Mine pit lakes are a specific type of water accumulation, formed after exploitation process, by water filling the remaining crater or damming a watercourse with overburden material. Due to nature of their formation, these lakes may contain various heavy metals that might have an adverse effect on diversity of phytobenthos. The objective of this paper is the analysis of the phytobenthos assemblages in the mine pit lakes and assessment of the effects of certain heavy metals on diversity of this group of organisms. Special emphasis of this work is to determine the presence of tolerant species of algae on heavy metal pollution in mine pit lakes and their application in biomonitoring. The field research was performed during autumn season in 2014, at six mine pit lakes in the territory of B&H. The following heavy metals were analysed Al, Cr, Zn, Ni and Fe. The results were discussed in terms of confirmation or rejection of the hypothesis on the adverse effect of heavy metals on diversity of algae.

Abstract A silica-based inorganic sorbent was synthesized by the thermal decomposition of ammonium heptamolybdate on silica and applied for the preconcentration and simultaneous determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb in river water samples using a column system with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy were used for sorbent characterization. The effects of pH, sample volume, eluent type, eluent concentration, eluent volume, sample flow rate, and matrix ions (Al, Bi, Ca, Mg, and Zn) on the recovery of the metals in model solutions were investigated. The adsorption capacities (µmol g−1) of SiO2-MoO3 were 88.96 (Cd), 169.69 (Co), 153.85 (Cr), 188.88 (Cu), 179.05 (Fe), 163.81 (Mn), 136.31 (Ni), and 38.61 (Pb). The detection limits of the method were 9.09, 10.82, 10.77, 49.57, 31.64, 6.40, 8.86, 19.15 µg L−1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively, with a preconcentration factor of 25. The developed method was used for the determination of the target metals in real samples and the recoveries for spiked samples were found to be from 91.2% to 102.9%.

ABSTRACT Airborne particulate matter of up to 10 µm collected at an urban and a rural area at Sarajevo in 2013 and 2014 was acid digested for determination of total concentrations or extracted with synthetic gastric juice for the bioaccessible fractions of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn and determined by graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The total concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and V were higher at the urban site, while those of Cd, Ni, and Zn were virtually equal at both sites. The average bioaccessible fractions exhibited the following trend at both sites: Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cr > V > Ni > Cd. Enrichment factors and daily intake of metals by inhalation were calculated.

ABSTRACT Tuzla is among the most polluted cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main source of pollution in the area is soil heavily contaminated by mercury released from a former chloralkali plant. This paper is focused on the characterization of mercury contaminated soil and air surrounding the chloralkali plant. In soil, the mobility and transformation of mercury were investigated by sequential extraction, while the methylation and reduction potentials were determined by the use of a radioactive tracer. Mercury emission from soil was determined by laboratory and by flux chamber measurements in the field. In addition, mercury concentrations in air were estimated by the analysis of air and the transplanted lichen Hypogymnia physodes. Mercury in soils in the vicinity of the chloralkali plant exceeded the background value by a factor of more than 3000. The fractionation of mercury in surface soil by sequential extraction showed that the mercury in soil was primarily bound to organic matter and a fraction containing elemental mercury and mercury (I) chloride is also significant. The obtained methylation and reduction potentials are low. The mercury flux from soil was estimated by two approaches. Fluxes of up to 8000 ng/m2/day were measured at the most polluted site; evaporation from soil was shown to be the primary source of elevated mercury in air. Air concentration mapping also revealed other sources of mercury; the most likely is the 715 MW coal power plant in the vicinity of former chloralkali facility.

ABSTRACT The pulverized peel of unmodified and modified pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) was used as sorbent for the determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The parameters affecting the preconcentration efficiency were investigated. The optimal conditions for preconcentration on unmodified pumpkin peel were identical to those using modified peel: a pH of 8, a preconcentration factor of 10, a flow rate of 3 mL min−1, and an eluent concentration of 1 mol L−1 for all analytes. The detection limits of the method were 9.2, 8.8, 13.2, 28.7, 6.6, 7.6, and 16.5 µ g L−1, while the quantification limits were 30.6, 29.2, 43.9, 95.5, 22.1, 25.4, and 55.1 µ g L−1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The accuracy of the method was verified with a certified reference material. The relative standard deviation was less than 4% based on 12 measurements. Under the optimum conditions of preconcentration, the recovery values exceeded 94%. The following capacity order was obtained for the analytes (µmol g−1): Ni2+ > Co2+ > Fe3+ > Mn2+ > Cr3+ > Cd2+ > Pb2+.

ABSTRACT The pulverized peel of unmodified and modified pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) was used as sorbent for the determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The parameters affecting the preconcentration efficiency were investigated. The optimal conditions for preconcentration on unmodified pumpkin peel were identical to those using modified peel: a pH of 8, a preconcentration factor of 10, a flow rate of 3 mL min−1, and an eluent concentration of 1 mol L−1 for all analytes. The detection limits of the method were 9.2, 8.8, 13.2, 28.7, 6.6, 7.6, and 16.5 µ g L−1, while the quantification limits were 30.6, 29.2, 43.9, 95.5, 22.1, 25.4, and 55.1 µ g L−1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The accuracy of the method was verified with a certified reference material. The relative standard deviation was less than 4% based on 12 measurements. Under the optimum conditions of preconcentration, the recovery values exceeded 94%. The following capacity order was obtained for the analytes (µmol g−1): Ni2+ > Co2+ > Fe3+ > Mn2+ > Cr3+ > Cd2+ > Pb2+.

