Characterization of Eocene fossil resin from Moravia, Czech Republic: Insights into macromolecular structure.

Two pieces of studlovite - Eocene amber from Študlov (Southeast Moravia, Czech Republic) were investigated. To arrive at a more detailed description, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used. Both studlovite samples revealed signs of the same plant source, with higher polymerisation and a higher degree of maturation of the fossilized matter.

Carbon air pollution reflected in deposits on chosen building materials of Prague Castle.

Thin black surface layers or black coloured gypsum crusts can be observed on stones of many buildings and sculptures around the world. The black weathered stone and mortar surface from selected sections of the Prague Castle were studied by microscopic methods, GC/MS and pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis. Microscopically, we found an authigenic gypsum formation with an outer layer of an admixture of fine grains of quartz, clay minerals, thermally altered clay minerals, fly ash, and carbonaceous particles of natural and anthropogenic origin particularly chars, cokes, soots.