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The concentrations of four cancerogenic elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, and As) determined in PM10 at three locations in the urban areas near the copper smelter in Bor (Serbia) were analyzed in the period from January 2017 to May 2020. The aim of this research was to examine the correlations between the selected elements and to compare them with those obtained previously. The reason for this is the fact that the new copper smelter started operating in Bor in 2016. The results presented here showed that the average content of As in PM10 was over the annual national limit at all sampling points for the total period of observation, as well the contents of Cd in PM10 at the sampling point Jugopetrol. The content of Pb in PM10 was over the annual limit only at sampling point Jugoperol. The correlations between the As-Pb, As-Cd, and Cd-Pb, at all sampling points, mostly vary from very strong (r>0.8) and strong (0.8>r>0.6) to moderate (0.6>r>0.4). Also, compared to previously obtained results, these correlations are generally stronger. Such results indicate that As, Cd, and Pb determined in PM10 mostly originate from the same source, the copper smelter in Bor. Opposite to that, correlations of Ni with other selected elements are mostly very weak (r

This paper presents the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and results of chemical analyses of PM samples collected at the public library in Bor town, Serbia. Two sampling campaigns were carried out during six consecutive working days in June 2015 and in March 2016. The results show that PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the library were strongly connected with the respective PM concentrations in ambient air. So, most PM particles in the library originate from the outdoor air. High PM2.5/PM10 ratios in both indoor and outdoor environments indicate the considerable influence of anthropogenic air pollution sources, in this case, metallurgical processes in copper smelting plants. Because the new copper smelting plant started operating in 2016, it is necessary to conduct a new measurement campaign to determine whether there are changes in the concentration levels and chemical composition of PM in the indoor air of public and residential buildings in Bor

This extensive study considered the air pollution data after the flash smelting technology for copper production had become fully operational. The assessment of the air quality after the implementation was significantly important, since the modernisation was necessary for reducing the environmental contamination in one of the most polluted regions in South-Eastern Europe. The concentrations of SO2, PM10 and toxic elements (As, Pb, Cd, Ni) in PM10 samples were monitored at different sites, with respect to the copper smelter, in the period 2016–2019. The air quality evaluation was performed concerning the corresponding limit and target values defined by the Serbian and European legislation, as well as the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQG). The measured SO2 concentrations indicated frequent exceedances of the defined daily and annual limit values, at both national and European level. Although exceedances were not as pronounced as in the period before the implementation of the new technology, the episodes of extreme air pollution with SO2 persisted on the daily basis. The maximum daily SO2 concentration of 2125 μg m−3 was more than 100 times higher compared to the WHO AQG, but lower compared to the period before the implementation of the flash smelting technology. The air quality considering PM10 and especially As levels in PM10 samples was notably poorer after the modernisation. The annual target value for As, defined by the European and Serbian Regulation, was exceeded at all the measuring sites, with maximum exceedance of more than 90 times at the suburban site during 2019. The frequent exceedances of the corresponding annual limit and target values were also denoted for Pb and Cd in PM10 samples. The analysed data emphasised that the Bor area could still be characterised as an environmental hotspot in Serbia and beyond.

Urban airborne particles contain a wide spectrum of components, known to have harmful effects on human health. This study reports a detailed investigation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), chemical content and oxidative potential derived from two different urban environments. During summer and winter, 20-day campaigns were conducted at Belgrade city center (urban-background site – UB) and Bor (urban-industrial site – UI). Using various analytical techniques, carbonaceous compounds, water-soluble inorganic ions, major and trace elements were determined, while the oxidative potential of PM2.5 was estimated by dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay (OPDCFH values). The mean PM2.5 concentrations in both urban environments were above the recommended daily value, and the dominant PM2.5 mass contributor was organic matter (29–55%). The OC/EC ratio was significantly higher at UB site during winter, which was an indication of a considerable contribution of secondary organic carbon to the overall organic carbon (OC). Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was also higher at UB than at UI site, and it probably came from the same sources as OC. In general, the different partition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in warm and cold periods affected the number of organic components. Sulfates and nitrates were the most abundant ions at both sites and they counted approximately 40% (summer) and 50% (winter) of total ions. Further, the concentrations of the most elements, particularly some potentially carcinogenic elements such as As, Cd and Pb were significantly higher at UI, due to the emissions from the copper smelter complex in the vicinity. The mean OPDCFH values were similar during the summer at both sampling sites, whereas a statistically significant difference between sites was noticed in favor of UB environment in winter.

