In this study, the effect of foliar L-Histidine and Methinonin amino acid applications on grain cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) uptake on durum wheat grown in soil contaminated with Cd was investigated. The research was carried out according to the randomized blocks design as a pot experiment in greenhouse conditions. In the experiment, Cd doses were applied as control (0 mg Cd kg-1) and (3 mg Cd kg-1). L-Histidine and Methionine amino acids were applied 7 times from the leaf after the start of flag leaf formation in wheat at 0.5 mM doses and harvested after the grain maturity was completed. According to the results obtained, the wheat grain dry matter yield in 3 mg Cd kg-1 polluted soil was 44.5 mg grain-1 in the control, while the dry matter weight was increased with the application of L-Histidine and Methionine from the leaves being 48 and 50 mg grain-1, respectively. It was determined that there were differences in grain Cd and Zn concentrations with the application of amino acids from the leaves at the dose of 3 mg kg-1 cadmium. When the grain Cd and Zn intakes were compared with the control, it was found that the grain Cd concentration decreased, and the Zn concentration increased as a result of the application of amino acids. The high amount of Cd in wheat can make it to the human body through the food chain and is known to cause serious health problems after a certain amount of accumulation. As a result of this study, it is seen that L-Histidine and Methionine are effective in reducing Cd in the grain, and these amino acids probably form a complex with Cd, resulting in less transport.

High concentrations of chromium in the soil have a toxic effect on the living organisms in the soil ecosystem. If chromium, which is not an absolute essential element, accumulates in plants, it causes structural changes, causing a decrease in plant growth and also high toxicity due to its accumulation in biomass. Use of plants to remove chromium (Cr) from contaminated soils, it is an environmentally efficient, cost-effective, modern, applicable technique. The different species of plant and ornamental plants are used in this technique. In this study, the Kordes shrub rose used in landscaping in our province, Cr phytoremediation capacity was evaluated by growing at contaminated soil with Cr. In the study, the different doses of Cr (0, 50, 100, 500, 1000 mg kg-1) have been applied in Cr+3 and Cr+6 forms. In addition, two doses (0% and 3%) of leonardite were added to the pots to determine the effect on the developmental status of the plants and Cr uptake. In the study, plant height, number of branches, number of flowers, flower diameter, stem diameter, flower yield values and total wet and dry weight values at the end of the experiment were determined. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that generally developmental status of the plants was adversely affected at high Cr doses. Especially at 500 and 1000 mg kg-1 application doses was observed that the plants could not withstand Cr toxicity in a short time. It has been observed that plants treated with leonardite were healthier than those without. According to the data obtained at the end of the study, it was determined that the resistance of plant to high doses of Cr was low, but it showed better growth at 50 and 100 mg kg-1 doses.

Heavy metal pollution generally occurs due to socio-economic, industrial, and anthropogenic activities, which may cause an environmentally hazardous and serious severe threat to the survival of the organisms (genotoxic, carcinogenic, and clastogenic effects on it). Many physical and chemical remediation approaches have been proposed to deal with this pollution, but these are very time-consuming and costly. While bioremediation stands out as an inexpensive and efficient approach, the use of bacteria is thought to be a potential and productive organism to prevent this pollution. This review has evaluated the bacterial potential to clean up heavy metals from the environment and elucidated the mechanisms responsible for bioremediation.

