Agricultural plastic greenhouse (PG) production can extend the growing season of crops to satisfy domestic consumption in countries such as China. Workers in PGs have potential higher phthalate exposure risks than the general population as phthalate accumulation has been observed in greenhouse soil, air, and crops. To date, biomonitoring tests of phthalates for the working population have not been carried out. To address this shortage, we conducted a pilot study in Shaanxi Province, China, among 35 healthy PG workers by follow-up recording their seasonal dietary habits and work activities and urine sample collection and measurement between 2018 and 2019. The objectives were to uncover the association between phthalate metabolites and the population characteristics, seasonal and diurnal variations and causes, and to estimate exposure risks and contributions of exposure pathways from PG production systems. A total of 13 phthalate metabolite concentrations (Σ₁₃ phthalate metabolites) ranged from 102 to 781 (5th-95th) ng/mL (median: 300 ng/mL). Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MNBP) made up 51.3% of Σ₁₃ phthalate metabolites, followed by the sum of four di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites (24.2%), mono-2-isobutyl phthalate (MIBP) (13.4%), and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) (9.8%). The concentrations of MNBP and MIBP in summer were significantly higher than the levels in winter (p < 0.0001). A total of 62.3% of the PG worker population was shown to have exposure risks, and the proportion was as high as 79.4% in summer. Phthalate exposure of the workers from PG production systems constituted over 20% of the total creatinine-based daily intake, and consuming vegetables and fruit planted in PGs and inhalation in PGs were the two largest exposure pathways. Our findings demonstrate that it is important to protect workers in PGs from phthalate exposure risks, and phasing out the use of plastic materials containing phthalates in PGs is imperative, to guarantee food safety in PGs.

Fruit wastes can be imperative to elevate economical biomass to biofuels production process at pilot scale. Because of the renewable features, huge availability, having low lignin content organic nature and low cost; these wastes can be of much interest for cellulase enzyme production. This review provides recent advances on the fungal cellulase production using fruit wastes as a potential substrate. Also, the availability of fruit wastes, generation and processing data and their potential applications for cellulase enzyme production have been discussed. Several aspects, including cellulase and its function, solid-state fermentation, process parameters, microbial source, and the application of enzyme in biofuels industries have also been discussed. Further, emphasis has been made on various bottlenecks and feasible approaches such as use of nanomaterials, co-culture, molecular techniques, genetic engineering, and cost economy analysis to develop a low-cost based comprehensive technology for viable production of cellulase and its application in biofuels production technology.

Pregnant women are widely exposed to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, which are potentially neurotoxicant for the developing fetus. We aimed to identify principal demographic and dietary predictors of OP pesticide exposure among 450 pregnant women participating in the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study (enrolled 2016–19). Urinary concentrations of six dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites (3 dimethyl (DM) metabolites and 3 diethyl (DE) metabolites) of OP pesticides were determined at three time points across pregnancy. At mid-gestation, the Diet History Questionnaire II was used to assess women’s dietary intake over the past year. Demographic characteristics were obtained using questionnaires and/or electronic health records. We used linear mixed models to evaluate the associations of demographic and food groups with DAP metabolite levels, and partial-linear single-index (PLSI) models to analyze the contribution proportions of food groups to DAP metabolite concentrations and the dose-response relationships between them. We observed that pregnant women in NYC had lower levels of OP pesticide metabolites than pregnant populations in Europe, Asia, and other regions in the U.S. Having lower pre-pregnancy body mass index and being Asian, employed, and single were associated with higher DAP metabolite concentrations. Fruit and grain intakes were associated with higher ∑DM, ∑DE, and ∑DAP levels. ∑DE concentrations increased 9.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2%, 17.4%) per two-fold increase in dairy consumption, whereas ∑DE concentrations decreased 1.8% (95%CI = −3.1%, −0.4%) per two-fold increase in seafood consumption. The PLSI model indicated that among the food mixture, fruit and grains were the main food groups contributed to higher levels of ∑DAP, while meat contributed to lower levels of ∑DAP. The contribution proportions of fruit, grains, and meat were 18.7%, 17.9%, and 39.3%, respectively. Our results suggest that fruit, grains, and meat are major dietary components associated with OP pesticide exposure in urban pregnant women.

