At the Freiberg Mining Academy (Freiberg) from 20 September to 21 October 2021 a scheduled internship is being held for scientists Prof. Kovrov O.S. and Assoc. Prof. Klimkina I.I., postgraduate students Zvorygin K., Krasovsky S. and ecologists-masters of group 101m-21-1.

Currently, topics and plans for scientific research are being discussed with the project supervisor, Professor Hermann Heilmeier. Practical work is also being carried out in a specialised scientific laboratory for processing soil and plant samples using plasma spectroscopy by Shilo D. and Kulbach M. in Germany. The internship is part of the DAAD EcoMining project – the development of an integrated doctoral programme on sustainable development in mining regions (2019–2022).

Students of group 101m-21 Margarita Kulbach and Daria Shilo prepare samples of microalgae biomass obtained in experiments conducted at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection of NTU DP for ICP-MS analysis. Samples of dried Chlorella vulgaris biomass and blue-green algae are first dissolved with aqua regia (H2Oд, HCl and HNO3) and subjected to a temperature of 200oC and pressure (microwave digestion method). Then, after appropriate dilution and addition of an internal standard solution, the samples will be ready for ICP-MS analysis. The results obtained will allow us to determine the concentrations of target metals that microalgae could accumulate either in natural conditions or in experiments, and to propose appropriate technology for restoring the state of environmental objects.

Postgraduate students Serhii Krasovskyi and Kyrylo Zvorigin are conducting experimental and laboratory research at the laboratories of the Freiberg Mining Academy Technical University for three months. In the photo, they are working with soil samples, performing sequential extraction to determine the mobile forms of heavy metals. First, they treat the soil samples with ammonium acetate solution (pH 7), then with ammonium acetate solution with citric acid (pH 4), and after appropriate dilution, the extracts will be analysed for heavy metal content using the ICP-MS method.