Application of Macrobiological Methods in the Settlement Wastewater Treatment

The approach to solving the problem of water protection is changing in the world, and the opinion that wastewater is a resource instead of waste is now prevalent with research being directed in the direction of simpler, energetically more rational and more economically acceptable technological solutions for wastewater treatment, primarily in the field of biotechnology, especially there where favorable climate conditions and the use of large land areas are available. The mechanism of wastewater treatment by macrobiological methods is simple and is reduced to extraction of certain substances from wastewater directly with plants or through the food chain with animals and their concentration into macrobiological living stations. Macrobiological living stations are extracted from the water in the form of biomass by simple mechanical methods, and in that way the final removal of nutrients and other substances from the water is completed. The produced biomass can be used as food or feed, with mandatory sanitary inspection, or as an emergent in biomass production. This paper presents the principles of application of macro biologic methods in wastewater treatment and the experience gained through the research at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Niš and at the waste water treatment facilities in Sokobanja

Dobrobit životinja za klanje i uticaj na kvalitet mesa

Animal welfare is very important in the meat production chain. From the production on the farm to slaughtering, it is the main task of experts and other stakeholders included in the meat production, as well as their obligation, to respect the animal welfare, to treat animals in a humane manner, to spear them fear, suffering and pain. Since slaughterhouses represent unfamiliar environment for the animals, and therefore stressful environment, negative effects can be diminished by adequate handling of animals. Guarantee of proper animal treatment and subsequent meat quality is respecting of adequate regulations and continuous education of persons included in the chain of animal food.Dobrobit životinja ima značajnu ulogu u lancu proizvodnje mesa. Duž celog lanca proizvodnje od farme do trenutka klanja, zadatak stručne javnosti i ostalih osoba uključenih u proizvodnju mesa, jeste obaveza da se sa životinjama postupa na human način, kako bi se poštedele straha, patnje i bola. Pošto klanice predstavljaju nepoznato okruženje za životinje i samim tim stresnu sredinu, negativni efekti mogu se umanjiti adekvatnom manipulacijom sa životinjama. Garancija odgovarajućeg odnosa prema životinjama i posledičnog kvaliteta mesa je poštovanje odgovarajuće zakonske regulative i kontinuirane edukacije osoblja uključenog u lanac hrane animalnog porekla

Risk assessment and risk management of contaminants in the feed to food chain

In feed production processes, factories usually produce different mixtures within the same production line. Consequently, remainders of the first-produced feed can stay in the system and be mixed with the following feed charge. This type of transfer (carry-over) is unavoidable in the production systems currently used, and thus, non-medicated feed can be contaminated with veterinary drugs present in a previously manufactured charge of medicated feed. The carry-over of veterinary medicinal products is associated with the risk of residues remaining in the tissues of treated animals at the time of slaughter and poses a health hazard to consumers. Producing safe feed and food products is, first and foremost, a question of good management practices at each stage of the feed and food chain, from primary production to final processing. Primary responsibility for feed safety rests with the feed business operator, who must ensure that all stages of production, processing and distribution under their control are carried out in accordance with relevant legislation, good manufacturing practice and principles contained in the HACCP system. Concrete steps for feed manufacturers to prevent drug carry-over are using one or more approved cleanout procedures of manufacturing equipment, such as cleaning, flushing or sequencing

Mycotoxins as one of the foodborne risks most susceptible to climatic change

The impact of climate change on agriculture and food safety is certain. This may affect mycotoxin concentrations as fungi with higher temperature optima for growth and mycotoxin production will dominate in regions with currently cooler climates, or become less prevalent as the temperatures become too high in areas where the temperature is already hot. In Serbia, recent drought and then flooding confirmed that mycotoxins are one of the foodborne hazards most susceptible to climate change. This paper ams to discuss the weather influence on the mycotoxicology situation and to point out the possibility of prediction and prevention of such future problems

ROCK RAMP IMPACT ON THE RIVERINE HYDRAULIC

The following case study is part of a wider research of the impact of rock ramps on river environment. It aims to give a quantitative assessment of the velocity reduction in upstream section of a rock ramp. The alteration of the flow velocities is one of the most considerable factors for the habitat modification. The creation of still water environment in upstream impoundment might affect the physical properties of the habitat. Thus a mutation of the hydrobionts diversity may occur. By means of one – dimensional numerical model а comparative analysis of velocity fields is executed. Two cases are examined: before and after construction of a rock ramp with step – pools. The model proofs a significant flow velocity reduction in upstream section, which might have a negative environmental impact.Another point of interests of the study is the high flow river capacity. The flooded areas and the water level variation are evaluated at Q50%, Q5% and Q1%. The results can be used for assessment of the structure reliability and for analysis of both: saturation of riparian zone and alteration of floodplain ecology