Microplastics (MPs) are becoming an environmental growing concern, being the sewage sludge applied to agriculture fields one of the most important inputs to the environment. To date, there is no standardized protocol for their extraction and changes in vegetative growth and fruit maturation on cultivated plants induced by sludge containing MPs have not been studied yet. Sewage sludge from three different wastewater treatment plants located in Murcia, Spain, were studied. First, the microplastic concentration was estimated and, then, the effects of the sewage sludge in the development of tomato plants and fruit production was analyzed. The measured parameters in tomato plants were both, biomass and length, for shoot and root part, as well as, stem diameter and tomato production. The present work has developed and validated a protocol for the extraction and quantification of MPs comprising several shapes, materials and sizes from samples of sewage sludges, which offers a good compromise for the extraction of different types of microplastic. The protocol used for MPs extraction had a recovery efficiency of 80 ± 3% (mean ± SE) and used bicarbonate, to maximize MPs extraction. The mean abundance of MPs in the studied sewage sludge samples was 30,940 ± 8589 particles kg⁻¹ dry weight. Soils with sludge containing MPs fostered the growth of tomato plants, while delaying and diminished fruit production. However, other factors or their interactions with MPs could have influenced the outcomes. Further studies are necessary to corroborate these findings and explain the mechanisms of possible effects of MPs on plants.

Composting is a solid waste management alternative that avoids the emission of methane associated with its disposal in landfill and reduces or eliminates the need for chemical fertilisers if compost is applied. The main objective of this study was to analyse the environmental burdens of composting as a way to achieve a more circular valorisation of wine waste. To do so, with the purpose of identifying optimal operational conditions and determining the “hotspots” of the process, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used. The consumption of diesel fuel in machinery was determined to be the main critical point in the environmental effects of the system, followed by the transport and distribution of the compost. After the application of compost instead of mineral fertilisers, corn, tomato and strawberry crops would have a better environmental performance in most impact categories. In this sense, a maximum improvement of 65% in terrestrial ecotoxicity is achieved in strawberry cultivation. In light of the results obtained, it is demonstrated that composting is a suitable way of organic waste valorisation according to Circular Economy principles.

Food products are inevitably contaminated by flame retardants throughout their lifecycle (i.e., during production, use, and disposal). In order to evaluate the dietary intake of legacy and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in typical market food in China, we investigate the distribution and profile of 27 legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 16 emerging HFRs (EHFRs) in 9 food categories (meat, poultry, aquatic food, eggs, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, nuts and fruits, and sugar). A total of 105 food samples collected from three markets in Nanjing, eastern China were included for evaluation. The highest concentrations of PBDEs and EHFRs were found in aquatic foods (means of 0.834 ng/g wet weight (ww) and 0.348 ng/g ww, respectively), and the lowest concentrations were found in sugar (means of 0.020 ng/g ww for PBDEs and 0.014 ng/g ww for EHFRs). 2,2′,4-tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE-17), a legacy HFR, and hexabromobenzene (HBBz), an EHFR, were the predominant pollutants in the investigated food samples. Concentrations of HBBz and 2,3-dibromopropyl tribromophenyl ether (DPTE) were comparable to those of some PBDEs in certain food samples. The concentrations of the total EHFRs and total PBDEs found in animal-based food samples were significantly greater than those in plant-based food samples. Comparison of the estimated total dietary intake of HFRs and their corresponding non-cancer reference dose (United States Environmental Protection Agency) suggests a low overall health risk. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to simultaneously determine 27 PBDEs and 16 EHFRs in representative foods from Chinese markets. BDE-17, HBBz, and DPTE were the predominant congeners among the 43 investigated HFRs and meat and aquatic foods were the primary sources of PBDEs and EHFRs to the total local dietary intake.

Fungicides have been extensively used around the world in agriculture due to their effectiveness of sterilization. Recent evidences have shown that fungicides would exert a negative effect on gut microbiota and result in gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolism disorder on non-target organisms and even humans. However, research on residues and potential health risks of fungicides in daily consumed vegetables has received less attention compared to insecticides. In this study, we studied three widely applied fungicides, procymidone, dimethomorph, and azoxystrobin, in China. We collected 551 samples of 10 different vegetables in 11 cities from Zhejiang province during 2015–2017. Three fungicides were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The average apparent recoveries of three fungicides ranged from 84.2% to 110% with the relative standard deviations lower than 10%. The LOD values of procymidone, dimethomorph, and azoxystrobin was 2, 0.09, and 1 μg/kg, respectively. The levels of procymidone, dimethomorph, and azoxystrobin in those vegetables ranged from ND-875, ND-238, and ND-76 μg/kg, respectively. The highest mean concentrations of procymidone, dimethomorph, and azoxystrobin were found in eggplant (68 μg/kg), spinach (16.4 μg/kg), and kidney bean (4 μg/kg), respectively. Tomato (62.6% of samples), eggplant (44.3% of samples), and cucumber (41.6% of samples) were most frequently detected with fungicides. Solanaceous fruit vegetables have the highest detection rate than other vegetables, and fungicides were most frequently detected in winter. The mean concentrations of three fungicides in different vegetables were all below the maximum residue limits for the national food safety standards of China, and the health risks resulting from consuming those vegetables in adults and children were all within the safe ranges. The data provided here clarify the distributions of fungicides in commonly consumed vegetables and their potential health risks.

