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The leaching process has been successfully used in mining industry for 100 years. Nowadays, technologies are developed in order to prevent harmful effects of leaching process on the environment. The aim of this paper was to investigate the possibility of neutralize and remove heavy metals from the water that circulates in the leaching process. Usually, no waste water is generated in the leaching process, that is, the leaching solution is not thrown out, but reused in a closed cycle. However, in the event of an accident, ie if these waters are spilled, the neutralization process can be applied in order to raise the pH value of the water and help in the precipitation of heavy metals. This paper presents the results of studied potassium hydroxide, which proved to be a very effective neutralizer that successfully removes heavy metals.

Generally, heavy metals can be removed from acid mine drainage by precipitation and sorption using neutralizing agents. The choice of the most effective neutralizing agent for acid mine drainage treatment depends on several things, such as: consumption of neutralizing agent, speed of pH achievement and removal of heavy metals from AMD. Several neutralizing agents, including BaCO3, Na2CO3, NaOH, KOH, K2CO3, MgO, CaCO3 and Ba(OH)2, are explored in this study in order to remove heavy metals from acid mine drainage. The experiments are performed in laboratory conditions using multi-component synthetic aqueous solution with same initial concentration (10 mg/l) of each ion, such as Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe and Pb and initial pH value of 1.9. Comparison of studied neutralizing agents for heavy metals removal from aqueous solutions shown that the most effective neutralizing agent for heavy metals removal from multi-component aqueous solution is MgO, while the lowest efficiency is obtained with Na2CO3. The percentage of heavy metals removed from aqueous solutions increases along with rising pH values. The high removal is obtained at pH 12 for all studied heavy metals and almost 80-82% removed of Pb, Fe and Cu, while almost 74% of Zn and Mn. The series for heavy metal removal from multi-component aqueous solution by neutralizing agents are also presented.

With increased technological development and advanced new technologies, the number of risks and hazards to the workers` health is seriously increasing, due to excessive exposure to high noise levels. This imposes the necessity to pay more attention to the problem of noise impact on the worker, occupational diseases and harms it causes, protection from it and the introduction of measures to effectively control them. With the rapid technological and industrial development, the number of hazards, risks and dangers to the workers`health is seriously increasing, among other things due to excessive exposure to high noise levels. This imposes the need to pay more attention to the problem of the impact of noise on the health of workers, occupational diseases and harms it causes, measures to protect against high noise levels and the introduction of measures to effectively control them. In order to determine the personal noise exposure at certain work positions, in different industries, a measurement of personal noise exposure on 16 workers, distributed at 16 work positions, was performed. Noise measurement was performed on each worker with dosimeters within 6 hours in three working days. The paper presents the results of personal noise exposure of workers in: furniture production plant, boxes production plant, PVC windows and doors production plant, textile industry and metal processing industry.

Во последните неколку децении, сообраќајната бучава има сé поголемо влијание врз квалитетот на живеење. Како резултат на несоодветна, непланска урбанизација, интензивирање на сообраќајот, користење на застарени моторни возила, неквалитетни сообраќајници, се доживува како еден од значајните еколошки проблеми кој претставува реална закана за здравјето и квалитетот на живеење. За да се преземат ефективни мерки против сообраќајната бучава, императив е информацијата за нејзината дисперзија, односно моделирање на дисперзијата на бучава. Сегашните регулативи исто како и научните напори се фокусирани на големите метрополи - агломерации, иако двегодишниот монитонг спроведен во Штип (град со околу 50.000 жители) укажува на зголемени нивоа на бучава во поголемиот дел од градот. Насоченото следење и мапирање со помош на софтверот за моделирање на бучава SoundPLAN, укажуваат на сообраќајот како главен извор на бучава во урбаните средини. Целта на овој труд е да укаже на фактот дека и малите урбани средини, како што е Штип, исто така имаат проблем со високите нивоа на бучава. Од друга страна, тие немаат законска обврска да изработат стратешки карти за бучава и акциони планови за решавање на проблемите со бучавата. Трудот ги прикажува резултатите од мерењето на бучавата од патниот сообраќај и моделирањето на дисперзија на бучава во малиот, но динамичен град Штип, што укажува на зголемената загриженост за нивоата на бучава во слични средини низ цела Југоисточна Европа, обидувајќи се да одговори на прашањата: Дали малите урбани средени се безбедни од аспект на високите нивоа на бучава на кои е изложено населението и дали треба и тие да имаат акциони планови за намалување на бучавата?

