Research Publications (Food Safety)

Alluvial soils are rich in mineral nutrients, and contain high heavy metals, especially Cd. The interactions of mineral nutrients with Cd in soil-rice grain systems on natural condition of alluvial plain are highlighted in this study. 110 pairs of rice grain and soil (0–20 cm) samples from the Pearl River Delta were investigated and measured.

We utilized lead (Pb) stable isotopes to identify the source of acute Pb poisoning in a Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) and evaluated overall Pb exposure. Upon necropsy, we obtained samples of blood, liver, kidney, heart, thigh, breast, femur, and metallic objects (i.e., fishing sinker, spring and swivels) from the gizzard for Pb isotopic analysis.

Increases in the levels of environmental contaminants are reflected in wild animals, which are early indicators of pollution. Hatay is an ecologically important region with a high intensity of industrial and agricultural activities. This study aimed to investigate the contamination levels of metals and organochlorine pesticides associated with environmental pollution in tissues of wild boars from Turkey.

Artificial islands construction can significantly influence the spatial distribution of heavy metals in inshore sediments. In this study, the distribution and contamination of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As and Hg) in inshore sediments of the Longkou Bay and artificial island adjacent areas were investigated in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential use of metabolic parameters as non-specific biomarkers of pollution. The Igarapé do Quarenta is a small urban river crossing an industrial area in the city of Manaus, Amazon, and receives the city wastewater without treatment. The fish tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) were exposed to water collected from two different sites of that stretch for 96 h.

For the immense requirement on agriculture and animal husbandry, application of pesticides and veterinary drugs had become a normal state in the farming and ranching areas. However, to intently pursue the yields, large quantities of residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs have caused serious harm to both the environment and the food industry. To control and solve such an issue, a variety of novel techniques were developed in recent years.

Commercial-scale recycling of agricultural and municipal wastes into organic soil amendments facilitates safe disposal of waste and reduces environmental contamination. However, phytotoxicity of commercial organic amendments to crops is a major concern to farmers. Consistent with this, commercial chicken manure and Milorganite (recycled from municipal waste) were found to be phytotoxic. Chicken manure aqueous extract contains 10.8 ppm Cu and 0.7 ppm Ni.

The aim of the present study is to biomonitor the tolerance level of roadside plant species towards mitigation of air pollution for the development of greenbelt. The leaves of four plant species (Azadirachta indica, Ficus benghalensis, Melia azedarach and Polyalthia longifolia) were collected from 41 sampling sites of Bathinda city during summer and winter seasons. Seasonal variation in APTI and API was determined in selected plants.

Owls are predators that perform important ecological functions. There are several threats to owl conservation such as the bioaccumulation of chemicals through environmental contamination. The high probability of bioaccumulation in these animals is related to their role as predators and high trophic positions. The objective of this study was to quantify four elements (cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead) as the biomarkers of environmental exposure in owls.

Cenotes are naturally occurring flooded caves that are frequent in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula; they result from the collapse of limestone bedrock into the regional groundwater table. Cenotes in Quintana Roo are important ecological and economic hot spots but are susceptible to anthropogenic pollution. In this study, we collected water samples from 11 cenotes over multiple years to evaluate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and patterns as associated with tourist traffic.

The capacity of Lemna minor to remediate toxic heavy metals from wastewater is reasonably well documented. In view of the pivotal role of this species in the environmental clean-up, here we evaluated the bioaccumulation potential of L. minor for cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) through a controlled experiment. L.

The combustion of alkyl-lead gasolines was the primary anthropogenic source of Pb in the second half of the twentieth century. Previously deposited Pb-aerosols enriched the organic matter and Fe-oxi-hydroxides phases of soils, which long after continue being transported downstream to be an important source of Pb into the ocean. Geochemical partition of Pb was determined in estuarine sediments of the Jamapa River, southern Gulf of Mexico, by the Tessier’s sequential extraction protocol.

