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Water scarcity is becoming a greater issue worldwide due to ever-increasing anthropogenic activity. A dedicated effort is required to recover and maintain the purity of our water resources and has created an environment for developing better technologies to tackle this issue. Low-pressure gaseous plasma, consisting of a complex mixture of …

The thesis investigates associations between the biomarkers of lead (Pb) exposure (and mercury (Hg), where applicable) and genetic variability in in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and their newborns from Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, as well as Slovenian men of reproductive age. The research utilizes data from the Public Health …

All-solid-state batteries are one of the key technologies for future energy storage and the transition to a climate-neutral society. They offer improved safety, stability, and a broader operating temperature range compared to conventional batteries with liquid electrolyte. Perovskite Li0.33La0.56 0.11TiO3 (LLTO) is recognized as one of the most promising solid …

A large body of data now exists demonstrating the influence of micro and nano plastics (MNPs) on living systems, and their detection has been documented across various ecosystems, including organisms that form part of the human diet. Nevertheless, up till now, a substantial portion of that research has been confined …

This dissertation examines two main topics. The first topic is focused on the potential of strontium (Sr) isotope analysis to characterise milk and truffles as selected food commodities, traditionally important for Slovenia. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio for determining the provenance of bovine milk and truffles originating from different regions of Slovenia …

Omnipresence of sensor-equipped devices spurred rapid development of e-health and mhealth applications in the past decades. Despite their wide-spread adoption in the form of wearables, such devices are ultimately not a universal or ideal solution for regular health monitoring due to their reliance on battery, requiring skin contact and general …

This thesis focuses on the development and optimisation of zirconium conversion coatings (ZrCCs) on cold-rolled steel (CRS), zinc (Zn), and aluminium alloy AA5754 substrates through a multidimensional approach. The utilization of statistical tools, specifically response surface methodology (RSM), enabled the assessment of the individual and mutual effects of various parameters …

Mercury, a toxic element, known for its physical and chemical properties, spreads throughout the environment and is found in various ecosystems, including water, air, soil, and biological systems. The natural mercury cycle begins beneath the earth's crust, where it rises to the surface and is released into the air through …

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is a versatile analytical method widely used in the field of surface science and thin films. Although it gives elemental, molecular, and isotopic information, it has a very low detection limit and high lateral resolution, is fast and works with all the vacuum-compatible samples, …

Cement production is one of the main contributors to mercury emissions in to the atmosphere. Many national and international legal i nstruments aim to control and reduce Hg emissions. Hg enters the cement production process as an impurity in fuels and raw materials, with the latter being the main source …