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In this paper, a novel sycamore maple seeds based activated carbon was synthesized, characterized and examined for sorption of atenolol from aqueous solutions. This low cost sorbent with great regeneration ability is shown to be a good option for fast uptake of atenolol in high extent due to its significant reactivity and developed mesoporous structure. For interpretation of the equilibrium data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models were considered. All the models exhibited high fitting coefficients of determination with a contrasting vast deviation of estimated values for maximum sorption capacity towards experimental value of 93.71 mg/g. Considering kinetics, the pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order models, Elovich model, and the intraparticle diffusion model were employed for testing the experimental data. The process was shown to be fast with the greatest uptake extent in the initial 40 min from beginning of the process while equilibrium was attained after 2 h. Strong impacts of suspension pH, temperatures and sorbent dosage on the process were evidenced.

Groundwater serves as the primary source of drinking and agricultural water. Therefore, it is vital to ensure clean water supply to people. However, recently, anthropogenic activities led to groundwater degradation worldwide [1,2]. Activities related to thermal power plants, including coal fly ash and wastewater disposal, are one of them. Coal fly ash is known to contain significant amounts of contaminants, such as rare earth elements (REEs). Inadequate management of coal fly ash landfills may lead to the leaching of REEs from ash into groundwater, which can have a harmful effect on human health [3,4]. This study investigated both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk posed by REEs in groundwater near the larges thermal power plant in Serbia, namely Nikola Tesla power plant. A total number of sixteen samples were collected and analysed for sixteen REEs, including lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), scandium (Sc), and yttrium (Y). The study encompassed both adults and children as population groups, examining ingestion and dermal pathways as primary exposure routes. Non-carcinogenic risk for adults (HIa) was in the range of 1.1 × 10−4 – 1.4 × 10−4, averaging 5.2 × 10−4. Moreover, non-carcinogenic risk for children (HIc) ranged from 1.6 × 10−4 to 2.0 × 10−3, with an average value of 7.6 × 10−4. Children were more susceptible to non-carcinogenic risk compared to adults. Such results can be explained by the lower body weight of the children. None of the samples exceeded the threshold of 1 regarding both groups, suggesting negligible non-carcinogenic risk. Carcinogenic risks for adults (ILCRa) and children (ILCRc) were in the range of 2.0 × 10−18 – 2.7 × 10−17 and 8.1 × 10−18 – 1.0 × 10−17, with average values of 9.8 × 10−18 and 3.9 × 10−18, respectively. Adults were more prone to carcinog

Groundwater contamination was studied at several hotspot sites in the Majdanpek copper mining area (Serbia). These sites include a milling facility, a metallurgical wastewater treatment plant, a heavy vehicle service area, and a waste disposal site. In addition to Cu, high concentrations of As and heavy metals (Cd and Pb) were detected in groundwater and soil at the same sampling points. Mining operations and heavy vehicle transport activities have been identified as the main sources of pollution. The migration of metals from soil to groundwater, expressed as a concentration ratio, were the highest for Co and the lowest for Mn. The environmental implications of groundwater pollution were studied using the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), Nemerov pollution index (NPI), hazard index (HI), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). HPI and NPI show the high potential of groundwater to have adverse environmental effects. HPI ranges in the following descending order of metals: Cd > Pb > As > Mn > Ni > Cr > Hg > Cu > Zn. NPI exceeds the threshold of 0.7 in 66.7% of the samples. Potential human exposure to the studied groundwater may cause severe health problems in adults, with HI ranging from 0.61 to 5.45 and ILCR from 1.72 × 10−4 to 1.27 × 10−3. Children were more susceptible to non-carcinogenic risk than adults, with HI ranging from 0.95 to 8.27. However, the results indicated that children were less prone to carcinogenic risks, with ILCR ranging from 5.35 × 10−5 to 3.98 × 10−4. Arsenic is the most contributing element to both risks. This research imposes the need for enhanced groundwater monitoring at hotspots in the mining area and the adoption of remediation plans and measures.

In this study, we investigated the levels of macro, minor, and trace elements in roasted ground and instant coffees (n = 56). We assessed dietary mineral intake and health risks associated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.13 µg/kg for Be to 3.7 mg/kg for K, with corresponding limits of quantification (LOQ) at 0.43 µg/kg and 12.2 mg/kg. The recovery values (R%) ranged from 89 to 107%. The most abundant element was K, followed by Mg, Ca, and Na. Other elements followed this order: Fe > Mn > B > Cu > Sr > Zn > Al > Ba > Ni > Cr > Co > Se > Sn > Pb > Li > Ag > V > As > Cd > Hg > Be. Instant coffees generally exhibited higher K, Mg, and Na levels than ground-roasted coffees. Notably, Hg, Li, and Se were not detected in 34, 2, and 1 samples, respectively. Coffee samples were generally a good source of dietary elements such as Cu, Mn, Cr, and Se. The PTEs found in coffee products posed negligible risks to human health. The total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) remained below 1, and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) did not exceed the threshold of 1 × 10–6. Nevertheless, coffee consumption contributed to Pb and As levels below 15% of the benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) values, and Sn, Hg, and Cd levels below 0.90% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI).

In this paper, a novel sycamore maple seeds based activated carbon was synthesized, characterized and examined for sorption of atenolol from aqueous solutions. This low cost sorbent with great regeneration ability is shown to be a good option for fast uptake of atenolol in high extent due to its significant reactivity and developed mesoporous structure. For interpretation of the equilibrium data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models were considered. All the models exhibited high fitting coefficients of determination with a contrasting vast deviation of estimated values for maximum sorption capacity towards experimental value of 93.71 mg/g. Considering kinetics, the pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order models, Elovich model, and the intraparticle diffusion model were employed for testing the experimental data. The process was shown to be fast with the greatest uptake extent in the initial 40 min from beginning of the process while equilibrium was attained after 2 h. Strong impacts of suspension pH, temperatures and sorbent dosage on the process were evidenced.

This study evaluated the occurrence, spatial distribution, source, and ecological risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the sediment of an urban shallow lake in a mid-sized city. The ecological risk indices, enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated high enrichment and contamination with Cd and moderate enrichment with Ni and Hg, while the potential risk index (RI) showed a moderate ecological risk. The mean contributions of individual PTE species to the total risk were in the following order: Cd > Hg > Ni > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn. The sediment quality guideline (SQG) indices revealed that biological effects might occur occasionally due to the Cd and Ni contamination and a low or relatively insignificant risk of adverse biological effects from other PTEs. There were moderate to strong positive inter-metal relationships that suggested their common sources. The primary source responsible for elevated PTE concentrations was the traffic-related discharge. The main contributors to ecological risks were Cd and Ni. These findings highlight the importance of paying attention to the ecological environment of urban shallow lakes, which are particularly sensitive to their surroundings.

