Human Milk-The Biofluid That Nourishes Infants from the First Day of Life.

Human milk is a biofluid with a unique composition among mammalian milks. Besides this milk's major components, its bioactive compounds, like hormones, immune factors, and oligosaccharides, are unique and important for infant growth and development. The best form of nutrition for term and preterm infants is the mother's own milk. However, in the absence of the mother's own milk, donor milk should be made available. Milk banks support neonatal intensive care units by providing preterm infants with human milk that generally has reasonable nutritive value for this sensitive population. However, neither mother's own milk nor donor milk has sufficient energy content for the growth of preterm babies, so adequate human milk supplementation is crucial for their progress. Due to the different characteristics of human breast milk, as well as ubiquitous environmental pollutants, such as microplastics, new methods are required for monitoring the quality and characteristics of human milk, which will lay a solid foundation for the further development and progress of human milk research.

Prediction of the Impact of Land Use and Soil Type on Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Phthalates in Soil Based on Model Simulation.

The main objective of this study is to determine the possibility of predicting the impact of land use and soil type on concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) and phthalates (PAEs) in soil based on an artificial neural network model (ANN). Qualitative analysis of HMs was performed with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES) and Direct Mercury Analyzer. Determination of PAEs was performed with gas chromatography (GC) coupled with a single quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS). An ANN, based on the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) iterative algorithm, for the prediction of HM and PAE concentrations, based on land use and soil type parameters, showed good prediction capabilities (the coefficient of determination (r2) values during the training cycle for HM concentration variables were 0.895, 0.927, 0.885, 0.813, 0.883, 0.917, 0.931, and 0.883, respectively, and for PAEs, the concentration variables were 0.950, 0.974, 0.958, 0.974, and 0.943, respectively). The results of this study indicate that HM and PAE concentrations, based on land use and soil type, can be predicted using ANN.

Green Infrastructure Designed through Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development.

With the goal of enhancing the quality of the environment, urban green infrastructure (UGI) is an essential element in sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions (NBS) are being carried out as new infrastructure solutions that increase the resilience of cities. In this research, the method of theoretical analysis and the content analysis as the basic fact-gathering technique was applied to answer to following questions: What are the hindrances and bottlenecks in implementing NBS? Are the current decision-making mechanisms helping NBS get in route to shape cities? Is there any binding policy in practice that promotes NBS? In Belgrade is planned Type 3 of the degree of intervention/level and engineering type-Creation and new ecosystem management in the classifications of intensive urban green space management; urban planning strategies; urban water management; ecological restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems; and restoration and creation of semi-natural water bodies and hydrographic networks. In the future, it is essential to implement policies and incentives on national, regional, and local scales that help encourage the usage of NBS in the development of urban infrastructure.

Evaluation of potential human health risks from exposure to volatile organic compounds in contaminated urban groundwater in the Sava river aquifer, Belgrade, Serbia.

The oil pollutant in the Sava River aquifer in the residential area of Belgrade, Serbia was investigated in order to analyze the extent, origin and spatial distribution of the pollution, with the aim to estimate potential human health risks from exposure to the compounds detected. Analytical methods indicated that the dominant compounds in this oil pollutant were gasoline range organic compounds. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) were identified as compounds of concern and quantified by headspace gas chromatography. The concentrations of benzene measured at all sampling points were higher than the remediation value while the maximum concentrations of BTEX quantified were among the highest concentrations of these compounds reported in the petroleum-contaminated aquifers in the world. The assessment of the human health risks from exposure to BTEX-covered industrial scenario for adult receptors and residential scenario for adult receptors and children. The exposure routes analyzed were dermal contact with and ingestion of contaminated water, considering both cancer and non-cancer effects. The analysis of the lifetime incremental cancer risk indicated the potential for adverse health effects for human exposure at the investigated location, and because of that it was interpreted as an unacceptable risk level or risks of high priority which required immediate consideration for remedial measures at this location. A complete set of mitigation measures was proposed including: groundwater decontamination treatment, installation of filters for tap water, development of the system for monitoring of BTEX in the groundwater and development of the emergency response capacities at this location.

Evaluation of heavy metals and radionuclides in fish and seafood products.

