Latest Academic Works
Licit and illicit drugs in waste- and environmental waters: epidemiological and environmental implications
The analysis of drug residues in waste and environmental waters offers valuable insights into the epidemiological and environmental implications of drug use. This study employs a wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach to estimate the use of licit and illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) among both general and specific populations. …
New methods for the determination of elemental composition and simple phenolic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter
Air pollution is an inevitable problem that modern society has to face today, with particulate matter (PM) being the most dangerous part of it, threatening human health and the environment. Not all PM particles, however, are equally harmful, since the dangerous potential depends on their size and chemical composition, which …
Speciation of ruthenium-based candidate drugs for cancer treatment and copper as a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis in human serum
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer represents the second leading cause of mortality, with almost 10 million deaths in 2020. A broad spectra of cancer treatments are being developed, among them are metal-based drugs. Consistent with the available data, platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapeutics are still widely used to treat …
Targeted analysis of organic contaminants, exposure assessment, and vulnerability of populations to hazardous compounds
From the moment of conception until death, humans are exposed to chemicals at varying intensities and frequencies. While an individual’s level of resilience is commonly high enough to tolerate these kinds of stressors, specific exposures or genetic predispositions can lower it. Therefore, the assessment of chemical exposure, the development of …
Removal of contaminants of emerging concern using algal photobioreactors
Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are organic pollutants occurring in wastewater and consequently enter the environment. An alternative to conventional wastewater treatment are algal photobioreactors, which treat wastewater with low energy input while producing nutrient- and energy-rich algal biomass and treated water, which both have the potential to be reused. …
Ostanki bisfenolov v vodnem okolju: pojavnost in kroženje
Bisphenols are a group of industrial chemicals increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern because of their presence in the environment and endocrine disrupting effects. They are used in the production of polycarbonate plastic, epoxy resins and thermal paper, in most cases without restriction. The global exception is bisphenol A, …
Development of analytical methods for speciation of organotin compounds in environmental samples using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry
Organotin compounds (OTCs) are the organometallic compounds with the most numerous applications. Today, it is more than 50 years of their intensive development and use. While they are highly useful chemicals they are also extremely toxic to a wide array of aquatic and terrestrial living organisms at very low concentrations. …
Occurrence, fate and removal of pharmaceutical residues in water treatment
The presence of pharmaceutical residues in surface waters is an emerging environmental issue that provides a new challenge to treatment systems for potable water, wastewater and water reuse. Their principle pathways into the sewerage system are twofold: first, after being administered to patients they are normally excreted as various metabolites …