Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil, plant, and water samples near "Gacko" power plant, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This study assesses heavy metal content in soil, water, and plant material from sites located around the lignite mine and the power plant "Gacko", Bosnia and Herzegovina. The samples were collected, prepared, and analyzed for heavy metals content using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Samples were analyzed for cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron. To identify the relationship among the metals in samples and their possible sources, Pearson's correlation and principal component analysis were performed. Health risk assessment was applied to establish potential health risks posed to humans caused by contaminants in different environmental compartments. The results of our analyses show that most soil samples contain copper, and one of those samples had a copper concentration of more than 70 µg/g, which is a critical upper value for agricultural use. In the soil samples that were analyzed, cadmium was also detected, and its concentration was greater than 2 µg/g. Lead, on the other hand, had a concentration that was higher than the maximum permissible for unpolluted soils in 40% of the soil samples that were analyzed. Lead and cadmium concentrations in surface waters mostly contribute to a non-carcinogenic risk in the scenario of recreational swimming exposure. The presence of Cd, a highly toxic element in water, may be explained by the leaching of artificial fertilizers used in the study area, whereas Pb's origin may be geological. The results of this study recommend routine heavy metal monitoring in samples of soil, water, and plants from the examined area so that, if metal concentrations continue increasing, remedial action should be advised to prevent accumulation in the food chain.

Genotype × Environment Interaction for Wheat Yield Traits Suitable for Selection in Different Seed Priming Conditions.

Different seed priming treatments are widely used in order to improve the nutritional status of wheat, as well as to improve its grain yield and yield- related traits. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of seed priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the yield related traits, such as, field emergence, plant height, spike length and grain yield per plant of four winter wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) during two vegetation seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. The seeds of each wheat genotypes were primed with different concentrations of ZnO NPs (0 mg L-1, 10 mg L-1, 100 mg L-1 and 1000 mg L-1) for 48 h in a dark box by continuous aeration and were sown in soil pots with 60-70% moisture content until full maturity. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) models were used to study the genotype environment effects. The results indicated that the plants response to ZnO nanoparticles significantly increased all of the observed traits of the wheat, while its maximum rates reduced the traits of the wheat. The AMMI analysis revealed the very complex nature of the variation observed in the trial and showed the significant effect of the G×E interaction, in which the first main component was significant for all components.

Determination of Titanium Dioxide Content in Bauxites Using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry by Fusion and by Pressing.

Bauxites of different deposits were analysed for their content of TiO2 (mass %), using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and the reference spectrophotometric method JUS B.G8.514. The samples were prepared in two ways: fusion with a borax technique and pressing, after which beads were formed for the purpose of analysis. Certified reference samples of bauxite were used for producing a calibration curve. The equation for calculating the content of TiO2 (mass %) in the samples of bauxite was derived from the calibration curve. Results of the XRF method were tested statistically by means of the F-test and the t-test (the standard sample of the bauxite and the reference method). The values obtained from the afore mentioned tests for the fusion beads showed that the XRF method was precise and correct and that there were no systematic errors, whereas for the pressed beads this method showed significant systematic errors.