Life cycle assessment is a multidisciplinary framework usually deployed to appraise the sustainability of various product or service supply-chains. Over recent decades, its use in the agri-food sector has risen sharply, and alongside this, a wide range of methodological advances have been generated. Spatial-life cycle assessment, defined in the current document as the interpretation of life cycle assessment results within a geographical nature, has not gone unexplored entirely, yet its rise as a sub-method of life cycle assessment has been rather slow relative to other avenues of research (e.g., including the nutritional sciences within life cycle assessment). With this relative methodological stagnation as a motivating factor, our paper combines a process-based model, the Catchment Systems Model, with various life cycle impact assessments (ReCiPe, Centre for Environmental Studies and Environmental Product Declaration) to propose a simple, yet effective, approach for visualising the technically feasible efficacy of various on-farm intervention strategies. As water quality was the primary focus of this study, interventions reducing acidification and eutrophication potentials of both arable and livestock farm types in the Southeast of England were considered. The study site is an area with a marked range of agricultural practices in terms of intensity. All impacts to acidification potential and eutrophication potential are reported using a functional unit of 1 ha. Percentage changes relative to baseline farm types, i.e., those without any interventions, arising from various mitigation strategies, are mapped using geographical information systems. This approach demonstrates visually how a spatially-orientated life cycle assessment could provide regional-specific information for farmers and policymakers to guide the restoration of certain waterbodies. A combination of multiple mitigation strategies was found to generate the greatest reductions in pollutant losses to water, but in terms of individual interventions, optimising farm-based machinery (acidification potential) and fertiliser application strategies (eutrophication potential) were found to have notable benefits.

Saving fresh water is a big challenge for the next generation due to enhanced living standards and population growth. In addition, the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities is causing unmatched demands for fresh water supplies across Egypt. The Nile River is Egypt&rsquo:s main water resource, representing 69.4% of the total water resources, while rainwater, torrential water and groundwater, as well as recycled agricultural and sanitary drainage water and desalinated seawater, are estimated at about 30.6%. Smart drip irrigation systems are in great demand, especially in Upper Egypt. SDG&rsquo:s of the circular economy and the WEF nexus lead to full implementation of drip irrigation systems, achieving ~6.6 BM3/year of direct saving from fresh water and/or doubling the cultivated area. In addition to PV tubes and other utilities, renewable energy, e.g, photovoltaic panels, will posses an important role in low-energy driven drip irrigation systems, reducing fossil-uses, CO2 emissions and devolving more sustainable processes that are less dependent on conventional energy sources. The current research work is a case study of the substitution of flood with drip irrigation, and its positive advantages for the Egyptian agricultural economy and capital expenditures (capex), which depends on the country&rsquo:s infrastructure and availability of utilities.

Dam development improves water, food, and energy security but often with negative impacts on human health. The transmission of dam-related diseases persists in many dammed catchments despite treatment campaigns. On the Senegal River Basin, the transmission of Schistosoma spp. parasites has been elevated since the construction of dams in the late 1980's. We use narrative analysis and qualitative content analysis of archival documents from this setting to examine health as a component of the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus and understand priorities and trade-offs between sectors across the policy-to-practice continuum. We find that health is recognized as an important component of river basin development, but that priorities articulated at the policy level are not translated into management practices. Incorporating health as a management objective is possible without imposing substantial trade-offs to FEW resources. Coordinated research and surveillance across transboundary jurisdictions will be necessary to inform decision-making on how to operate dams in ways that mitigate their negative health impacts.

Oil-in-water nanoemulsions were formulated using sunflower oil mixed with each of the essential oils of Tasmannia lanceolata (Tasmanian pepper leaf [TPL]), Backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle [LM]) and Syzygium anisatum (anise myrtle [AM]) and stabilized with Tween 80 using ultrasonication. An oil-surfactant ratio of 3:1 was found to produce the lowest emulsion droplet sizes of 96.6 nm for LM, 122.2 nm for AM and 131.8 nm for TPL. Increase in surfactant concentration above 10r resulted in larger droplet sizes, 165.8–2,647.2 nm for LM (radius, r =.82), 153.7–2,573.5 nm for AM (r =.93) and 157.4–2,621.6 nm for TPL (r =.83). Sonication for 3 min produced smaller droplet size; however, sonication for 9 min resulted in increase of droplet size by 1.48, 1.43 and 1.47 times for oils of LM (r =.82), AM (r =.93) and TPL (r =.83), respectively. A positive correlation was found between sonication amplitude (20–50%) and droplet size for nanoemulsions of LM (r =.93), AM (r =.98) and TPL (r =.95). TPL and LM nanoemulsions showed broad- spectrum antimicrobial activities against yeasts and bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) against weak-acid resistant yeasts were between 0.001–0.003 and 0.002–0.007 mg/ml for nanoemulsion of TPL and between 0.003–0.014 mg/ml and 0.005–0.027 for nanoemulsion of LM, respectively. The stability and antimicrobial activity of TPL and LM essential oil nanoemulsions confirm their potential for application as food preservatives especially in beverage products that are commonly spoiled by weak-acid resistant yeasts. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Food Safety published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

In this study, the effect of high‐intensity ultrasound (HIUS) (200 and 400 W for 0, 5, 10 and 15 min respectively) on conformational changes, physicochemical, rheological and emulsifying properties of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) myofibrillar protein (SMP) was investigated. HIUS‐treated SMP had lower α‐helix content and higher β‐sheet content compared with the native SMP. HIUS treatment induced the unfolding of SMP and increased the surface hydrophobicity. The particle size of SMP decreased and the absolute zeta‐potential increased after ultrasonication, which in turn increased the solubility of SMP. The conformational changes and the improvement of physicochemical properties of SMP increased the ability for SMP to lower the interfacial tension at the oil–water interface and increased the percentage of adsorbed protein. As a result, the emulsifying properties, rheological properties of SMP and storage stability of emulsions were also improved. In conclusion, HIUS treatment has future potential for improving the emulsifying properties of SMP.