Еден од најважните делови во процесот за отворање на нов рудник или разработување на нов дел во веќе постоечки рудник е избор на рударска откопна метода. При изборот на рударска откопна метода е потребно да се земат во предвид голем број на влијателни параметри, при што во тој случај ќе се добие најсоодветната рударска откопна метода. Примената на методите за повеќекритериумско одлучување се од голема важност за решавање на вакви сложени проблеми, бидејќи овозможуваат разгледување на голем број влијателни параметри. Во овој труд ќе бидат споменати неколку методи за повеќекритериумско одлучување, кои се имаат применето за избор на рударска откопна метода и потоа е извршено споредување на добиените резултати за да се одреди просечното рангирање на рударските откопни методи.

Хидројаловиштата како значајни хидротехнички објекти постојано се предмет на анализа, со цел утврдување на соодветни техники на нивно покривање и рекултивација. Тешко е да се обезбедат општи процедури за покривање и рекултивација на хидројаловиштата, а при тоа да се постигнат целите и барањата врз основа на направена проценка, заснована на низа критериуми, вклучувајќи ги карактеристиките на хидројаловината и материјалот за покривање, хидролошките и почвените услови на локацијата, како и барањата за идна употреба на земјиштето. Во овој труд се прикажани можните техники на покривање со природни и вештачки материјали со прифатливи карактеристики и рекултивација со соодветни растителни видови на примерот на хидројаловиште Скрдово, Рудник Злетово.

Several neutralizing agents, including BaCO3, Na2CO3, NaOH, KOH, K2CO3, MgO, CaCO3 and Ba(OH)2, are explored in this study in order to remove heavy metals from acid mine drainage. The experiments are performed in laboratory conditions using multi-component synthetic aqueous solution with same initial concentration (10 mg/l) of each ion, such as Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe and Pb and initial pH value of 1.9. Comparison of studied neutralizing agents for heavy metals removal from aqueous solutions shown that the most effective neutralizing agent is MgO, while the lowest efficiency is obtained with Na2CO3. The percentage of heavy metals removed from aqueous solutions increases along with rising pH values. The highest removal is obtained at pH 12 for all studied heavy metals and almost 80-82% removed of Pb, Fe and Cu, while almost 74% of Zn and Mn.

Municipal Solid Waste (МSW) management is still one of the major environmental challenges at national level, and although with national and regional waste plans in place, Republic of North Macedonia with its eight regions has only one regional landfill active, and at least 54 non-standard municipal landfills and hundreds of dump sites and old landfills. PAYT system and ACUs as innovative technologies for biowaste management involves source separation schemes of organic waste in different bins (biowaste in 10L bins and residual mixed waste in 80L coded bins).

The total operating costs of each mine largely depend on the method of mining. Therefore, the appropriate choice of the method of mining excavation is very important and great attention is paid to this issue. There are several procedures for the selection of the mining method, among which the most important and most commonly used numerical method is the UBC methodology for the selection of the mining method. According to this methodology, the choice of the method of mining excavation is based on the mining-geological parameters of the ore and adjacent rocks. In this paper, the UBC methodology for the selection of the mining excavation method for a specific case will be applied. According to this methodology, it was obtained that Cut and Fill method is best ranked for specific conditions and the most appropriate way of mining.

In recent years, high air pollution episodes in most of North Macedonia's cities have dominated the headlines, confirming popular view that dirty air is by far the most serious environmental and health issue confronting the country's urban population. The country's capital and most populous city Skopje is frequently at the top of numerous pollution rankings and is among the cities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that significantly exceed the EU yearly limit value for PM 2.5. (Almeida et al 2020). However, the restricted scope and temporally scattered data about pollution sources, allow for scepticism, thwarting any efforts to apply effective abatement techniques. Main goal of Source Apportionment (SA) study for Skopje Agglomeration was to derive information about pollution sources and the amount they contribute to ambient air pollution levels. The study includes selection of representative receptor/monitoring site, sampling, chemical speciation, and construction of multivariate receptor model, following the European Guide on Air Pollution Source Apportionment with Receptor Models, Revised version, JRC (2019). Karposh urban background monitoring station, a part of national monitoring network, was selected as representative receptor exposed to the mix of sources in the urban area.

