Many complaints have been made about bad smelling and tasting food and accidents resulting in the death of animals in Nagano Prefecture. The method of headspace SPME-GC/MS has been found very effective as a screening method to investigate the cause of these complaints and accidents. This method is characterized mainly in that the operation is simple without using any solvents for extraction, causing no environmental pollution; the extraction may be carried out in a short time with a small quantity of sample in low concentration, preventing reagent contamination, the whole extract may be injected, leading to high sensitivity, and the fiber may be used repeatedly, making the analytical cost inexpensive. This paper describes representative examples of cases in which the relevant causes have been solved.

Until recently, the wetlands have been destroyed as worthless areas due to the ignorance of their role in the processes that take place in the stream corridors. The paper presents an overview of their roles in the hydrologic cycle, biogeochemical cycling and supporting biodiversity. In addition, their significance in the stream corridor preservation, protection and restoration is discussed. Both, the knowledge of their role in and their significance for the stream corridors, is essential for preventing further imprudent destruction thereof, successful planning and preparation of the stream restoration projects, and the recognition of their possible usage in satisfying human needs.

This paper presents the results of water quality analysis of the rivers Tamis, Plovni and Stari Begej, using the WQI method, for the time periods 1987-1991 and 1998-2002. It also show the trend of water quality of these water streams for two characteristic time periods, through trend of WQI index.

During 2003 the referent monitoring of chemical quality of surface waters and sediments in Vojvodina (Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro) was conducted as a supplement to the regular monitoring program in Vojvodina. The aim of the study was to establish the chemical quality of surface waters and sediments. It is concluded that the water quality satisfies the criteria of the 1st/2nd class according to our legislation, with the exception of a few monitoring stations which showed a slight contamination with mineral oils and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)/ With regard to contamination of sediments with PAHs, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) the Begej-Klek monitoring station may be considered as potentially problematic as the reference values according to Dutch legislation were exceeded for three classes of pollutants.

The sampling of Crnojevica river has been carried out, because of estimation the correlation between main water quality parameters and precipitation impacts, as well as adequate hydrological parameters. An appropriate dynamic sampling has been applied. Continuous pollution of river water has been confirmed, as well as source of the pollution. It is estimated strong correlation of water quality parameters from precipitation quantity and water level, especially for sanitary pollution. Change of quality parameters value is discrete and accidental.

In recent works enzymatic phosphatase activity state as a new potential good indicator for water saprobity and trophic state in water. On water reservoir 'Grliste' reinstated monitoring on the base physico-chemical, microbiological and biological analysis from beginning works water factory 1990 but, from 1998 use of this new biochemical method in monitoring as reliable additional indicator in fast preliminary water quality and the ecophysiological state of water. According to the results obtained for index of phosphatase activity (IFA) (Matavulj, 1986) water of 'Grliste' water accumulation belongs to category 3-A (polluted water).

In this paper we have presented the results of the investigations of phytoplankton carried out in the river Old Begey, from April 2003 till February 2004. The presence of 116 algal taxa of which 10 Cyanobacteria, 20 Euglenophyta, 50 Bacillariophyceae, 3 Chrysophyceae, 30 Chlorophyta and 3 Dinophyta was recorded. In the river Old Begey some rarer brackish species Entomoneis alata and Bacillaria paradoxa have also been found. The index of saprobity given on the basis of Pantle-Buck method indicated that the quality of water of the river Old begey belonged to beta-alfa-mesosaprobic category.

One of major direction of algology development in Serbia is completing data about bioindicating values for saprobic system based on the existing list of bioindicators. This work shows the results of several year's investigation of macroalgae in streams that belong to the Danube river watershed. Altogether, 72 taxa belonging to six divisions were found in the investigated streams. They were as follows: Cyanophyta (34 taxa), Rhodophyta (8), Xanthophyta (6), Chrysophyta (1), Chlorophyta (22) and Charophyta (1). Analysis of the list of species found in streams of highland regions of Serbia and the List of Indicatory Species reveals that 50% (36) of the species found have definite indicatory values. This work presents the data obtained for species that are not on the existing lists of indicators.

Dutch classification system for sediment pollution was applied at the Begej canal in Serbia (Serbia and Montenegro). The method used calculates the class of the sediment on the basis of the sediment composition, organic matter fraction and mineral clay fraction as well as data on ecological risks. Results obtained showed that sediment is heavily polluted and urgent remediation is necessary. The contamination consists of heavy metals, especially cadmium, copper and chromium (class 4). Regarding organic micropollutants some high levels of PCB's and organochlorine pesticides like DDT/DDD/DDE were found (class 3).