The degradation of sediments in urban environments worldwide is driven by population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, highlighting the need for thorough quality assessment and management strategies. As a result of these anthropogenic activities, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene (BTEXS) are persistently released into the environment, polluting sediment. This study employed self-organizing maps (SOMs), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-oriented health risks to comprehensively investigate sediment in an urban shallow lake in a mid-sized city in central Serbia. The results indicated a mean ∑BTEXS concentration of 225 µg/kg, with toluene as the dominant congener, followed by m,p-xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and styrene. Three contamination sources were identified: waste solvents and plastic waste due to intensive recreational activities, and vehicle exhaust from heavy traffic surrounding the lake. Both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were below the permissible limits. However, children were more susceptible to health risks. Benzene from vehicle exhaust is the most responsible for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in both population groups. The results of this study can help researchers to find a suitable perspective on the dynamics and impacts of BTEXS in lake sediments.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as materials with determined levels of selectivity and specificity for designated analytes have recently gained much attention in various application fields. However, with the growing adoption of green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles, it is essential to investigate the greenness of MIP synthesis and its subsequent application in sample preparation, as well as to evaluate the "green"nature of the developed analytical methodologies, such as dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME). Accordingly, the main objective of this research was to evaluate the greenness of MIP-based glycidyl methacrylate synthesis and MIP use as a DSPME sorbent prior to high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The green perspective of MIP-DSPME prior to HPLC-MS was investigated using various analytical metric tools such as the Analytical Eco-Scale, the Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE). Since these analytical tools are not fully implementable for the assessment of the greenness of the MIP synthesis, some alternative approaches were used to optimize the synthesis parameters to make the MIP DSPME sorbent as close as possible to the GAC principles. The calculated AGREE score (0.62) and 91 points in the Analytical Eco-Scale for the proposed DSPME technique using MIP indicated a high level of greenness.

The degradation of sediments in urban environments worldwide is driven by population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, highlighting the need for thorough quality assessment and management strategies. As a result of these anthropogenic activities, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene (BTEXS) are persistently released into the environment, polluting sediment. This study employed self-organizing maps (SOMs), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-oriented health risks to comprehensively investigate sediment in an urban shallow lake in a mid-sized city in central Serbia. The results indicated a mean ∑BTEXS concentration of 225 µg/kg, with toluene as the dominant congener, followed by m,p-xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and styrene. Three contamination sources were identified: waste solvents and plastic waste due to intensive recreational activities, and vehicle exhaust from heavy traffic surrounding the lake. Both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were below the permissible limits. However, children were more susceptible to health risks. Benzene from vehicle exhaust is the most responsible for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in both population groups. The results of this study can help researchers to find a suitable perspective on the dynamics and impacts of BTEXS in lake sediments.

The degradation of sediments in urban environments worldwide is driven by population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, highlighting the need for thorough quality assessment and management strategies. As a result of these anthropogenic activities, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene (BTEXS) are persistently released into the environment, polluting sediment. This study employed self-organizing maps (SOMs), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-oriented health risks to comprehensively investigate sediment in an urban shallow lake in a mid-sized city in central Serbia. The results indicated a mean ∑BTEXS concentration of 225 µg/kg, with toluene as the dominant congener, followed by m,p-xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and styrene. Three contamination sources were identified: waste solvents and plastic waste due to intensive recreational activities, and vehicle exhaust from heavy traffic surrounding the lake. Both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were below the permissible limits. However, children were more susceptible to health risks. Benzene from vehicle exhaust is the most responsible for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in both population groups. The results of this study can help researchers to find a suitable perspective on the dynamics and impacts of BTEXS in lake sediments.

In this study, we investigated the levels of macro, minor, and trace elements in roasted ground and instant coffees (n = 56). We assessed dietary mineral intake and health risks associated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.13 µg/kg for Be to 3.7 mg/kg for K, with corresponding limits of quantification (LOQ) at 0.43 µg/kg and 12.2 mg/kg. The recovery values (R%) ranged from 89 to 107%. The most abundant element was K, followed by Mg, Ca, and Na. Other elements followed this order: Fe > Mn > B > Cu > Sr > Zn > Al > Ba > Ni > Cr > Co > Se > Sn > Pb > Li > Ag > V > As > Cd > Hg > Be. Instant coffees generally exhibited higher K, Mg, and Na levels than ground-roasted coffees. Notably, Hg, Li, and Se were not detected in 34, 2, and 1 samples, respectively. Coffee samples were generally a good source of dietary elements such as Cu, Mn, Cr, and Se. The PTEs found in coffee products posed negligible risks to human health. The total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) remained below 1, and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) did not exceed the threshold of 1 × 10–6. Nevertheless, coffee consumption contributed to Pb and As levels below 15% of the benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) values, and Sn, Hg, and Cd levels below 0.90% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI).

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as materials with determined levels of selectivity and specificity for designated analytes have recently gained much attention in various application fields. However, with the growing adoption of green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles, it is essential to investigate the greenness of MIP synthesis and its subsequent application in sample preparation, as well as to evaluate the "green"nature of the developed analytical methodologies, such as dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME). Accordingly, the main objective of this research was to evaluate the greenness of MIP-based glycidyl methacrylate synthesis and MIP use as a DSPME sorbent prior to high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The green perspective of MIP-DSPME prior to HPLC-MS was investigated using various analytical metric tools such as the Analytical Eco-Scale, the Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE). Since these analytical tools are not fully implementable for the assessment of the greenness of the MIP synthesis, some alternative approaches were used to optimize the synthesis parameters to make the MIP DSPME sorbent as close as possible to the GAC principles. The calculated AGREE score (0.62) and 91 points in the Analytical Eco-Scale for the proposed DSPME technique using MIP indicated a high level of greenness.

This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of rare earth elements (REEs), including 14 lanthanoids, scandium (Sc), and yttrium (Y), in groundwater around a large coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP). The ICP-MS technique was used to analyze 16 REEs in groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells. REE concentrations ranged from 59.9 to 758 ng/L, with an average of 290 ng/L. The most abundant was Sc, followed by La, accounting for 54.2% and 21.4% of the total REE concentration, respectively. Geospatial analysis revealed the REE enrichment at several hotspots near the TPP. The highest REE concentrations were observed near the TPP and ash landfill, decreasing with the distance from the plant and the landfill. REE fractionation ratios and anomalies suggested the Light REE dominance, comprising over 78% of the total REEs. Correlation and principal component analyses indicated similar behavior and sources for most REEs. Health risk assessment found hazard indices (HI) of 1.36 × 10−3 and 1.98 × 10−3 for adults and children, respectively, which are far below the permissible limit (HI = 1). Likewise, incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) were all below 1 × 10−6. Nevertheless, ongoing ash disposal and potential accumulation in the environment could elevate the REE exposure over time.

