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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.

In this study, a modified cobalt oxide (Co3O4) carbon paste electrode was prepared for the detection of Levofloxacin. Co3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by the chemical coprecipitation method. The electrochemical properties of LEV at this electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the synthesized materials.

The widespread use of ionic liquids (ILs) as greener solvents in analytical sciences, especially in sample pretreatment, has focused attention on exploiting their enormous potential, not only on eliminating and improving the drawbacks faced by scientists. These ionic compounds with unique physicochemical properties can be tuned through smart synthesis, combining cations and anions, so that the compound exhibits excellent properties for its intended purpose. Ionic liquids are rightly referred to as designer solvents. Validation of a newly proposed analytical methods using ionic liquids, either in sample preparation or in further analysis, is a critical process to demonstrate that a particular analytical method is fit for purpose and provides reliable and accurate results. In addition, this article specially addressed the potential toxicity of ionic liquids with the modest goal of assisting researchers in this field by expanding their target areas.

More environment-friendly solvents in analytical chemistry are almost inevitable in both sample preparation and analysis to meet the high standards of sustainable chemistry and human welfare. In this review paper, a critical look at the advantages and still unsolved problems of most potential classes of green solvents is presented to give an overview of the current state-of-the-art in this field. Replacing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by ecofriendly and benign solvents in extractions/separations in sample preparation, as the most tedious and demanding step in analysis, is one of roads toward sustainable chemistry. Water under sub- and supercritical conditions, carbon-dioxide, ionic liquids (ILs), deep eutectic solvents (DESs), and those of natural origin (NADES) belong to the most promising classes of solvents in green analytical chemistry. Basic theory and mechanisms of their use illustrated by representative but not exhaustive list of examples related to complex matrices (environmental and natural food products) from analytical practice are presented in this review. Perspectives of QuEChERS, in line with GAC principles, are highlighted, in line with current trends of “going green” for quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe analytical methods. Compliance with green chemistry (GC), especially green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles, is not a fashionable issue but, more the trend toward a sustainable future with greener chemistry; thus, green metrics are an unavoidable tool to measure how green the applied method or procedure is. Herein, the most common tools will be presented and discussed, such as national environmental method index (NEMI), analytical ecoscale, green analytical procedure index (GAPI), analytical greenness calculator (AGREE), complementary green analytical procedure index (ComplexGAPI), and analytical greenness metric for sample preparation (AGREEprep). The future trends for research and development in this still expanding field ar

Kvalitet podzemnih voda je jako bitan, budući da utiče na mogućnost njihovog korišćenja. U ovom radu je ispitan kvalitet podzemnih voda Banata. Analiziran je veliki broj uzoraka podzemne vode na sadržaj zagađujućih materija. U cilju određivanja prihvatljivosti podzemne vode kao pijaće vode, primenjena je metoda entropijskog indeksa kvaliteta vode (EWQI). Izračunate vrednosti EWQI varirale su između 7.0 i 326, sa srednjom vrednošću od 66.9. Na osnovu EWQI, vode su razvrstane tako da je 25.0%, 30.6%, 22.2%, 13.0% i 9.3% uzoraka podzemnih voda „odličnog”, „dobrog“, „srednjeg“, „lošeg“ i „ekstremno lošeg“ kvaliteta. U južnom Banatu prisutne su vode „odličnog” i „dobrog” kvaliteta, dok su na severu istraživanog područja prisutne vode „srednjeg”, „lošeg” i „ekstremno lošeg” kvaliteta., The quality of groundwater is of crucial importance, as it determines its usability. In this paper, the quality of groundwater in Banat is investigated. A number of groundwater samples were analyzed for the presence of contaminants. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) method was used to determine the acceptability of groundwater as a drinking water source. The calculated EWQI ranged from 7.0 to 326, with a mean value of 66.9. According to the EWQI, 25.0%, 30.6%, 22.2%, 13.0%, and 9.3% of the groundwater samples were of "excellent", "good", "moderate", "poor", and "extremely poor" quality, respectively. In the southern Banat, there are waters of "excellent" and "good" quality, while in the northern part of the study area there is water of "moderate", "poor", and "extremely poor" quality.

