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Potentially toxic elements are persistent in the environment and plants have the ability to absorb and transfer them from soil in edible parts. The objectives of this study were to characterize the distribution of Cd and Pb in quinoa tissues and to investigate their accumulation and transfer from irrigated water in edible parts of quinoa. For the purpose of this study experiment and simulated pollution in the form of different metal concentration in water that was used for irrigation was designed. Distribution of metals in quinoa were determined and analyzed in seed formation and maturation stage. Bioaccumulation and translocation factors were calculated to characterize the efficiency of quinoa to absorb metals. The results of our study indicated that quinoa adopts potentially toxic metals from substrate but does not accumulate them. The potential of such a conclusion is useful for exploring the use of quinoa as lead and cadmium excluders.

The purpose of this research was to blend quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M?ench) and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed kernels at 40% level with wheat flour and to examine the effect of this blend on nutritional and sensory quality and also energy values of the pan bread. Hydrothermal preparation of these supplements is included. Chemical composition of the investigated materials, wheat bread and supplemented bread, was determined using relevant AOAC methods. Chemical composition of supplemented bread with an increase in protein, oil and crude fiber was superior in comparison with control wheat bread. Sensory properties of supplemented bread such as specific volume, appearance, crust and crumb texture, aroma-odor and color were evaluated and found excellent. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31006, TR 31034 and EU FP7 project 316004, project acronym: AREA]

In suburban Belgrade, there are some 200 local water supply systems which are not connected to either the Belgrade Water Supply System or to supply systems operated by municipal utilities. The small systems in Belgrade suburbs are either operated by local municipality (local government) or even by the group of local citizens who have neither technical capability nor financial resources to do it properly. Roughly 200,000 of Belgrade's inhabitants obtain their drinking water from these water supply systems. The water quality delivered by these local water supply systems is often compromised in terms of microbiological, physical and/or chemical compliance with drinking water standards in addition to the general lack of strategy on water safety plans and risk assessment. WHO Guidelines on water quality standards as well as the recommendations on safety plans and whole risk assessment are strictly respected in the main (central) Water Supply System in Belgrade. Most frequently, elevated concentrations of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and iron lead to lack of chemical compliance, while elevated counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and the presence of bacteria indicative of faecal pollution tend to be behind microbiological lack of compliance with drinking water standards. In most cases, failure to meet drinking water standards can be attributed to groundwater pollution. No sewer system exists in these areas, and wastewater from septic tanks, in practice infiltration wells, is in direct contact with groundwater. Of a total of 72 laboratory-tested drinking water samples, 51.3% failed to meet physical and/or chemical standards, and 73.6% failed to meet microbiological standards. Groundwater pollution can only be prevented if wastewater disposal system is provided for all households and all suburban residential areas which obtain their water supply from local water supply systems. Some possible mitigation measures have been indicated. In the interim period, water must be disinfected continually, and the feasibility of ozonation or UV irradiation, in addition to chlorination, should be assessed.