Efforts to reduce air pollution in developing countries may require increased use of biomass fuels. Even biomass fuels are a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels there is limited quantitative information concerning heavy metal content in their ashes. Therefore, this study focuses on the determination of the heavy metal concentrations in wood pellet ash obtained from the combustion of 10 pellet brans from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy, the effects of adding the ashes to soils, and the assessment of health risk assessment. Ash content was determined by gravimetric method. The amount and composition of ash remaining after combustion of wood pellets varies considerably according to the type of biomass and wood from which the pellet is made. Samples were prepared by wet digestion using HNO₃, and heavy metals are determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy-flame and graphite furnace. The results showed that the lowest concentration in ashes was obtained for Co 0.01 mg kg⁻¹and the highest for Fe 571.63 mg kg⁻¹. The Hazard Index (HI), calculated for non-cancerous substances for children was 2.23E−01, and the total Risk index was 4.54E−05. As for adults, HI was 1.51E−02, while the Risk index value was 3.21E−06. Human health risk calculated through HI and Risk index for children and adults associated with analyzed pellets is not of significant concern. The calculated enrichment factor and metal pollution index for wood pellet ashes indicate the risk of soil contamination with heavy metals. From this point of view, analyzed samples of ashes could be a serious contaminant of soil, so further monitoring is required.

Today, there is widespread concern about the potential health effects on populations from consuming contaminated leafy plants and vegetables. In this study, heavy metal content is present in commonly consumed leafy plants (Atriplex hortensis, ...

Although COVID-19 is not a pandemic anymore, the virus frequently mutates, resulting in new strains and presenting global public health challenges. The lack of oral antiviral drugs makes it difficult to treat him, which makes the creation of broadly acting antivirals necessary to fight current and next epidemics of viruses. Using the molecular docking approach, 118 compounds derived from marine organisms and 92 previously synthesized compounds were screened to assess their binding affinity for the main protease and papain-like protease enzymes of SARS-CoV-2. The best candidates from the xanthene, benzoxazole, and coumarin classes were identified. Marine-derived compounds showed slightly better potential as enzyme inhibitors, though the binding affinities of synthesized compounds were similar, with the best candidates displaying affinity values between 0.2 and 0.4 mM. Xanthenes, among both marine origin and synthesized compounds, emerged as the most promising scaffolds for further research as inhibitors. The papain-like protease was found to be more druggable than the main protease. Additionally, all top candidates met the criteria for various drug-likeness properties, indicating good oral bioavailability and low risk of adverse effects. This research provides valuable insights into the comparative affinities of marine origin and synthesized compounds from the xanthene, coumarin, and benzoxazole classes, highlighting promising candidates for further in vitro and in vivo studies.

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the main health issues that has an impact on cognitive function, physical ability, immune function, and reproductive performance. Therefore, this study focused on the determination of iron content in leafy plants cultivated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the average daily intake of iron via consumption of these plants. The plant samples were prepared by wet digestion with nitric acid (HNO₃), and iron content was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The mean concentration of Fe ranged from 41.97 mg/kg for Brassica oleracea var. acephala to 338.73 mg/kg for Spinacia oleracea. Daily intakes for different leafy plants were also calculated. The leafy plants were arranged by daily iron intake in the following decreasing order Spinacia oleracea > Beta vulgaris > Atriplex hortensis > Urtica dioica > Brassica oleracea var. acephala. Results from this study indicate that leafy plants can be a significant source of iron. The findings conclusively suggest that our local leafy plants are good source of iron through diet.