Abstract Waste transport is just one of the segments in the solid municipal waste management. Throughout the entire waste life cycle, starting by generation of waste, via storing, collecting, transporting, recycling, treating and depositing, several different polluting substances are emitted. The solid waste transport, apropos, transporting vehicles emit into the air different pollution substances such as CO2, CO, NOx, NMVOC, PM, PAHs etc. These substances can present certain problems for human health and environment. The research subject of this study is the analysis of solid waste transportation within the Banja Luka region (B&H), from towns and municipalities belonging to the region and transporting their mixed municipal waste to the Banja Luka landfill. In the analysis, following parameters are included: distance to the landfill, type of vehicle used for the waste transportation, type of the engine, vehicle capacity and the number of tours during a year. The study estimates the emission of CO, NOx, NMVOC, and PM2.5 during one year using the listed parameters and by applying EMEP/EEA guidelines for estimating the emission of polluting substances into the air. The largest emission of polluting substances (CO, NOx, NMVOC and PM2.5) is from the oldest vehicles. The newest vehicles had a significantly lesser emission of these polluting substances into the air. The recommendation for decreasing the emission from the transportation vehicles is to organise the transfer-stations, procure new vehicles, optimise the collection routes and decrease the number of tours, as well as to better the usage of the vehicle capacity level.

Soil samples were collected in an industrial area (Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and analyzed the concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total concentration of 16 PAHs in surface soil varied within the range of 0.599-2.848 mg/kg and in deeper layer soil samples 0.041-0.320 mg/kg. Two basic sources of PAHs at this location are: pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. Benzo(a)pyrene toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) were used to calculate BaPeq in order to evaluate carcinogenic risk of soil contamination with PAHs. The total BaPeq of seven carcinogenic PAHs in surface soil and deeper soil layer were in the range 23.270-368.63 µg/kg (mean of 151.223 µg/kg), and 15.71-80.24 µg/kg, (mean of 48.08 µg/kg), respectively. These indicated that PAHs in this industrial soil presented relatively high toxicity potential. This study identifies the concentration and estimation of the potential cancer risk caused by contact with soils for adults, adolescents and children. In accordance with the estimated values of incremental life cancer risks (ILCRs), the cancer risk resulting from contact with the contaminated surface soil should be considered high (total ILCR>10 -3 ). The results suggest that current PAHs concentration highly carcinogenic and may hold a serious health risk for local residents and employees.

This study examined the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and groundwater at a former cellulose factory in the city of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The objective of the study was to determine the concentrations of 16 PAHs in soil and groundwater at the site. The research area consisted of four representative locations in the industrial complex where the soil was sampled at depths of 0.3, 1, 2, 3, and 4 m and groundwater was sampled at 3.10, 2.50 and 3 m for two samples. In addition to the 16 PAHs, soil organic matter content and pH were also measured. The sum of the 16 PAHs (Σ16PAHs) in soil ranged from 0.99 to 2.24, 0.34 to 0.46, 0.24 to 0.32, 0.13 to 0.27 and 0.13 to 0.47 mg/kg for the 0.3, 1, 2, 3, and 4 m depths, respectively. Mean values were 1.70, 0.40, 0.28, 0.20 and 0.26 mg/kg, respectively. The Σ16PAHs in groundwater ranged from 0.23 to 4.50 mg/m3, with a mean value of 1.42 mg/m3. The concentrations of all 16 PAHs in the soil decreased with depth and there was no significant correlation between the concentrations of PAHs in the soil and groundwater. The concentrations of PAHs in the soil surface (0.3 m) and groundwater indicate that this industrial site is heavily contaminated and might need remedial action. Factor analysis indicates three sources of contamination, i.e. principal component (PC) PC1 (pyrogenic), PC2 (petrogenic) and PC3 (biomass), with 52.39%, 26.14% and 8.46% of the total variance, respectively. The results of this study reflect the effects of coal combustion (pyrogenic origin), petrogenic and biomass origin and may provide basic data for the remediation of PAHs in the location.

Abstract The paper presents results of the measurements of the tropospheric ozone (O3) concentration and meteorological parameters: temperature, air pressure, relative humidity, speed and wind direction. The data were collected from January 2016 to December 2016 at station located in locality Centre (Banja Luka), Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ozone is one of the most harmful pollutants to plants and health and highly reactive secondary pollutant. The present study covers investigation of the relationship between the concentration of ozone and meteorological parameters as well as time variations of ozone concentration (by hours, months, seasons). This topic has not been studied up to now in this region, although the recent research data indicates that there is a correlation between them and previously obtained from the world’s relevant scientific centres, as already cited above. Statistical analysis confirms string of rolls, which shows directional connection between tropospheric ozone and meteorological parameters, specially temperature (r = 0.148), air pressure (r = –0.292) and relative humidity (r = –0.292). These parameters are the most important meteorological factors influencing the variation in ozone levels during the research. The correlation ozone concentrations with speed and direction of wind is not significant, like other parameters.