Potential of agricultural production and its impact on insurance premiums

Food production is becoming very important and it receives priority in relation to other activities in the world. As the number of inhabitants of the planet grows, food production has greater significance. Its production will certainly be affected by climate changes and the potential of agricultural land, which will be followed by changes in insurance cover of crops. Total area of arable land doesn’t have the same quality, but it’s especially common for underdeveloped and developing countries is that arable land is not used in the appropriate percent. For Serbia which belongs to that group of countries with low yield on arable land, it can be pointed out that insurance does not cover a sufficient share of that area. The reason for this lies in the lack of trust of potential insured, habits and consciousness of the insured, economic policy pursued by the state in relation to this issue, inadequate training of insurance agents and the lack of proper insurance products

Pseudo-persistent pollutant in the environment : emerging substances

In the recent time, considerable interest has grown concerning the presence of the emerging substances, EmS. These are contaminants that have been recently detected in the environment due to their long-term, pseudo-persistent and increased use. Most of EmS are wide spread and applied in different fields using as pharmaceuticals, for both human and animal uses, household chemicals, personal care products, nanomaterial, anticorrosive and agriculture chemicals and others. European legislation did not regulate the status and the maximum allowed concentration of most EmS. EmS might jeopardize surface water and ground water resources, particularly, drinking water production. The preliminary results of Danube surface water in vicinity of Novi Sad show presence of benzotriasole and caffeine. These newly recognized contaminants represent a shift in traditional thinking of protection scenario and eco status of environment and water bodies

Wastewater characterisation of screen printing

The paper presents a preliminary investigation of wastewater quality in screen printing facilities in Novi Sad. The experimental research includes two selected parameters: pH value and BOD. The measured pH values were in the range of maximum allowed values, but very high BOD values indicate dominant organic pollution. Determined BOD values of collected samples were in the range from 36 - 206 mg/1. These BOD values show great organic pollution of wastewater from screen printing facilities with biodegradable organic matter

ORGANOCHLORINE CONTAMINATION IN SEDIMENTS COLLECTED FROM A RURAL-, URBAN- AND INDUSTRIAL-IMPACTED AQUATIC SYSTEM (DANUBE, SERBIA)

The spatial distribution of various organochlorinated compounds (PCBs and ОCPs (DDTs, HCB, and HCHs)) were investigated in sediments of Serbia\u27s stretch of the Danube River. The obtained concentrations appeared to be relatively low in comparison with other river sediments worldwide. The results demonstrated a wide range of concentrations (µg/kg dry weight) with the following decreasing order: Σ6DDTs (0.70 - 16.65) > Σ 7PCBs (0.25 - 3.54) > Σ 5HCH (0.04 - 2.28) > HCB (0.06 - 0.62), with a dominance of o,p’ -DDT. Relatively higher ΣDDT concentrations and high DDT/DDE + DDD ratios in two sampling locations near the industrial cities indicates a current DDT usage, probably linked to public health concerns. Compositional analyses indicated that hexa- and hepta-PCBs were dominant for PCBs. Our results indicated that the contamination with PCBs came from nonpoint deposition, such as atmospheric contribution and surface runoff, for lightly chlorinated congeners and point source deposition, such as the industrial sources along river flow, for highly chlorinated congeners, whereas OCPs originate mainly from old residues and new usage of pesticides in agriculture and aquaculture. These results contribute to the sparse regional database for organochlorinated compounds in the Danube basin

