibrations) and 850–1150 cm⁻¹ (SiO₄⁴⁻ and SO₄²⁻ stretching modes). Chlorellestadite forms in xenoliths of calcium-silicate composition when they are exposed to Cl-bearing volcanic exhalations at about 1000 °C under low pressure conditions.