Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including PCDD/Fs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are among the most important and hazardous pollutants of soil. Food producing animals such as chicken, beef, sheep and goats can take up soil while grazing or living outdoors (free-range) and this can result in contamination.In recent decades, large quantities of brominated flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and per- and polyfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) have been produced and released into the environment and this has resulted in widespread contamination of soils and other environmental matrices. These POPs also bioaccumulate and can contaminate food of animal origin resulting in indirect exposure of humans.Recent assessments of chicken and beef have shown that surprisingly low concentrations of PCBs and PCDD/Fs in soil can result in exceedances of regulatory limits in food. Soil contamination limits have been established in a number of countries for PCDD/Fs but it has been shown that the contamination levels which result in regulatory limits in food (the maximum levels in the European Union) being exceeded, are below all the existing soil regulatory limits. ‘Safe’ soil levels are exceeded in many areas around emission sources of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. On the other hand, PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB levels in soil in rural areas, without a contamination source, are normally safe for food producing animals housed outdoors resulting in healthy food (e.g. meat, eggs, milk).For the majority of POPs (e.g. PBDEs, PFOS, PFOA, SCCP) no regulatory limits in soils exist.There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop appropriate and protective soil standards minimising human exposure from food producing animals housed outdoors. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to eliminate POPs pollution sources for soils and to control, secure and remediate contaminated sites and reservoirs, in order to reduce exposure and guarantee food safety.

The effects of Pb pollution on cattle and sheep raised in an ancient mining area were studied through the use of blood Pb (PbB) levels and δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity. Lead levels in livestock blood from the mining area (n=110) were significantly elevated when compared to the controls (n=79). In 91.4% of cattle (n=58) and 13.5% of sheep (n=52) sampled in the mining area, PbB levels corresponded to subclinical exposure (6–35μg/dl). Two young cattle (<2 years) from the mining area (n=5) had PbB levels indicative of clinical poisoning (>35μg/dl). Elevated PbB was also accompanied by δ-ALAD activity inhibition in blood, which confirms that measurable effects of Pb poisoning were taking place. Observed PbB levels suggest that a potential risk to human consumers of beef from the Pb polluted areas may also exist, as has been shown previously for game meat from the same mining area.

Wastewater reclamation and reuse for agriculture have attracted a great deal of interest, due to water stress caused by rapid increase in human population and agricultural water demand as well as climate change. However, the application of treated wastewater for irrigation can lead to the accumulation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the agricultural crops, grazing animals, and consequently to human dietary exposure. In this study, a model was developed to simulate the fate of five PPCPs; triclosan (TCS), carbamazepine (CBZ), naproxen (NPX), gemfibrozil (GFB), and fluoxetine (FXT) during wastewater reuse for agriculture, and potential human dietary exposure and health risk. In a reclaimed wastewater-irrigated grazing farm growing alfalfa, it took 100–535 days for PPCPs to achieve the steady-state concentrations of 1.43 × 10⁻⁶, 4.73 × 10⁻⁵, 1.17 × 10⁻⁶, 1.53 × 10⁻⁵, and 7.38 × 10⁻⁶ mg/kg for TCS, CBZ, NPX, GFB, and FXT in soils, respectively. The accumulated concentration of PPCPs in the plant (alfalfa) and grazing animals (beef) ranged 2.86 × 10⁻⁷− 4.02 × 10⁻³ and 4.39 × 10⁻¹⁵− 6.27 × 10⁻⁷ mg/kg, respectively. Human dietary exposure to these compounds through beef consumption was calculated to be 1.67 × 10⁻¹⁸− 1.74 × 10⁻¹⁰ mg/kg bodyweight/d, much lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Similar results were obtained for a ‘typical’ reclaimed wastewater irrigated farm based on the typical setup using our model. Screening analysis showed that PPCPs with relatively high LogD value and lower ratios of degradation rate (in soils) to plant uptake have a greater potential to be transferred to humans and cause potential health risks. We established a modeling method for evaluating the fate and human health effects of PPCPs in reclaimed wastewater reuse for the agricultural system and developed an index for screening PPCPs with high potential to accumulate in agricultural products. The model and findings are valuable for managing water reuse for irrigation and mitigating the harmful effects of PPCPs.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with adverse effects on the foetus and infants. This study aimed at assessing in utero exposure levels and transplacental transfer (TPT) characteristics of BDE congeners in primiparous mothers from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Paired human samples (30 placenta and 30 cord blood samples) were collected between April and June 2018; and analysed for a suite of 24 tri-to deca-BDE congeners. Extraction was carried out using liquid-liquid extraction and sonication for cord blood and placenta samples, respectively. Clean-up was done on a solid phase (SPE) column and analysis was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Total (∑) PBDEs were 0.25–30.9 ng/g lipid weight (lw) (median; 7.11 ng/g lw) in placental tissues and 1.65–34.5 ng/g lw (median; 11.9 ng/g lw) in cord blood serum, with a mean difference of 1.26 ng/g lw between the compartments. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the levels of PBDEs in cord blood and placenta samples (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.665), possibly because foetus and neonates have poorly developed systems to metabolise the pollutants from the mothers. BDE-209 was the dominant congener in both matrices (contributed 40.5% and 51.2% to ∑PBDEs in placenta and cord blood, respectively), suggesting recent and on-going maternal exposure to deca-BDE formulation. Non-significant associations were observed between ∑PBDEs in maternal placenta and maternal age, household income, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and beef/fish consumption. This suggested on-going exposure to PBDEs through multiple sources such as dust from indoor/outdoor environments and, ingestion of other foods. Based on absolute concentrations, the extent of transplacental transport was greater for higher congeners (BDE-209, -206 and −207) than for lower ones (such as BDE-47), suggesting alternative TPT mechanisms besides passive diffusion. More studies with bigger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.

