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Mercury (Hg) and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are components of household dust and are a risk for human health. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Hg and PTEs in household dust in individual housing facilities in the town of Šid, Serbia and their correlation to the content of the elements found in the surrounding garden soil. Total of 64 samples of household dust were collected from 16 locations of individual housing facilities on 4 occasions. Samples of surrounding yard and garden soil were simultaneously collected. None of the 64 analysed soil samples exceeded the threshold limit (TL) prescribed by law for non-agricultural soil, which is 0.3 mg kg-1 DM. Content of Hg in household dust was much higher than in the surrounding soil and ranged from 0.005 to 1.566 mg kg-1 DM. The resulting values of PTEs (As, B, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in household dust had a significantly higher range than in the soil. Contents of Hg, B, Cu, and Zn were much higher in household dust than in the soil. According to the results of correlations of the analysed elements in household dust and surrounding soil, and according to the analysed locations, direct effect of Hg and PTEs contents on the content of the same elements in household dust was not confirmed.

The optimal conditions for the extraction of eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined using 32 factorial design of experiments (DOE). The independent variables were coded at three levels and their actual values were selected on the basis of the preliminary experimental results. DOE consisted of nine runs with three replicates at the central point. A second-order polynomial model was used for predicting the response. After the optimization of the duration of extraction, the ratio of solvents and purification and instrumental parameters, the optimized conditions were applied on the samples taken from the surface layer of soil from 24 potentially contaminated locations (landfills, ex marshalling yard, dump of secondary raw materials and automotive waste). The gas chromatographic analysis with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) was used for the determination of PBDEs. The recovery values of BDE congeners at five concentration levels ranged between 80% and 115%. The total PBDEs concentrations ranged from 4.4 to 729 μg kg-1 of absolutely dry soil. The suitability of the experiment was proved by comparing the experimental and predicted values of the variable parameters. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III 43010 and Grant no. 17619]

Paper provided the systematic data on the distribution and risk assess­ment status of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediment of the Tisza River (Serbia). The α-HCH, endrin ketone and methoxychlor are the most commonly found OCPs compounds. According to Serbian regulation concentrations of dieldrin, α-HCH, β-HCH and heptachlor were below limit values. In the Tisza River, sediment samples concentrations of aldrin, endrin, γ-HCH, endosulfans, heptachlor epoxide, p,p’-DDD, p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDT were above limit values but below maximum concentration. Adverse effects are expected occasionally and slight potential health risks may exist to organisms based on the sediment quality guidelines. Upon exposure to organochlorine pesticides through non-dietary routes, results reported no potential cancer risk. The highest risk of cancer was through ingestion of contaminated sediments and minimal through inhalation routes. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176006, Grant no. 176019 and Grant no. 43010]