Biosensors are nowadays a powerful alternative to conventional analytical techniques for controlling the quality of not only natural water but also process water used by the food industry during the production process, as well as wastewater prior to release into natural watercourses. The goal is to provide the required quality and safety of water from the standpoint of heavy metal contamination. The basic and most important characteristics of biosensors are high sensitivity, short response time, specificity, and relatively low production cost. Biosensors can detect the presence and measure the content of various toxic substances (pesticides, heavy metals, etc.) not only in water but also in food. Detection of contaminants, primarily heavy metals in water used in food production processes, is a potential area of biosensor application in the food industry. Biosensors can be adapted for direct and continuous (online) monitoring by measuring certain analytes that can affect the quality and safety of water. This chapter will give an overview of the development and application of biosensors in order to control the quality and safety of water from the standpoint of the presence of heavy metals.

The problem of environmental pollution is more expressed and more present by the development of the industry and the growth of the human population. Pollution of natural and wastewater is most often due to the release of heavy metals into watercourses. The greatest challenge for researchers is choosing the right biomass from a large number of low-cost biomaterials, and availability and price are very important selection factors. Microbial biomass, forestry waste and agroindustrial complexes are most frequently examined, as well as various macromolecules of natural origin. In this paper, barley straw that arises as agricultural waste product in barley production in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was used as a biosorbent. In the experimental part, physical and chemical characterization of  barley straw was performed, after which the efficiency of removing Cd(II) and Ni(II) from aqueous solutions, using barley straw, and the influence of process parameters (pH value of aqueous solution, biosorbent size, interaction of metal ions) on the biosorption capacity were tested. It can be concluded that barley straw has good adsoption characteristics for the use as a low-cost natural sorbent for the removal of heavy metals from water.

In this paper, two different groups of liquid soaps were prepared. The first group of samples consisted of anionic surfactant (SLES), amphoteric surfactant (BETAIN) and nonionic surfactant (DEA). The second set of samples consisted of anionic surfactant and two nonionic surfactants. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of the type of surfactant as well as the mass fraction of surfactants on the physicochemical properties of liquid soap. The surface tension, electrical conductivity and density for different concentrations of all examined type of surfactants have been determined as well as the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Moreover, the studies have shown that by increasing concentrations of zwitterionic (amphoteric) surfactant, and by decreasing concentration of nonionic surfactant, a mild decrease in pH value and viscosity increase occurred. In contrast, with increasing polyglycoside concentrations and decreasing concentration of DEA, a mild increase in pH but a decrease in viscosity was observed. In order to monitor the stability of the liquid soaps obtained, the appearance, color and odor were observed at three different temperatures at +4°C, room temperature and at + 40°C, in the dark and under UV light during the three months.

Summary The term "nano" refers to nano particle size from 1 to 100 nanometers. The term "nanotechnology" was first introduced by Norio Taniguchi in 1974. Nanotechnology may be used to improve the taste and texture of food and for the production of packaging that maintain fresh product. The primary function of packaging is to maintain the quality and safety of products during transport and storage period, as well as to extend its viability by preventing unwanted effect agents such as microorganisms, chemical contaminants, oxygen, moisture and light. The aim of this paper is to point out the achievements of nanotechnology in terms of food packaging with an overview of polymers that are commonly used in food packaging, as well as strategies to improve the physical properties of polymers, including mechanical strength, thermal stability and barrier to gases. By studing of recently published literature, it was clear that nanomaterials such as nano polymers are trying to replace conventional materials in food packaging. Nanosensors can be used to prove the presence of contaminants, microtoxins and microorganisms in food.

Soil is system, where heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, copper, etc., can be present in higher concentration then it is usual. Heavy metals are usually present in soil, bounded to clay, but if some conditions, such as pH, acidity, have been changed, then they are released to the soil solution. This work is going to present factors, such as pH, acidity, organic matter content, etc., which have impact on releasing of heavy metals to the soil, and forward to plants. The content of heavy metals in soil solution, such as lead, copper, etc. depend on above mentioned factors, and for different soil conditions, such as organic matter and pH, as the most important factor for binding and releasing of heavy metals from and to soil will be presented.