Informisanost pacijenata na teritoriji grada Beograda o biljnim proizvodima

The use of medicinal plants has significant impact on human health (1,2). Approximately 13.000 medicinal plants are used worldwide (1), and in developing countries 65-80% of the population uses them for medicinal purposes (2). The aim of the study was to examine the awareness of patients in the city of Belgrade about herbal products. Quantitative, non-experimental research was conducted using a purpose-built questionnaire in public pharmacies during February 2020. The survey involved 954 respondents, mostly women (66.5%); 39.1% of respondents aged 20-40 years. Most of the respondents were employed (65.2%), with secondary school education (45.2%). The vast majority (97.3%) used medicinal plants/herbal products, mostly occasionally, as needed (38.4%). The main motive for their use was health improvement (75.2%), while 16.2% used them to treat diseases. The primary sources of information on medicinal plants/herbal products are pharmacists (45.1%) and the media (24.2%). About a third of the respondents (37.3%) stated that they knew the difference between herbal medicinal products and dietary supplements. 52.9% of respondents claimed that herbal medicinal products are effective, but less than synthetic drugs, while 61.5% claimed that they are safe, but with certain side effects. A third of respondents (32.9%) had difficulty understanding instructions for use and they needed additional explanations. Majority (70.6%) received advice from a pharmacist when buying a herbal product. Pharmacists are health professionals who have adequate knowledge of medicinal plants/herbal products and have a key role in advising patients in order to implement the proper use of herbal medicinal and other herbal products. References 1. Capasso F, Gaginella TS, Grandolini G, Izzo AA. Phytotherapy: a quick reference to herbal medicine. Springer Science & Business Media. 2003. 2. Palhares RM, Gonçalves Drummond M, dos Santos Alves Figueiredo Brasil B, Pereira Cosenza G, das Graças Lins Brandão M, Oliveira G. Medicinal plants recommended by the World Health Organization: DNA barcode identification associated with chemical analyses guarantees their quality. PloS one. 2015;10(5), e0127866. Acknowledgements This research was conducted with help and support of Pharmacy „Lilly Drogerie“ and funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia through Grant Agreement with University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy No: 451-03-68/2022-14/200161.Primena lekovitih biljaka ima značajan uticaj na ljudsko zdravlje (1,2). U svetu se koristi oko 13 000 lekovitih biljaka (1), a u zemljama u razvoju 65-80% populacije ih primenjuje u medicinske svrhe (2). Cilj rada bio je ispitivanje informisanosti pacijenata na teritoriji grada Beograda o biljnim proizvodima. Sprovedeno je kvantitativno, neeksperimentalno istraživanje pomoću namenski kreiranog upitnika u javnim apotekama tokom februara 2020. godine. U istraživanju je učestvovalo 954 ispitanika, od koji 66,5% ženskog pola; 39,1% starosti 20-40 godina. Većina je bila zaposlena (65,2%), sa srednjoškolskim obrazovanjem (45,2%). Najveći broj ispitanika (97,3%) je koristio lekovite biljke/biljne proizvode i to uglavnom povremeno, po potrebi (38,4%). Glavni motiv za njihovo korišćenje bio je poboljšanje zdravlja (75,2%), dok ih je 16,2% koristilo za lečenje. Ispitanici su se o delovanju i upotrebi lekovitih biljaka/biljnih proizvoda uglavnom informisali od farmaceuta u apotekama (45,1%) i putem medija (24,2%). Oko trećine ispitanika (37,3%) je navelo da zna razliku između biljnih lekovitih proizvoda i dijetetskih suplemenata. Da su biljni lekoviti proizvodi efikasni, ali manje od sintetskih lekova, smatralo je 52,9% ispitanika, dok je 61,5% smatralo da su oni bezbedni za upotrebu, ali sa mogućim neželjenim efektima. Trećina anketiranih (32,9%) imala je poteškoće da razume uputstva za upotrebu biljnih proizvoda, te su im bila potrebna dodatna objašnjenja. Najveći deo ispitanika (70,6%) dobijao je savet farmaceuta pri kupovini biljnog proizvoda. Farmaceuti su zdravstveni profesionalci koji poseduju adekvatna znanja o lekovitim biljkama/biljnim proizvodima i imaju ključnu ulogu u savetovanju pacijenata u cilju sprovođenja pravilne primene biljnih lekovitih i drugih biljnih proizvoda.VIII Kongres farmaceuta Srbije sa međunarodnim učešćem, 12-15.10.2022, Beogra

Pollution from meat processing factories

A basic understanding of the nature of meat plant wastewaters and factors that influence these wastewaters is essential for the control of wastewater volume and waste loads. Analyzing waste characteristics of the meatpacking industry is not a simple matter. It is difficult to characterize a “typical” plant and its associated wastes, owing to the many procedures and facets of meat-processing operations. However, some similarities have emerged during extensive study and research

