This study aims to collect information about soil investigation by FTIR. As we know, the FTIR technique is most often used in organic and bioorganic chemistry, while in geochemistry FTIR spectroscopy is not used very often. Therefore, there is a problem with the identification and interpretation of the IR spectra of minerals contained in sediments and soils. The reason for this is a deficiency of data about characteristic wavenumbers for minerals. Therefore, this study reviews and sums up, in one place, published articles that are connected to an investigation of minerals from 2002 to 2021 (based on the Scopus database). Additionally, the present review highlights various analytical techniques (ATR-FTIR, DRIFT, 2D-IR, and SR-FTIR) and discusses some of them for geochemical study. Additionally, the study describes helpful tools in the data pre-processing of IR spectra (normalization, baseline correction, and spectral derivatives).

The aim of the study was to investigate the antioxidant properties, phenolic and flavonoid contents and composition and content of ascorbic acid in Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii enriched simultaneously with selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn). Non-enriched mushrooms contained Se and Zn at the level as in the most popular mushrooms. The total phenolic content (TPC) for non-enriched P. ostreatus and P. eryngii was 9.64 ± 0.33 and 7.91 ± 1.02 mg/g of extract, the total flavonoid content was 2.11 ± 0.19 and 1.26 ± 0.17 mg/g of extract, and ascorbic acid content ranged from 10.28 ± 0.39 to 16.64 ± 0.47 mg/100 g DW, respectively. Methanolic extracts contained 4-hydroxybenzoic, ferulic, p-coumaric, protocatechuic, t-cinnamic and vanillic acids and naringenin. In methanolic extract of P. eryngii, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid was also quantified. The correlation between the TPC and antioxidant activity in mushroom was confirmed. Additionally, the correlations between Zn and Se concentration in fruiting bodies and EC₅₀ value and phenolic compounds were confirmed. Our results with simultaneous supplementation with Zn and Se provide the opportunity to increase the content of the elements in fruiting bodies and to improve antioxidant properties and antioxidant contents in enriched mushrooms. Additionally, the obtained results demonstrated that simultaneous enrichment with micronutrients with a contrary effect on antioxidant properties can activate synthesis of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid. The investigation is the first study evaluating the effect of addition of two elements to the substrate at the same time on antioxidant properties of mushrooms.

Urbanization can considerably affect water reservoirs by, inter alia, input, and accumulation of contaminants including metals. Located in the course of River Cybina, Maltański Reservoir (Western Poland) is an artificial shallow water body built for recreation and sport purposes which undergoes restoration treatment (drainage) every 4 years. In the present study, we demonstrate an accumulation of nine metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in water, sediment, three bivalve species (Anodonta anatina, Anodonta cygnea, Unio tumidus), and macrophyte Phragmites australis collected before complete drainage in November 2012. The mean concentrations of metals in the sediment, bivalves, and P. australis (roots and leaves) decreased in the following order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd. A considerably higher bioconcentration of metals was observed in samples collected from the western and southern sites which undergo a higher degree of human impact. Sediments were found to be a better indicator of metal contamination than water samples. Interspecific differences in levels of metal accumulation were found between investigated unionids. U. tumidus accumulated higher levels of Cr, positively correlated with ambient concentrations, predisposing this species as a potential bioindicator of this metal in aquatic environments. On the other hand, species of Anodonta genus demonstrated higher accumulation of Cu and Cd. Positive correlations were found between Pb content in the sediments and tissues of all three bivalve species. In P. australis, metals were largely retained in roots except for Cd and Pb for which higher concentrations were found in leaves suggesting additional absorption of these metals from aerial sources. P. australis and bivalve from the Maltański Reservoir may be a potential source of toxic metals for animals feeding upon them and contribute to further contamination in the food chain.

Cryoconite is a mixture of mineral and organic material covering glacial ice, playing important roles in biogeochemical cycles and lowering the albedo of a glacier surface. Understanding the differences in structure of cryoconite across the globe can be important in recognizing past and future changes in supraglacial environments and ice-organisms-minerals interactions. Despite the worldwide distribution and over a century of studies, the basic characteristics of cryoconite, including its forms and geochemistry, remain poorly studied. The major purpose of our study is the presentation and description of morphological diversity, chemical and photoautotrophs composition, and organic matter content of cryoconite sampled from 33 polar and mountain glaciers around the globe. Observations revealed that cryoconite is represented by various morphologies including loose and granular forms. Granular cryoconite includes smooth, rounded, or irregularly shaped forms; with some having their surfaces covered by cyanobacteria filaments. The occurrence of granules increased with the organic matter content in cryoconite. Moreover, a major driver of cryoconite colouring was the concentration of organic matter and its interplay with minerals. The structure of cyanobacteria and algae communities in cryoconite differs between glaciers, but representatives of cyanobacteria families Pseudanabaenaceae and Phormidiaceae, and algae families Mesotaeniaceae and Ulotrichaceae were the most common. The most of detected cyanobacterial taxa are known to produce polymeric substances (EPS) that may cement granules. Organic matter content in cryoconite varied between glaciers, ranging from 1% to 38%. The geochemistry of all the investigated samples reflected local sediment sources, except of highly concentrated Pb and Hg in cryoconite collected from European glaciers near industrialized regions, corroborating cryoconite as element-specific collector and potential environmental indicator of anthropogenic activity. Our work supports a notion that cryoconite may be more than just simple sediment and instead exhibits complex structure with relevance for biodiversity and the functioning of glacial ecosystems.