This study investigated seasonal variation of PAHs and their partition between gas and particulate-bounded phases in indoor and outdoor air in 4 schools In Serbia located at different locations. The sampling campaigns were conducted during one workweek at each school successively. Campaigns were conducted in schools during heating and non-heating seasons in December 2011 and June 2012. Seasonal variations of gas and particle-bounded PAHs concentrations were observed with higher levels during heating season. The highest total PAH values were associated with the gas phase in both sampling periods. The total PAHs concentration at indoor and at the outdoor sites, during heating season, ranged from 88.45 to 447.72 ng/m(3) and 201.69 to 1017.15 ng/m(3), respectively. During non-heating season, the total PAHs concentration ranged from 36.91 to 271.57 ng/m(3) in Indoor environment and 27.00 to 132.32 ng/m(3) in outdoor environment. Most of the I/O ratios were less than 1, which indicated that the indoor PAHs were mostly from outdoor sources. The use of diagnostic ratio showed that traffic emission and coal combustion are the major sources of PAHs. Only the diagnostic ratios for the school located near the industrial area showed significant deviation compared to other schools. U ovom radu su istraživane sezonske promene PAH i njihova raspodela, u gasnoj fazi i respirabilnim česticama u vazduhu unutrašnjeg prostora i spoljašnje sredine u 4 škole u Srbiji koje se nalaze na različitim lokacijama. Kampanja uzorkovanja je sprovedena tokom jedne radne nedelje u toku grejnog i negrejnog perioda (od decembra 2011. do juna 2012.) u svakoj školi. Uočene su sezonske promene nivoa PAH u gasnoj fazi i česticama, sa višim koncentracijama tokom grejnog perioda. Izmerena je veća vrednost zbira ukupnih PAH tokom oba perioda u gasnoj fazi nego PAH u česticama. Ukupna koncentracija PAH tokom grejnog perioda u unutrašnjem prostoru se kretala u opsegu od 88,45 do 447,72 ng/m3, a u spoljašnjoj sredini od 201,69 do 1017,15 ng/m3. Tokom negrejnog perioda, ukupna koncentracija PAH-ova je bila 36,91-271,57 ng/m3 u unutrašnjem prostoru, dok je u spoljašnjoj sredini bila 27,00-132,32 ng/m3. Većina I/O odnosa je bila manja od 1, što ukazuje da PAH u unutrašnjem prostoru uglavnom potiču iz spoljašnjeg vazduha. Na osnovu dijagnostičkih odnosa zaključeno je da su saobraćaj i sagorevanje uglja glavni izvori PAH. Jedino dijagnostički odnosi za školu koja se nalazi u blizini industrijske zone pokazuju značajno odstupanje u poređenju sa drugim školama.

The aim of this paper was to determine the applicability of the automatic monitors for measuring the indoor air pollution with suspended particles, PM10 fraction. The measurement results of the automatic monitor were compared with the results obtained by the reference gravimetric method. Comparative measurements over a period of 50 days were carried out during the winter of 2012 in the Laboratory of Applied Electronics in the Mining and Metallurgy Institute Bor. The analysis showed that there is a strong correlation (R2 = 0.61) between the mean hourly PM10 concentrations, measured by the automatic monitors. The OSIRIS monitor underestimates the 24-h mean PM10 concentrations (the average of 30%) compared to the reference gravimetric method. Contrary to that, the EPAM-5000 monitor overestimates the 24-h mean PM10 concentrations (the average of 40%) compared to the reference gravimetric method. Calibration of the automatic monitors was made on the basis of the results obtained by the gravimetric method. It was determined that both examined automatic monitors are applicable for indicative measurements of PM10 concentrations in the indoor environment. In order to use these automatic monitors in the air pollution health impact studies, it is necessary to calibrate them, on daily basis, with the reference gravimetric method.

The content of As and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu) in total suspended particulate (TSP) and PM10 at 3 locations (Park, Institute, and Jugopetrol) near the copper smelter in Bor (Serbia) has been analyzed within the period 2004 to 2015 with the aim of investigating the seasonal and spatial changes of those pollutants in the suspended particles. The content of As in TSP and PM10 was over the annual EU limit value at all measuring points during the entire period of observation, while contents of Cd and Pb were periodically above the annual EU limits. There were no statistically significant seasonal changes between mean levels of the observed elements in the cold (October–March) and warm (April–September) periods during the year. A strong and moderate positive correlation was detected between the concentrations of each particular element (except Ni) at all measuring points. Additionally, Cd was the most enriched element followed by Pb, As, and Cu, while Ni was low-enriched. The constant air pollution with As particles, sometimes in concentrations even 20 times higher than the permitted annual value, requires urgent undertaking of concrete actions in order to reduce anthropogenic emission of suspended particles in Bor.