The main objective of this study is to assess the level of contamination from mercury and other elements in the Sarajevo area. The soil and lichen samples (Hypogymnia physodes) were collected from selected areas there were nine soil sites and four sites for lichens. Validated and standardized analytical procedures were used in order to compare the obtained results with data from other countries in Europe. The accuracy of the results obtained by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) for total mercury and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for other elements (Ag, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Ga, Hf, Ho, In, K, La, Mo, Na, Nd, Pd, Pr, Rb, Ru, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Tm, U, W, Yb, Zn, and Zr) was verified by the use of certified reference materials. Results obtained for mercury showed that at three sites (Butmir, PMF, and Blekin potok) the mercury concentrations in the soil were much higher, 5 to 10 times higher, than the allowed values. All lichens samples examined contained low mercury concentrations that cannot be correlated with the mercury contents in the soil. Comparison of the multielemental analysis of the lichen H. physodes and surface soils samples is also presented.

A procedure for the determination of trace levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a column preconcentration system is described in which the metals were adsorbed on pulverized banana peel, an economically and environmentally acceptable sorbent. In the optimization procedure, five variables (sample pH, mass of biosorbent, type of eluent, sample flow rate, and volume) were optimized and the capacity of the biosorbent was established. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of the method were 2.4, 27.0, 49.4, 31.1, 6.7, 29.6, and 46.2 µg L−1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was less than 4% based on twelve measurements. The recoveries were 81.1% (Cd), 91.4% (Co), 87.2% (Cr), 90.1% (Fe), 88.0% (Mn), 94.1% (Ni), and 93.2% (Pb) under the optimum conditions (pH; 9, sample flow rate; 3 mL min−1, mass of biosorbent; 200 mg; eluent; 1 mol L−1 nitric acid, preconcentration factor; 10). The sorption capacity of pulverized banana peel was 15.12, 28.85, 32.70, 30.44, 30.94, 28.97, and 8.21 µmol per gram of adsorbent for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively.

A procedure for the determination of trace levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a column preconcentration system is described in which the metals were adsorbed on pulverized banana peel, an economically and environmentally acceptable sorbent. In the optimization procedure, five variables (sample pH, mass of biosorbent, type of eluent, sample flow rate, and volume) were optimized and the capacity of the biosorbent was established. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of the method were 2.4, 27.0, 49.4, 31.1, 6.7, 29.6, and 46.2 µg L−1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was less than 4% based on twelve measurements. The recoveries were 81.1% (Cd), 91.4% (Co), 87.2% (Cr), 90.1% (Fe), 88.0% (Mn), 94.1% (Ni), and 93.2% (Pb) under the optimum conditions (pH; 9, sample flow rate; 3 mL min−1, mass of biosorbent; 200 mg; eluent; 1 mol L−1 nitric acid, preconcentration factor; 10). The sorption capacity of pulverized banana peel was 15.12, 28.85, 32.70, 30.44, 30.94, 28.97, and 8.21 µmol per gram of adsorbent for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively.

The aim of this study was to determine the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) of selected human subjects with the hardness of water they consume. Laboratory testing of physical and chemical parameters of water were made using standardized methods: Standard Methods 19th edn, 1995 (APHA, AWWA & WEF, Washington, DC), and ISO 7888:1985, ISO 10523:1998. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for the statistical analysis of data, with the significance level of 0.05. The obtained data were analysed using the statistical program SPSS 16.0. The study sample consisted of 1,021 individuals divided into two groups: soft water consumers, 603 individuals, and, hard water consumers, 618 individuals. Results indicate that a statistically significant (χ(2) = 5.315; df = 1; p = 0.021) number of individuals with CVD drink soft water. The prevalence of CVD in the age group 45-60 years in the study area where soft water is consumed was 21.3% and in the study area where hard water is consumed the prevalence of CVD was 13.7%. The summary results indicate significant correlation between the prevalence of CVD in the population group who drink soft water. The value of the relative risk is 1.127.

A study of the atmospheric particulate size distribution of total suspended particulate matter(TSPM) and associated heavy metals concentrations has been carried out for the urban part of Sarajevo city,Bosnia and Herzegovina. Urban particles (n=150) were collected using a high volume air sampler equippedwith a 6-stage impactor. Apart from Fe which has been determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry(FAAS), all measurements (Co, Cu, Mn) have been carried out by graphite furnace atomic absorptionspectrometry (GFAAS). The average concentrations of particulate matter are 37%, 18%, 15%, 8%, 15% and6% (averaged over all the observations) of total suspended particulate for PM 7.2, respectively. Metal concentrations in size-fractionated urban particles ranged from 0.01-3.83 ng/m3 for Co, 6.30-179.20 ng/m3 for Cu, 5.00-208.70 ng/m3 for Mn and 0.35-6.82 g/m3 for Fe. Major concentrations of investigated metals are associated with the PM 7.2-3.0 μm. Overall, the decreasing trend of average trace element concentrations (24-h) in the particulates revealed the following order: Fe>Mn>Cu>Co.