The occurrence and distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (REYs), along with major elements and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in coal fly ash (CFA) from five coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), were analyzed, and the REY-associated ecological and health risks were assessed. The individual REYs in CFA were abundant in the following order: Ce > La > Nd > Y > Pr > Gd > Sm > Dy > Er > Yb > Eu > Ho > Tb > Tm > Lu. The total REY content ranged from 135 to 362 mg/kg, averaging 302 mg/kg. The mean light-to-heavy REY ratio was 4.1, indicating prevalent light REY enrichment in CFA. Significantly positive correlations between the REYs suggested that they coexist and share similar origins in CFA. REYs were estimated to pose low to moderate ecological risks, with risk index (RI) values ranging from 66 to 245. The hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TCR) of REYs from CFA, estimated to be higher for children (HIc = 0.15, TCRc = 8.4 × 10−16) than for adults (HIa = 0.017, TCRa = 3.6 × 10−16), were well below the safety limits (HI = 1, TCR = 1.0 × 10−6). However, the danger to human health posed by HMs in the same CFA samples (HIc = 5.74, TCRc = 2.6 × 10−4, TCRa = 1.1 × 10−4) exceeded the safe thresholds (excl. HIa = 0.63). The mean RI and HI attributed to REYs in CFA were 14% and 2.6%, respectively, of the total risks that include HMs.

Pesticides used in coffee cultivation may remain behind and pose a risk to humans even after various processing stages of coffee beans (washing, drying, roasting, and grinding). In addition to pesticides applied to battle pests and diseases, mepiquat formation occurs during roasting. A comprehensive LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS multi-residue screening approach to determine pesticides in coffee was used in this study. Residues were extracted using the QuEChERS method and analyzed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry after chromatographic separations. Good linearity (r2˃0.9919), recovery (80.2–118%), and RSD (≤19%) were obtained for the procedure including sample preparation and both instrumental techniques. Nine residues were identified as commonly present in coffee samples collected from supermarkets in Serbia. The human intake risk of pesticides was categorized and prioritized using the matrix ranking scheme. Also, health risk assessment was conducted by calculating acute and chronic hazard indices. Multi-residues were present in 79.2% of samples, whereas mepiquat chloride (88.9%) and permethrin (81.9%) were the most detected residues. Risk ranking classified mepiquat chloride, permethrin, and methiocarb sulfone in a high-risk group. On the other hand, the human health risk assessment indicated no risks in the short- and long-term and no cumulative chronic risk.

In this work, removal of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) from fly ash has been studied using acid leaching and wet oxidation methods. In parallel, microwave-assisted acid digestion was applied for determination of pseudo-total concentrations of heavy metals to estimate the leaching efficiency. Multivariate statistics (Pearson correlation, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis) have shown two dominant groups of elements, depending on their characteristics and affinity towards the ash solid phase. Thus, Cr, Zn, Mn, Co, and Ni belong to the group I, while Pb, As, Cd, and Cu belong to the group II. It was demonstrated that the wet oxidation method was more suitable than acid leaching since the reduction in metal concentration was 30 to 75 % compared to 12 to 25 % obtained by acid digestion. The influence of fly ash treatment on the residue characteristics was investigated by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The analyses revealed surface and structure changes of fly ash after the wet oxidation treatment. Overall, wet oxidation could be an appropriate treatment for heavy metal removal from fly ash, providing a material that could be further used, thus reducing the risk of pollution caused by the disposal of coal combustion fly ash. © 2024, Association of the Chemical Engineers of Serbia., Uklanjanje teških metala (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd i Pb) iz elektrofilterskog pepela proučavano je korišćenjem metoda kiselog luženja i vlažne oksidacije. Paralelno je primenjena i kisela digestija uz pomoć mikrotalasne pećnice za određivanje pseudoukupnih koncentracija teških metala u cilju procene efikasnosti luženja. Multivarijantna statistika (Pearsonova korelacija, analiza glavnih komponenti i hijerarhijska klaster analiza) pokazala je dve dominantne grupe elemenata u zavisnosti od njihovih karakteristika i afiniteta prema čvrstoj fazi pepela. Grupe I (Cr, Zn, Mn, Co i Ni) i II (Pb, As, Cd i Cu) su međusobno diskriminisane. Pokazalo se da je metoda vlažne oksidacije prikladnija od kiselog luženja jer je smanjenje koncentracija metala bilo 30-75 % u poređenju sa 12-25 % dobijenih kiselom digestijom. Takođe je ispitan uticaj tretmana letećeg pepela na karakteristike čvrstog ostatka metodama rendgenske difrakcije i skenirajuće elektronske mikroskopije. Ovim metodama su otkrivene promene na površini i u strukturi letećeg pepela nakon tretmana vlažnom oksidacijom. Vlažna oksidacija se može smatrati kao moguća metoda za tretman u cilju uklanjanje teških metala iz letećeg pepela, obezbeđujući materijal koji bi se mogao dalje koristiti i smanjujući rizik od zagađenja izazvanog odlaganjem letećeg pepela.

Pesticides used in coffee cultivation may remain behind and pose a risk to humans even after various processing stages of coffee beans (washing, drying, roasting, and grinding). In addition to pesticides applied to battle pests and diseases, mepiquat formation occurs during roasting. A comprehensive LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS multi-residue screening approach to determine pesticides in coffee was used in this study. Residues were extracted using the QuEChERS method and analyzed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry after chromatographic separations. Good linearity (r2˃0.9919), recovery (80.2–118%), and RSD (≤19%) were obtained for the procedure including sample preparation and both instrumental techniques. Nine residues were identified as commonly present in coffee samples collected from supermarkets in Serbia. The human intake risk of pesticides was categorized and prioritized using the matrix ranking scheme. Also, health risk assessment was conducted by calculating acute and chronic hazard indices. Multi-residues were present in 79.2% of samples, whereas mepiquat chloride (88.9%) and permethrin (81.9%) were the most detected residues. Risk ranking classified mepiquat chloride, permethrin, and methiocarb sulfone in a high-risk group. On the other hand, the human health risk assessment indicated no risks in the short- and long-term and no cumulative chronic risk.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as materials with determined levels of selectivity and specificity for designated analytes have recently gained much attention in various application fields. However, with the growing adoption of green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles, it is essential to investigate the greenness of MIP synthesis and its subsequent application in sample preparation, as well as to evaluate the "green"nature of the developed analytical methodologies, such as dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME). Accordingly, the main objective of this research was to evaluate the greenness of MIP-based glycidyl methacrylate synthesis and MIP use as a DSPME sorbent prior to high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The green perspective of MIP-DSPME prior to HPLC-MS was investigated using various analytical metric tools such as the Analytical Eco-Scale, the Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE). Since these analytical tools are not fully implementable for the assessment of the greenness of the MIP synthesis, some alternative approaches were used to optimize the synthesis parameters to make the MIP DSPME sorbent as close as possible to the GAC principles. The calculated AGREE score (0.62) and 91 points in the Analytical Eco-Scale for the proposed DSPME technique using MIP indicated a high level of greenness.

