This study describes an investigation of effects of environmental pollution as a result of outflow from the coal processing industry. Coal is one the largest deposits of fossil inorganic material where metal accumulations have been observed. The trace elements in coal that could have an undesirable environmental impact include: Hg, Pb, Be, Se, As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Ge, Mn, V and Co. Dust consisting of fly ash and bottom ash is one the main components of the environmental pollution that is released from the industrial area of thermopower plants of ‘‘Kosova’’. Analysis of the emission of the fly ash from thermopower plants of ‘‘Kosovo’’ during 2005 showed that contamination had exceeded EU standards by 400—500%. In a comparative study of biochemical parameters in blood of human population of two different environments in Kosovo, one done near by the Kosovo thermopower plants in Obiliç, a highly polluted environment investigated group and the other that is considered as a relatively clean rural environment in Dragash, control group. Based on the results achieved in this study, it can be concluded that the pollution emitted from Kosovo thermopower plants by releasing fly ash and bottom ash to the environment has a direct effect on human health of the population living in the industrial area of Obiliç.

In the natural environment, plants are exposed to different stress factors that are responsible for overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Exposure to heavy metals is one of these factors. The present article highlights the correlation between the effects of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in a highly polluted region as the industrial zone of the Thermo Power Plants “Kosova” in Kosovo on the antioxidant capacity of two selected target species: Solanum tuberosum L. and Allium cepa L. The results show that environmental pollution in the industrial zone of the Thermo Power Plants “Kosova” generates a significant bioaccumulation of heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Zn, Mn, and Fe. The high concentration of heavy metals leads to an increased production of reactive radical species. The extracts of target plants cultivated in this region display a lower antioxidant capacity than the same plants grown in a control rural area. The Fe bioaccumulation markedly influences the antioxidant capacity of plant samples analyzed.

In this study, we analyzed and compared the concentrations of selected metals/metalloids and the antioxidant response of Salix alba L. (white willow) bark in the highly polluted area around the Kosovo A and B thermal power plants. The antioxidant capacity of Salix alba bark was evaluated in terms of the total phenolics, flavonoids, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, while the metal content in the soil and willow bark was analyzed by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy). For total antioxidant level assessment, FRAP, DPPH, and CUPRAC assays were conducted. The mean concentrations of selected elements in soil and willow dry mass range from 15,698.4 mg kg⁻¹ dry mass (soil) to 371.1 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Al; 37.676 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to <2 ppb (willow bark) for As; 14.8 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 0.62 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Cd; 24.2 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 1.2 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Cr; 58.8 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 9.1 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Cu; 16,975.68 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 385.4 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Fe; 95.0 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 7.9 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Ni; 185.2 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to <1 ppb (willow bark) for Pb; and 226.7 mg kg⁻¹ (soil) to 87.7 mg kg⁻¹ (willow bark) for Zn. Additionally, the Salix alba bark samples presented mean values of 12,191.6 mg kg⁻¹ for Ca, 1306.0 mg kg⁻¹ for Mg, and 123.1363 mg kg⁻¹ for Mn. The mean phenolic content was 39.292 mg GAE g⁻¹ DW, being 28.222 mg CE g⁻¹ DW for flavonoids, 38.099 mg g⁻¹ FW for CHLa, 49.240 mg g⁻¹ FW for CHLb, and 94.976 mg g⁻¹ FW for CAR. The results of this study indicate that the bark of Salix alba contains significant amounts of phenolic compounds, and strong positive and moderate negative correlations are revealed between total phenolic compounds and iron, and total phenolics and nickel and manganese, respectively.

Problem statement: Defining of correlation between toxic and essential elements in human beings is an important clinical screening procedure. Approach: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between cadmium as toxic element and calcium as an essential element in the blood at the smokers. We have investigated 50 human blood samples of different ages and genders (age: 35-45 years old), of the citizens from the Municipality of Dragash (an environment without pollution). Results: The results that were achieved in this study showed the significant difference in the average of cadmium concentration in human blood of the smokers group from nonsmokers group (p = <0.0001, t = 8.33). Between cadmium and calcium in the blood of the smokers group exists the positive correlation with high statistical reliability (r = 0.544, p = 0.003) while at no-smokers group does not exist (r = -0.097, p = 0.317). Conclusion/Recommendations: Correlation between Cd2+ and Ca2+ in the human blood with a high statistical significance in the group of smokers comes as a result of powerful competitive reaction between Cd2+ and Ca2+ in biochemical processes. Competitive reaction between Cd2+ and Ca2+ in biochemical processes.

The aim of the study was to monitor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in outdoor air in nine cities/towns across the Republic of N. Macedonia and the Republic of Kosovo for nine consecutive months, using the Radiello® passive and diffusive samplers, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In parallel, employing static headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SHS-GC-MS) technique, VOCs from different types of commercially available gasoline and diesel fuels in the monitored cities were analyzed in order to obtain the chemical profiles and to evaluate the presence of their components in ambient air. GC-MS analyses indicate that the gasoline fuel components (BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and diesel fuel components (n-undecane, n-dodecane, n-tridecane, n-tetradecane, and other linear alkanes) account for approximately 60% of VOCs in the outdoor air in the sampling sites. The bulk of the VOCs in the all-sampling locations regardless of the season come from fossil fuels (automotive fuels) and only minor fraction comes from biogenic emission which is dominated by monoterpenes. Furthermore, the ratios of benzene to toluene (B/T) and xylenes to ethylbenzene (X/E) were used to assess the origins of VOCs emissions in the outdoor urban air at the monitored sites.