Determining the potential bioavailability of heavy metals, evaluating according to adapted regulations is essential to efficiently conserve our coastal and estuarine waters. In this study, it is aimed to determine the industrial pollution and various other pollution sources that the Black Sea Basin is exposed to by using DGT (Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films) method and grab (manuel) sampling method in water and sediment and to evaluate the existing pollution according to quality standards. In Samsun, seasonal samples were collected from five different sampling stations, namely Akkiraz Stream, Hıdırellez Stream, Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) Channel, Şabanoğlu Stream and Selyeri Stream, which are selected from Tekkeköy region where industry is intensively active. In order to determine the heavy metal content in both water and sediment samples, the DGT method was chosen for passive sampling and the grab sampling method was used for active sampling, and the efficiency of the methods was evaluated. According to the results of the study, the heavy metal concentration in grab sampling for water samples in descending order Al> Fe> Zn> Pb> Ni> Cu; In the samples taken with DGT, they are listed as Al> Fe> Zn> Cu> Ni> Pb. There were significant relationships between the total metal concentrations of sediment (Csed) and water (Csu) in grab sampling and metal concentrations sediment (Csed-DGT) and water (Csu-DGT) measured by DGT. It was found that the sensitivity and performance of sampling with DGT was 2-10 times higher compared to grab sampling. The high resolution in situ DGT technique for the assessment and management of the potential release risk of heavy metals at the water-sediment interface is a complementary method that contributes to the standard grab sampling method.

Heavy metal toxicity can either be acute or chronic effects. Long-term exposure of the body to heavy metal can progressively lead to muscular, physical and neurological degenerative process. In this research, a total of 30 representative chocolate samples were collected from local shops and markets in Lahore. All the samples were analysed to assess the levels of Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd) by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer in Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Lahore. It was observed that the majority of chocolate samples contain heavy metals levels higher than the permissible limits as recommended by Punjab Food Rules (PFR) 2011. The levels of Pb ranged between 0.375 and 3.4 mg/kg with 90% samples having concentrations exceeding PFR allowable limit (0.5 mg/kg). Whereas, Ni concentrations varied from 0.005 to 0.28 mg/kg and 80% samples were above the PFR limit (0.025 mg/kg). Further, Cr levels analysed between 0.005 to 0.28 mg/kg and 53% samples had Cr concentrations higher than PFR limit (0.02 mg/kg). Similarly, Cd levels were observed between 0.50-3.25 mg/kg with 53% samples having Cd concentrations exceeding the PFR limit (1.0 mg/kg). Investigation indicates that the quality of available chocolates is not recommendable for eating because of the higher concentrations of toxic heavy metals.

The study was conducted on farmers' field in sofi district of Harari Regional State during 2013/2014 main cropping season, eastern Ethiopia, to investigate the impact of brewery sludge on sorghum production and soil fertility. The treatments comprised seven levels of brewery sludges (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5 and 15.0 t ha-1) and NP inorganic fertilizer at recommended rate, arranged in randomized complete block design with four replications. Application of brewery sludge at 15 t ha-1 significantly increased the yield and biomass yield of sorghum by 79 and 85% over control and by 57 and 67% over NP application, respectively. There was no effect of brewery sludge application on heavy metals concentrations in soil after crop harvest, compared to international standard tolerable level. Co and Se levels were high in the control as well as in the soils treated with brewery sludge indicating the already high concentration of these heavy metals in the soils of the area. Plots, which received higher brewery sludge application, resulted in decreased or less percentage of grain nitrogen content showing the independence of grain protein content on lower brewery sludge level. The nitrogen uptake by sorghum grain, straw and the total was maximum (52.68, 44.25 and 79.03 kg ha-1, respectively) with the application of brewery waste sludge at 10 and 15 t ha-1 which were significantly higher than the other brewery sludge and NP mineral fertilizer applications.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality characteristics of physical, chemical and microbiological of some fruit nectar samples produced from some local and imported companies and sold in the city of Tripoli, and to determine their conformity with Libyan specification standards. In this study, 40 samples of different fruit nectars (grape, pineapple, guava, orange, apple, and mixed fruits) were collected from different local supermarket, five imported companies and 4 domestic which were available at the time of study. The Samples were classified based on their type of fruit nectars and also marked as (A, B, C, D) and (E, F, L, M, N) for different domestic or imported and imported companies respectively. The results showed that all the samples were free from artificial colours added. Local and imported samples were conform with the Libyan specification standards (990-2014) for fruit nectars. Five local and four imported samples were unconfirmed with the standards. In terms of acidity, some local and imported samples were conform to the Libyan specification standards, except one local sample and 5 imported samples. However, 35.3% of local samples and 43.5% of the imported samples unconfirmed to the Libyan standard specifications. Microbiological results showed that all local and imported samples were free from total bacterial count, yeasts and molds and coliform bacteria. Heavy metals (cadmium, lead, arsenic, copper, zinc, iron) of local and imported samples were conform to the Libyan specification standard, except 3 samples of imported products were had higher arsenic concentration. Based on the results of this study which indicated the importance of quality control programs for such products not only during production but also during storage and sales due to possibility of contamination and spoilage.