The occurrence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), including twelve heavy metal(loid)s (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg, As, Co, V, Fe, Mn), fluoride (F−), and nitrate (NO3−) was evaluated in groundwater in the copper mining and smelter area of Bor city (south Carpathian, eastern Serbia). Groundwater samples were analyzed to determine the extent of pollution, identify natural and anthropogenic input of PTEs, and estimate potential human health risks due to exposure to these substances. The results revealed that the groundwater in the study area was highly contaminated with PTEs, particularly Cu and Zn. Multivariate analysis supported the natural and anthropogenic origin of PTEs, with Fe, Mn, and F− classified as naturally occurring, NO3− resulting from agricultural activities, while other PTEs were linked to smelter/mining processes. Geospatial mapping discovered several hotspots with potential high non-cancer and cancer risks to humans through ingestion pathway. From the studied PTEs, As is the most health risk contributing toxic element. The source-specific probabilistic risk assessment indicated the most significant contribution to the hazard index and total cancer risk from accidental leakage of metallurgical wastewater and wastewater from open mine pits. Monte Carlo analysis identified the human body weight and the ingestion rate as the most sensitive risk parameters. The study underscores the need for stringent environmental management measures, emphasizing the critical role of source-specific risk assessments in mitigating potential hazards associated with metallurgical wastewater and open mine pits.

The occurrence and distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (REYs), along with major elements and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in coal fly ash (CFA) from five coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), were analyzed, and the REY-associated ecological and health risks were assessed. The individual REYs in CFA were abundant in the following order: Ce > La > Nd > Y > Pr > Gd > Sm > Dy > Er > Yb > Eu > Ho > Tb > Tm > Lu. The total REY content ranged from 135 to 362 mg/kg, averaging 302 mg/kg. The mean light-to-heavy REY ratio was 4.1, indicating prevalent light REY enrichment in CFA. Significantly positive correlations between the REYs suggested that they coexist and share similar origins in CFA. REYs were estimated to pose low to moderate ecological risks, with risk index (RI) values ranging from 66 to 245. The hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TCR) of REYs from CFA, estimated to be higher for children (HIc = 0.15, TCRc = 8.4 × 10−16) than for adults (HIa = 0.017, TCRa = 3.6 × 10−16), were well below the safety limits (HI = 1, TCR = 1.0 × 10−6). However, the danger to human health posed by HMs in the same CFA samples (HIc = 5.74, TCRc = 2.6 × 10−4, TCRa = 1.1 × 10−4) exceeded the safe thresholds (excl. HIa = 0.63). The mean RI and HI attributed to REYs in CFA were 14% and 2.6%, respectively, of the total risks that include HMs.

The occurrence and distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (REYs), along with major elements and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in coal fly ash (CFA) from five coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), were analyzed, and the REY-associated ecological and health risks were assessed. The individual REYs in CFA were abundant in the following order: Ce > La > Nd > Y > Pr > Gd > Sm > Dy > Er > Yb > Eu > Ho > Tb > Tm > Lu. The total REY content ranged from 135 to 362 mg/kg, averaging 302 mg/kg. The mean light-to-heavy REY ratio was 4.1, indicating prevalent light REY enrichment in CFA. Significantly positive correlations between the REYs suggested that they coexist and share similar origins in CFA. REYs were estimated to pose low to moderate ecological risks, with risk index (RI) values ranging from 66 to 245. The hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TCR) of REYs from CFA, estimated to be higher for children (HIc = 0.15, TCRc = 8.4 × 10−16) than for adults (HIa = 0.017, TCRa = 3.6 × 10−16), were well below the safety limits (HI = 1, TCR = 1.0 × 10−6). However, the danger to human health posed by HMs in the same CFA samples (HIc = 5.74, TCRc = 2.6 × 10−4, TCRa = 1.1 × 10−4) exceeded the safe thresholds (excl. HIa = 0.63). The mean RI and HI attributed to REYs in CFA were 14% and 2.6%, respectively, of the total risks that include HMs.

This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of rare earth elements (REEs), including 14 lanthanoids, scandium (Sc), and yttrium (Y), in groundwater around a large coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP). The ICP-MS technique was used to analyze 16 REEs in groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells. REE concentrations ranged from 59.9 to 758 ng/L, with an average of 290 ng/L. The most abundant was Sc, followed by La, accounting for 54.2% and 21.4% of the total REE concentration, respectively. Geospatial analysis revealed the REE enrichment at several hotspots near the TPP. The highest REE concentrations were observed near the TPP and ash landfill, decreasing with the distance from the plant and the landfill. REE fractionation ratios and anomalies suggested the Light REE dominance, comprising over 78% of the total REEs. Correlation and principal component analyses indicated similar behavior and sources for most REEs. Health risk assessment found hazard indices (HI) of 1.36 × 10−3 and 1.98 × 10−3 for adults and children, respectively, which are far below the permissible limit (HI = 1). Likewise, incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) were all below 1 × 10−6. Nevertheless, ongoing ash disposal and potential accumulation in the environment could elevate the REE exposure over time.

Considering the rising demand for rare earth elements (REEs), researchers are looking for new sources for their extraction, thereby fostering economic and environmentally justified processing solutions. Among potential industrial sources, coal fly ash emerges as one of the most promising. The recovery of REEs from coal fly and bottom ashes derived from different thermal power plants was the main focus of this study. A dual-step methodology was conducted on ash samples, which involved an ultrasonic roasting process to disintegrate the silica matrix, followed by a microwave-assisted acid leaching step to extract REEs. The roasting procedure was studied using the Plackett–Burman design, and the Box–Behnken design was subsequently implemented to optimize the leaching procedure. The optimized ultrasonic roasting procedure was set up at 95 °C for 10 min with an ash-to-roasting agent (3M NaOH) ratio of 0.5:1 (m/V). For acid leaching, the optimal conditions were obtained at 174 °C for 30 min with an HCl ÷ HNO3 mixture (1:1 V/V). The standard reference material (NIST 1633c) was used in the conclusive experiments to estimate the average recovery (80%) of REEs. The green aspects of this methodology were evaluated using several metrics (atom economy, E-factor, and energy consumption). The proposed process outperforms high-temperature roasting procedures in terms of greenness; however, the REE recovery rate is lower.

This study presents an innovative approach for the reuse and recycling of waste material, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) for creating a novel green biocatalyst. The same BSG was utilized in several consecutive steps: initially, it served as a substrate for the cultivation and production of laccase by a novel isolated fungal strain, Coriolopsis trogii 2SMKN, then, it was reused as a carrier for laccase immobilization, aiding in the process of azo dye decolorization and fnally, reused as recycled BSG for the second successful laccase immobilization for six guaiacol oxidation, contributing to a zero-waste strategy. The novel fungal strain produced laccase with a maximum activity of 171.4 U/g after 6 days of solid-state fermentation using BSG as a substrate. The obtained laccase exhibited excellent performance in the decolorization of azo dyes, both as a free and immobilized, at high temperatures, without addition of harmful mediators, achieving maximum decolorization efciencies of 99.0%, 71.2%, and 61.0% for Orange G (OG), Congo Red, and Eriochrome Black T (EBT), respectively. The immobilized laccase on BSG was successfully reused across fve cycles of azo dye decolorization process. Notably, new green biocatalyst outperformed commercial laccase from Aspergillus spp. in the decolorization of OG and EBT. GC-MS and LC-MS revealed azo-dye degradation products and decomposition pathway. This analysis was complemented by antimicrobial and phytotoxicity tests, which confrmed the non-toxic nature of the degradation products, indicating the potential for safe environmental disposal.

