This study aimed to examine the production and consumption patterns of the tarhana as a green food product and its content in terms of health value in the socio-economic framework by comparing urban and rural households. To be able to assess the tarhana’s health value, the addition of antioxidative parameters was analysed. We obtained the data as a result of a two-part study. The first part of the research included a structured survey conducted between September and December 2015. In the second part, three types of tarhana samples evaluated in terms of their antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content as extractable, hydrolysable, and bioaccessible phenolics to support the claim that homemade tarhana offers higher nutritional potential and healthier content than commercially produced tarhana. Organic and additive-free homemade tarhana samples have great antioxidative potential, also depending on the content and the production pattern. The results of the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content analyses, and their bioaccessibility revealed that non-fermented homemade tarhana and cranberry-added tarhana stand out, according to production process and content. Our findings showed that participants mostly produced the tarhana at home. In cases where they could not produce it themselves, they supplied it from their family and friends. This result showed us that participants preferred homemade tarhana over industrial tarhana sold in markets. Rural areas mostly consumed tarhana for its economic value. However, tarhana consumption did not decrease in cities. Only the consumption mode and the times have changed.

Cadmium (Cd) as a widespread toxic heavy metal accumulates in animal food including chicken meat through food chain enrichment and finally threatens human health. Selenium (Se) is an essential mineral and possesses antagonistic effects on Cd-induced multiple organs’ toxicity in chickens. The objective of the present study was to reveal the antagonistic mechanisms of Se to Cd from the aspects of oxidative stress, inflammation, and meat quality in chicken breast muscles. Firstly, the results showed that Cd significantly elevated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and protein carbonyl, and declined the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) to trigger oxidative stress in chicken breast muscles. However, Se treatment significantly alleviated Cd-induced oxidative stress by increasing the levels of GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT, and decreasing the levels of MDA, H₂O₂, and protein carbonyl. Secondly, Se obviously inhibited the expressions of Cd-activated inflammation-related genes including tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E synthase (PTGEs) in chicken breast muscles. Thirdly, meat quality-related parameters including pH₄₅ₘᵢₙ, ultimate pH (pHu), and drip loss were also detected, and the results showed that Se markedly recovered Cd-induced dropt of pH₄₅ₘᵢₙ and increase of drip loss in chicken breast muscles. In brief, these findings demonstrated that Se significantly alleviated Cd-induced oxidative stress and inflammation, and declined meat quality of chicken breast muscles.

Microplastics, particles less than 5 mm in size, are an emerging contaminant in waterways worldwide. Most microplastic studies focus on spatial trends in concentration, but in systems as dynamic as rivers, to draw conclusions from existing spatial studies, we must first examine how microplastic concentrations may change with time and flow conditions. In this study, we investigate how microplastic concentrations change over a 24-h period and between seasonally high and low flows. We do this in two streams, controlling for wastewater treatment strategy: one stream in a watershed where waste is treated with septic systems and the other receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent. We hypothesized that a stream with wastewater treatment plant effluent would exhibit higher and more variable microplastic concentrations than a stream in a watershed with septic systems. Results indicate, however, that there is no significant difference between the two streams despite their differing treatment strategies. Additionally, no significant variation in concentrations was measured over two 24-h sampling campaigns. There was, however, significantly higher concentrations measured in summer low flow conditions relative to spring high flow conditions across both sampled streams (p value <0.001), indicating that increases in stream discharge unrelated to storm events dilute and decrease measured microplastic concentrations. From this, we learn that pairing measured concentrations with a description of flow conditions at sampling time is a requisite for a robust microplastic literature that allows for comparisons between existing spatial studies and extrapolations to global loads.

Due to variable amino acid residues at positions 2 and 4, microcystins (MCs) had diversified variants with different toxicities. To evaluate the discrepant toxicity, the inhibition effects of five typical MC variants (with the changed amino acid residues at position 4) target to PP1 were evaluated. The inhibition sequence was verified as follows: MCLR (IC₅₀ = 2.6 μg/L) > MCLF (IC₅₀ = 4.4 μg/L) > MCLA (IC₅₀ = 5.5 μg/L) > MCLY (IC₅₀ = 7.9 μg/L) > MCLW (IC₅₀ = 13.6 μg/L). To further clarify the inhibition mechanism for variant toxicity, the interactions between MCs and PP1 were evaluated with the assistance of MOE molecule simulation. Results show the hydrophobic interaction (Adda⁵ with PP1) and the hydrogen bonds (especially for Z⁴ → Glu₂₇₅) were positively correlated with MC toxicity, while the hydrogen bonds (Leu² ← Arg₉₆, IsoAsp³ ← Arg₉₆, and IsoAsp³ ← Tyr₁₃₄) and the ion bonds (between Mn²⁺ and His₁₇₃/Asn₁₂₄/Asp₉₂) were negatively correlated with toxicity. However, the hydrogen bonds (Ala¹ → Glu₂₇₅, Mdha⁷ ← Gly₂₇₄, Z⁴ ← Arg₂₂₁, and Adda⁵ ← His₁₂₅), the covalent combination (between Mdha⁷ and Cys₂₇₃), and the ion bonds (between Mn²⁺ and His₂₄₈/Asp₆₄/His₆₆) were weakly correlated with toxicity. By further analysis, the steric hindrance and hydrophobicity introduced by different Z⁴ residues affected the changes for combination area and energy of MC-PP1 complexes, leading to the discrepancies in MC toxicity.

Nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) nanoparticles are prepared through different routes (microwave, co-precipitation, and pyrolysis) and tested for water purification applications through adsorption removal of an acid red dye B as a model organic pollutant. The characterizations of the prepared samples were done using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, BET, UV-Vis absorbance, Raman spectrum, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). All samples showed an inverse spinel crystal structure. The obtained results pointed out to the effect of the synthetic route on the morphology, particle size, optical, and magnetic properties of the prepared ferrites. Magnetic measurements showed super-paramagnetic behavior for all samples. The magnetic saturation (Mₛ) of the sample prepared by pyrolysis, was found to possess the highest saturation value, 34.8 emu/g. Adsorption experiments were performed under the change in several parameters, such as pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial dye concentration. A dye removal percentage of 99% was reached under the optimum state. The isothermal adsorption of the acid red dye was investigated using several models, in which the experimental data could be best described by the Freundlich model. Several kinetic and equilibrium models were inspected by linear regression analysis and showed best fitting for the adsorption data through pseudo-second-order model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption of acid red dye onto all the ferrite samples is a spontaneous and endothermic physical adsorption process.

China, the largest developing country, is the world largest cement producer and the largest cement-consuming nation. Although China’s cement output reached its peak in 2014, regions, i.e., Fujian and Yunnan provinces, were no peaking until 2016. At the same time, rare studies referred to China’s cement consumption and CO₂ emissions from the perspective of cement consumption at the provincial level. We developed the S-Logistic, polynomial model, and ARIMA model to study the peaking time of cement consumption at the provincial level, and we also projected China’s cement consumption and CO₂ emissions toward 2030. Meanwhile, the discrepancies of peaking time and cumulative cement consumption per capita (CCCPC) among provinces were also studied based on GDP per capita and urbanization rate (UR). The results are that the CCCPC respectively in the range of 22–34 ton, 18–25 ton, and 17–27 ton in the eastern, intermediate, and western zone when cement consumption reached its peak. We draw the following conclusions that the CCCPC in 2030 could reach ~ 43 ton and the projected cement consumption is ~ 1252.72 Mt, which accounts for 50% of that in 2017, and cement CO₂ emissions are at the range of 488.19–510.90 MtCO₂ in 2030. Furthermore, capacity replacement, controlling new capacity and eliminating backward capacity are significant of greenhouse gas emission reduction not only for China, but also for the global cement industry.

In the study, the nexus among energy consumption, foreign direct investment (FDI), economic growth, and trade openness is examined by newly developed Fourier ADL (2017) and ARDL tests cover the period 1980–2015 in Turkey. Findings indicated that energy consumption, FDI, economic growth, and trade openness are cointegrated. In addition, it is determined that an increase in economic growth and trade openness positively affects energy consumption both in the long-term and short-term but FDI has only a positive effect in the long-term. VECM causality results indicated that FDI, economic growth, and trade openness are the causes of energy consumption in the long-term. In this context, Turkish policymakers should change the composition of FDI through various incentive policies to provide energy efficiency. FDI inflows should be shifted from sectors using dirty technology to clean technologies such as the information technology and services sector. In addition, increasing FDI that included green technology and renewable energy sources may promote energy efficiency in Turkey.

Air pollution has caused huge losses of life and property. So, how to choose a practically effective scheme to m.itigate air pollution is of great significance. However, such a selection problem of treatment schemes represents really a group negotiation process of many decision makers (DMs), involving a variety of fuzzy information and preferences. To successfully address this selection problem, this paper proposes a novel group negotiation decision model by jointly employing various approaches, such as hesitant fuzzy set, grey target, grey incidence analysis, and graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR). Then, this model is used to determine the equilibrium schemes for treating air pollution. It is expected that this work provides a method for Chinese government to introduce programs to target air pollution control.

Developing low cost and efficient method for the treatment of electroplating wastewater containing heavy metals complexed with chelating agent has attracted increasing attention in industrial wastewater treatment. This study involved a system combining Fenton oxidation (FO) and recycled ferrite (RF) process for treating synthetic solution containing Ni(II)-EDTA at ambient temperature. In this system, the FO reaction can produce hydroxyl radicals with high redox potential to decomplex the metal-organic complexes and degrade the organics, thereby enhancing the removal efficiency of heavy metals. The RF process is to incorporate the non-iron metal into the spinel ferrites at room temperature, and stabilize the sludge. As a result, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure can fulfill the relevant standards. Furthermore, the ferrous ions in Fenton reaction could be used as the source of irons in RF process. After treatment by the combined process, the effluent water fulfills the relevant standard in China. In comparison with conventional alkaline precipitation, the sludge sedimentation velocity of FO-RF is 2.16 times faster than that of conventional alkaline precipitation and the volume of sludge is reduced by half, which strongly demonstrated the advantages of the presented FO-RF system and indicated the huge potential for the treatment of EDTA-chelated nickel.

The effect of Mn powder addition on the simultaneous removal of SO₂ and NO coupled with Feᴵᴵ(EDTA) absorption was investigated in this work. In the NO absorption system with Feᴵᴵ(EDTA), SO₂ reduced Feᴵᴵ(EDTA)-NO to Feᴵᴵ(EDTA) with a reduction efficiency reaching 88.5% under the conditions of 4000 mg/m³ SO₂, pH 8.0, 44 °C, and the flow rate of 1.2 L/min within 60 min. Introducing 0.1 M Mn powder with SO₂ increased the Feᴵᴵ(EDTA)-NO reduction efficiency to 96.8% within 5 min. SO₂ was also removed by reducing Feᴵᴵ(EDTA)-NO and converted into SO₄²⁻ at a removal efficiency of 100%. After adding Mn powder, NO was removed through the following reaction: [Formula: see text]. Mn powder functioned as a reductant to regenerate the absorption of solution, and the coordinated NO in Feᴵᴵ(EDTA)-NO was reduced to NH₄⁺. The resource utilization rate of N reached approximately 77.2%. The integrated technology is a potential solution for flue gas treatment in industrial sectors with coal-fired power plants and industrial boiler. Graphical abstract