In industrial composting, a large scale of technological processes and devices is used which, to a certain extent, influence also the quality and characteristics of final substrates. Composts are, on the basis of the existing legislation, compared from the point of view of content of hazardous elements, qualitative characteristics, content and quality of humic substances, their impact on germination capacity and the subsequent growth of plants.

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The area of Sedem Žien tailing pond and the nearby Šobov hydroquartzite quarry affected by mining activity were investigated by geochemical and mineralogical methods to determine the contaminating chemical compounds and study their availability. Degradation of the hydrothermal base mineralisation (galena, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite) and of fine-grained pyrite oxidation, which forms impregnations in hydroquartzite produce Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The area is acidified and the country components (soil, rock, water) are contaminated mainly by Pb, Zn and Fe. The tailing pond dam forming soils show acid pH (2.28–3.25), whereas the soil on the tailing pond surface is close neutral pH (7.26). The leaching availability of the metals from the soil is up to 75%. The AMD from the hydroquartzite quarry is in comparison with those percolating the tailing pond sediments very acid (pH 2.71) and contains high concentration of metals (Fe 311 mg.L-1, Zn 1690 µg.L-1, Cu 890 µg.L-1, Pb 126 µg.L-1).

This study deals with the issue of copper separation from acidic etching solutions formed during the process of production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the electrical and electronic industries. The article describes the selected methods of copper separation and summarizes the results of an experiment, in which the efficiency of copper recovery from the depleted acid solutions by the cementation and precipitation method was verified. In the process of cementation, iron in the form of metallic swarf was used as a precipitant. To verify the efficiency of the precipitation method, CaCO3 limestone, Ca(OH)2 calcium hydroxide and NaOH solution were used. During the measurement, the amount of Cu in the solution was observed for both methods in dependence on time, temperature, and pH.

Within the Poodří nature reserve and the Odra River old parallel channel, Slaňáky, various forms of phosphorus were investigated due to increased high concentrations of total phosphorus (Ptot) in the surface water. Surface water samples were subjected to chemical analyses using absorption spectrophotometry (Ptot and P-PO43- ) and accompanying parameters (t, O2, pH, Cond, TSS ) were measured. Next, grain size analysis of the sediment and sediment analyses using X-ray fluorescence were carried out (P, Fe, Al, Ca, Si, K, Mn, S, etc.). The seasonality of Ptot concentrations in the water was not confirmed, the reservoir behaved as a pool. The concentrations of the dissolved inorganic form P- PO43- were low when compared to Ptot, thus suspended phosphorus prevailed. This may be related to the low depth of the given water body, where stratification does not occur in contrast to deep water bodies. However, sediment resuspension is frequent, and phosphorus largely accumulates. The concentrations of Ptot in the sediment ranged around 4900 mg/kg, where the inorganic form prevailed (87.24 – 93.73 %) over the organic (6.27 – 12.76 %). At the same time, the sediment samples were abundant for sand fractions (2 – 0.03 mm), 47.86 – 60.89 %, and finest silt and clay (< 0.063 mm), 33.07 – 44.60 %.