Charakterizace zbarvení aragonitového útvaru "Opona" ve Zbrašovských aragonitových jeskyních

The characterization of aragonite decoration "Opona" coloration in Zbrasov aragonite caves

journal article - other

Czech

The "Opona" (The curtain) formation is one of the most beautiful objects in the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves. In eighties, the color, which was original/y chalky white to glass-clear, started to change to gray and reddish brown in some parts. The main goal of th is study was the characterization of organic compounds from the "Opona" surface by mass spectrometry. For this purpose, samples of colored material were taken from several places at the "Opona" formation. Samples were extracted by organic solvent using accelerated solvent extraction and also under transmethylation conditions. Both extracts were then analyzed by capillary CG with mass spectrometric detection. Various chemical compounds were identified by this way, some of them can serve as the proof of anthropogenic activities in the cave (smoking, explosives application), and other ones are proofs of microbial activity in the samples. Unfortunately, no information concerning the coloration origin was obtained by this way. The reason probably is that the reddish color is caused by high-molecular-weight intracellular pigment, which is not amenable for GC; in this ease, application of another mass spectrometric method used for the analysis of high-molecular-weight compounds of biogenic origin (like electrospray and MALDI-TOF) would be useful

The "Opona" (The curtain) formation is one of the most beautiful objects in the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves. In eighties, the color, which was original/y chalky white to glass-clear, started to change to gray and reddish brown in some parts. The main goal of th is study was the characterization of organic compounds from the "Opona" surface by mass spectrometry. For this purpose, samples of colored material were taken from several places at the "Opona" formation. Samples were extracted by organic solvent using accelerated solvent extraction and also under transmethylation conditions. Both extracts were then analyzed by capillary CG with mass spectrometric detection. Various chemical compounds were identified by this way, some of them can serve as the proof of anthropogenic activities in the cave (smoking, explosives application), and other ones are proofs of microbial activity in the samples. Unfortunately, no information concerning the coloration origin was obtained by this way. The reason probably is that the reddish color is caused by high-molecular-weight intracellular pigment, which is not amenable for GC; in this ease, application of another mass spectrometric method used for the analysis of high-molecular-weight compounds of biogenic origin (like electrospray and MALDI-TOF) would be useful

Degradarion of aragonite decoration

MAREČKOVÁ, K.; NOVÁKOVÁ, H.; ČÁSLAVSKÝ, J.; PĚNČÍKOVÁ, H.; GERŠL, M.

11. 4. 2006

Česká speleologická společnost

Sloup

1211-8397

Speleofórum

25

Czech Republic

80

81

2