The treatment of acid mine drainages is usually based on two basic technologies, active and passive treatment technologies. Whichever acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment method is employed, a neutralizing procedure that raises the water's pH over 7.0 using alkaline agents is required prior to discharge. A comparison of eight different agents (BaCO3, Na2CO3, NaOH, KOH, K2CO3, MgO, CaCO3, and Ba(OH)2) was performed in order to choose the most effective neutralizing agent for acid mine drainage treatment. The experiments were performed using a multi-component synthetic aqueous solution with an initial concentration of 10 mg/L of the Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, and Pb ions and an initial pH value of 1.9. According to the research, the most effective neutralizing agent for the removal of heavy metals from a multi-component aqueous solution is MgO, while the least effective agent was Na2CO3. The obtained series of effective neutralizing agents for the removal of heavy metals from a multi-component aqueous solution are presented in the work. The effect of the studied concentration of neutralizing agents depends on the neutralizing agents and heavy metals that are used. The percentage of heavy metals removed from aqueous solutions increases along with rising pH values. The consumption of the neutralizing agent decreases as the concentration of the neutralizing agent is increased. In addition, the time taken to achieve pH depends on the agent concentration. In particular, as the concentration of the neutralizing agent increases, the time to reach the pH decreases.

Праксата на несоодветно одлагање на флотациската јаловина во минатото постојано потсетува на сериозните негативни влијанија врз животната средина. Еден од начините за минимизирање на ова влијание е одлагање на флотациската јаловина во површински копови чија експлоатација е веќе завршена. Клучните еколошки прашања, како и оние кои се од интерес на јавноста се однесуваат на: долгорочна стабилност на одлагалиштата; долготрајно испирање/лужење; и ерозија на површинските одлагалишта. Значајни фактори кои треба да се земат предвид при проценка на применливоста на методологијата за одлагање на отпадот од минерални суровини во копови чија експлоатација е веќе завршена вклучуваат: хидрогеологија на локацијата, геохемија на отпадот, морфологија на копот и релевантни алтернативи. Во овој труд се презентирани еколошки прифатливи техники за одлагање на флотациската јаловина во откопаните простори.

Влијанието на миризбата врз човекот може да има потенцијални негативни ефекти и да предизвика здравствени проблеми. Заради тоа е потребно мерење на миризбата и постоење на законска регулатива за гранични вредности на миризба. Научните методи за мерење на миризба се базираат врз интернационални стандарди од кои најупотребуван е стандардот EN13725 Квалитет на воздух – одредување на концентрација на миризба со динамичка олфактометрија од Европскиот Комитет за стандардизирање (СЕN). Најчест параметар на миризба кој се одредува при мерењето на миризба е концентрација на миризба која се одредува со користење на инструмент наречен олфактометар. Концентрацијата на миризба може да се мери во строго контролирани лабораториски услови со помош на тренирани оценувачи на миризба и тогаш станува збор за лабораториска (динамичка, одложена) олфактометрија или се мери директно на терен со теренска (директна) олфактометрија. Во овој труд се прикажани резултати од мерење на миризба на фарма, со директна олфактометрија.

Историски гледано, рударството секогаш се сметало за високоризична индустрија. Сепак, воведувањето на нови технологии и зголемената безбедност резултираа со значително намалување на стапките на несреќи и повреди во последните неколку децении. Во обид за понатамошно намалување на овие стапки, треба да се разреши проблемот со човечкиот фактор поврзан со инциденти и несреќи. Целта на овој труд е да се анализира ризикот во однос на човечката грешка, нејзините причини и можните последици од настаните предизвикани од грешката. За да се идентификуваат трендовите на човечкиот фактор како причина за насреќи во рударството во овој труд е применета модифицираната верзија на анализа и класификација на човевкиот фактор во рударската индустрија (HFCAS-MI).

