Honey Bees and Their Products as Indicators of Environmental Element Deposition.

The aim of this study was to evaluate element (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) deposition in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (worker bees, drone bees, and bee broods) and their products (wax and multifloral honey) in the central and north parts of Serbia using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The study was carried out during the spring and summer seasons when the honeybees were active (2019).

The Toxic Element Concentration in Fish Tissues from Saničani Lake, an Urban Environment, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Concentrations of toxic elements (lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic) were measured in water, sediment, and four commercial fish species (Cyprinus carpio, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Silurus glanis, and Esox lucius) and their tissues (muscle, liver, and kidney) from Saničani Lake, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The concentration of toxic elements was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Toxic element concentrations were significantly affected by the fish species and tissues sampled.

Impact of climate change on aflatoxin M1 contamination of raw milk with special focus on climate conditions in Serbia.

Background: The impact of climate change has been identified as an emerging issue worldwide owing to potential effects that can provoke changes in the nature and occurrence of food safety hazards. Mycotoxins are a group of naturally occurring toxic substances produced by several genera of filamentous fungi, among which, primarily aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes and zearalenone are of the greatest concern owing to their negative impact on human health, animal productivity and international trade.

Results: Extreme weather conditions such as floods and droughts which have not occurred previously in Serbia may be supporting factors for contamination of crops by various species of toxigenic fungi and their related mycotoxins.

Real and perceived risks for mycotoxin contamination in foods and feeds: challenges for food safety control.

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds, produced by the secondary metabolism of toxigenic moulds in the Aspergillus, Alternaria, Claviceps, Fusarium, Penicillium and Stachybotrys genera occurring in food and feed commodities both pre- and post-harvest. Adverse human health effects from the consumption of mycotoxins have occurred for many centuries. When ingested, mycotoxins may cause a mycotoxicosis which can result in an acute or chronic disease episode.

Evaluation and validation of two chromatographic methods (HPLC-fluorescence and LC-MS/MS) for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A in pig tissues.

Two different analytical methods for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A (OTA) in blood serum, kidney, and liver of pigs have been compared. Sample cleanup was based on liquid-liquid phase extraction. The detection of OTA was accomplished with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined either with fluorescence detection (FLD) or electrospray ionization (ESI+) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).