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Passive solar design strategies for buildings are necessary for annual heating energy demand reduction. This paper presents a mathematical model for interior room temperature calculation of a building that integrates a combined passive solar system consisting of an unvented Trombe wall and a direct passive solar system for direct insolation. The model was applied to a residential building located in Niš, Serbia, which is not additionally heated by conventional fuels. Two variations of a combined passive system were taken into consideration. The first combined passive system consisted of a Trombe wall made of 0.45-m-thick concrete and the second combined passive system consisted of a 0.20-m-thick concrete Trombe wall. To calculate the complex mathematical model, depending on the size of the window opening, window slope (slanting or vertical position), and orientation of the room, two software packages were developed, RMSun and InSunTr. In addition, the indoor air temperatures of a thermally insulated residential building with an unvented Trombe wall and a direct passive solar system for different building orientations and different Trombe wall thicknesses were analyzed during the winter period between January and March. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. Analysis of air quality in Serbia indicates that the city of Niš belongs to a group of cities characterized by the third category of air quality (excessive air pollution). The aim of the study was to analyze the degree of causality between ambient air quality affected by particulate matter of 10 μm (PM10) and carbon monoxide (CO) and the incidence of respiratory diseases in preschool children in the city of Niš. Methods. We quantified the influence of higher PM10 concentrations and carbon monoxide comprising motor vehicle exhausts in the city of Niš on the occurrence of unwanted health effects in preschool children by means of the hazard quotient (HQ), individual health risk (Ri), and the probability of cancer (ICR). The methodology used was according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it included basic scientific statistical methods, compilation methods, and the relevant mathematical methods for assessing air pollution health risk, based on the use of attribute equations. Results. Measurement of ambient air pollutant concentrations in the analyzed territory for the entire monitoring duration revealed that PM10 concentrations were significantly above the allowed limits during 80% of the days. The maximum measured PM10 concentration was 191.6 μg/m³, and carbon monoxide 5.415 mg/m³. The incidence of respiratory diseases in the experimental group, with a prominent impact of polluted air was 57.17%, whereas the incidence in the control group was considerably lower, 41.10%. There were also significant differences in the distribution of certain respiratory diseases. Conclusion. In order to perform good causal analysis of air quality and health risk, it is very important to establish and develop a system for long-term monitoring, control, assessment, and prediction of air pollution. We identified the suspended PM10 and CO as ambient air pollutants causing negative health effects in the exposed preschool children population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces basic information on the geographical location, climate and solar radiation in Serbia. It focuses particularly on the air pollution in Serbia and its influence on the solar cells energy efficiency. Moreover, detailed information on the development of solar energy in Serbia and the examples of the application of the low, medium and high temperature and photovoltaic conversion of solar radiation is provided. The paper also gives an overview of the installed greater capacity solar power stations related to the electricity network and the smaller capacity solar power stations as the independent sources of electricity in Serbia. In conclusion, the paper stresses Serbia's favourite climate and other conditions for the prospective successful development of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korbevačka River is located in the southeastern part of Serbia. This river is a main recipient of all kinds of pollutants from the Pb−Zn mine “Grot.” Sediments from the Korbevačka River were studied to determine the distribution of the metals along the river, assess the quality of sediment, and find the degree of contamination. The concentration of iron, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, and barium were determined. River sediments were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentration using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The degree of pollution in the sediments of the Korbevačka River has been evaluated based on Canadian sediment quality guidelines, enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI). Inter-metal associations have been evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficients (r). The results indicated that: (1) sediments have been polluted with Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu and have high anthropogenic influences; (2) the calculation of geo-accumulation index suggests that the Korbevačka River sediments have background concentrations of Fe, Cr, and Ni (Igeo < 1); (3) the co-precipitation (inclusion, occlusion, and adsorption) of heavy metals (except As and Ba) with Mn and Fe geochemical phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring and the control of air pollution which is a consequence of the activities of district heating plants in the area of Niš have indicated that there is a cause and effect relationship between the emitted pollutants and air quality on one hand, and health risk on the other hand. The aim of this paper is to determine the correlation between district heating plants, air quality and health risk. The evidence of this connection is the hazardous health quotient and the level of total carcinogenic risk in comparison to measured immission concentration and expected immission concentrations of pollutants from district heating plants in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents the effects of the passive solar heating incorporated in an individual residential building located in Nis, brought about by the application of a passive solar system consisting of a sunspace and a thermo‐accumulative concrete wall thickness of 0.2 and 0.45 m. The building is not additionally heated by conventional fuels. A mathematical model was developed to investigate dynamic behavior of the thermo‐insulated building with attached sunspace and to investigate inner temperatures of the sunspace and of the room divided by thermo‐accumulative concrete partition wall with windows for direct collection of solar radiation. The diagrams are given for interior temperatures of the sunspace and of the room, taking into account the sunspace's various orientations: ψ = 0 ° (south‐orientated sunspace), ψ = +80° (east‐orientated sunspace), ψ = −80 °(west‐orientated sunspace). ψ stands for an angle that determines the position of the wall in relation to sunrays. The results shown in the study were derived using the mathematical model presented in the study. The highest room temperatures are achieved in the case of a thermo‐accumulative concrete wall with a thickness of 0.20 m for a south oriented building with sunspace (ψ = 0 °). This case requires the least additional heating by conventional fuels. The applied mathematical model can be used for the design and materialization of newly built buildings with attached sunspace. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13127, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]