Regular monitoring of water quality of the Danube river in the backwater zone includes analysis of the sediment. It is well known that sediment is a sink place for the non degradable compounds and it reveales the long term water quality status in the reservoir. This paper presents the general results on the Iron Gate reservoir siltation. as well as some data regarding pollution level, based on investigations carried in the period of 2001-2002. The investigations included organic load of the sediment, heavy metals and organic pollutants content. The degree of pollution is evaluated on the basis of various criteria, also compared to results of previous case studies.

Heavy metals contamination of the muscular tussue of nase (Chondrostoma nasus), bream (Alburnus brama) and bleak (Alburnus alburnus) fish species from the Medjuvrsje water reservoir (the Zapadna Mora river), was examined. With the expection of the nase muscular tissue where cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) concentrations above and slightly below MPC, respectively, were detected, the rest of the samples were safe. With the aim of conducting more thorough monitoring of these pollutants, a greater number of elements and a larger number of organisms should be included in the analyses.

The paper outlines the significance of studying and analysing sediment deposition issues in drainage canals in Vojvodina, Serbia (Serbia and Montenegro). This problem needs to be properly addressed considering the total length of the canal network, that is, the total volume of sediment to be removed by dredging if the functional performance of the canal network is to be restored and maintained. Much of the effort needs to be focused to the polluted sediments with a severe risk for the environment. Sediment pollution is caused by the point and non-point sources of pollution. Taking one drainage canal as the example, essential chemical properties of the sediment and hazardous and toxic substances contents (heavy metals, PAHSs and PCBs) are being analysed and presented in the paper.

One-year monitoring program was organized with the aim to assess the quality of sediment and water in some protected areas in Vojvodina regarding metal content (Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg) in them. Water was class 1/2 according to national requirements. Canadian probable effect guideline value for sediment quality is occasionally or constantly exceeded for all metals. Obtained results gained preliminary overview of water endangerment in watercourses.

In this study, the possibility of application of agricultural lignocellulosic waste materials as adsorbents of different heavy metals ions from water was investigated. As adsorbents, wastes of widely cultivated plant cultures in our country were used. They were wheat straw, cornstalk, corn cob and soybean straw. These materials were showed as good adsorbents in most cases. But, leaching of organic matters from them during adsorption was observed. It was unfavourable. Because of that, adsorbents washed and dried. After that leaching of organic matters was significantly decreased, but also adsorption efficiencies slightly decreased, too.

One-year monitoring program was organized with the aim to assess the quality of sediment and water in these Vojvodina watercourses: the Begej, the Sava, the Botos, the Tisza, the Tamis, the Danube and the Danube-Tisza-Danube (DTD) Canal regarding metal content (Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg) in them. Water was the 1st/2nd class by MPL of national requirements, except occasionally for the copper concentration on some locations. The highest concentrations of zinc, cadmium, chromium, copper and mercury were detected in the Begej sediment. Maximum nickel concentration was in the Sava sediment, and for lead in the Danube sediment.