This paper presents the results of assessment of dredging activities at the Romanian side of the channel on the quality of water and sediment in the Begej channel (in Serbia). Sediment monitoring results have pointed to the increasing content of metals in surface sediments, as well as increased concentrations of some metals (Cd, Ni and Cr) compared to the period from 2008. Results of the water quality after the dredging at the Romanian side shows low metal concentrations, which is probably caused by coprecipitation of metal in the iron in forms of amorphous and hydrated oxide. Monitoring of water and sediment should be conducted continously through the year in order to follow the trend of sediment and water quality and targeted when we know the exact time of some of the activities in the channel.

The city of Novi Sad uses groundwater as drinking water source. For this purpose only water from Danube alluvium is used, and the water is abstracted at three sites. The Danube water and sediment quality in the zone of the drinking water sources is of great importance, as the river Danube recharge alluvial aquifer. The microbiological quality of these environments was monitored, in order to determine their influence on drinking water quality. The water characterization was carried out using sanitary and ecological microbiological parameters of Danube water and sediment.

Investigation of the echinoderms fauna in the benthic biocoenosis on the Montenegrin shelf is conducted during 2007. Total number of 50 species is identified and they are grouped into 5 classes. Specific conditions of the south Adriatic cause presence of eight termophilic species. Inside collected materials were eight Mediterranean endemics and two submediterramean endemic species. Diversity and quantity of the registered species depend of physical-chemical water conditions, bottom type as well as anthropogenic impact.

The paper gives the results of the analyses of ichthyoplankton assemblages and distribution in Boka Kotorska Bay during July of 2006. Investigation was conducted on 18 positions. Fifteen different species was determine in total. The relation between ichthyoplankton assemblages and abiotic and biotic environmental factors was analysed.

This study was performed to investigate the efficiency of Fenton's process (FP) for removing natural organic matter, in particular the main disinfection by-products precursors. In order to determine the optimal reaction conditions of the process, the influence of pH, mixing speed and reaction time were investigated, as well as the influence of initial concentration and the molar ratio of Fe2+ and H2O2. The best results in terms of reducing the DOC content (by 82%) were achieved under pH 5, 30 rpm, reaction time of 15 min, Fe2+ concentration of 0.25 mM and a molar ratio of 1:10, and in terms of reducing trihalomethane and haloacetic acid precursors (by 98-99%) under a Fe2+ and H2O2 molar ratio of 1:20.

Soil carries out functions that are crucial for theenvironment and life on earth and is therefore an essential non renewableresource for mankind. Recently, the European Soil Framework Directive proposalindicated that soil is under increasing environmental pressure mostly due tothe intensification of human activities, which are damaging the capacity ofsoil to continue to perform in full its broad variety of crucial functions.Most of these soil functions are depending on micro-organisms inhabiting the soil.The diversity of soil micro-organisms is the highest on earth with estimates ofseveral thousand to several million different genomes per gram of soil. Howeverfundamental knowledge of the diversity and ecology of microbial communitiescarrying out soil functions is still limited. Understanding the impact ofanthropogenic activities on microbial communities and how this relates to soilfunctioning is therefore a major challenge in soil microbiology. The revolutionin the techniques available to date offer exciting opportunities for a betterunderstanding of the relationships between microbial diversity and soilfunctions. This talk will focus on the novel insights into the impact of humanactivities on microbial communities and potential consequences for ecosystemprocesses.