Despite the existence of a legislation regarding food contaminants, food safety control in Serbia is a matter of great concern. This study investigates the radioactivity levels and heavy metal concentrations in fish and seafood commercially available in Serbian markets. Domestic fish species (caught in the Danube River) and fishery products imported from Europe, Asia and America were analyzed. The content of natural radionuclides and 137Cs were investigated by gamma spectrometry. Activity concentration of 40 K was measured in the range of 44-165 Bq kg-1; low levels of 137Cs were detected in two samples (2.8 and 3.0 Bq kg-1), while concentrations of 226Ra and 232Th were below minimal detectable values. Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Hg and Pb) were determined using ICP-OES method. Cd concentration ranged from 0.01 to 0.81 mg kg-1 in sea fish and from 0.01 to 0.03 mg kg-1 in freshwater fish. Hg concentrations were in the range of 0.01-1.47 mg kg-1; the highest value was measured in the predator fish - shark. The highest level of Pb (6.56 mg kg-1) was detected in a blue sea fish (Atlantic mackerel). The health risks associated with the intake of heavy metals and radionuclides via fish consumption were evaluated. The results indicate that fish and seafood consumption do not pose a significant health concern in the case of the usual consumption rate which is typical for the population of Serbia. However, a highly frequent consumption of fishery products can have adverse health effects, especially due to Hg and Pb contamination.

PAHs in different honeys from Serbia.

Maximum limits for PAHs content in honey and bee products are not set. The objective of this study was to conduct a market survey of honey for the presence of PAH16 with the aim of detecting potential contamination and health risks for consumers. A total number of 61 honey samples produced in the territory of Serbia were examined. The content of PAH16 was measured using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method. Large values were found in some samples: 140.6 µg/kg for chrysene, 136.3 µg/kg for benzo[ghi]perylene, 120.1 µg/kg for benzo[a]pyrene, 87.2 µg/kg for benz[a]anthracene and 79.6 µg/kg for benzo[k]fluoranthene. It was established that 6.6% honey samples were not safe for human consumption because of high benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 content, which greatly exceeded the maximum limits for all food categories. Considering that screening of honey obtained from the market does not allow accurate detection of the contamination origin requires further investigations to identify potential contamination sources.

Influence of sunflower oil qualities and antioxidants on oxidative stability on whey-based salad dressings.

The antioxidant effect of ascorbic acid and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in food emulsions, based on whey and sunflower oils with enhanced oleic acid, α- and ß- tocopherol content, was not described up to now. Salad dressings based on cold-pressed high-oleic/α-, ß- tocopherol sunflower oil were oxidatively stable after 3 months of storage at 25 °C regarding primary (peroxide value, PV) and secondary (hexanal) lipid oxidation products (PV = 0.34 mmol O2 kg-1, hexanal value = 1.54 mg kg-1). Slight enhancement of PV and hexanal values was recorded in salad dressings prepared with cold-pressed medium-oleic/α-, ß- tocopherol oil, after 3 months of storage at 25 °C, and was inhibited by ascorbic acid or EDTA. Ascorbic acid (0.50 g kg-1) reduced PV by 80% and hexanal value by 32%. EDTA (0.075 g kg-1) reduced PV by 60% and hexanal value by 27%. In salad dressings, containing linoleic/a- tocopherol sunflower oil, the antioxidant effects of ascorbic acid and EDTA were as following: ascorbic acid (0.25-4.00 g kg-1) reduced PV by 83-100% and hexanal value by 82-73%; EDTA (0.075 g kg-1) reduced PV by 75% and hexanal value by 76%, after 12 months of storage at 4 °C.

Heavy metals, organics and radioactivity in soil of western Serbia.

Western Serbia is a region well-known for potato production. Concentrations of selected metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and radioactivity were measured in the soil in order to evaluate the quality and characteristics. The examined soils (Luvisol and Pseudogley) showed unsuitable agrochemical characteristics (acid reaction, low content of organic matter and potassium). Some samples contained Ni, Mn and Cr above the maximal permissible concentration (MPC). The average concentration of total PAHs was 1.92 mg/kg, which is larger than the maximal permissible concentration in Serbia but below the threshold values in the European Union for food production. The average radioactivity of (238)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and the fission product (137)Cs were 60.4+/-26.2, 33.2+/-13.4, 49.1+/-18.5, 379+/-108 and 36.4+/-23.3 Bq/kg. Enhanced radioactivity in the soils was found. The total absorbed dose rate in air above the soil at 1m height calculated for western Serbia was 73.4 nGy/h and the annual effective dose was 90 microSv, which are similar to earlier reports for the study region.

Atrazine in groundwater of Vojvodina Province.

The objective of this study was to investigate concentrations of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine), deethylatrazine (DEA) (2-amino-4-chloro-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine), deisopropylatrazine (DIA) (2-amino-4-chloro-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine) and deethyldeisopropylatrazine (DEIA) (6-chloro-2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine) in groundwaters of Vojvodina Province. A study was conducted during April 2001. Some 110 samples of groundwater were taken from near surface aquifers. The water samples were first passed through a disk containing solid matrix coated with a chemically bonded C-18 organic phase. The disk was then eluted with supercritical carbon dioxide to remove compounds from the sorbent. Finally the extract was injected into capillary gas chromatograph. Average concentrations were 0.198 microg L(-1) for atrazine, 0.116 microg L(-1) for DEA, 0.043 microg L(-1) for DIA and 0.077 microg L(-1) for DEIA.