Survey of Slaughtered Pigs for Occurrence of Ochratoxin A and Porcine Nephropathy in Serbia

Samples of blood, kidney and liver were randomly selected from slaughtered pigs (n=90) and analyzed for ochratoxin A by HPLC. In addition, in order to obtain information on the occurrence of nephropathy, histological examinations were carried out. Of the 90 liver samples, 26.6% contained OTA in the range of 0.22–14.5 ng/g. The incidence of OTA in serum and kidney were very similar (31%, 33.3%), with a maximum concentration of 220.8 ng/mL, and 52.5 ng/g, respectively. Histopathological examination of kidneys confirmed tubulopathies with edema and cell vacuolization. In addition, hemorrhages and necrosis of proximal kidney tubules’ cells were found

Transformation matrix approach to dynamics of manipulative robots

This paper considers the problem of defining and solving problems in robot mechanics that is fundamental for successful design and performance of robot control system. It considers a few different approaches for describing dynamics of robots and forming of dynamics models with purpose to get a set of mathematical equations describing activity of torques and forces on robot arm in form of motion equations describing the dynamic behavior of the manipulator. It describes the formulation, characteristics and properties of dynamics equations of motion, which are suitable for control purposes, through three different formulations, whereby advantages and disadvantages of each are described separately. To realize practical application of dynamics calculation and solving them using the PC computer, the method use 3×3 rotation matrices and 4×4 homogeneous transformation matrices

Sustainable tourism development according to EU indicators, in the function of economic growth of Niška Banja

According to the indicators of sustainable development, tourism in Niška Banja is not based on the principles of sustainable development. Economic, social and cultural indicators show a worrying situation that requires urgent measures while environmental indicators show a tolerable situation. Specificity and attractiveness, infrastructure facilities and accessibility, with the construction of hotels, sports grounds, catering facilities, and other supra-structural capacities, would enable the Niška banja to become an exclusive model of sustainable tourism. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly promote and propagate the advantages of this development, with the increase in tourism, better utilization of existing resources and other tourist potentials. On the other hand, the development of tourism can cause great damages to Niška Banja. Therefore, careful and efficient planning, management and rigorous monitoring are needed to ensure that tourism in Niška Banka is truly successful and sustainable, while respecting the natural, social and cultural components of the environment

