Research Publications (Food Safety)

A major challenge in radically alleviating the threats posed by Cd-contaminated paddy fields to human health is to reduce the Cd levels in both soils and rice grains. In this study, the microbial extraction (ME) treatment using a mixotrophic acidophilic consortium was used for the bioremediation of Cd-contaminated soils.

This study investigated the effects of different types of saline stress on the availability of cadmium (Cd) and bacterial growth. Changes in soil physicochemical properties and DTPA-Cd content as well as microbial responses after the addition of salts were measured. The addition of 18 g kg−1 of salts with NaCl and Na2SO4 increased the available Cd content by up to 17.80%–29.79%. Respiration rate, biomass, and relative bacterial growth decreased with increasing salt concentrations.

Purpose Although mitigation approaches have been developed to reduce Cd in cacao beans, the efficacy of the approaches have been inadequate to make them economically viable.

Synthetic pesticides are often associated with issues such as pest resistance, persistent residue, nontarget toxicity, and environmental issues. Therefore, the research and development of novel, safe, and effective pesticides has become a focus in pesticide discovery. Monoterpenes are secondary plant metabolites that commonly have multiple action targets and have been used in aromatherapy, alternative medicine, and food industries. Some are highly potent and stereoselective.

As the different properties of conventional copper anode slime and scrap copper anode slime (SCAS), the disposal of arsenic before the extraction process is very important. There was simultaneous leaching of As and Sn when the hydrometallurgical process or the sulfation roasting-leaching was applied to treat arsenic in the SCAS. It was difficult to achieve the effective separation of arsenic and tin by these methods.

Trace metals such as lead and mercury can be present in beverages by contamination during production and storage processes, or by the use of hops and brewing grains that may be contaminated with trace metals. Since these metals are harmful to human health, their presence is strictly controlled by regulatory agencies.

A simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly method for the determination of pyrethroids and cadmium in drink samples was developed by successive homogeneous liquid-liquid microextraction (SHLLME) based on switchable hydrophilicity solve

DNA methylation is a rapid response strategy promoting plant survival under heavy metal (HM) stress. However, the roles of DNA methylation underlying plant adaptation to HM stress remain largely unknown. Here, we used pokeweed, a hyperaccumulator of manganese (Mn) and cadmium (Cd), to explore responses of plant to HM stress at phenotypic, transcriptional and DNA methylation levels. Mn- and Cd-specific response patterns were detected in pokeweed.

A previously developed model to predict antibacterial activity of ionic liquids against a resistant A. baumannii strain was used to assess activity of phosphonium ionic liquids. Their antioxidant potential was additionally evaluated with newly developed models, which were based on public data. The accuracy of the models was rigorously evaluated using cross-validation as well as test set prediction.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicokinetics-toxicodynamics (TKTD) of Cu and Cd in the soil model organism Enchytraeus crypticus, and assess the development of internal effect concentrations over time. Animals were exposed in LUFA 2.2 soil spiked with increasing concentrations of Cu and Cd. Survival, reproduction and internal metal concentrations in the animals were evaluated at different points in time over a period of 21 days.

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), a microbial product that can be used as a bioflocculant, is critical to metal sequestration in the ecosystem. However, the relationship between GRSP and heavy metal has not been well explored. In this study, the adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of Pb(II) and Zn(II) ions on GRSP were investigated.

In this study, PBET (Physiologically Based Extraction Test), IVG (In Vitro Gastrointestinal), and SBRC (Solubility Bioavailability Research Consortium) were used to compare the bioavailability of Cd in 10 potato varieties and evaluate the risks to human health. The results show that the dissolved Cd content in the gastric and small intestine phase under the three methods is IVG > SBRC > PBET.

The physical and chemical factors can affect the activities of microorganisms, urease activity, and the removal effect of heavy metal ions. The Bacillus mucilaginosus was cultured and mineralized to remove Cd2+ ions from aqueous solution under different environmental conditions. The effects of time, temperature, pH, volume ratio, and Cd2+ concentration on the mineralization of Cd2+ ions were studied.

Biochar composites, as a kind of common adsorption and purification materials, are usually prepared by carbonizing biomass firstly and then loading with adsorbent. In this study, an innovative facile one-step pyrolysis-loading process was proposed to synthesize a magnetic high-loading zero-valent iron/biochar composite (BC-ZVI) directly from fresh bamboo immersed with FeCl3 solution.

Risk assessment of cadmium (Cd) for human health play a key role because of toxic effect. Researchers are undergoing constant development for modelling approaches to make a risk assessment. It was carried out a central composite design combining with response surface modeling to optimize and modeling of Cd2+ ions in this study. Also, this study was performed to provide information about possible risk associated with alcoholic beverage consumption.

Climate change due to an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a global issue. It can impact aquatic environments by affecting water flow, pollutant transformation and migration, and other toxicant-related effects. We assessed the interactive effects of temperature warming and pH changes on variations in accumulation of total arsenic (AsT) in the red alga Sarcodia suae at different levels of arsenite (AsIII).

The Big River, in the Old Lead Belt, southeast Missouri, experienced large-scale contamination of channel sediments and floodplain soils from over 200 years of lead mining pollution. Sediments of gravel bars downstream of mining in Big River are contaminated with Pb and Zn and have higher metal concentrations than upstream sites. Plants on these contaminated gravel bars are thus exposed to high metal concentrations and can accumulate metals.

Peat bogs are effective archives of magnetic particles. The diamagnetic properties of organic matter with a zero or slightly negative value of magnetic susceptibility provide an excellent background to even small amounts of magnetic particles associated with anthropogenic activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of the technogenic magnetic particle (TMP) and potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination derived from peat archives of the study area.

As our further research, a series of new 7-chloro-9-methyl-2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-β-carbolin-2-iums were designed and synthesized. Twelve compounds were found with excellent inhibition activity in vitro on three to five out of six phytopathogenic fungi, superior to standard drugs thiabendazole and/or azoxystrobin. Especially, 18 displayed the highest activity against three out of the fungi and the highest comprehensive activity for all of the fungi.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid exist ubiquitously in environment. Epidemiological studies and laboratory animal studies have verified that As damages multiple organs or tissues in the body and is associated with a variety of diseases.

Melatonin is a well-known signaling molecule that mediates a range of physiological activities and various stress reactions in plants.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most hazardous heavy metals that negatively affect the growth and yield of wheat. He-Ne laser irradiation is known to ameliorate cadmium (Cd) stress in wheat. However, the underlying mechanism of He-Ne laser irradiation on protecting wheat against Cd stress is not well recognized. In present study, Cd-treated wheat showed significant reduction in growth, root morphology and total chlorophyll content, but notably increase of Cd accumulation in both roots and shoots.

Effects of iron and sulfur redox states in the soil caused by different growth seasons on Cd uptake by rice remain unclear. In this study, three early rice cultivars and three late rice cultivars were cultivated in a double-cropping system in Cd-contaminated paddy fields.

Arsenic (As), an environmental pollutant, is a highly poisonous metalloid. Accumulated evidence has shown the association between As exposure and elevated risk of the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Calycosin, a beneficial flavonoid, has demonstrated cardioprotective activities, including those against CHD, in preclinical studies. The anti-As-related CHD activity and mechanism of calycosin have not yet been elucidated.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents an increasing issue worldwide, spreading not only in humans and farmed animals but also in wildlife. One of the most relevant problems is represented by Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESβLs) producing Escherichia coli because they are the cause of important infections in human.