Introduction: Limited availability of individual standards is a bottleneck for quality control of functional foods and natural medicines. The use of standard mixtures or secondary standards is a possible alternative in this case. Earlier, an approach known as standardised reference extract (RE) strategy was introduced for HPLC-UV analysis of different plant materials; however, its application in HPLC-MS analysis has not been investigated. Objective: To establish an HPLC-MS-based RE method for determination of ginsenoside content in ginseng infusions using commercially available extract refer- ence material of Panax quinquefolius L. Results: The developed HPLC-MS method was validated as precise (1.1%–9.4% intra-day variation; 1.6%–12.8% inter-day variation) and highly sensitive [limit of detection (LOD): 1–40 ng/mL; limit of quantification (LOQ): 4–120 ng/mL]. The sta- bility of samples was satisfactory (5.7%–16.3%). The RE quantification method was compared with the external standard method, and the obtained difference was not significant, mostly in the range of 5%–10%. Matrix effects for the diluted samples of RE and ginseng infusions, determined via the standard addition method, were in the range of 85%–115% and 80%–126%, respectively, and were also positively corre- lated with the ginsenoside concentration. Eleven batches of ginseng infusions from different manufacturers were analysed using the established method. Conclusion: The method for HPLC-MS-based ginsenoside quantification using RE as a secondary standard was established for the first time. The results of this study dem- onstrate that the application of the standardised RE strategy in HPLC-MS can mini- mise the matrix effect-related error in addition to the cost-effective quality control of herbal products, foods, and traditional medicines.

Lead isotope ratio pattern (206Pb/207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) was analyzed in 59 samples of Serbian wine, from four geographical regions. By utilization of powerful inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS), lead isotope ratios were used as unique “fingerprint”, when combined with multivariate methods of analysis (Principal Component Analysis), provided information on the geographical origin of wine. In validation of ICP- QMS method and quantitative analysis, the certified reference material NIST SRM 981 was employed to test the mass-bias correction and thallium isotopes 203Tl and 205Tl (NIST SRM 997) as an internal standard. The obtained results were discussed in correlation with the corresponding values of LIRs of different European and Australian wines. In addition, the impact of anthropogenic Pb from different sources on the total Pb isotopic composition in Serbian wines was analyzed too. On the other side, the obtained values of Pb content were compared with the applicable health safety standards, according to the International Code of Oenological Practices.

Lead isotope ratio pattern (206Pb/207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) was analyzed in 59 samples of Serbian wine, from four geographical regions. By utilization of powerful inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS), lead isotope ratios were used as unique “fingerprint”, when combined with multivariate methods of analysis (Principal Component Analysis), provided information on the geographical origin of wine. In validation of ICP- QMS method and quantitative analysis, the certified reference material NIST SRM 981 was employed to test the mass-bias correction and thallium isotopes 203Tl and 205Tl (NIST SRM 997) as an internal standard. The obtained results were discussed in correlation with the corresponding values of LIRs of different European and Australian wines. In addition, the impact of anthropogenic Pb from different sources on the total Pb isotopic composition in Serbian wines was analyzed too. On the other side, the obtained values of Pb content were compared with the applicable health safety standards, according to the International Code of Oenological Practices.

The 17th International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment (ICCE 2019) took place in the period 16–20 June 2019, in Thessaloniki, Greece. The Conference Centre of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, named KEDEA, was chosen as an appropriate venue for the conference. Through its lecture halls, foyer for posters and exhibition stands, food, and refreshment facilities, it offered a great conference environment. We appreciate the help of all people involved in the efficient and smooth organization (Organizing Committee, University personnel, Students) of ICCE 2019. The ICCE has been organized since 1980 by the Division of Chemistry and the Environment (DCE) of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) as a biennial conference. The first meeting took place in Paris.