Perchlorate is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that contaminate various foodstuffs. Exposure to perchlorate may cause severe health problems, mainly thyroid dysfunction. However, information on perchlorate contamination of consumer foods in Taiwan is limited. This study investigated perchlorate levels in 310 food samples belonging to 12 food groups collected from Taiwanese markets. A probabilistic risk assessment was conducted to assess the related exposure to Taiwanese people. Perchlorate was detected in 65% of the samples and high levels were identified in certain plant-origin, fruit, and processed food samples. A probabilistic approach was used to estimate daily dietary dose (Monte Carlo–estimated 95th percentile dietary exposure [MCS 95]) by using the Taiwan National Food Consumption database for 14 sex/age groups. The highest and lowest average daily doses (ADDs) were in the age groups of >65 years (MCS 95 = 3.60/3.90 [male/female] μg/kg bw/day) and 16–18 years (MCS 95 = 1.70/1.47 [M/F] μg/kg bw/day), respectively. The 95th percentile of the hazard index of exposure to perchlorate of all sex/age groups far exceeded the tolerable daily intake (0.3 μg/kg bw/day) and reference dose (0.7 μg/kg bw/day) set by the European Food Safety Authority and US EPA, respectively, but it was lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (10 μg/kg bw/day) suggested by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The intake quantity and concentrations of perchlorate from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are the critical contributors for the ADDs and integrated risk of dietary exposure to perchlorate. Long-term exposure through diets should be considered, instead of focusing on individual EDC during dietary risk assessment in specific populations. Furthermore, cumulative risks for exposure to multiple contaminants, particularly those causing thyroid adverse effects, may be higher than that from perchlorate exposure alone.

Iron fertilizers are worthy to be studied due to alleviate the Fe deficiency. Different forms of iron oxide nanoparticles are selected to better understand possible particle applications as an Fe source for crop plants. In this study, we assessed the different effects of γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs on the physiology and fruit quality of muskmelon plants in a pot experiment for five weeks. Results showed that no increased iron content was found under NPs treatment in root, stem, leaf and fruit, except 400 mg/L Fe3O4 NPs had a higher iron content in muskmelon root. With the extension of NPs exposure, both γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs began to promote plant growth. In addition, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs could increase chlorophyll content at a certain stage of exposure. Happily, 200 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs and 100, 200 mg/L Fe3O4 NPs significantly increased fruit weight of muskmelon by 9.1%, 9.4% and 11.5%. It is noteworthy that both γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs caused positive effects on VC content, particularly 100 mg/L Fe3O4 NPs increased the VC content by 46.95%. To the best of our knowledge, little research has been done on the effect of nanoparticles on the whole physiological cycle and fruit quality of melon. The assessment of physiology and fruit quality of muskmelon plants in vitro upon γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs exposure could lay a foundation for NPs potential impact at every growth period of muskmelon plants.

In this study, we investigated the physiological and photochemical influences of nanoTiO2 exposure on tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.). Tomato plants were exposed to 100 mg L−1 of nanoTiO2 for 90 days in a hydroponic system. Light irradiances of 135 and 550 μmolphoton m−2 s−1 were applied as environmental stressors that could affect uptake of nanoTiO2. To quantify nanoTiO2 accumulation in plant bodies and roots, we used transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and X-ray powder diffraction. Phenotypic and physiological influences such as color change, growth rate, fruit productivity, pigment concentration, and enzyme activity (SOD, CAT, APX) were monitored. We observed numerous effects caused by high irradiance and nanoTiO2 exposure, such as rapid chlorophyll decrease, increased anthocyanin and carotenoid concentrations, high enzymatic activity, and an approximately eight-fold increase in fruit production. Moreover, light absorption in the nanoTiO2-treated tomato plants, as measured by a ultraviolet–visible light spectrometer, increased by a factor of approximately 19, likely due to natural pigments that worked as sensitizers, and this resulted in an ∼120% increase in photochemical activities on A, ФPSII, ФCO2, gsw, and E.