Mikotoksini u lancu ishrane - analiza rizika i značaj za javno zdravstvo

Disease outbreaks due to the consumption of contaminated food and feedstuff are a recurring problem worldwide. The major factor contributing to contamination are microorganisms, especially fungi, which produce low-molecular-weight compounds as secondary metabolites, with confirmed toxic properties referred to as mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that invade crops at the field level and may grow on foods during storage under favorable conditions. The toxigenic fungi of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternari and Clavicepshave genera are of the greatest consequence to food safety. Mycotoxins, of over 400 that are known, which have the most food safety, nutritive, ecologic and economic significance include the aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, tremorgenic mycotoxinsand ergotalcaloides. Some molds are capable of producing more than one mycotoxin and some mycotoxins are produced by more than one fungal species. Often more than one mycotoxin is found on a contaminated substrate. Factors influencing the presence of mycotoxins in foods or feeds include environmental conditions related to storage that can be controlled. Other extrinsic factors such as climate or intrinsic factors such as fungal strain specificity, strain variation, and instability of toxigenic properties are more difficult to control. Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs by the dermal and inhalation routes. The diseases caused by exposure to mycotoxins are known as mycotoxicoses. Mycotoxins have various acute and chronic effects on humans and animals (especially monogastrics) depending on species and susceptibility of an animal within a species. Ruminants, however, are generally more resistant to the adverse effects of mycotoxins. This is because the rumen microbiota is capable of degrading mycotoxins. The economic impact of mycotoxins include loss of human and animal life, increased health care and veterinary care costs, reduced livestock production, disposal of contaminated foods and feeds, and investment in research and applications to reduce severity of the mycotoxin problem. This review is meant to be informative not only for health-conscious consumers but also for experts in the field to pave the way for future research to fill the existing gaps in our knowledge in regard to mycotoxins and food safety. In this review, the focus is on the occurrence of various types of mycotoxins in food and feed associated with risks to humans and livestock, as well as legislation put forth by various authorities. Brief descriptions on recent developments in mycotoxin detection methodology and on presently practiced detoxification methods are also included.Oboljenja ljudi prouzrokovana kontaminiranom hranom predstavljaju jedan od najvećih problema sa kojim se suočava savremeno čovečanstvo. Glavni uzročnici kontaminacije su mikroorganizmi, naročito plesni, koje sintetišu jedinjenja male molekulske mase sa izrazitim toksičnim efektom na žive organizme. Mikotoksini su sekundarni metaboliti pretežno Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria i Claviceps vrsta plesni, koje mogu kontaminirati hranu na polju (preharvest) i/ili tokom skladištenja (postharvest). Iako je do sada poznato preko 400 mikotoksina zbog svoje zastupljenosti i toksičnosti, afl atoksini (AFT), ohratoksin A (OTA), trihoteceni (TCT), zearalenon (ZEA), fumonizini (FB), tremorgeni mikotoksini i ergotalkaloidi, predstavljaju najveći medicinski, nutritivni, ekološki i ekonomski problem. Specifičnost mikotoksina u odnosu na druge toksine ogleda se u tome da pojedini rodovi plesni mogu da sintetišu nekoliko mikotoksina, kao i to da pojedini mikotoksini mogu biti proizvod sekundarnog metabolizma nekoliko rodova i vrsta plesni. S toga je kozastupljenost mikotoksina u kontaminiranoj hrani veoma česta pojava. Faktori koji utiču na kolonizaciju plesni i sintezu mikotoksina odnose se na faktore spoljašnje sredine (ekstrinsik) u koje spadaju skladišni uslovi i koji se mogu kontrolisati, dok ostale faktore spoljašnje sredine kao što su klimatske promene ili unutrašnje (intrinsik) faktore, u koje spadaju specifičnost i varijacije pojedinih vrsta plesni i nestabilnost toksigenih svojstava plesni, je veoma teško kontrolisati. Mikotoksini u organizam ljudi i životinja najčešće dospevaju putem kontaminirane hrane, ali su inhalacioni i dermalni put, takođe mogući. Oboljenja ljudi i životinja izazvana mikotoksinima se nazivaju mikotoksikoze. Mikotoksini izazivaju različite akutne i hronične biološke efekte u organizmu ljudi i životinja. Smatra se da su monogastrične životinje daleko osetljivije na dejstvo mikotoksina u odnosu na preživare. Ekonomski značaj mikotoksina odražava se kroz povećane troškove lečenja ljudi i životinja, smanjenje produktivnih rezultata životinja uključujući i uginuća, direktne i indirektne štete koje nastaju usled uklanjanja kontaminirane hrane, investiranje u istraživanja i primenu preventivnih mera u sprečavanju negativnog efekta prisustva mikotoksina u hrani na zdravlje ljudi i životinja. Ovaj rad ima za cilj da sagleda ne samo zdravlje ljudi, već i da bude informativan za stručnjake u ovoj oblasti kako bi se otklonile određene nejasanoće vezane za prisustvo ove vrste hemijskog hazarda biološkog porekla u lancu ishrane. Stoga je u ovom radu prikazana zastupljenost i toksičnost najznačajnijih mikotoksina i način donošenja zakonske regulative. Takođe, opisane su analitičke metode za dokazivanje mikotoksina i mere koje se preduzimaju u prevenciji i kontroli mikotoksina

The presence of undesirable mould species on the surface of dry sausages

Transition from manufacture to the industrial way of meat production and processing, as well as contemporary concept of food quality and safety, have led to the application of starter cultures. Their application leads towards the streamlining of the production process in the desired direction, quality improvement and its harmonization, and thereby to its standardization. Application of moulds in the meat industry is based on positive effects of their proteolytic and lipolytic egzoenzymes which, as a consequence, leads to the creation of characteristic sensory properties ('flavor') of fermented products. Penicillium nalgiovense is a typical representative of moulds used in the production of fermented sausages-salamis from our region. Samples of 'zimska salama' (dry sausage), produced with Penicillium nalgiovense, were evaluated as hygienically unacceptable. Their sensory properties changed due to contamination of this mould during the ripening process. Micological analysis discovered the presence of Penicillium aurantiogriseum, which is a frequent mould contaminant in the meat industry. At the same time, thin layer chromatography revealed no possibility of metabolic activity of this mould in the creation of mycotoxins. However, the presence of this mould on the surface of 'zimska salama' is considered as undesirable due to formation of 'off flavor' in products. Such product is considered as hygienically unacceptable and cannot be used for the human consumption