Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common environmental pollutants that reach atmosphere in the form of aerosol adsorbed on soot, ash and dust. Having in mind its carcinogenic and mutagenic effects most countries have regulations concerning their estimation in environmental samples. In this work we have investigated extraction efficiency of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from flying particles collected on glass fiber filters. Efficiency of extraction of different duration in Soxhlet apparatus, ultrasonic bath and boiling toluene under reflux were compared. It has been established that compounds having two or three condensed rings are lost during evaporation of toluene that was used as a solvent. For compounds having five or more condensed rings extraction in ultrasonic bath and boiling toluene using magnetic stirrer and reflux are the most efficient.

Content of atropine in eye drops of atropine sulfate were determined colorimetrically and spectrophotometricaly using methods of ion pairs with bromtimolblue. The described method is more convenient for routine analysis then non aqueous titration described in various Pharmacopeas.

Metabolite of 17-methyl-17-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethylen)-androstan-3-one (oxymetholane) in urine after a single oral administration was monitored by gas chromatography+mass spectrometry. During the investigation prepared TMS-ethers and TMS-enol-ethers of conjugated steroid fraction two new metabolites of oxymetholone have been identified: tetrahydrooxymetholone and tetrahydro-6-hydroxy-oxymetholone.

Piperidine heterocycles are present in the structure of many alkaloids, for example coniine in the structures of lobelia, cocaine alkaloids and sedum alkaloids, Sedum alkaloids are 2,6-disubstituted derivatives of piperidine or N-methylpiperidine. Extracts obtained from Sedum acre L. were investigated for the presence of alkaloids by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Identification has been carried out on the basis of retention time, molecular ion mass and characteristic fragmentation. Investigated extracts contained unknown alkaloids which belong to the piperidine group of sedum alkaloids. Mass spectral fragmentation patterns and a proposed structure for the unknown alkaloids are discussed.

The content of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in extracts of particulate matter collected in the city of Zenica in December 1987 was analysed. In addition to the presence of proven carcinogens like benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chryzene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, the contents of naphthalene, fluorene, fenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene were also determined. Those substances were rightly assumed to be precursors of genotoxic products in reactions with atmospheric nitrogen oxides. The determined average concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was higher than those found in other places in Yugoslavia where similar studies were conducted. At the same time, the measured benzo(a)pyrene concentration exceeded the guidelines for inhabited places according to the standards of the Federal Republic Germany and the Netherlands. The observed high variations in naphthalene concentration of as much as two orders of magnitude in two days were likely due to unsolved technological problems.