Greenhouse production is getting more and more important in the production of food, particularly if it is considered as ecological production. Having it in mind, it is very important to provide continual control of quality such products. This work is aimed to present the monitoring of the content of heavy metals in tomato, grown in greenhouse conditions. In products grown in greenhouses, heavy metals can be present from different sources such as soil, pesticides, etc. This paper considers the importance of continual monitoring of presence of heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, copper, iron, etc. in tomato, taking in consideration their bioavailability to plants in acid and basic soil conditions. Obtained results in this work could be used as the base for establishing the model for continual monitoring of contaminants in food, particularly those that are present in very small concentrations, such as lead, cadmium, etc.

The most important anthropogenic sources of metals in aquatic ecosystem are certainly wastewaters, that are being discharged untreated or with different levels of purity, so they can cause many changes in the stream / recipient. Heavy metals pass go through biogeochemical process with different retention time in different parts of atmosphere. They do not decompose and have the ability of bioaccumulation, because they are being retained in plants, animals and nature in general. This is an extremely heterogeneous group of elements in terms of biological and ecological effects. Large numbers of metals is essential for proper functioning of the human body and appertain to the group of essential elements. A deficiency of heavy metals on one side can lead to serious symptoms; and on the other, their presence in slightly elevated concentrations can lead to serious illnesses. Their toxicity depends on concentration, and the allowed concentration range varies from metal to metal. Concentrations in which heavy metals can occur depend from source of pollution and features of system in which they are found, so they can range from traces to very high concentrations. Water, as well as air can receive large amounts of pollutants, but beside ability of self-cleaning, some pollutants among which are also heavy metals leads to modification of water quality to that level that it becomes useless for many purposes. From that reason most of European countries have issued maximum allowed amount of heavy metals in industrial waters that are being discharged into natural flow. Some of those values are given in table 1.

The fluoride element is found in the environment and constitutes 0.06 – 0.09 % of the earth’s crust. Fluoride is not found naturally in the air in large quantities. Average concentration of fluoride in air are in the magnitude of 0.5 ng/m3.[1] Fluoride is found more frequently in different sources of water but with higher concentrations in groundwater due to the presence of fluoride-bearing minerals. Average fluoride concentrations in see water are approximately 1.3 mgL-1. Water is vitally important to every aspect of our lives. Water is a risk because of the possible input and transmission of infectious pathogens and parasitic diseases. We use clean water to drink, grow crops for food and operate factories. The most common pollutants in water are chemicals (pesticides, phenols, heavy metals and bacteria). [2] According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there are 6 groups which cause contamination of drinking water: microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, radioactive substances. This chapter concerns the importance of continuously monitoring of fluoride and chloride in drinking water by using a fluoride (F-ISE) and chloride (Cl-ISE) ion-selective electrodes. Disinfectants that are added to reduce the number of microorganisms, as well as disinfection byproducts can cause a series of disorders in body (anaemia, impaired function of liver, kidneys, nervous system). Chemical disinfection is economically most favourable when it comes to processing large amounts of water, for the preparation of drinking water and wastewater treatment. That is why this type of disinfection is used almost exclusively in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chlorine is one of the most widely used disinfectants. Water monitoring information helps us to control pollution level. In this context, our work concerns the determination of fluoride in spring waters from different villages in Tuzla's Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and chloride in drinking tap water from Tuzla and Gradacac as well as one sample of bottled water. Spring water sample from “Tarevcica” is designed by SW1, from “Zatoca” by SW2, from “Sedam vrela” by SW3 and “Toplica” by SW4 while a tap water from Tuzla by TW and tap water from Gradacac by GW and bottled water by FW. The development of potentiometric ion-selective electrode has a wide range of applications in determining ions in water and other mediums. These electrodes are relatively free from interferences and provide a rapid, convenient and non-destructive means of quantitatively determining numerous important anions and cations. [3] The use of ion-selective electrodes

Prirucnik daje pregled znacaja voca i povrca u prehrani, promjena na vocu i povrcu nakon branja, te tehnologije cuvanja svježeg voca i povrca i vrsta i tipova hladnjaca.