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The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential risks of radiation near abandoned uranium mines, tailing dumps, or uranium deposits on Mountain Stara Planina, Serbia. For risk assessment several parameters were determined: radium equivalent activity, Raeq, external hazard index, Hex, gamma radiation absorbed dose rate, D, annual effective dose on background outdoor gamma exposure, AEDoutdoor, and excess lifetime cancer risk, ELCR. Obtained results showed that all the samples, except one, have the Raeq value up to two times higher than the reference limit. The Raeq of the sample from the Mezdreja mine tailings was increased by almost eight times. The value of Hex followed the same pattern as Raeq. All the investigated localities have increased D values, while all the samples have shown the moderately low AEDoutdoor, except Mezdreja mine tailings that have 5.5-2.8 times higher dose relative to the world's average. ELCR at the Mezdreja mine tailings is 4.58 times higher than the world's average of 1.45•10–3. In the context of human activity in the area of Stara Planina such as different kinds of tourism, livestock breeding, dairy products, and herbal manufacturing, etc. there is a need for detailed analysis in order to evaluate potential human exposure and health impacts.

This paper presents an integrated environmental management plan for soil quality control in the city of Novi Sad in the Republic of Serbia. Considering the very favorable geographical position, Novi Sad is a city that interweaves important main roads, has population increase, as well as the rapid development of industry and agriculture. Due to these facts there is also increased pollution of air, water and soil, as well as generation of large waste amount. In addition to parks and devastated areas around the industrial zones, widespread agricultural activity in suburban areas is particularly sensitive to the soil quality and vice versa. In this study, the geographical position and geomorphological characteristics of the city area, as well as the leading ecological problems, were analyzed. Based on the given facts, an integrated monitoring of one of the environmental quality indicators, the soil quality was proposed. There was suggest the network of 15 sensors for measuring of pH value, humidity and soil temperature in the city area. Soil quality data obtained in this way in real time is very important for elimination or mitigation of potential undesirable consequences. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, the utilization of sensors network is increasingly being used in modern monitoring systems and is available for efficient and cost-effective solution of environmental problems.

The present study deals with the abundance of the most common accessory elements of radioactivity carriers on the Stara Planina mountain at four defined locations. All investigated locations have increased radioactivity, greater than 200 cps, up to 1250 cps. In all examined samples the following elements were detected and their concentrations were determined: Zr, Rb, W, Mo, Sn, Zn, Cu, As, Sb, Ba, Ni, Cr, V, and Ti. The analysis showed that depending on the sample, elevated concentrations of all detected elements except titanium were found. As all localities containing the listed detected elements are located near watercourses, all the present elements, and in particular, those with elevated concentrations can be relatively easily transferred to the environment by water action. Likewise, there is the possibility of eolic erosion from the investigated deposits and tailing dams whereby these chemical elements and/or radionuclides would be distributed to areas away from the primary sources of natural radioactivity. These have a high risk of spreading and therefore have harmful or radioecological effects on the environment. The study indicated a need for adequate monitoring, and risk assessment of the examined locations, which could prevent the distribution of these elements further into the environment. [Projects of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III 43009 and Grant no.