To determine if current sheep/beef farming practices affect pesticide residues in streams, current-use and legacy chlorinated pesticides were quantified in 100 sediment samples from 15 streams on the South Island of New Zealand. The study involved five blocks of three neighboring farms, with each block containing farms managed by organic, integrated and conventional farming practices. Significantly higher concentrations of dieldrin, ∑ endosulfans, ∑ current-use pesticides, and ∑ chlorinated pesticides were measured in sediments from conventional farms compared to organic and integrated farms. However, streams in the latter two farming categories were not pesticide-free and sometimes contained relatively high concentrations of legacy pesticides. Comparison of measured pesticide concentrations with sediment quality guidelines showed that, regardless of farming practice, mean pesticide concentrations were below the recommended toxicity thresholds. However, up to 23% of individual samples contained chlorpyrifos, endosulfan sulfate, ∑ DDT, dieldrin, or ∑ chlordane concentrations above these thresholds.

Resource acquisition and allocation impacts individual fitness. Using pellet analysis of breeding adults and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen of down feathers of Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) nestlings, we evaluated the relationship between urban refuse (beef and chicken) and natural food (fish) consumption of individual females during the pre-incubation period, with fecundity and young nesting's success in the Río de la Plata Estuary in Uruguay. Assimilated urban refuse positively correlated with egg weight and negatively with young nestling's success. This suggests a possible impact of urban refuse foraged by females during the pre-incubation period on their immediate fecundity (positively) and young nestling's survival (negatively). Differences between studies at the individual and colony levels are also discussed in light of an “ecological fallacy” of interpretation and we thus argue for the need of additional research to evaluate this relationship further, considering potential confounding factors.

The effects of irrigation with meat processing factory effluent (MPE) in combination with additions of paunch to three arable sites and one pasture site on soil chemical and microbial properties were investigated in fields surrounding a beef meat processing factory. A pasture site that had only received MPE was also sampled along with adjoining arable and pasture control fields that had never received MPE or paunch. Additions of MPE/paunch caused increases in electrical conductivity, exchangeable Na and K, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), extractable P, organic C, total N, microbial biomass C, and metabolic quotient and decreases in exchangeable Ca and Mg, pH, and the proportion of organic C present as microbial biomass. The structure and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities was measured by polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer-RNA amplicons respectively and catabolic diversity by analysis of catabolic response profiles to 25 substrates. Principal component analysis of catabolic response profiles clearly separated control from MPE/paunch-treated sites, and this was associated with greater catabolic responses to the carboxylic acids α-ketoglutaric, α-ketobutyric, L-ascorbic, and citric acid in the control. At the arable sites, application of MPE and paunch caused increases in bacterial, fungal, and catabolic diversity. Canonical correspondence analysis of the relationship between catabolic, bacterial, and fungal fingerprints and soil properties indicated that the main soil variables separating MPE/paunch treatments from controls were the higher organic C, ESP, and extractable P and a lower pH, exchangeable Ca, and Mg. It was concluded that, although long-term MPE/paunch additions induce soil salinity, sodicity, and acidity, in general, they cause an increase in the size, activity, and structural and functional diversity of in the soil microbial community.

