Soil contamination by heavy metals is a serious global environmental problem, especially for developing countries. A large number of industrial plants, which continually pollute the environment, characterize Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of this study was to assess the level of soil pollution by heavy metals and to estimate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of soil leachates from this area. Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) were analyzed by ICP-AES and AAS. Soil contamination was assessed using contamination factor, degree of contamination, geoaccumulation index and pollution load index. To determine the connection of variables and understanding their origin in soils, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used. The results indicate that Cd and Hg originated from natural and anthropogenic activities, while Pb is of anthropogenic origin. For toxicity evaluation, CaCo-2 and HaCaT cells were used. PrestoBlue assay was used for cytotoxicity testing, and γH2A.X for genotoxicity evaluation. Concerning cytotoxicity, Cd and Hg had a positive correlation with cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells, but only Hg induced cytotoxicity in CaCo-2 cells. We also demonstrate that soil leachates contaminated by heavy metals can induce genotoxicity in both used cell lines. According to these results, combining bioassays with standard physicochemical analysis can be useful for evaluating environmental and health risks more accurately. These results are important for developing proper management strategies to decrease pollution. This is one of the first studies from this area and an important indication of soil quality in Southeast Europe.

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of human exposure to lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) through agricultural soil by considering both uncertainty and variability in key exposure parameters. For this reason we collected soil samples from 29 locations in the Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and measured their metal levels with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission or absorption spectrometry (ICP-AES and ICP-AAS, respectively). The levels of Pb ranged from 13.33 to 1692.33 mg/kg, of Cd from 0.05 to 3.67 mg/kg, and of Hg from 0.02 to 2.73 mg/kg. To estimate cancer and non-cancer risks we used deterministic and semi-probabilistic methods. Lead was found to involve higher health risk than the other two heavy metals. Its hazard index (HI) decreased between population groups (children>women>men) and exposure routes (ingestion>skin contact>inhalation). Our Monte Carlo simulations indicated that Pb HIs for both adult populations had a 0.6 % probability to exceed the threshold value of 1, while in children this probability was 14.2 %. Cd and Hg showed no probability to exceed the threshold in any scenario. Our simulation results raise concern about possible adverse health effects of heavy metals from soil, especially in children. It is very important to continue monitoring environmental pollution and assess human health risk, not only with respect to soil, but also with other important environmental compartments, such as air and water.

In this work, four silver(I) complexes with Schiff bases derived from ninhydrin and selected amino acids (methionine, histidine, cysteine, and phenylalanine) were synthesized. The aim of this study is to determine the potential biological activity of these complexes. FTIR and UV/VIS spectroscopy were used for structural characterization of the products. Antioxidant activity was examined in vitro using DPPH method. Antimicrobial screening was performed by diffusion technique on reference bacterial strains from the ATCC collection. Interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined using UV/VIS spectroscopy. Based on the obtained spectral data, it is assumed that all Schiff bases coordinate the Ag(I) ion as a tridentate ONO donor ligand. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds is extremely high, with a range of IC50 values of 0.023-0.06 mg/mL. Antimicrobial screening determined the inhibitory ability of almost all complexes for concentrations of 1 and 2 mg/mL, with zones of inhibition in the range of 9-19 mm. Examination of the interaction of BSA with Ag(I) complexes revealed the same change in the absorption maximum (hyperchromic shift) in the region of about 205 nm, which indicates that the interaction of BSA and the complex results in conformational changes of BSA.

Although fluorides are essential for dental health, there are growing health concerns regarding the risk-benefit ratio of fluoride exposure. The objectives of the study were to obtain data on the amount and human health risks of fluoride in drinking groundwater, as well as to compare and evaluate the differences in the outputs obtained by two different approaches in health risk assessment (deterministic vs probabilistic). From a densely populated industrial area of north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, a total of 54 groundwater samples were collected. Fluoride concentrations varied from 1.69 to 3.52 mg/L. The WHO's threshold value for fluoride in drinking water was exceeded in all the samples analysed, indicating an increased daily intake of fluoride from groundwater. Deterministic and semi-probabilistic techniques were used for exposure assessment and health risk quantification. Generally, the deterministic approach resulted in acceptable health risks in most adult exposure scenarios. However, the Monte Carlo simulation revealed that 20.6, 20.8, and 99.8% of adult males, females, and children, respectively, were above the tolerable upper intake level, indicating that both adults and children face a significant health risk. Nevertheless, small children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards than youth and adults. Hence, a more in-depth risk-benefit analysis is required to reduce/or optimize fluoride content in drinking water to prevent tooth decay and fluorosis at all ages. Considering that optimal daily intake of fluorides is a crucial factor for preserving human health, decision-makers should take steps to emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring of fluoride concentrations in drinking water.

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the countries of Southeast Europe with the lack of data about chronic autoimmune thyroid diseases (CAITD) epidemiology. Objective: This research aimed to assess incidence of CAITD in the Tuzla Canton of B&H during a 6-year period (2015–2020). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 82,000 hospital records of inpatients and outpatients with possible thyroid symptoms residing in Tuzla Canton of B&H (total of 445,028 inhabitants). The study included patients with laboratory and clinical proof of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). Incidence rates were calculated with age standardisation using European standard population. Trends in incidence were evaluated as moving three-year averages. Results: During the observed period, 1875 patients satisfied the diagnostic criteria for CAITD with male to female ratio of 1: 8.01. Median age of all cases was 46 years (interquartile range: 31 to 61) and women and men were on average the same age at the time of diagnosis. The overall standardized incidence was found to be 71.25 per 105 (%95 CI=63.36–79.15). The overall standardized incidence in men was 16.25 per 105 and 123.74 per 105 in women. In the end of the observed period, AITD prevalence was 427.52 per 105 (% 95 CI=408.17-446.87). Conclusion: There was a slight decline of incidence in our region during the observed period. This decrease might be the result of combination of various factors, mainly the Corona epidemics outbreak and emigration. On the basis of the lower incidence rate in the Tuzla Canton, one can assume that iodine prophylaxis carried out in order to eradicate goitre had satisfied expectations because there had not been any enormous increase in patients with AITD.