Population growth, urbanization, industry, floods, and agriculture globally degrade groundwater in river plains, necessitating action for its quality assessment and management. Hence, a comprehensive methodology, including hydrogeochemical facies (Piper, Gibbs), irrigation indices (SAR, Wilcox), entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-specific health risks was used in this study to analyze groundwater in the Morava river plain (Serbia). The results revealed a prevalent Ca–Mg–HCO3 groundwater type, influenced by water–rock interactions. Although groundwater was found suitable for irrigation, only 66.7 % of the samples were considered drinkable. Agricultural activities, natural processes, and municipal wastewater were identified as primary pollution sources. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and hazard index (HI) threshold exceedance for adults and children ranged from 8.5 % to 39 % of the samples, with arsenic identified as the most risk-contributing contaminant. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers studying groundwater vulnerability in river plains.

Podzemne vode su ključan izvor slatke vode neophodan za regionalni razvoj i očuvanje ekologije, što čini bezbednost njihovog korišćenja od presudnog značaja za dobrobit ljudi. U ovom radu je ispitivana pogodnost podzemnih voda za piće i navodnjavanje u dolini reke Jadar. Pogodnost podzemnih voda za piće procenjivana je korišćenjem entropijskog indeksa kvaliteta vode (EWQI), dok je pogodnost podzemnih voda za navodnjavanje procenjena korišćenjem koeficijenta adsorpcije natrijuma (SAR) i procenta natrijuma (%Na). Rezultati su pokazali da je 13,6% uzoraka imalo EWQI vrednost nižu od 100, što su podzemne vode pogodne za piće. Proračunate SAR i %Na vrednosti kretale su se u rasponu 0,2–744 i 4%–99,5%, pri čemu je većina uzoraka pripala kategorijama odličnog do dobrog kvaliteta vode. Voda najlošijeg kvaliteta primećena je u centralnom delu istraživanja područja, dok se kretajući ka obodu njen kvalitet poboljšavao., Groundwater is a vital freshwater resource crucial for regional development and ecological preservation, making its safety imperative for human well-being. This study investigated the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Jadar River valley. The suitability of groundwater for drinking was assessed using the entropyweighted water quality index (EWQI), while the suitability of groundwater for irrigation was evaluated using the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and sodium percentage (%Na) indices. The results showed that 13.6% of the samples exhibited an EWQI value below 100, suggesting groundwater suitable for drinking. The SAR and %Na of the samples ranged from 0.2 to 744 and 4% to 99.5%, respectively, with the majority of the samples falling within the excellent to good water quality categories. The central portion of the study area exhibited the poorest water quality, which gradually improved towards the periphery.

Anthropogenic activities predominantly affect environmental Pb pollution, especially during waste lead-acid battery (LAB) recycling operations. In this study, the presence of Pb and nine other potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil at an abandoned LAB recycling site was investigated. The focus was on spatial and vertical distributions and potential health issues related to PTEs. Average concentrations of Cd, As, Hg, Pb, Al, Zn, Cu, and Sb were elevated at all investigated soil depths, whereas the concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Sb were significant only on the soil surface. Positive matrix factorization, correlation and cluster analyses, as well as self-organizing maps, identified four primary pollution sources: recycling activities (Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb), mixed anthropogenic sources (Zn and Cu), the soil parent material (As, Cr, and Ni), and surface runoff combined with sand application (Al and pH). While the non-carcinogenic risk results revealed a negligible risk for adults, the hazard index (HI) values for children were greater than one in 26% of the samples. For adults and children, the total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values were acceptable for 98% and 94% of the samples, respectively. Geospatial analysis identified the main hotspot in the battery disposal area. Source-specific non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were most influenced by recycling activities. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) of total HI for children showed that the risk value exceeded the threshold level (HI > 1) at the 10th percentile, whereas the maximum value of total HI for adults was 0.2. Regarding carcinogenic risk, the TCR values at the 95th percentile of all four sources for adults and children were below the limit value (1 × 10−4), indicating a low probability of cancer development.

Anthropogenic activities predominantly affect environmental Pb pollution, especially during waste lead-acid battery (LAB) recycling operations. In this study, the presence of Pb and nine other potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil at an abandoned LAB recycling site was investigated. The focus was on spatial and vertical distributions and potential health issues related to PTEs. Average concentrations of Cd, As, Hg, Pb, Al, Zn, Cu, and Sb were elevated at all investigated soil depths, whereas the concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Sb were significant only on the soil surface. Positive matrix factorization, correlation and cluster analyses, as well as self-organizing maps, identified four primary pollution sources: recycling activities (Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb), mixed anthropogenic sources (Zn and Cu), the soil parent material (As, Cr, and Ni), and surface runoff combined with sand application (Al and pH). While the non-carcinogenic risk results revealed a negligible risk for adults, the hazard index (HI) values for children were greater than one in 26% of the samples. For adults and children, the total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values were acceptable for 98% and 94% of the samples, respectively. Geospatial analysis identified the main hotspot in the battery disposal area. Source-specific non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were most influenced by recycling activities. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) of total HI for children showed that the risk value exceeded the threshold level (HI > 1) at the 10th percentile, whereas the maximum value of total HI for adults was 0.2. Regarding carcinogenic risk, the TCR values at the 95th percentile of all four sources for adults and children were below the limit value (1 × 10−4), indicating a low probability of cancer development.

This study presents an innovative approach for the reuse and recycling of waste material, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) for creating a novel green biocatalyst. The same BSG was utilized in several consecutive steps: initially, it served as a substrate for the cultivation and production of laccase by a novel isolated fungal strain, Coriolopsis trogii 2SMKN, then, it was reused as a carrier for laccase immobilization, aiding in the process of azo dye decolorization and fnally, reused as recycled BSG for the second successful laccase immobilization for six guaiacol oxidation, contributing to a zero-waste strategy. The novel fungal strain produced laccase with a maximum activity of 171.4 U/g after 6 days of solid-state fermentation using BSG as a substrate. The obtained laccase exhibited excellent performance in the decolorization of azo dyes, both as a free and immobilized, at high temperatures, without addition of harmful mediators, achieving maximum decolorization efciencies of 99.0%, 71.2%, and 61.0% for Orange G (OG), Congo Red, and Eriochrome Black T (EBT), respectively. The immobilized laccase on BSG was successfully reused across fve cycles of azo dye decolorization process. Notably, new green biocatalyst outperformed commercial laccase from Aspergillus spp. in the decolorization of OG and EBT. GC-MS and LC-MS revealed azo-dye degradation products and decomposition pathway. This analysis was complemented by antimicrobial and phytotoxicity tests, which confrmed the non-toxic nature of the degradation products, indicating the potential for safe environmental disposal.

