Research Publications (Food Safety)

Phytoextraction is an effective technique for removing cadmium (Cd) from contaminated farmland, thus achieving real ecological restoration. To clarify the potential of peanut phytoextraction, we designed a pot experiment to assess the Cd accumulation in peanut. In addition, the contribution of rhizosphere microorganisms in Cd accumulation was explored.

The heavy metalloid arsenic (As), occurring in both trivalent and pentavalent is extremely toxic and has detrimental effect on humans through water-soil-crop transfer. Previously organic and inorganic amendments have been used separately for mitigation of As in rice but there exists a research gap regarding use of them simultaneously.

Wheat cultivars with low cadmium (Cd) accumulation (WCCA-Cd) are widely used on Cd-contaminated farmland and can effectively reduce the grains Cd content to achieve the clean production in agriculture. However, there is a lack of soil Cd content thresholds specifically for the WCCA-Cd.

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice grain and subsequent transmission into the food chain is a major global concern. Numerous attempts to minimize As accumulation in rice have been researched till date. The current investigation evaluates the relative susceptibility of different growth stages of rice plant to As stress in terms of As accumulation in grain at maturity using sixty treatment combinations.

Excessive Cd(II) in the soil seriously threats human health and ecological security. It is a challenge to efficiently remove Cd(II) from heavily contaminated soil by sustainable approaches without destroying soil ecological vitality and physicochemical properties. Here, functional polypropylene (AA/ASA-f-PP) fibers sphere with non-clogging, easy separation, and high selectivity for Cd2+ was prepared.

Aflatoxins contaminate a variety of food and feeds and have a serious health concern to humans and animals. The present work investigated the effect of Zingiber officinale (ginger) for the reduction of aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2. Ginger juice reduced 70.2 ± 0.1%, 99.76 ± 0.0%, 56.8 ± 0.5%, and 98.6 ± 0.0% of aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2, respectively.

Lead and zinc are indispensable nonferrous metals in the current industrialized society because of their position as raw materials for various industrial products. However, the massive environmental burden imposed by the activities of the lead–zinc industry will trigger potential social impacts.

The flue gas desulphurisation gypsum (FGDG) produced in nonferrous metal metallurgy industry is defined as hazardous waste because of its arsenic content. In this study, a new process for arsenic removal by ultrasound-enhanced sulfuric acid leaching was developed. The leaching characteristics of arsenic under ultrasound-enhanced leaching and conventional leaching conditions were compared.

Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB)-assisted phytoextraction can enhance the removal of toxic metals by plants from contaminated soil. Here, we investigated the promotion effects of a Pb-tolerant PSB strain, Leclercia adecarboxylata L1-5, on assisting Pb phytoextraction by Celosia cristata L.. The results showed that PSB inoculation could increase the plant shoot and root biomass by 34.90% and 55.56% when the Pb concentration was 800 mg kg−1.

Given the increasingly serious problem of arsenic-contaminated soil, biochar-loaded nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI@BC) was prepared in this study for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soil.

Microbial-induced phosphate precipitation (MIPP) is a promising biomineralization technology to immobilize lead in wastewater. However, more in-depth biological principles and reactor models with more biomass need to be further explored to guide its engineering applications.

Copper-cadmium slag, produced during the hydrometallurgical process of zinc, is considered as hazardous solid waste. However, a large number of valuable metals (zinc, cadmium, copper and magnesium) are contained in copper-cadmium slag. It is necessary to treat copper-cadmium slag to make it harmless and recycled with an efficient mean.

A silico-aluminophosphate geopolymer (APG) binder was developed for Pb2+ solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment in our previous study, but the related performance of the APG stabilized Pb2+ contaminated soil was not investigated.

In this paper, the synchrotron radiation μ-XRF and the mm-XRF method were used to emphatically study the composition, content and distribution of lead and manganese in anode slime on lead-based surface.

Giardia and Cryptosporidium the important causative agents of intestinal parasitic diseases (IPD) are ubiquitously distributed in the environment, especially in wastewater and reclaimed water. Due to the water shortage crisis and extensive utilization of reclaimed water, the presence of these parasitic protozoa in wastewater is a concern from the public and environmental health point of view.

With continuous impelling of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been cooperating with Belt and Road (B&R) countries in copper smelting. The large amount of highly acidic wastewater generated in copper smelter that is rich in arsenic (As) should be removed prior to recovery.

Hydrometallurgical iron-arsenic (Fe–As) coprecipitation residue (FACR), a massive industrial solid waste, is a potentially cheapest Fe(III) source for the removal and fixation of As in waste sulfuric acid (WSA) as stable 

Greenbelts around roads are an essential part of the ecosystem that can reduce heavy metal contamination from traffic and contribute to sustainable development. However, only limited studies have examined the rapid detection of heavy metal content in urban road greenbelt zones.

Compared with pyrometallurgical recycling, hydrometallurgical recycling of spent lead paste has obvious advantages such as energy saving and emission reduction, however, hydrometallurgical recycling of spent lead paste is also characterized by high levels of impurities (e.g.,Fe, Ba and Cu) in the recovered products. In this study, a green process for the conversion of spent lead paste into high-purity lead carbonate is presented.

Biochar as an environmentally friendly soil amendment, has attracted widespread attention and in combination with other amendments is considered to be more conducive to crop growth, soil fertility, and crop safety production.

Increasing groundwater pollution through toxic contamination is the primary concern for severe environmental and health hazards across the world. Groundwater resources are more vulnerable to toxic contamination compared to surface water because they require a long time to restore. Groundwater vulnerability and risk assessment is a challenging task among the researchers responsible for quality monitoring and management of groundwater.

Due to various characteristics properties lead(II) metal is utilized in many applications like lead ion batteries, water pipes, ammunition and paints. For this reason, concentration of lead(II) ions in water is increasing days by days which is alarming for water pollution.

Arsenic (As) is the most toxic metalloid and class I carcinogen present in the drinking water affecting around 200 M people worldwide. Among various strategies microalgal biofilm based As removal is considered as most suitable option. However, sustainable technologies for As removal from water is scanty.

Rapid and accurate predictions of heavy metal contents in farmland are of great significance to ensure the safety of agricultural products and maintain ecosystem balance. Combining multispectral images and chemometric modeling provides a feasible means of estimating cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) contents in farmland.