Selenium deficiency in Yugoslavia and possible effects on health

New data on Se-deficiency in Yugoslavia are presented. The results include Se contents of soils, cereal crops and garlic grown in the investigated soils, and human serum and scalp hair from several towns and regions in this country. All data indicate a serious Se-deficiency. Analyses of human tissues show a very low Se-status of the Yugoslav population. In some regions, Se contents of garlic, grains and human serum and hair are approaching those in the low-selenium zone in China. It is assumed that the very low Se-status of the human population could be a risk factor for the endemic nephropathy and the urinary tract tumours in endemic areas.Originally presented at the 8th Meeting of the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health, University of Reading, England (April 1990) (Volume 13, No.2 (1991) of this journal) and subsequently submitted as a volunteered paper.     

Utilization and treatment of exhausted cooling oil-emulsions

The subject of investigation was exhausted cooling oil-emulsions coming from copper wire drawing. The summary content of the organic substances in emulsions expressed as COD, ranged from 200 to 300 gO₂/dm³. The total amount of copper was about 7 g/dm³. The suggested method of treatment was based on separation of emulsion, thermocatalytic oxidation of the oil phase and electrochemical reduction of copper. The method allows oxidation of 99% organic substances in an autothermic way and over 90% recovery of metallic copper contained in emulsion with energy consumption at 2.2 kWh/kg.     

Toxic metals in imported fruits and vegetables marketed in Kuwait

The contentration of lead, cadmium, and mercury in 134 samples of imported fruits and vegetables marketed in Kuwait were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with a graphite furnace and the cold vapor technique. Results obtained showed that the concentration of these metal ions in most cases did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration of metals in fresh fruits and vegetables as restricted by some countries. Only a few samples of fruits and vegetables contained levels of mercury, cadmium, and lead which exceeded these maximum permissible levels.     

The adaptive function of ammonia and guanine in the biocoenotic association between ascomycetes and flour mites (Acarus siro L.)

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