Population growth, urbanization, industry, floods, and agriculture globally degrade groundwater in river plains, necessitating action for its quality assessment and management. Hence, a comprehensive methodology, including hydrogeochemical facies (Piper, Gibbs), irrigation indices (SAR, Wilcox), entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-specific health risks was used in this study to analyze groundwater in the Morava river plain (Serbia). The results revealed a prevalent Ca–Mg–HCO3 groundwater type, influenced by water–rock interactions. Although groundwater was found suitable for irrigation, only 66.7 % of the samples were considered drinkable. Agricultural activities, natural processes, and municipal wastewater were identified as primary pollution sources. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and hazard index (HI) threshold exceedance for adults and children ranged from 8.5 % to 39 % of the samples, with arsenic identified as the most risk-contributing contaminant. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers studying groundwater vulnerability in river plains.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are transferred to vegetables primarily through agricultural soil or irrigation water. PTEs in agricultural soil originate from pedogenic and anthropogenic sources. In most cases, soil contamination with these elements happens via river systems or air pollution. Furthermore, food is now imported from many regions and countries, where it is grown in various conditions and on various agricultural lands. Peppers (Capsicum annuum) are popular vegetables in Serbia and worldwide. They are consumed in numerous dishes as fresh fruits, spices, or ingredients. Peppers are reach source of carotenoids, vitamins, antioxidant compounds, and other nutritive compounds. This study aimed to estimate the human exposure to thirteen PTEs present in fresh, dried, and processed peppers obtained from the Serbian market. The exposure assessment was conducted for people in four regions of Serbia by calculating the target hazard quotient (THQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR). The comparison across areas was made due to significant disparities in pepper consumption between them.

One of the most BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and a mixture of o-, m- and pxylenes) compounds are prominent environmental pollutants commonly found in discharges andpetroleum products. These volatile aromatic compounds (VOCs) are severely toxic to livingorganisms if contact is maintained. They originate from incomplete combustion of organic matter,and their major sources to the urban environment include vehicular emissions (mobile source),gasoline evaporation, coal burning and residential heating, and waste incineration (stationarysources). Water sediments are not well known as a source of BTEX. However, it is crucial to considerthat they can act as a source, as well as sink, of organic compounds, especially in a water bodylocated in an urban city exposed excessively to the above-mentioned sources of BTEX. In this study,we aimed to identify and quantitatively analyze VOCs compounds in sediment by using purge-andtrap (P&T) gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

Pesticides are extensively used in the cultivation and postharvest protection of citrus fruits, therefore continuous monitoring and health risk assessments of their residues are required. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of pesticide residues on citrus fruits and to evaluate the acute and chronic risk for adults and children. The risk ranking of twenty-three detected pesticides was carried out according to a matrix ranking scheme. Multiple residues were detected in 83% of 76 analyzed samples. In addition, 28% contained pesticides at or above maximum residue levels (MRLs). The most frequently detected pesticides were imazalil, azoxystrobin, and dimethomorph. According to the risk ranking method, imazalil was classified in the high-risk group, followed by prochloraz, chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, tebufenpyrad, and fenpiroximate, which were considered to pose a medium risk. The majority of detected pesticides (74%) posed a low risk. The health risk assessment indicated that imazalil and thiabendazole contribute to acute (HQa) and chronic (HQc) dietary risk, respectively. The HQc was negligible for the general population, while the HQa of imazalil and thiabendazole exceeded the acceptable level in the worst-case scenario. Cumulative chronic/acute risk (HIc/HIa) assessment showed that chronic risk was acceptable in all samples for children and adults, while the acute risk was unacceptable in 5.3% of citrus fruits for adults and 26% of citrus fruits for children. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the ingestion rate and individual body weight were the most influential risk factors.

Conventional wastewater treatment processes are increasingly difficult to fulfill strict standards of achieving the required quality. Therefore, it is necessary to apply processes that in an efficient and economically justified way reach the necessary limits in order to discharge wastewater into the recipient. The process of photolysis represents the degradation of the starting pollutant practically to water and carbon dioxide. The whole process takes place under the action of a UV lamp that imitated solar irradiation. The process is environmentally justified since, unlike some other advanced oxidation processes - AOPs, there is no use of additional, hazardous, chemicals which possibly results in the precipitates formation that are leading to further treatment. In this paper, photolytic degradation of pesticide thiophanate methyl was performed in doubled wall quartz reactor equipped with a thermoregulation system. Reaction was forced under Osram ULTRA VITALUX UV lamp (300W). Kinetics of photodecomposition process was followed by pseudo-first order. In certain time periods, specimens were sampled, filtered and monitored by UV spectrophotometer Shimadzu 1800 with an aim to determine the concentration of xenobiotic. Complete degradation of present xenobiotics was obtained after 240 min. With an aim to enhance the degradation process, hydrogen peroxide was added as a boosting agent which cause a shortening in demanded time (150 min) for complete degradation. Verification of the success of decomposition was confirmed by the obtained values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), which reveal that the established system has a basis for real application in industrial or municipal wastewater.

The overall quality of processed food depends on many processing parameters such as temperature, processing time, mixing speed, pressure, pH value, size of food pieces, type of added ingredients, etc. The goal of food products devel- opment is not only to improve the quality of the final product but also to reduce the energy consumption and to improve resources management. Independent evaluation of a single parameter or response is not the best way to set and optimize experiments, because improving one response by controlling one parameter can negatively affect other responses. Experi- mental design is frequently used for experiment planning when multiple variables should be optimized, while the desirability function allows the determination of operating conditions that provide the “most desirable” response values. The desirability function allows the optimization of several responses simultaneously and the determination of the overall/cumulative/global quality. In this way, it is possible to determine the most suitable conditions for achieving the best overall product quality. In the desirability function, all responses are transformed into dimensionless individual desirability functions (di), which take values from 0 to 1. The value 0 indicates an undesirable response of the system, while the value 1 represents the most de-sirable response. All values between 0 and 1 indicate more or less desirable responses. There are three different equations for evaluating individual desirability functions depending on whether it is ideal for the response to be maximal, minimal or to have some target value. After calculating the individual desirability functions, they are combined into one global/overalldesirability function (D) [1,2]. If the value of this function is different from 0, it means that for all responses, the desired responses were achieved at the same time. If the value of the D is equal to 0, it means that for at least one response the desired response has not be

Acid mine drainage is a challenging environmental problem caused by mining activities. Long-term copper ore exploitation and vast amounts of mining waste lead to severe soil contamination as well as river and groundwater pollution. In this paper, research is focused on utilizing waste mine waters and off-balance parts of the mine deposit (such as flotation tailings) and converting their negative characteristics to an environmentally friendly one. In the authors’ previous work, acid mine water from Robule, which is part of the Bor copper mining and smelting complex in Serbia, was successfully treated using flotation tailings, and the resulting solution was suitable for safe discharge. This paper investigates the characteristics of the solid residue that remained after the treatment of the modified flotation tailings in order to evaluate the possibility of its safe disposal back into the environment. The solid residue was subjected to TCLP and EN 12457-4 tests as standard procedures that assess the leaching characteristics of a material. The solid residue was also exposed to long-term leaching with melted snow to simulate environmental conditions for one year. This drainage water was analyzed and compared with the results of the standard leaching procedures. The investigated treatments lead to improved economic and environmental effects, while the process itself is adjusted to preserve the environment.

