Selected Elements in the Soils Covering Mass Graves from World Wars I and II in Southeastern Poland
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This manuscript describes the concentrations of several metal compounds with P and sulfide sulfur in soils collected in mass graves from both World Wars 1 and 2. This study is interesting and shows that differences in concentrations of the nine metal compounds among the studied 18 mass graves are a combination of several factors and are hardly predictable. I think that the manuscript could be published in Minerals because falls into the scope of the journal and is original. However, I think at the same time that the manuscript could be improved.
My main comments are:
- I cannot understand how atomic absorption spectrometer was able to determine concentrations of metal sulfides, phosphides and phosphates. Normally, AAS can measure concentrations of individual metals but not directly metal compounds. For example, total Cu concentrations in soil are measureable but separate compounds like CuS not. I have never met with this in my life. This should be clearly explained in the text. Why did you not provide also the total concentrations of the studied chemical elements in the manuscript? You write about them in several parts of the manuscript but they are not anywhere given.
- It is not clear from the text, how rH index values were calculated. In geochemical literature, rH is not commonly used, therefore, I would expect to provide detailed explanation of its calculation and rationale why it was used rather than pH and Eh. In addition, it would be useful to show rH values, also pH and Eh, for the soils investigated. This is completely missing, however, they are discussed (Lines 268-281).
- It would be useful to extend Table 4 and also add maximum and minimum values of compound concentrations in mass grave soils. This will be more practical for potential readers.
- I cannot understand why „Discussion“ starts with describing the fate of selected compounds, mainly those containig P (Lines 404-413) and continues with the description of phosphate transport behaviour in soil profile. This is out of the scope of your research described in the manuscript. Yes, I agree with the statements that low calcium phosphate levels in sandy soils may relate to increased leaching of PO43- ions (Lines 465-467). Therefore, here is a more suitable space to discuss briefly the leaching behaviour of phosphates under the support of published literature.
- In Discussion, please, provide deeper explanation of the soil texture effect on the content of Ca phosphates in mass grave soils. In addition, it would be useful to compare your results with those from other places in the world although such studies are scarce, and please, discuss underlying factors that may explain existing differences and cite relevant references.
Minor comments:
Line 227 - This must be an error. 20 mg of soil collected is too low and fully not representative. It must be revised.
In several sites of the manuscript, you write "side" instead of "site". For example, in Table 2, Line 122, and Table 3.
Table 3 - explanation of "Type of coverage" and "Soil moisture" is not given as footnote below Table 3 although these parameters are shown by numbers "1" and "2".
Line 144 - this should probably "ashes" but not "asheses". Or am I wrong?
Line 164 - use "flat area" not "flat are"
Author Response
Reply to editorial comments to the manuscript by J. Żychowski “Selected chemical compounds in the soils covering mass graves from World Wars I and II in southeastern Poland” submitted to MINERALS
Reply to Review 1
Thank you for your in-depth review, which will improve the quality of the article.
I tried to take into account most of the comments. However, I cannot compare my results with others, because such research has not been conducted in the world.
I expanded the information on measurement methods. However, I am not able to specify the reagents used by the Varian company, because this is a secret. This company has a quality certificate.
Other connections at a mass grave in Rwanda are given by Amuno (2014). He also writes about the research methodology.
In this paper, I do not refer to the content of the elements in soils because it is a different, however, related problem. It will be presented in another article that will analyze more mass graves.
Reply to specific comments:
- I changed the order of some phrases and threw the fragment away.
- I wrote down and explained the soil texture related to my results.
- I also took into account the linguistic comments, for which I thank the reviewer.
- I also added literature.
I marked the corrections in work in red.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.doc
Reviewer 2 Report
This is a interesting work. the topic is original and the paper is well redacted. However, it needs revisions, specially on materials and methods. Attached you find my suggestions.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reply to editorial comments to the manuscript by J. Żychowski “Selected chemical compounds in the soils covering mass graves from World Wars I and II in southeastern Poland” submitted to MINERALS
Reply to Review 2
Thank you for the kind words about my work.
I tried to correct the manuscript or to explain the editorial work undertaken.
This is the first work of related to content of selected chemical compounds in the soils covering mass graves, which aims to understand the stages of decomposition of compounds of the human corpses under various physico-chemical conditions. Ultimately, I am going to repeat this research to assess the pace of changes over time. Knowledge of this problem can help to protect burials in cemeteries against the negative impact of various environmental conditions. In my country, this problem is distant for politicians and state, and local administration officials; for this reason, I was unable to raise funds for this research. There are also no researchers who, seeing the negative attitude of politicians to the problem, do not try to take up this topic. I tried to organize an international research team, but undertaking this research problem in many countries is also difficult on the part of politicians or very cost-intensive. I can't wait much longer with this topic. I have to try to draw attention to this problem; I'm already at retirement age. On the other hand, I am aware of the fact that the first research may set the direction for further research. Interpreting the results of my research, I tried not to jump to overly hasty conclusions that could lead to poorly substantiated hypotheses in the future.