Solid waste management remains an issue of significant importance for the Republic of North Macedonia, especially in a period when the country makes significant steps towards EU approximation. Despite harmonized national legislation, very little has been accomplished to comply with numerous EU Directives or Regulations, especially with Wastes Framework Directive (98/2008), which sets a series of very ambitious targets. The current system for waste management in the Republic of North Macedonia is primarily focusing on waste collection and disposal. Regular waste collection services are mainly limited to urban areas, providing up to 90% coverage in the cities and their outskirts. The National Waste Management Strategy foresees establishment of 5-7 regional landfills according to EU standards. Waste management services in the East and North-East region, do not comply with national and international regulations now. They are incomplete, contain only inefficient waste collection and poorly controlled or uncontrolled landfill, without source separation schemes as defined in EU waste directives. East Region includes 11 municipalities, with 9 non-standard municipal landfills and around 70 dump sites, while North-East region includes 6 municipalities with 5 non-standard municipal landfills and around 40 dump sites. The total amount of generated municipal waste in Republic of North Macedonia in 2020 was 913 033 tonnes; the annual amount of municipal waste was 452 kg per person. Most of the collected municipal waste (99.8%) is landfilling. In 2009, the Government adopted a Decision to establish integrated waste management system in the East and North-East region through public financing, while in 2019, was decided to be formed regional company for waste management in East, North-East planning region and Мunicipality of Sveti Nikole. The location of regional landfill will be on a hilly part, above the Ovchepole valley, 15 km Northeast of the Sveti Nikole, near the village Meckuevci. Within regional landfill following facilities for waste treatment will be established: mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), bio-stabilization, materials recovery (MRF) and small composting facility. New regional landfill should be built until 2025 with capacity of about 47000 t/year. This paper analyzes the benefits in terms of quality of life and environmental impact after the construction of the regional landfill for the East and North-East region.

The mining method selection for underground mining of mineral resources is very complex and responsible job of every mining engineer and designer. Multi-criteria decision-making is widely used in mining to solve many problems, such as the mining method selection. When applying multi-criteria decision-making, a number of criteria are taken into account, according to which the most optimal alternative is selected. This paper will present the scientific methodology for mining method selection for underground mining, using the PROMETHEE method. The mining method selection is divided into two parts: rational and optimal choice. When rationally mining method selection, the mining-geological factors of the deposit will be taken into account, while on the basis of technical and economic factors, the optimal mining method selection will be made by the PROMETHEE.

Given the shortcomings of Underground Methods for Sublevell caving among which are degradation of the terrain above the ore deposit, high level of dilution, large ore losses, difficult ventilation etc. It is booming today the application of the Cut and Fill Mining Method with filling in the form of a thick mixture – paste fill. This excavation technology allows tailings to be returned in the place where it was produced. In the paper as a case study is taken the mine “Sasa” where in the design and implementation phase is Cut and Fill Mining Method with paste backfill. The paper briefly describes the mining-geological characteristics of the mining site “Svinja Reka”, the conditions for application and description of the method with details of the excavation cycle.

Municipal Solid Waste management is still one of the major environmental challenges at national level, and although with national and regional waste plans in place. Republic of North Macedonia with its eight regions has only one regional landfill active, and at least 54 non-standard municipal landfills and hundreds dump sites and old landfills. And in the light of soon expected regional establishment of an integrated and self-sustainable waste management system in the eastern and north-eastern regions, in order to increase awareness by the local population and hospitality enterprises for source separation schemes of organic waste, as largest producers of organic waste, Goce Delcev & Hellenic Mediterranean Universities together with Municipality of Katerini, Municipality of Yermasoyia and Municipality of Probishtip, launched joint Project co-founded by EU, "Utilizing Pay as You Throw Systems and Autonomous Composting Units for Boiwastes Management in Touristic Areas". Annually, about 3300 t of MSW is generated in Municipality of Probishtip, with estimated 45.3% organic waste, all together disposed at a non-standard landfill just out of the city borders, and as soon as regional waste management system kick-in this should be changed, affecting current practice and costs. The Project includes transfer and application of innovative technologies Pay As You Throw - PAYT system and Autonomous Composting Units - ACUs for biowaste management in Municipalities of Katerini, Yermasoyia and Probishtip. PAYT system and ACUs as inovative technologies for biowaste management involves source separation schemes of organic waste in different bins (biowaste in 10 L bins and residual mixed waste in 80 L coded bins). Two ACUs with 60 t/year capacity have been installed and commissioned, one for hospitality enterprises installed nearby City market and San Niko Hotel and the other one in Kalnishte urban area aimed to serves 80 households included in Project, for composting organic waste. For introducing "Pay As You Throw" system specially designed weighing equipment built into the one waste collection truck owned by PUC Nikola Karev and coded waste bins for hospitality enterprises and households have been supplied. Participants training, data collection and analytical procedure are currently ongoing and expected direct benefits including: reduction of waste quantities that are landfilled, reduction of transportation cost for PUC, reduction of charges for hospitality enterprises and households participating in separation scheme and reduction of environmental pollution caused by landfill gas emissions and leachate, as much as reaching the ambitious target of Waste Framework Directive (98/2008).

The impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) on occupants’ health and welfare is a subject that gathered the attention of the scientific community over the last two decades. Homes were found to be micro-environments with the highest contribution to the daily exposure, especially to particulate matter and VOC’s. According to WHO, 3.8 million deaths every year, occur as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cookstoves and fuels, with particularly high risks among women and children’s groups. Our study involves IAQ measurements in residential spaces in Skopje urban and sub urban area (Lisiche), using biomass for heating and cooking purposes. A total of 40 houses were included in preliminary program, with 21 passing QA/QC procedures and qualified for further analysis. Parameters measured include particulate matter (PM 1, PM 2.5, PM 4 and PM10), carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. Measurements were preformed using optical sensor (light scattering) for PM, NDIR sensor for CO2, temperature and humidity combined resistance/capacitive probe for T(°C) and RH % and piezoresistive sensor for atmospheric pressure (Delta Ohm, HD 50). Monitoring was conducted for several consecutive days in order to avoid influence of different space usage habits and ambient pollution levels. The obtained results shows that 24 hours average PM10 concentration in homes heating with indoor stoves are in range of 200.1 ± 126.9 µg/m3 (n = 17) while in homes using biomass with external heating systems the 24 hours average PM10 concentration were in range 14.7 ± 6.5 µg/m3 (n = 4). In the same period (28.12.2020-28.01.2021), 24 hours average outdoor PM 10 concentrations at Lisiche station were 72.25 ± 57.19 µg/m3. Data obtained, exhibit significantly higher indoor concentration for homes using indoor stoves, indicating indoor stoves as very significant source of indoor air pollution

The mining method selection for underground mining is one of the most important decisions when designing a mine. This selection depends on the mining-geological, mining-technical and economic factors. The mining method selection for underground mining can be described as a multi-criteria decision-making process, as several factors are involved in the selection process. In this paper, a methodology for rational and optimal mining method selection for underground min-ing of metallic mineral resources has been developed. First, a rational selection of the four best-ranked mining methods for underground mining is performed using numerical methods (Nicholas' approach and the modified approach of Nicholas, i.e. UBC selection of mining method). This is fol-lowed by the optimal selection of underground mining method using multi-criteria decision-making methods (ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, AHP, and integrated AHP-PROMETHEE) and by comparing the obtained rankings, the optimal mining method is selected.