One of the most significant sources of drinking water is groundwater. Therefore, it is crucial to assess groundwater quality and ascertain potential causes of contamination to address pollution and provide people with clean drinking water. In this paper, groundwater in the Morava River plain is investigated and analyzed for 14 physicochemical parameters, such as pH, EC, HCO3 , NO3 - , PO4 3- , Cl- , SO4 2- , Na+ , K+ , Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe, Mn, and As. To determine groundwater facies and sources of pollution, three multivariate statistical analysis techniques were applied. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was used to group groundwater samples based on their similar chemical characteristics and to determine the dominant hydrochemical groundwater type. According to HCA results, groundwater samples were clustered into three groups, including Cluster 1 (72.3%), Cluster 2 (19.7%), and Cluster 3 (7.9%), and the main groundwater type was Ca-HCO3 type. Factor Analysis (FA) incorporated with Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to determine the main sources of pollution. Water-rock interactions and agricultural practices were identified as primary pollution sources in the investigated area.

Urban lakes sediments unfortunately have received a large amount of wastewater containing various contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs). Heavy metals in urban lake sediments mainly originate from industrial discharge, heating sources, traffic emissions and waste from municipal activities. The human health and the whole ecosystems are threatened with potential harmful effects of following metal pollutants As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn, due to their persistence, non-degradability, inherent toxicity, and bioaccumulation1. Therefore, the analysis of lake sediments is a useful and important approach to characterize environmental pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Due to the diverse environmental conditions and sources of HMs, different pollution indices are used to assess the anthropogenic impact of PTEs in sediment samples2,3. In this study, ecological risk assessment of the urban shallow lake sediments in Central Serbia by HMs was analyzed by calculating single and multi- pollution indices and using multivariate techniques to reveal the associated adverse effects of the investigated contaminants.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are amongst the most toxic compounds known to man. Several PAHs are proven to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. Due to their wide distribution in the environment and their toxicity, it is considered important to monitor the levels of these compounds in foodstuffs. PAHs have been detected in many food products including plant-based such as vegetable oils, cereal grains, herbs, spices, teas, and supplements1,2. As the awareness of the healthy lifestyle has increased globally, the intake of medicinal herbs such as teas and spices has also grown immensely. Therefore, an even bigger emphasis must be made to monitor the toxic levels of PAHs in herbs. The maximum concentrations of certain contaminants in food in the Republic of Serbia included PAHs values in dry herbs only by the end of 2019 ("Official Gazette / RS", No. 81/2019)3. Herein, were investigated the sources of PAHs contamination in dry herbs collected from the different parts of Serbia, its quantification and the potential health risk posed by their toxicity.

Aniline, the main representative of aromatic amines, occurs in a large number of industries, such as the production of textiles, plastics, medicines, pesticides, rubber, and varnishes.1 Due to practicality and efficiency, a molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be used as sorbents for removing aniline.2 In this study, magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized via suspension copolymerization while characterization was performed by various methods in order to obtain an efficient sorbent for the aniline removal from an aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed characteristic vibrational bands which suggested successful synthesis of MIP, nitrogen gas adsorption-desorption measurements as well as mercury porosimetry have shown that the most dominant pores were mesopores, while scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) confirmed a 3D spherical porous structure with all the expected elements.

In the present study, synthesized macroporous copolymer was used for the sorption of lindane from an aqueous solution. This organochlorine pesticide is classified, according to US EPA, as mutagenic and teratogenic. Residues of lindane can persist in the environment, migrate long distances, and cause widespread contamination. In this way, lindane residues can reach the human body through the food chain. The usage of this pesticide is banned in most countries. However, lindane remains a serious toxicological problem at industrial sites where lindane was used coupled with improper wastewater disposal and has led to serious contamination. In addition, some countries still allow the production and use of lindane, and despite localized restrictions, lindane contamination remains a global problem. Taking into account these reasons, its removal from the environment is of a great significance. Macroporous copolymer was syntesized via suspension copolymerization and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters which affect sorption efficiency of the lindane were: pH, sorption time (tsorp), ion strength (ion), rpm, and dose of sorbent. These variables were optimized by the experimental design which include Plackett- Burman Design (PBD) and Central Composite Design (CCD). After screening step by the PBD, the optimum conditions were obtained by the CCD where the values were investigated in two levels. The design of experiment showed that the ion strength and dose of sorbent were the most significant parameters, while the other variables do not have such an effect on sorption efficiency. Accordingly, the optimum conditions to reach the maximum recovery were: pH 8, 180 min sorption time, 300 rpm, 2 w/v % ion strength and 8 g/L dose of sorbent. The results showed that the studied copolymer could be an efficient sorbent for trace lindane in water with recoveries above 80 %.

Acid mine drainage is a challenging environmental problem caused by mining activities. Long-term copper ore exploitation and vast amounts of mining waste lead to severe soil contamination as well as river and groundwater pollution. In this paper, research is focused on utilizing waste mine waters and off-balance parts of the mine deposit (such as flotation tailings) and converting their negative characteristics to an environmentally friendly one. In the authors’ previous work, acid mine water from Robule, which is part of the Bor copper mining and smelting complex in Serbia, was successfully treated using flotation tailings, and the resulting solution was suitable for safe discharge. This paper investigates the characteristics of the solid residue that remained after the treatment of the modified flotation tailings in order to evaluate the possibility of its safe disposal back into the environment. The solid residue was subjected to TCLP and EN 12457-4 tests as standard procedures that assess the leaching characteristics of a material. The solid residue was also exposed to long-term leaching with melted snow to simulate environmental conditions for one year. This drainage water was analyzed and compared with the results of the standard leaching procedures. The investigated treatments lead to improved economic and environmental effects, while the process itself is adjusted to preserve the environment.

Fly ash is a by-product of coal combustion in thermal power plants. Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) are the most recognized among the many dangerous compounds in fly ash. These substances may contaminate the environment and can pose a threat to human health. Various analytical techniques are used to analyze HMs in leachate. To investigate the possibility of contamination of the environment, heavy metals and metalloids (Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, As, Ba, Be, Cu, Cr, Co, Cd, Sb, Se, and V) were leached from fly ash using a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). The fly ash samples used in this work were obtained from four thermal power plants (Kostolac, Kolubara, Tent B, and Morava). Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique was used to determine the concentration of these elements in the leachate. Accurate elemental analysis was achieved with this technique. Among all analyzed metal(loid)s, Fe, Mn, Zn, and As were the most abundant.

