Contamination of agricultural soils can present a signifi cant risk to human health through oral ingestion, particle inhalation, and dermal contact. Th e aims of this research were to determinate the concentrations, distribution and human health risk of various heavy metals in soil samples from three agricultural areas of South Herzegovina. A total number of 32 soil samples were collected and analyzed for Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), and Zinc (Zn). Th e Hazard Index (HI) was used to assess the human health risk of the study area. For the adult and children population, the HI value for dermal exposure to Cobalt (Co) was greater than one (HI>1), and non-cancerogenic eff ects are therefore considered as signifi cant for human health. Our fi ndings impose consideration of taking risk management measures in order to reduce risk for human health from Cobalt (Co).

This paper investigates differences in efficacy of isolating pathogenic bacteria Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 between conventional cultivation (ISO method) and immunomagnetic separation (IMS method) related to the types of dairy products and initial numbers of bacteria. Different milk products (dairy pudding- vanilla or chocolate ; a mixture of yoghurt and pudding ; solid, liquid and fruit yoghurt ; AB culture - with or without fruit ; cheese spread) were intentionally contaminated with different numbers (≈10 and ≈30) of live cells of the observed bacteria per mL. The obtained results showed that the classical ISO procedure still represents an equally adequate method for the detection of S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes in dairy products as well as the IMS method. However, the ISO method was found to be inefficient for determination of E. coli O157:H7 when the initial contamination was low (≈10 live cells per mL). In such cases, even the IMS method appeared to be inefficient when used for fermented dairy products analysis. Fermented dairy products in contrast to the non-fermented ones, still represent a challenge for the development of routine detection methods, especially for S. Enteritidis, whilst the detection of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 has improved by introducing the IMS method. The largest difference in the ability to detect bacteria in dairy product samples with reference to the initial number of bacteria by both methods was in the detection of E. coli O157:H7. The choice of broth (non- selective fluid broth vs. selective fluid broth) did not matter in the in the detection of S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes by applying the IMS procedure. However, for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 the application of modified tripton-soya broth with novobiocin (mTSB+Nb) has proved to be superior when compared to using the buffered peptone water (BPW). The presented results may be of importance as a scientific basis for future determination of standard methods related to laboratory detection of pathogens in dairy products.

The aim of the paper was to determine the level of soil contamination with lead and perform risk assessment by calculating the Hazard Quotient Index (HQI). The research was carried out during 2015 and 2016 at three locations in Herzegovina (Mostar, Capljina, and Stolac), where nectarine cultivars ('Big Top' and 'Caldesi 2000') were cultivated. At the Mostar and Capljina locations, the total content of lead in the soil exceeded MPC values in both years of research. Estimated daily intake (EDI) and estimated weekly intake (EWI) values of lead in the studied nectarine varieties showed no acute or chronic risk for human health.

Normal 0 21 false false false BS-LATN-BA X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:150%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language:BS-LATN-BA; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} The aim of this study was to determine the levels of cadmium in cattle meat and offal on the area of Central Bosnia Canton and to estimate the level of population exposure to cadmium through consumption of cattle meat and offal. Fifty samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, out of which twenty samples of kidney tissue, twenty samples of liver tissue and ten samples of muscle tissue. Determined cadmium levels in cattle kidney varied between 0.088 and 4.493 mg/kg, while cadmium levels in liver were determined in the range from 0.016 to 0.206 mg/kg. The mean value of cadmium in kidney was 0.750 mg/kg, while the mean value of cadmium in liver was 0.076 mg/kg. Cadmium levels in muscle tissue were less than 0.008 mg/kg in all analysed samples. In three samples of kidney (15% of the analysed) cadmium levels exceeded maximum permitted level, while no such case was found for liver and muscle tissue. Estimated weekly intake of cadmium due to the consumption of cattle meat is 1.74 x 10 -3 m g/kg body weight. Weekly intake of cadmium by consuming cattle kidney is 9.08 x 10 -3 m g/kg body weight, whereas weekly intake of cadmium via cattle liver is 1.23 x 10 -3 m g/kg body weight. The intake of cadmium due to the consumption of cattle meat and offal in the examined population is within the tolerable weekly intake. Exposure to cadmium from cattle meat in the examined population does not pose a risk for health.

Summary Mycotoxins are today considered one of the main contaminants of food and feed. Widespread zearalenone and its metabolites have potent estrogenic and anabolic activity, proven in numerous studies worldwide. Th e aim is to investigate infl uence of zearalenone on the uterine weight of rats depending on the applied dose and duration of the observation period. In a controlled experimental study, 63 adult female Wistar rats were divided into three groups, depending on the oral test dose of zearalenone applied: 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mg / kg of body weight. At the end of each of the four observation periods of seven days, animals were sacrifi ced under general anesthesia with ether, and aft er an autopsy the mass of the uterus was determined. Zearalenone in the dose of 0.1 mg / kg of body weight has caused a signifi cant increase in uterine weight between the fi rst and fourth observation interval. Doses of 0.3 and 0.5 mg zearalenone / kg caused a decrease in uterine weight, which was at a dose of 0.5 mg / kg highly signifi cant between all observational intervals. Aft er 7 days of applying of the toxin, uterine weights did not diff er signifi cantly with respect to applied dose. Aft er 14, 21 and 28 days, diff erences in uterine weight were highly signifi cant, depending on the dose of zearalenone. Th e results show that prolonged application of large doses of zearalenone produced a signifi cant decrease in uterine weights in experimental animals.