Manure, soil, and vegetable samples were collected from different-sized livestock farms in Xinxiang, China. The residues of sulfadiazine, sulfamonomethoxine, and sulfamethoxazole were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that the concentration ranges of the three total sulfonamides in manure, soil, and vegetables were 10.13–566.23 µg kg−1, 7.60–176.26 µg kg−1, and 0–32.70 µg kg−1, respectively.

Water and sediment samples were collected from a tributary (Ruxi River) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) to analyze the concentrations of seven heavy metals (HMs) and their fractions for better understanding the migration, bioavailability and potential environmental risk of HMs. The results indicated that the concentrations of HMs in water were lower than the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water Class I standards, except for Ni.

By using field survey, sampling, and indoor analysis, we analyzed the geochemical characteristics of heavy metals in the blueberries and soil of the core blueberry production area of Majiang in Guizhou, China. Analyses were based on national standards for soil pollution risk control on agricultural land (GB15618-2018) and pollution index limits in food (GB2762-2017/2012).

The dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus is predator fish subjected to be impacted due to the contamination of their habitats. A viable source of metal contamination, i.e., copper (Cu), in this species is the ingestion of contaminated food. The objective of this work was to verify the toxic effects of Cu contaminated feed in dusky grouper. A 15 days trial was conducted with three treatments: control, 1 g and 2 g Cu/kg of fish feed.

Halogenated compounds are one of the largest groups of environmental-hazardous chemicals. The removal of the halogen atom from the substrate is possible by the catalytic activity of a type of enzyme called dehalogenase. Hydrolytic dehalogenases are suggested to be a good biodegradation catalyst for halogenated compounds with potential bioremediation applications. Therefore, the identification of possible bacterial strains that produce dehalogenase is of great importance.

In this work, we propose to evaluate the effect of agriculture intensification under greenhouses on the biochemical and transcriptomic responses of the earthworms Eisenia andrei. This work was conducted on two sites in Téboulba and Sahline (Monastir governorate) and a control site in an experimental plot that is undergoing organic farming. For this purpose, the earthworms Eisenia andrei were exposed to the soils during 7 and 14 days.

We summarized available data concerning contamination of the Czech part of the Elbe River by mercury and assessed the potential risks to humans connected with the consumption of contaminated fish. Total mercury concentrations were evaluated in dorsal muscle of chub (Squalius cephalus) and bream (Abramis brama) that were collected at 11 sampling sites in the period from 1991 to 2016. Significant differences among sites were found for both species.

In the present study, heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) level in the water, sediment, and crabs were analyzed from Noyyal and Chinnar Rivers of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. Based on our results, Noyyal River is considered as polluted environment due to the discharge of contaminants by various anthropogenic activities, whereas, Chinnar River maintained as unpolluted one due to its tributary nature of Noyyal River located in Western Ghats hills.

The distribution, composition, sources, and potential ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of the Lanzhou Reach of the Yellow River, China were investigated. The total concentration of the 18 individual PAHs (∑18PAHs) in the sediments ranged from 638 to 1620 ng/g, with a mean value of 901 ng/g. The pollution level of PAHs in the sediments was low to moderate.

Coastal wetlands are the last barriers for pollutants from land to the sea. In this study, a coastal wetland that locates in the lower reach of Haihe River Systems was selected to speculate the removal and retention of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by analyzing their spatial distributions and the changes of composition. The results showed that the overall removal efficiency of PAHs in water phase was 58.1%.

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are common soil pollutants whose opposing geochemical behaviors must be taken into account in the development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly remediation strategies. In this study, a pot experiment with lettuce and a field experiment with wheat were performed to examine the impacts of zeolite, biochar, MnO2, zero-valent iron (ZVI) individually and in binary combinations thereof on As–Cd pollution.

Microplastics are persistent, synthetic polymers that have managed to spread even to the most remote places on earth. Studies reporting on the abundance of microplastics have recently increased worldwide, which has raised environmental concerns among scientific communities. Nevertheless, evidence of microplastic contamination from Turkey is limited even though the location is a critical point and the population is higher than most countries in the region.