In the present study, synthesized macroporous copolymer was used for the sorption of lindane from an aqueous solution. This organochlorine pesticide is classified, according to US EPA, as mutagenic and teratogenic. Residues of lindane can persist in the environment, migrate long distances, and cause widespread contamination. In this way, lindane residues can reach the human body through the food chain. The usage of this pesticide is banned in most countries. However, lindane remains a serious toxicological problem at industrial sites where lindane was used coupled with improper wastewater disposal and has led to serious contamination. In addition, some countries still allow the production and use of lindane, and despite localized restrictions, lindane contamination remains a global problem. Taking into account these reasons, its removal from the environment is of a great significance. The obtained macroporous copolymer was syntesized via suspension copolymerization and was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters which affect sorption efficiency of the lindane were: pH, sorption time (tsor), ion strength (ion), rpm, and dose of sorbent. These variables were optimized by the experimental design which include Plackett-Burman Design (PBD) and Central Composite Design (CCD). After screening step by the PBD, the optimum conditions were obtained by the CCD where the values were investigated in two levels. The design of experiment showed that the ion strength and dose of sorbent were the most significant parameters, while the other variables do not have such an effect on sorption efficiency. Accordingly, the optimum conditions to reach the maximum recovery were: pH 8, 180 min sorption time, 300 rpm, 2 w/v % ion strength and 8 g/l dose of sorbent. The results showed that the studied copolymer could be an efficient sorbent for trace lindane in water with recoveries above 80 %.

The overall quality of processed food depends on many processing parameters such as temperature, processing time, mixing speed, pressure, pH value, size of food pieces, type of added ingredients, etc. The goal of food products devel- opment is not only to improve the quality of the final product but also to reduce the energy consumption and to improve resources management. Independent evaluation of a single parameter or response is not the best way to set and optimize experiments, because improving one response by controlling one parameter can negatively affect other responses. Experi- mental design is frequently used for experiment planning when multiple variables should be optimized, while the desirability function allows the determination of operating conditions that provide the “most desirable” response values. The desirability function allows the optimization of several responses simultaneously and the determination of the overall/cumulative/global quality. In this way, it is possible to determine the most suitable conditions for achieving the best overall product quality. In the desirability function, all responses are transformed into dimensionless individual desirability functions (di), which take values from 0 to 1. The value 0 indicates an undesirable response of the system, while the value 1 represents the most de-sirable response. All values between 0 and 1 indicate more or less desirable responses. There are three different equations for evaluating individual desirability functions depending on whether it is ideal for the response to be maximal, minimal or to have some target value. After calculating the individual desirability functions, they are combined into one global/overalldesirability function (D) [1,2]. If the value of this function is different from 0, it means that for all responses, the desired responses were achieved at the same time. If the value of the D is equal to 0, it means that for at least one response the desired response has not be

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been recognized as promising solvents due to their purity, high conductivity, bio-degradability, thermal stability1. These environmentally friendly solvents are important tools in the creation of green and sustainable technologies. The use of DES in polymer science is highly promising for the development of novel green materials. Therefore, DESs have been used in molecular imprinting in order to improve the properties of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP). DES are most often prepared by combining two classes of compounds: hydrogen bond donor, HBD (such as amide) and hydrogen bond acceptor, HBA (such as quaternary ammonium salt) in different molar ratios2. By mixing these components in with appropriate molar ratios, eutectic mixtures are formed in a liquid state at temperatures below 100 °C. This study reports the ability of DES-MIP as a sorbent for the removal of aromatic amine from plastic packaging. In order to obtain the most effective sorbent, DESs are prepared by combining choline chloride as HBA with different HBDs, such as urea, glycerol, and ethylene glycol. The results showed that choline chloride:urea was the most suitable DES as modifier of MIP.

The contamination of water with chromium is a global issue that is especially severe in developing countries with intensive mining and heavy industry (South Africa, Pakistan, and India) [1,2]. Trivalent Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr(VI) are the most common forms found in effluent water. Whereas trivalent chromium is a micronutrient (25–35 g/day) involved in the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates [3,4], hexavalent chromium is exceedingly toxic, teratogenic, and mutagenic. Particularly concerning are its high solubility in water, mobility in detritus, and potential for bioaccumulation in living tissues. Due to these factors, hexavalent chromium has been the subject of numerous studies, especially its removal from effluent [5,6]. These studies have demonstrated that sorption is a highly effective and relatively simple technique for chromium removal from wastewater. In terms of this, magnetic heavy metals nanosorbents derived from inorganic compounds and polymers [7-9] are incredibly intriguing, because they could have been readily extracted from the mixture using an external magnetic field. The sorption investigation of hexavalent chromium in aqueous solutions on the magnetic aminofunctionalized polymer nanocomposite based on glycidyl methacrylate, m-PGMA revealed its highly selectivity and efficiency. [10,11]. The binding mechanism of hexavalent chromium ions onto m-PGMA was investigated using kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic experiments as well as molecular modeling techniques (theoretical quantum-chemical calculations) [12-15]. It was observed that the process occurs in two phases. In the first phase, electrostatic interactions attract hexavalent chromium ions to the surface of the sorbent via the active sites (amino and APTMS groups). Cr(VI) is then converted to Cr(III) ions, which can coordinate with amino or hydroxyl groups on the surface of the sorbent [16]. The trivalent chromium ions that persist in the solution or on the surface of the sorbent are less

Acid mine drainage is a challenging environmental problem caused by mining activities. Long-term copper ore exploitation and vast amounts of mining waste lead to severe soil contamination as well as river and groundwater pollution. In this paper, research is focused on utilizing waste mine waters and off-balance parts of the mine deposit (such as flotation tailings) and converting their negative characteristics to an environmentally friendly one. In the authors’ previous work, acid mine water from Robule, which is part of the Bor copper mining and smelting complex in Serbia, was successfully treated using flotation tailings, and the resulting solution was suitable for safe discharge. This paper investigates the characteristics of the solid residue that remained after the treatment of the modified flotation tailings in order to evaluate the possibility of its safe disposal back into the environment. The solid residue was subjected to TCLP and EN 12457-4 tests as standard procedures that assess the leaching characteristics of a material. The solid residue was also exposed to long-term leaching with melted snow to simulate environmental conditions for one year. This drainage water was analyzed and compared with the results of the standard leaching procedures. The investigated treatments lead to improved economic and environmental effects, while the process itself is adjusted to preserve the environment.

Urban lakes sediments unfortunately have received a large amount of wastewater containing various contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs). Heavy metals in urban lake sediments mainly originate from industrial discharge, heating sources, traffic emissions and waste from municipal activities. The human health and the whole ecosystems are threatened with potential harmful effects of following metal pollutants As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn, due to their persistence, nondegradability, inherent toxicity, and bioaccumulation1. Therefore, the analysis of lake sediments is a useful and important approach to characterize environmental pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Due to the diverse environmental conditions and sources of HMs, different pollution indices are used to assess the anthropogenic impact of PTEs in sediment samples2,3. In this study, ecological risk assessment of the urban shallow lake sediments in Central Serbia by HMs was analyzed by calculating single and multi- pollution indices and using multivariate techniques to reveal the associated adverse effects of the investigated contaminants.