For Turkish society, bread has been an indispensable part of the kitchen and daily life throughout history. Due to its high consumption in Turkish society, it plays an important role in terms of both health and nutritional habits. Contamination from the soil where wheat is planted to the bread making process is of great importance for health. In this study, the amounts of heavy metals such as aluminum, copper, nickel, chromium, manganese, iron, lead and cadmium in the soil of an agricultural land, in flour obtained from wheat grown there and in bread made from this flour were investigated using ICP-MS. The average levels of Al, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cd, Fe, Pb and As in soil samples were 120.46, 12.23, 44.9, 93.46, 10.83, 2.06, 196.87, 1.96 and 0.21 mg/kg, respectively. In flour samples, these levels were 17.20, 2.03, 28.93, 26.3, 3.37, 0.09, 30.93, 1.37 and 0.03 mg/kg, respectively. In bread samples, 11.27, 0.77, 8.27, 18.63, 0.4, 0.02, 12.76, 0.04 and 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. The results obtained show that high metal levels in the soil are also found in bread. This indicates that heavy metal levels in bread may pose health risks in long-term consumption. Especially levels of aluminum, nickel, chromium and cadmium metals can cause serious health problems. Therefore, it is important to reduce heavy metal contamination in agriculture and production processes and to conduct regular inspections. Compliance with maximum limits set by health authorities and regulatory agencies is also critical for public health.

Concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd) in cassava grown on farmlands along highways in Owerri, was investigated. Cassava leaves and root samples were harvested from cassava farms along three major roads with high traffic density and another rural road that served as control location. Standard laboratory procedures to determine the concentration of these metals were adopted using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The metal concentrations in mg/kg in cassava root showed high levels of Cu (6.29±0.0346), Zn (8.49±2.243), Pb (0.5267±0.3156) and Cd (0.1167±0.0833). The concentrations of the heavy metals in the cassava leaves were of the order: Zn > Cu >Pb> Ni > Cd. Soil plant transfer factor values for all the metals in all the sites indicated medium accumulation. Heavy metal concentrations in soil showed significant correlation with concentrations in cassava root with no significant statistical differences in bioaccumulation of heavy metals in different parts of cassava. The overall results showed evidence of some heavy metal pollution on the soils and cassava plant.

This study was carried out to determine the concentrations of some heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr and Fe) in Solen marginatus (Pulteney, 1799) and sediments in the middle region of Izmir Bay. Metal concentrations in S. marginatus vary in the one-year period between summer 2005 and summer 2006. The order of accumulation of metal concentrates in soft tissue of razor clam was determined as Cd < Pb < Cr< Cu < Zn < Fe. Metal accumulations in the soft tissue of S. marginatus were compared with Provisional Tolerable Weakly Intakes (PTWI) and Provisional Tolerable Daily Intakes (PTDI) for human consumption. The results show that the maximum concentrations of metals were markedly below the limits of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), WHO (World Health Organization) and TFC (Turkish Food Codex) for human consumption. The order of the metal concentrations detected in the sediment samples was Cd < Pb < Cu< Cr < Zn < Fe. In this study, the maximum heavy metal values determined in the sediment are below the criteria values of the stated for international sediment quality guidelines in the NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), OMEE (The Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ontario), ANZECC (The Australia and New Zealand Environmental on Conservation Council), CCME (The Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment). There was a statistically significant but weak correlation between concentrations of Cu and Cr in sediment and S. marginatus. The significant correlations have shown that Solen species can be used as a bioindicator species, such as mussels due to their ability to accumulate heavy metals.