Metals in red and white wines may stem from both natural and anthropogenic sources, with their concentration serving as an important parameter influencing wine consumption. The objective of this study was to determine the metal content in available wine samples from the Bosnia and Herzegovina market. Eight samples of red wine and seven white wine samples were analysed. Cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were determined in these samples given their potential impact on wine quality and thus human health. Metal determination was conducted using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Limit of detection values were calculated using two methods for standard solution preparation, utilising distilled water and 10 % ethanol as blanks. Moreover, a human health risk assessment of trace elements present in wine samples was conducted. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn in the samples were found to be below the maximum allowed limits according to the regulations set by the International Organization of Vine and Wine, as well as the national regulations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union and Croatia. The content of Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb in all wine samples was below the detection limit of FAAS. The data obtained indicated that consuming 250 ml of wine samples appeared to be safe regarding the health risk associated with the potentially toxic metal intake. However, consumers should remain aware of other potential risks associated with excessive wine consumption. Regarding winemakers and the wine industry, to reduce the metal content in wine, monitoring of metal content should extend beyond just the grapes to include soil, air quality at the vineyard locations, and at different stages of the winemaking process since metal content in wine has an impact on the sensory attributes and overall quality of the wine.

The Sarajevo Canton Winter Field Campaign 2018 (SAFICA) was a project that took place in winter 2017–2018 with an aim to characterize the chemical composition of aerosol in the Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which has one of the worst air qualities in Europe. This paper presents the first characterization of the metals in PM10 (particulate matter aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm) from continuous filter samples collected during an extended two-months winter period at the urban background Sarajevo and remote Ivan Sedlo sites. We report the results of 18 metals detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The average mass concentrations of metals were higher at the Sarajevo site than at Ivan Sedlo and ranged from 0.050 ng/m3 (Co) to 188 ng/m3 (Fe) and from 0.021 ng/m3 (Co) to 61.8 ng/m3 (Fe), respectively. The BenMAP-CE model was used for estimating the annual BiH health (50% decrease in PM2.5 would save 4760+ lives) and economic benefits (costs of $2.29B) of improving the air quality. Additionally, the integrated energy and health assessment with the ExternE model provided an initial estimate of the additional health cost of BiH’s energy system.

Abstract. In this paper we evaluate characteristics of three optical particulate matter sensors/sizers (OPS): high-end spectrometer 11-D (Grimm, Germany), low-cost sensor OPC-N2 (Alphasense, United Kingdom) and in-house developed MAQS (Mobile Air Quality System), which is based on another low-cost sensor – PMS5003 (Plantower, China), under realistic conditions of strong and mild urban pollution. Results were compared against a reference gravimetric system, based on a Gemini (Dadolab, Italy), 2.3 m3 h−1 air sampler, with two channels (simultaneously measuring PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations). The measurements were performed in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, from December 2019 until May 2020. This interval is divided into period 1 – strong pollution – and period 2 – mild pollution. The city of Sarajevo is one of the most polluted cities in Europe in terms of particulate matter: the average concentration of PM2.5 during the period 1 was 83 µg m−3, with daily average values exceeding 500 µg m−3. During period 2, the average concentration of PM2.5 was 20 µg m−3. These conditions represent a good opportunity to test optical devices against the reference instrument in a wide range of ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations. The effect of an in-house developed diffusion dryer for 11-D is discussed as well. In order to analyse the mass distribution of particles, a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), which together with the 11-D spectrometer gives the full spectrum from nanoparticles of diameter 10 nm to coarse particles of diameter 35 µm, was used. All tested devices showed excellent correlation with the reference instrument in period 1, with R2 values between 0.90 and 0.99 for daily average PM concentrations. However, in period 2, where the range of concentrations was much narrower, R2 values decreased significantly, to values from 0.28 to 0.92. We have also included results of a 13.5-month long-term comparison of our MAQS sensor with a nearby beta attenuation monitor (BAM) 1020 (Met One Instruments, USA) operated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), which showed similar correlation and no observable change in performance over time.

The present study was conducted to investigate the water quality of the Trstionica River, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The physicochemical properties (temperature, pH, conductivity, total solids after evaporation at 105 °C), content of metals (calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)), and anions (chloride (Cl−), and phosphate (PO4)) were determined in water samples collected at seven locations during two sampling periods: unstable weather conditions (precipitation), and stable weather conditions (without precipitation). There was a significant difference in the content of individual parameters in the river water depending on the sampling time. For determination of metals concentrations, which were below the limit of detection, a preconcentration method using an ion-exchange resin was applied. The metals concentrations during the rainy day were in the order Ca > Mg > Na > Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb > Mn with mean values of 343, 6.03, 1.94, 0.18, 0.20, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01 mg dm−3, respectively, and during stable weather conditions: Ca > Mg > Na > Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn with mean values of 288, 7.62, 2.38, 0.11, 0.10, 0.01, 0.01 mg dm−3, respectively. Cd, Cr, and Ni concentrations were below limit of detection in both cases. Obtained values were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) regulations. The results showed that the Trstionica River in the investigated part of the stream meets most of the parameters required by the regulations. The correlation between analysed parameters was assessed, as well. Based on the calculated water quality index values, the water of Trstionica River falls into the category of excellent water.