Department of Geochemistry

 The focus of the Department of Geochemistry results from its interdisciplinary position as an integrating link between the geological and environmental sections of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University. The aim is geochemical research of the abiotic natural environment in terms of geochemistry, endogenous processes or environmental geochemistry and education of experts. The pedagogical focus of the department is focused on university teaching of geochemistry in its broad sense in the context of other components of the environment. With a wide range of basic profile and elective subjects, the Department enables the education of broadly oriented experts who are able to solve problems of the relationship between living and inanimate nature. In addition to knowledge of geological and geochemical subjects, students also gain knowledge of biological, geographical and ecological fields.

The scientific research work of the department is focused on geochemistry of the environment. The object of study is the environment of weathering, soils, water, waste dumps and sludge ponds associated with mining activities, study and evaluation of old environmental burdens, study of anthropogenic sediments (power plant ashes, sludge ponds after mineral processing), behavior of pesticides in soils and sediments and medical geochemistry. The monitored issue includes questions related to individual spheres of the environment: e.g. potentially toxic elements in soils, behavior of potentially toxic elements in treatment processes, heaps, sludge ponds, water quality, hydrogeochemistry of groundwater, impact of fertilizer application, pollution of surface streams by mining waters, study of the influence of organic matter on element migration.

Attention is also paid to endogenous geochemistry, which has dominated the history of the department so far. The study is focused on the exact reconstruction of the geodynamic environment and conditions of rock formation and their potential oreliferous activity using geochemistry of trace elements, typology and study of petrophysical characteristics.