Reply to specific comments:
- I took the sample from a depth of about 20 cm below the humus layer, if there was one. In mass graves, organic and mineral material is mixed.
- I extended the Table 4 with information on content of the selected chemical compounds, with minimum and maximum values.
- I have assigned graves from various natural environments in the area of the Sandomierz Depression and the Carpathians.
- There is a lot of information in the Table 2, and adding yet another kind of information will make this Table less clear. I will leave it to the editor's decision.
- Clustering is intended to enhance the diversity of the content, and this has been achieved. There are too many variables and a small number of graves. It is too risky to draw conclusions based on this. The mass grave in Zbylitowska Góra lies on the slope of the high terrace of the Dunajec River. There are places in the landslide after rainfall. In Przemyśl, however, the cemetery was established on a gentle slope, in the upper part of the hill. In turn, in Baligród the cemetery is located on the high terrace of the Hoczewka creek, not far from the slope. There are visible traces of human interference with the ground environment. These graves are in one of three groups. On the other hand, large burials differ significantly from other burials, e.g. in Dukla, Oświęcim, etc., regardless of the environment. This problem requires more detailed research.
Research presented in the world literature is limited to places with a small number of burials and does not concern the problem analysed in this work.
Reply to minor editorial comments:
- I corrected Figure 1.
- I used Euclidean distances which are expressed in a straight line between the clusters. They are used for quantitative variables.
- I also added literature.
I marked the corrections in work in red.
Author Response File: Author Response.doc
Reviewer 3 Report
1. No research hypothesis is presented in the introduction.
2. In the Figures No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 not presented statistical evaluation indicators.
3. The cluster analysis must be more detailed.
4. Conclusions must be more detailed.
5. "The investigations were carried out in 2002". The investigations were really conducted in 2002?
Author Response
Reply to Review 3
Thank you for your comments on the work, which will improve its quality.
I would like to emphasize that this work has a clearly defined purpose, and the statistical parameters of the contents of the selected chemical compounds analysed in soils are the basis for further interpretation. I do not agree that all scientific work must be based on hypotheses.
In my opinion, this is the first work of related to content of selected chemical compounds in the soils covering mass graves, which aims to understand the stages of decomposition of the human corpses under various physico-chemical conditions. Ultimately, I am going to repeat this research to assess the pace of changes over time. Knowledge of this problem can help to protect burials in cemeteries against the negative impact of various environmental conditions. In my country, this problem is distant for politicians and state, and local administration officials; for this reason, I was unable to raise funds for this research. There are also no researchers who, seeing the negative attitude of politicians to the problem, do not try to take up this topic. I tried to organize an international research team, but undertaking this research problem in many countries is also difficult on the part of politicians or very cost-intensive. I can't wait much longer with this topic. I have to try to draw attention to this problem; I'm already at retirement age. On the other hand, I am aware of the fact that the first research may set the direction for further research. Interpreting the results of my research, I tried not to jump to overly hasty conclusions that could lead to poorly substantiated hypotheses in the future.
Reply to specific comments:
- The statistical evaluation indicators are presented in the Table 4; two lines have been added.
- Clustering is intended to enhance the diversity of the content, and this has been achieved. There are too many variables and a small number of graves. It is too risky to draw conclusions based on this. The mass grave in Zbylitowska Góra lies on the slope of the high terrace of the Dunajec River. There are places in the landslide after rainfall. In Przemyśl, however, the cemetery was established on a gentle slope, in the upper part of the hill. In turn, in Baligród the cemetery is located on the high terrace of the Hoczewka creek, not far from the slope. There are visible traces of human interference with the ground environment. These graves are in one of three groups. On the other hand, high levels of the tested compounds, e.g. in Oświęcim and Dukla, take place in various environments. This problem requires more detailed research.
- Table 4 has been extended.
- The structure of the content of the selected compounds was shown for 4 different sites.
- Table 5 containing values of pH, Eh and rH has been added.
- The discussion of the obtained results was significantly extended.
- I also added literature.
I marked the corrections in work in red.
Author Response File: Author Response.doc
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The revised version of the manuscript is much better than the original manuscript and as such it can be now accepted for publication in the Minerals journal. The author was able to explain all possible factors, influencing the content of the monitored compounds in the soils of mass graves. It is a terrible feeling to realize what crimes one can do in the name of leader. Very sad never-ending history of human beings.
Author Response
Thank you for your review.
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper has been adequately revised. Check fig. 6, the legend seems a bit truncated below.
Author Response
Thank you for your review.
Reviewer 3 Report
No comments.
Author Response
Thank you for your review.
