The presence of heavy metals such as chromium in waterways can lead to various health problems in humans and animals. Due to its negative effects, chromium-rich wastewater needs to be treated before being discharged into waterways. In this study, the possibility of using bentonite as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr (III) from galvanic wastewater was investigated. First, the physicochemical characterization of the used bentonite was performed, followed by the examination of process parameters such as pH value, concentration, mass, and time. Based on the obtained data, adsorption isotherms, kinetic models, and thermodynamic parameters were determined. All experiments were carried out in both batch and column systems. The results showed that bentonite can be used as a low-cost adsorbent for the efficient removal of chromium ions from galvanic industry wastewater, achieving the highest removal efficiency (99.97%) at pH 5 and a mass of 1 g. The Langmuir and Temkin adsorption isotherm models showed good agreement with the experimental data (R2 > 0.9), while the best fit for the kinetic study was observed with the pseudo-first-order model.
One of the greatest challenges of today is environmental pollution, which leads to serious threats to human health and the entire ecosystem. Due to their high persistence and low biodegradability, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), as the main categories of environmental pollutants of anthropogenic origin, remain present in the environment for a long period of time, continuously circulating between air, water and soil, posing a permanent risk to public health. Bosnia and Herzegovina has not previously conducted studies on the presence of environmental pollutants in breast milk, the results of which could contribute to more effective public health protection and serve as a basis for strategic planning aimed at reducing exposure to environmental pollutants. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine the levels of selected persistent organic pollutants (PCBs and OCPs) in breast milk of lactating women (N=67) from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District). The results presented here are the first of their kind for the territory of our country. The average values of quantified concentrations of PCB (17 congeners) and OCP (8 compounds) ranged from 1.03-162.29 ng/g l.w. and from 0.27 to 14.64 ng/g l.w., respectively. PCB congeners 52, 77, 126, and 169 were detected at higher levels compared to those reported in some of the European and Asian countries. In Brčko District and Republika Srpska, higher values were found compared to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The measured concentrations of selected persistent pollutants in breast milk samples collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina mostly correspond to the literature data from similar studies conducted in the countries of the region and Europe.
Composite micro- and nanocapsules made from natural proteins are increasingly used for various bioactive compound delivery applications due to their versatile nature and ability to carry a wide variety of therapeutic drug molecules. Capsules, both, core-shell and matrix types, have gained prominence in diverse sectors, from pharmaceuticals to food technology. Their widespread use is due to their encapsulation efficiency and controlled release properties. This study provides a physical-morphological characterization and a presentation of the preparation of particles derived from the corn protein-zein, with emphasis on core-shell and matrix configurations. Due to its strong antimicrobial effect against many different strains of bacteria and fungi, carvacrol was considered in this work. It was found that Pickering emulsions prepared as 10% O/W emulsion with 15% GA with the ratio Z:O=1:1.5 and the ratio Z:OSA starch=1:1 and 20 % of carvacrol on dry matter were the most suitable for the preparation of dry capsules. Analysis of matrix-type nanocapsules with 10% encapsulated carvacrol showed that the particles spherical in shape with a smooth surface and could be successfully dried and prepared in this formulation.
This study investigates the influence of surface contamination on the final morphology generated by a seed-mediated growth model on a two-dimensional triangular lattice. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we examine the interplay between growth rules (specifically rigid k-mer extension and flexible self-avoiding random walk (SARW) chains) and the geometric properties of pre-adsorbed impurities. Contrary to the initial hypothesis of a geometric matching between the growing species and the surface impurities, our results show that the final morphology in the jamming state is remarkably insensitive to the local symmetry or compactness of the impurities. For rigid k-mers, growth arrest is primarily driven by the impurity number density, which overrides any potential advantages of linear alignment with specific defect shapes. For SARW chains, the available void space and its topological connectivity limit the length, overshadowing the advantages of impurity compactness. Our findings reveal structural robustness in surface growth processes, where intrinsic growth rules dictate length scales, but the overall impurity coverage governs the overall feature distribution. This suggests that morphological outcomes are predictable based on total contamination levels, offering a simplified framework for controlling the growth of nanostructures in realistic, inhomogeneous environments.
Municipal wastewater treatment generates significant amounts of waste sludge that needs to be stabilized before disposal or reuse due to environmental and health risks. This study evaluated the effectiveness of microbiological, biological, and physical sludge treatment methods using physicochemical, microbiological, and ecotoxicological analyses. Microbiological treatment with a mixed microbial culture resulted in odor reduction and partial changes in organic matter content. Biological treatment with Eisenia fetida led to gradual structural transformation of the sludge and a reduction in pathogenic indicators, although a longer treatment time was required. Physical stabilization using pyrophyllite schist significantly increased total solids (from 17.75% to 48.32%), reduced volatile solids (to 2.26 %) due to combined stabilization and dilution effects, immobilized selected heavy metals, and eliminated fecal bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. Ecotoxicological assessment showed an increase in LC₅₀ values from 27% in raw sludge to 58% after physical treatment, indicating reduced toxicity. The results show that pyrophyllite schist is an effective natural material for improving the physicochemical stability and hygienic safety of wastewater sludge and highlight the potential of combining biological agents and natural mineral materials for sustainable sludge management.
