Representatives of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, together with experts from the World Bank’s SAIGE project and experts on environmental and ethical issues, visited the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Belgrade on November 22, 2024.

Jelena Arsenijević (WP2 Leader, FPHUB), Mirjana Petronijević (WP4 Leader, FOTNS), Jelena Črjepok (Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia), Stefan Đorđević (Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia), Slavica Ražić (Principal Investigator, FPHUB), Anđelka Mihajlov (expert on environmental and ethical issues), Ivana Jovanović (expert from the World Bank’s SAIGE project) and Biljana Lončar (Team Member, FOTNS)

This supervisory visit was a great challenge, but also a wonderful opportunity to present the status of the BioCompWaterClean project within the PRIZMA2023 programme.

The project leader Prof. Dr. Slavica Ražić introduced the project team (11) from five institutions from the University of Belgrade and Novi Sad and emphasised the importance of communication within the team and with the rest of the world. The ongoing research activities, related to the green extractions of biowaste, the physico-chemical characterization of the extracts obtained, the synthesis and characterization of new adsorbents and catalysts are just beginning, but the first promising results have already been presented. The equipment purchased from the project funds has significantly supported the technological approach in this multidisciplinary project. Bio-functionalization and, as a real challenge, the application of novel magnetite-geopolymers for removal of phenolic compounds from wastewater will follow.
We think green and sustainable and strive for solutions that lead to zero waste and helthier environment.

The discussion on all aspects of the project, especially on the challenges of risk management in relation to the environment and ethics, monitoring the implementation of the Social Management Plan Checklist, was conducted in a very constructive and enthusiastic atmosphere, which pleased us all and further motivated the principal investigator and the rest of the BioCompWaterClean team present that day.

Slavica Ražić participated in the panel discussion “Green Chemistry – Actions and Challenges”

The panel discussion “Green Chemistry – Actions and Challenges” was successfully organized at the 60th National Meeting of the Serbian Chemical Society (Niš, Serbia, 8 June).
In her capacity as a member of the Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ICGCSD), it was a real opportunity and pleasure for the project leader to present activities in the framework of a global program for green chemistry and innovation, both in the academic field (undergraduate and postgraduate studies) and in the BioCompWaterClean project.
On behalf of the team, Slavica Ražić presented to the scientific audience the mission and plans for the use of novel biofunctionalized magnetite-geopolymer composites for the removal of phenolic compounds from wastewater. Smart bio-waste management and promising innovative solutions for a zero-waste technology that will be tested in the lab and, if proven successful, will be scaled up to a pilot model and possibly to a larger scale.
Many thanks to the team of Green Chemistry Serbia for this enthusiastic action and the wonderful afternoon.

Panel discussion: Branko Dunjić (Faculty of Technology andd Metalurgy UB), Bojan Radak (Institute for General and Physical Chemistry), Slavica Ražić (Faculty of Pharmacy UB), Jelena Milić (Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy UB), Igor Opsenica (Faculty of Chemistry UB), Mariana Ponjavić (Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering UB) and Igor Petrović (E-reciklaža 2010 d.o.o.)