South-East Europe and particularly continental parts of the Balkan peninsula are among the areas with highest ambient air pollution levels in Europe. Most of the regional capitals exceed the EU annual limit value, and when considering the stricter WHO guidelines, all cities exceed the PM2.5 annual mean guideline (Almeida et al, 2020). The objective of our study was to assess Black Carbon concentrations in PM2.5 size-segregated aerosols and to estimate the contribution of fossil fuel combustion (BC ff) and biomass burning (BC bb) to equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentrations in the urban area of Skopje, North Macedonia. Measurements were conducted intermittently at one urban background and one urban traffic-exposed sites, from January to August 2021. The aerosol light absorption coefficients were retrieved using a 7-wavelength aethalometer (Rack Mount Aethalometer Model AE33, Magee Scientific Corp., Barkley, CA, USA). Aethalometer readings were corrected in real-time for multiple scattering in the filter matrix and loading effects, using the DualSpot Technology® (Drinovec et al., 2015). Using the Aethalometer model (Sandradewi et al. 2008), the absorption coefficients produced from the aethalometer were utilized to estimate the contribution of biomass burning and fossil fuel to total BC concentrations. PM2.5 samples were collected on PTFE filters using a low volume sampler (Sequential sampling system with automatic filter changer and Peltier cooler, PNS 18, DM-6.1, Comde-Derenda GmbH, Germany) and analysed for potassium (K) and other major ad trace elements using an X-Ray fluorescence (NEX CG II EDXRF Spectrometer, Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc., Tokyo, Japan). One-hour averaged data for fine particulate concentrations (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained respectively from a co-located monitoring station, part of the State Monitoring Network, operated by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MOEPP). Measured equivalent black carbon concentrations were similar to other pollutants connected with low efficiency combustion processes like PM2.5 and CO - exhibiting strong seasonal variation at both sites, ranging from high 6.96 ± 6.82 (urban background) and 6.24 ± 6.54 (traffic exposed site) during the cold season, to significantly lower 1.41 ± 1.16 (urban background) and 2.78 ± 2.03 (traffic exposed site) during the warm season. During the cold season, the mean relative contribution (%) of biomass burning reached 52.18 ± 15.22 % of the total black carbon concentration at the urban background site and 32.35 ± 19.22 % at the traffic exposed site, and exhibited a strong diurnal pattern with maximum values during the evening and late-night hours. The mean relative contribution of biomass burning significantly lower during the warm season, reaching 16.27 ± 8.28 at the urban background site and 7.65 ± 6.03 % at the traffic-exposed site, with no clear diurnal pattern.

Компостирањето претставува еден од најстарите начини на рециклирање на отпадот и добивање на висококвалитетно органско ѓубриво – компост. Компостирањето во себе ги обединува трите одржливи начини на управување со отпадот, односно допринесува за намалување на количините на отпад (редуцирање), повторна употреба на отпадот и негово рециклирање. Биоразградливиот дел од отпадот всушност претставува една од „најзагадувачките“ фракции во вкупните текови на отпад, а компостињарето го пренасочува отпадот од традиционалните начини на управување, како што се согорување и депонирање. Најзначајни параметри кои влијаат и придонесуваат за ефикасноста на процесот на компостирање и добивање на квалитетен компост се: температурата, содржината на влага, односот на јаглеродната и азотната компонента (C: N) и pH вредноста во отпадниот материјал. Во трудот е прикажана примената на автономните компостерски единици, како еден од најсовремените начини за компостирање на биоразградливиот отпад.

Проектот Плати колку што создаваш отпад (PAYT - Pay As You Throw Systems) и Автономни компостерски единици (Autonomous Composting Units) за управување со биоотпад во туристичките области (акроним: BIOWASTE), беше реализиран од 2017 до 2020 година и истиот е кофинансиран од Европската Унија и Националните агенции за финансирање. Во проектот беа вклучени две групи од општина Пробиштип, дел од децентрализирана урбана заедница и неколку поголеми и помали угостителски објекти. Успешната реализација на овој проект се огледа во остварувањето на поставените цели, низа еколошки и економски придобивки за општина Пробиштип. Во овој труд се прикажани остварените еколошки ефекти од спроведувањето на проектот БИООТПАД, како што се: намалување на емисија на стакленички гасови, намалување на количината на исцедок што се јавува во депониите, намалување на површината на депонијата, намалување на транспортот за собирање и отстранување на отпадот, како и добивање на компост.

Extreme winter time air pollution episodes, fortify public concerns and put focus on air pollution as most important environmental problem in urban areas throughout the country. However, focused research efforts to derive information about pollution sources and the amount they contribute to ambient air pollution levels, are still missing, thus leaving room for dubious discussions and political, instead of scientifically based abetment strategies. Having in mind importance of proper information on air pollution sources and utilizing the data collected during several different measurement’s campaigns performed for city of Skopje, as much extensive additional lab works and modeling efforts, indicative source apportionment analysis was performed for two sites (receptors) within Skopje urban area, one source specific (traffic) and one background site.