Air pollution is one of the most important environmental problems in the town of Bor, situated in the eastern of Serbia. The main source of air pollution with sulphur dioxide, heavy metals and other toxic and carcinogenic elements present in particulate matter (PM) and aero sediments is the Copper Mining and Smelting Complex Bor. The distribution of air pollutants is mainly determined by the copper smelter operation mode, as well as by meteorological parameters such as wind speed and direction. While information on air pollution with heavy metals and carcinogenic elements in the form of PM has been monitored and reported for longer period, availability of data related to the relationship between air pollutants and meteorological parameters in the Republic of Serbia is still limited. In the present study, the relationships between daily mean concentrations of SO2 and the speed and wind direction were analysed. The analysis includes data collected in 2011 from the four monitoring stations (Park, Jugopetrol, Institute, and Brezonik) situated in a wider town area. Pearson correlation coefficients between daily average SO2 and daily average speed and direction of winds are calculated. High wind speed reduces SO2 concentration due to the dilution effect. Hence, correlations between SO2 and the speed and direction of winds at almost all monitoring stations were negative, with one exception (Jugopetrol). This could be explained by the fact that winds, blowing from the north-west (NW) direction, carry polluted air towards this station. Moderate negative correlation found between SO2 and wind direction at monitoring station Park. Generally, the observed correlations between SO2 and wind speed and direction are weak, due to frequent changes in SO2 emissions, wind speed and direction during the day.

Accurate monitoring of indoor mass concentrations of particulate matter is very important for health risk assessment as people in developed countries spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. The direct reading, aerosol monitoring device, Turnkey, OSIRIS Particle Monitor (Model 2315) and the European reference low volume sampler, LVS3 (Sven/Leckel LVS3) with size-selective inlets for PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were used to assess the comparability of available optical and gravimetric methods for particulate matter characterization in indoor air. Simultaneous 24-hour samples were collected in an indoor environment for 60 sampling periods in the town of Bor, Serbia. The 24-hour mean PM10 levels from the OSIRIS monitor were well correlated with the LVS3 levels (R-2=0.87) and did not show statistically significant bias. The 24-hour mean PM2.5 levels from the OSIRIS monitor were moderately correlated with the LVS3 levels (R-2=0.71), but show statistically significant bias. The results suggest that the OSIRIS monitor provides sufficiently accurate measurements for PM10. The OSIRIS monitor under-estimated the indoor PM10 concentrations by approximately 12%, relative to the reference LVS3 sampler. The accuracy of PM10 measurements could be further improved through empirical adjustment. For the fine fraction of particulate matter, PM2.5, it was found that the OSIRIS monitor underestimated indoor concentrations by approximately 63%, relative to the reference LVS3 sampler. This could lead to exposure misclassification in health effects studies relying on PM2.5 measurements collected with this instrument in indoor environments. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this paper, there are presented levels of twenty one elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Se, Sr, and Zn) in PM10 and SO2 concentration measured at the sampling site in an urban area of the town of Bor (40000 inhabitants) in eastern Serbia. Sampling site was located in densely populated city center about 0.65 km far from one of the largest copper mine and cooper smelter in Europe. For the first time PM10 was collected using Europen standard sampler, during preliminar campaing in duration of 7 days in early spring 2009. PM10 were sampled on PTFE memebrane filters and element concentrations quantified by GF AAS and ICP AES. A concentration level and correlations within trace elements, PM10 and SO2 indicated that industrial activates underpinned with metrological conditions of slow wind speed (calm), are the main factors that influence air pollution in densely populated area. It was evident that both, PM10 mass concentration and SO2 concentration once exceeded daily limit values during measuring period of seven days. Strong relationship was found between PM10 and Mn, Mg, Ca and B daily average concentrations. On the other side, SO2 correlated strongly with As, Pb, Cd, Cu and S daily average concentrations. These results confirm relationship between emissions of SO2 from the Copper Smelter Bor, calm meteorological conditions (wind speed less than 0.5 m/sec) with concentration level of carcinogenic substances of arsenic, lead and cadmium in ambient air.

While information on air pollution in the form of particulate matter (PM) has been monitored for longer period for EU countries, availability of PM data sets in the Western Balkan countries including the Republic of Serbia are still limited. Studies, related to the particulate pollution research, have been only carried out in the past several years. The main objective of this paper is to present PM levels measured in the ambient air in the surrounding settlements of the Copper Smelter Complex Bor. Also, one of the goals is a comparison of PM levels in the surrounding settlements with those measured in Bor town. The ambient levels of PM particles (PM10, PM2.5) were measured by automatic PM monitors at 4 nearby settlements: Slatina, Ostrelj, Krivelj and Brezonik in the time interval from 2005 to 2010. According to the measurement results, PM10 and PM2.5 levels in the ambient air were higher in the cold, heating, (October-March) than in the warm no heating period (April-September). The exceeding of the daily limit of PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration levels was observed at all measuring points. A higher number of exceedances were detected in the cold period. The results indicate that there is a significant seasonal change in the level of fine particles at all measuring places in surroundings. In addition, the PM levels in Bor town are more influenced by the air pollution from the Copper Smelter Complex than settlements in the vicinity, where the PM concentrations were greatly influenced by the presence of domestic heating in the cold period. [Projekat Ministarstva nauka Republike Srbije, br. III42008: Evaluation of Energy Performances and Indoor Environment Quality of Educational Buildings in Serbia with Impact to Health i br. III41028: “An Integral Study to Identify the Regional Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for the Common Noncommunicable Diseases in the Human Population of Serbia]