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.

Summary Heavy metals are natural ingredients of many plant cultures, and they are increasingly found in the soil as the main group of inorganic contaminants. The consumption of food products, either fresh or processed, with an increased concentration of heavy metals leads to the deposition of these metals in the body, which further leads to a series of consequences in the form of cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological problems. The behavior of heavy metals in soil and their accumulation by plants depends on many factors, such as soil structure, soil pH value, organic matter content, adsorption complex and other factors. Therefore, the aim of this work is to present the influence of physical and chemical soil parameters on the distribution of heavy metals (Pb(II) and Cd(II)) in plant cultures and to assess the health risk pollution of the mentioned metals in plant cultures (cucumber, pepper, tomato, eggplant).