Recently, the world has faced environmental disasters mainly due to global warming. One of the main reasons for global temperature imbalances is the greenhouse gases (GHG) that soar the atmosphere’s heat. The major aim of the current study is to explore whether the livestock population is the main contributor to GHG emission through econometric estimations. In this study, we examine the impact of livestock population with other explanatory variables—GDP per capita, Economic Complexity Index (ECI), ecological balance, and total patent applications—over GHG emission of 25 countries responsible for 76% of GHG emission between 1990 and 2017. To investigate the relationship of variables, Fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) are used, as well as panel causality. Also, the relationship is examined by using the responsiveness scores (RS) approach. The empirical results reveal that all variables have a causal relationship with GHG emission. GDP per capita, ECI, and livestock population enhance the GHG emission whereas square of GDP per capita and ecological balance decline the environmental degradation. The paper demonstrates that the environmental Kuznets curve is valid and supports the literature. Lastly, the RS estimation results reveal that the livestock population is causing higher GHG emissions for all countries in the analysis, contrary to other independent variables. Governments should promote carbon–neutral meat production facilities instead of traditional beef farms to live in a more sustainable world. In the future, countries that invest in research and development (R&D) for less emission meat production will have a comparative advantage in the sustainable international meat market.

Heavy metals accumulation in food products as a result of industrialization is one of the main potential threats to public health. This study was aimed to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals in the meat of some prevalent farm animal species including sheep, beef, turkeys, and ostriches in Sanandaj (one of the strategic cities in Kurdistan province, Iran). In this study, the contents of some heavy metals (selenium, lead, cadmium, arsenic, cobalt, zinc, nickel, copper, and chromium) were assessed in 170 meat samples collected from meat distribution centers in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province. The ICP-MS method was used to assess the levels of these elements in the meat of beef, sheep, turkey, and ostrich as the main consumed meats in this region. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and one-sample t-test, and the correlation coefficient of the concentrations of metals was also calculated. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the average contents of selenium, nickel, cobalt, and chromium among various meats (P > 0.05). However, the amounts of lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, copper, chromium, and nickel were meaningfully different to maximum permissible limits (MPL) (P < 0.05). In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between arsenic and selenium in meats. Except for cobalt, the concentrations of other metals were higher than MPL in the evaluated meats. Despite the target hazard quotient (THQ) for cadmium in sheep and beef meats being higher than their MPL (> 1), its target risk of cancer (TR) was acceptable. It can be concluded that monitoring and elimination of heavy metals pollution are essential because of their high accumulation in the meat of main farm animal species in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province.

A novel eco-friendly molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was proposed as solid-phase extraction (SPE) adsorbent to selective adsorption tylosin (TYL) in animal muscle samples. The MIP was synthesized in aqueous by using 1,4-butanediyl-3,3-bis-1-vinyl imidazolium chloride and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid as bifunctional monomer. The obtained MIP had excellent selectivity towards TYL in water, and the maximum binding capacity can reach 123.45 mg g⁻¹. Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography, the presented MIP can be used as SPE sorbent to recognize and detect TYL in the range of 0.008 to 0.6 mg L⁻¹ (R² = 0.9995). The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.003 mg L⁻¹ and 0.008 mg L⁻¹, and the intraday and interday precision were 1.05% and 3.36%, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the established MIP-SPE-HPLC method was successfully applied to separate and determine trace TYL in chicken, pork, and beef samples with satisfactory recoveries ranged from 94.0 to 106.3%, and the MIP-SPE cartridge can be cycled at least 20 times. This study implies a promising green MIP-SPE-HPLC method for highly selective adsorption and analysis trace TYL in complex matrices.