Groundwater is an essential resource for drinking water, but its contamination with potentially toxic elements and arsenic (As) is a global issue. To evaluate As and its levels in the Coachella Valley, the US Geological Survey (USGS) collected 17 groundwater samples. This study looked into the arsenic distribution, enrichment, hydrogeochemical behavior, and health risks associated with the samples. The comparative analysis between groundwater contamination in Greater Palm Springs and similar regions, could provide valuable insights into regional differences and common challenges. The hydrogeochemical facies showed the dominance of calcium and magnesium-bicarbonate-carbonate, indicating permanent hardness and salt deposits of residual carbonate. The Gibbs plot demonstrated that chemical weathering of rock-forming minerals and evaporation are the primary forces impacting groundwater chemistry. Geochemical modeling revealed saturation for calcite and dolomite, and under-saturation for halite. Principal component analysis identified the potential contributory sources for contamination of groundwater. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic potentials of the toxic elements arsenic, cadmium, chromium (VI), and lead were calculated using a human health risk assessment model. For both adults and children, the highest non-carcinogenic mean value was observed for arsenic (8.52 × 10−1), with the lowest for cadmium (1.32 × 10−3). Children had the highest cumulative non-carcinogenic risk from potentially toxic elements. Our research offers crucial baseline data for assessing arsenic in groundwater at the regional level, which is important for health risk reduction and remediation programs. The data show that preventative action must be taken to reduce the potential health risks in the study area from drinking groundwater, particularly for children.

The world’s leading health institutions warn that adolescents do not meet the minimum level of physical activity necessary for the proper physical development of young people, which is considered one of the main problems of public health. In addition to personal preference, environmental and cultural factors play an important role in the involvement of young people in sports. This study aimed to examine potential differences in involvement in sports, anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities, in adolescents of different residential statuses. The sample included 83 adolescents, of whom 45 (54.2%, 13.51±0.55 yrs) were from urban areas and 38 (45%, 13.45±0.50 yrs) were from rural areas in the Belgrade region. Surveying detected their involvement in sports, and anthropometric characteristics were assessed through body height (BH) body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), and motor abilities through explosive strength of lower and upper extremities and agility. A Mann-Whitney U test has shown that place of residency impacts involvement in sports and motor abilities, while there was no impact on anthropometric characteristics. Cohen’s criteria (r) detected the level of impact. Adolescents from urban areas are more involved at sports and have better motor abilities. There is no difference in anthropometric characteristics. Considering the relatively small sample of respondents and variables assessed, the obtained results can hardly be generalized. However, this does not diminish the importance of the present study which examined the urban-rural state of sports activity, anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities of adolescents in Serbia, thus making an important contribution to this field.

Air pollution is a major problem for the environment and human health. As a component of the environment (the Earth’s sphere), air, that is, the atmosphere, represents the basis of life on Earth. The composition of the air is mostly unchanged, except in the case of air pollution, which represents one of the significant environmental problems of modern times. In the past, pollution was caused by natural sources, while today the source of pollution is mostly of an anthropogenic character. Air pollution with basic and specific pollutants is present, especially in the areas of larger and industrial cities. The sources of pollutants in the air are numerous, and pollutants are found in all places where people live. In addition to air pollution of ambient air, it is also necessary to point out air pollution in closed spaces, especially work environments. Areas of increased pollution, with high concentrations of pollution, can have a negative impact on the population and lead to unwanted health problems. In recent decades, the high level of air pollution has been particularly pronounced, both at the global level and in the Republic of Srpska. Air pollution requires the involvement of society as a whole in solving this problem. The proposed revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive will set interim European Union (EU) air quality standards for 2030, more closely aligned with World Health Organization guidelines, while putting the EU on a path to achieve zero air pollution by 2050 at the latest in synergy with climate and climate neutrality. The aforementioned Directive has significant improvements, but it will not completely solve the problem of air pollution or reduce to a greater extent the consequences of air pollution on the health of citizens. Air pollution cannot be solved quickly. The implementation of the new revised directive will be a challenge for the EU, and when all provisions of the directive are transposed into the national legislation of the Republic of Srpska, the application of all provisions will be very demanding and complex, with a number of problems in its application.