Awareness of elderly patients on herbal products in Serbia

Background: Although the use of medicinal plants have been known since ancient times, an increased use of herbal products is evident in the last few decades, mainly as a part of self-care treatments. In addition to the positive health effects, the use of herbal products can cause certain side effects as well as interactions with conventional therapy, especially among elderly patients. Purpose: To examine the awareness, habits and attitudes of elderly patients towards the use of herbal products in the Republic of Serbia. Method: The quantitative, non-experimental research was conducted using a questionnaire in public pharmacies during February 2020. Patients older than 60 years were included in the study. The study was anonymous, and patients gave informed consent. Results: The study involved 436 patients, of whom 62.4% were female. Most of the respondents live in the city (72.9%) and have a high school or lower education degree (61.9%). Most patients (32.3%) use herbal products daily, while only 12.1% rarely or never use them. Every fourth patient (24.5%) uses them for treatment, while 69.5% to improve their health. Although the majority of patients purchase herbal products in pharmacies and in health food stores (53.6% and 20.8%, respectively), a significant number (19.3%) collect medicinal plants and prepare herbal preparations themselves. The main sources of information about medicinal plants / herbal products are pharmacists (39.7%) and people from the immediate area (28.4%), followed by the media (18.2%) and physicians (11.1%). Every fourth patient (24.5%) uses herbal products for the treatment of some health issues, while 69.5% of patients use herbal products to improve their health. 48.9% of them believe that herbal products are safe, but with some side effects, while 35.8% believe herbal products are completely free of any side effects. Half of respondents (51.4%) believe that herbal products are as effective as or more effective than synthetic medicines. Less than one-third of patients (29.8%) indicated that they knew the difference between herbal medicinal products and herbal dietary supplements. Still, a third of patients (36.7%) needed additional explanations for the use of herbal products. 76.6% of patients stated that they always receive advice from a pharmacist when purchasing herbal products. Conclusion: The survey conducted in this work showed that elderly patients use herbal products to a considerable extent, which means that it is necessary to educate elderly patients on this matter. Pharmacists should play a vital role in this process and actively discuss the characteristics and proper use of herbal products with patients, especially having in mind the high possibility of interactions with conventional medicines and occurrence of side effects. Since the quality of some herbal products sometimes could be questionable, especially non-regulated ones, patients should be encouraged to purchase them from pharmacies and consult with pharmacists.FIP Pharmacy Practice Research summer meeting for PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and supervisors conference abstracts 2023, FIP and University of Granada,3-4 July 2023, Granada, Spai

Qualitative determination of key emerging xenobiotics in mixed wastewater discharge

Nowdays, it is unattainable to follow, detect or identify all the chemicals that are excreted into the environmental aquatic bodies. The number of chemicals introduced into the environment in modified structures, as metabolites or as mixtures of chemical cocktails, is growing progressively. Illicit drugs and endocrine disruptive substances (EDCs) (emerging xenobiotics) are not excluded from this fate. Illicit drugs are xenobiotics with psychoactive effects and influences onto the human body and mind, and are excreted into the environment mostly in forms of metabolites. In sense of these facts, a high level off importance is appointed on an optimal and effective analytical practices and high performing equipment, but far more important is a good detection model for emerging substances, especially for detection of emerging xenobiotics in a highly polluted sample, as wastewater. This paper will show the results of qualitativeanalyses for complex sample matrix of mixed wastewater and results of detection for selected xenobiotics with endocrine disruptive and psychoactive effects

Topological maps of Kohonen self-organization (som) applied to the study of sediments contaminated with PBDEs : support for climate extremes risk assessment

Riverine sediments, collected during 2012 from ten sites in a mixed land use region of the Serbian were analysed for seven emergent PBDE congeners. All PBDEs were detected in sediments with the total concentrations range from 0.52 µg/kg (Ratno Ostrvo) to 31.19 µg/kg (Neštin) with mean levels of 8.08 µg/kg and median of 3.14 µg/kg. The classification of data by Kohonen's self-organizing maps (SOM) allowed understanding and visualizing the spatial distribution of samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for validating the obtained results. Correlations and relationships between the samples and the variables can be easily visualized using the viewing of SOM planes of components. The results have highlighted the dependencies between the different PBDEs and the classification of studied sediments into three classes into function of ten stations coring and their pollution levels