Potential health implications of deficient sanitation infrastructure and reduced surface water flows due to climate change are examined in the case study of the Republic of Macedonia. Changes in surface water flows and wastewater discharges over the period 1955-2013 were analyzed to assess potential future surface water contamination trends. Simple model predictions indicated a decline in surface water hydrology over the last half century, which caused the surface waters in Macedonia to be frequently dominated by >50% of untreated sewage discharges. The surface water quality deterioration is further supported by an increasing trend in modeled biochemical oxygen demand trends, which correspond well with the scarce and intermittent water quality data that are available. Facilitated by the climate change trends, the increasing number of severe weather events is already triggering flooding of the sewage-dominated rivers into urban and non-urban areas. If efforts to develop a comprehensive sewage collection and treatment infrastructure are not implemented, such events have the potential to increase public health risks and cause epidemics, as in the 2015 case of a tularemia outbreak.

The aim of this investigation was to analyze the effects of microhabitats and forest fragmentation on the composition and species abundance of a ground beetle community from three different beech forest patches on Mt. Osogovo (Macedonia), as well as to analyze the mobility (based on mark-recapture of individuals) and seasonal dynamics and sex ratio of the ground beetle community. The study site included three localities (A, B, C), one of them fragmented (A), with four microhabitats (open area, ecotone, forest stand, and forested corridor). Ground beetles were collected using pitfall traps during four sampling months (June-September 2009) that were operational for three continuous days per month. Species richness, abundance, diversity, homogeneity, and dominance were compared between the localities. Dissimilarities in carabid assemblages between localities and microhabitats were analyzed with Bray-Curtis UPGMA cluster analysis. In total 1320 carabid individuals belonging to 19 species were captured. The carabid assemblage structure of the continuous forest locality was substantially different from the other two smaller forest patches, indicating that microhabitat structure affects ground beetle communities through changes of species composition and richness.

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The results of heavy metals contents (Zn, Cu, Mn and Cd) in foot, shell and digestive gland (midgut gland or hepatopancreas) of Turkish snail (Helix lucorum L.) from 10 localities in Skopje region are presented in this paper and its value as food resource was assessed. Obtained results and their analysis shows that the distribution pattern of studied heavy metals in the organs of Turkish snail in different localities in Skopje follows basic physiological principles for this species. The highest content of Zn, Mn and Cu was detected in digestive gland as being the main storage organ. However, Cu content in digestive gland was comparable to the values in foot and shell pointing out that the digestive gland has lower potential to accumulate Cu. The values of Zn, Mn and Cu in our study are much lower than the ones recorded in other snail species in some polluted areas. Also, the concentration of Cd in foot was very low and thus it does not present any risk to human health in Skopje region when consummated.