Heavy metals represent a very significant group of environmental pollutants because they are potential metabolic inhibitors. Therefore, a study was conducted where the height of the wheat stem, as well as the surface of the leaves in the budding and leafing stages, were examined when contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals in concentrations of 250 and 500 ppm. The aim of the research was to determine the influence of heavy metals on the initial phenophase of wheat varieties Pobeda and Ljiljana. An experiment was carried out in volumetric flasks where two different concentrations of a mixture of heavy metals 250 ppm and 500 ppm were added under controlled conditions.

Proper selection and knowledge of varieties, processing conditions, and the use of selective yeast cultures during alcoholic fermentation have an important influence on the chemical composition of the distillate. In order to examine the influence of the plum variety on the quality of plum brandy, chemical analysis and sensory evaluation of brandies obtained from different varieties were performed. It was established that the characteristics of plum brandy depend primarily on the variety of plums. The best results were shown by brandies from the Moravka and Čačanska lepotica varieties, while the brandy sample from the Stanley variety was somewhat weaker.

Water is an indispensable part of beer and brewing practice, and therefore it is not even possible to imagine a process in which water quality is neglected. For the purposes of this experiment, several different watersamples were collected from available springs. The basis of the experiment was the colored reaction of iodine on starch, which would prove the hydrolysis of starch granules from grains. This leads to the conclusion that the mineral composition, which affects the hardness of the water, does not have a decisive influence on the work of amylolytic enzymes, at least not to the extent that would significantly affect the production process.

The student population is one of the most sensitive populations today, whereby it is necessary to consider the relationship between health and physical activity in order to improve students’ quality of life. In addition to physical inactivity, health status is adversely affected by constant technological innovations and excessive socializing, consumption of alcohol, tobacco and narcotics. The aim of this study was to determine the differences between the communication approach and attitudes of first- and fourth-year students of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education on the impact of sports on health and improvement of mental hygiene. Using a 60-item questionnaire, the study included 70 healthy respondents of both genders (Mean ± SD: 20.86±1.76 years). The respondents were divided into two subsamples, i.e. a group of first-year students (IG; n=34; F=15, M=19) and a group of fourth-year students (IVG; n=36; F=18, M=18). All obtained data are presented by descriptive parameters. The reliability of the survey in terms of internal compliance was tested by Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The manifest space of attitudes was processed by the scaling technique. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to determine differences in attitudes between first- and fourth-year students. For statistical significance of the differences in results between groups, the p<0.05 level of significance was used. The data were processed in the SPSS statistical package. The results of the study unequivocally confirmed the existence of a positive attitude among the student population about the impact of sports on health and improvement of mental hygiene, as well as that there are no statistically significant differences in most of the variables included in the testing (eight out of ten domains), i.e. that there is no great difference in the attitudes of first- and fourth-year students on the importance of sports for their psychophysical health.

Abstract: The paper presents results of the measurements of the sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration and meteorological parameters: temperature, air pressure, relative humidity and wind speed. The data were collected from January 2019 to December 2020 at two stations, namely Center and Heating plant, in the City of Bijeljina, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. SO2 and NO2 are one of the major air pollutants that could negatively affect the human health. Levels of SO2 and NO2 in air samples and meteorological variables from urban zone of Bijeljina were determined at both localities, which represent a highly-populated area with intensive traffic. This topic has not been studied up to now in Bijeljina, although the recent research data indicates that there is a correlation between meteorological parameters and air pollutants. Statistical analysis confirms direct corelation between SO2 and NO2 and meteorological parameters, specially temperature in locality Center (r = -0.639), the wind speed in locality Heating plant (r = 0.399) and relative humidity (r = 0.162). Correlation of NO2 with temperature is not confirmed in both localities. The wind speed increase is followed by rises of the NO2 concentration values and vice versa. Correlation of NO2 with pressure is confirmed in locality Center (r = 0.128) but it is not confirmed in locality Heating plant. Correlation between NO2 and relative humidity found to be negative in locality Center (r = -0.062). These parameters are the most important meteorological factors influencing the variation in SO2 and NO2 concentration in the air during the research. Depending on the obtained correlation, meteorological parameters had a positive or negative impact on air pollution.