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The effect of microstructural changes caused by mechanical modification on adsorption properties of diatomite samples were investigated. The microstructure has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) while the degree of metal adsorption was evaluated by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP AES). The results show that metal sorption capacity of diatomite is considerably improved after mechanical modification and it can be attributed to amorphysation of the material. Immobilization efficiency increased from 22% for untreated to 81% for the treated sample after 5h at BPR 4.This qualifies natural diatomite as a material for wastewater remediation

This work presents the results of 4 years long monitoring of concentrations of SO2 gas and PM10 in the urban area around the copper smelter in Bor. The contents of heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, and As in PM10 were determined and obtained values were compared to the limit values provided in EU Directives. Manifold excess concentrations of all the components in the atmosphere of the urban area of the townsite Bor were registered. Through application of a multi-criteria analysis by using PROMETHEE/GAIA method, the zones were ranked according to the level of pollution.

This study highlights the consequences on soil pollution of one hundred years of manufacturing in the Copper Mining and Smelting Complex RTB--Bor (Serbia). Soil sediments were taken via a probe from the surface layer of the soil at twelve different measuring points. The measuring points were all within 20 km of the smelting plant, which included both urban and rural zones. Soil sampling was performed using a soil core sampler in such way that a core of a soil of radius 5 cm and depth of 30 cm was removed. Subsequently, the samples were analyzed for pH and heavy metal concentrations (Cu, Pb, As, Cd, Mn, Ni and Hg) using different spectrometric methods. The obtained results for the heavy metal contents in the samples show high values: 2,540 mg kg -1 Cu; 230 mg kg -1 Pb; 6 mg kg -1 Cd; 530 mg kg -1 Ni; 1,300 mg kg -1 Mn; 260 mg kg -1 As and 0.3 mg kg -1 Hg. In this study, critical zones of polluted soil were identified and ranked according to their metal contents by the multi-criteria decision method Preference Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation/Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance -PROMETHEE/GAIA, which is the preferred multivariate method commonly used in chemometric studies. The ranking results clearly showed that the most polluted zones are at locations holding the vital functions of the town. Therefore, due to the high bioavailability of heavy metals through complex reactions with organic species in the sediments, consequences for human health could drastically emerge if these metals enter the food chain.

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