The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in two fish samples along with the water and sediment samples from the coastal waters of Kalpakkam, Southeast coast of India were investigated in this study. The concentration of the metals in the surface waters were in the order Fe (61.30 to 89.68 µg/L) > Zn (29.45 to 36.44 µg/L) > Pb (2.46 to 4.82 µg/L) > Cu (3.04 to 4.36 µg/L) > Cr (1.86 to 4.09 µg/L) > Mn (2.16 to 2.63 µg/L) > Cd (0.78 to 1.94 µg/L) > As (BDL), whereas the trend in the sediment was Fe (3067.40 to 4545.74 mg/Kg) > Zn (8.34 to 10.69 mg/Kg) > Cr (6.48 to 8.86 mg/Kg) > Pb (0.32 to 0.60 mg/Kg) > Cu (3.59 to 5.07 mg/Kg) > Mn (1.83 to 2.77 mg/Kg) > Cd (1.88 to 2.53 mg/Kg) > As (BDL). The bioaccumulation trend of heavy metals in the fish muscles were Fe (18.71–78.48 mg/Kg) > Zn (15.87–26.27 mg/Kg) > Cu (3.61–4.59 mg/Kg) > Mn (0.8–3.48 mg/Kg) > Cr (0.54–1.45 mg/Kg) > Pb (0.24–0.89 mg/Kg) > Cd (0.27–0.47 mg/Kg) > As (BDL). The Overall Metal Pollution Index and Pollution Load Index results suggest that the coast of Kalpakkam is slightly polluted by heavy metals, where KLP-2 station has higher MPI and PLI compared to other stations. But the Target Hazard Quotient, Bio-Accumulation Factor and Bio-Sediment Accumulation Factor suggest that the marine foods of Kalpakkam are free from heavy metal carcinogenic impacts to humans, despite that, THQ for Cd and Cr is high. It may pose a threat to humans if concentration rises in due time. Spatial and seasonal monitoring regularly is warranted to prevent the health risks of the populace along the coast of Kalpakkam.

Resource-based regions (RBRs) have made significant contributions to the social and economic development of nations. The long-term and high-intensity development of resources puts tremendous pressure on water, energy and food resources and the ecological environment. Exploring the water-energy-food nexus (WEF nexus, WEFN) of RBRs is key to making informed decisions about regional sustainable development. In this study, a feedback model for the WEFN of RBRs was developed using a system dynamics approach. The WEFN model not only describes the WEFN system from both the supply and demand sides, but also classifies WEF resources. Using Daqing, China, as a case study, five future scenarios were designed to explore the impacts of real policies designed by different government departments on the WEFN system. Comparing the predicted results of a scheme for business as usual, a scheme for developing bioenergy, a scheme for adjustment of the production structure, a scheme for strengthening the development of water and food resources and a scheme for saving WEF resources revealed that the schemes for adjustment of the production structure and for saving WEF resources will not only improve the security of WEF resources, but also reduce pollution of the water environment by human activities, which is conducive to improving the overall benefits of the WEFN system. Finally, some practical suggestions are put forward to promote the coordinated development of the WEFN system. The WEFN model is a multi-centric tool for integrated resources management, and can be expanded to other RBRs and provides scientific support for decision-makers.

<i>Cyclospora cayetanensis</i> is a coccidian parasite that causes diarrheal illness outbreaks worldwide. The development of new laboratory methods for detection of <i>C. cayetanensis</i> is of critical importance because of the high potential for environmental samples to be contaminated with a myriad of microorganisms, adversely impacting the specificity when testing samples from various sources using a single molecular assay. In this study, a new sequencing-based method was designed targeting a specific fragment of <i>C. cayetanensis</i> <i>cytochrome oxidase gene</i> and developed as a complementary method to the TaqMan qPCR present in the U.S. FDA BAM Chapter 19b and Chapter 19c. The comparative results between the new PCR protocol and the qPCR for detection of <i>C. cayetanensis</i> in food and water samples provided similar results in both matrices with the same seeding level. The target region and primers in the protocol discussed in this study contain sufficient <i>Cyclospora</i>-specific sequence fidelity as observed by sequence comparison with other Eimeriidae species. The sequence of the PCR product appears to represent a robust target for identifying <i>C. cayetanensis</i> on samples from different sources. Such a sensitive method for detection of <i>C. cayetanensis</i> would add to the target repertoire of qPCR-based screening strategies for food and water samples.

As a fundamental solution to the ecological problems of resources and environment, the Green Transition of Cultivated Land-use (GTCL) has become an inherent requirement for promoting ecological progress and implementing the food security strategy in the new era. This paper proposed a theoretical framework of GTCL and constructed a GTCL development index system based on four aspects: water, land, food and carbon; then, by applying a comprehensive evaluation model, a coupling coordination model and exploratory spatial data analysis, the development level of GTCL in China’s 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 was evaluated and the spatial and temporal rates of change of “water, land, food and carbon” (WLFC) and their coupling coordination were finally analyzed to reveal the “water, land, food and carbon” effect of GTCL. Results showed that the systemic changes of WLFC and its coupling coordination degree of GTCL presented a spatial and temporal coincidence with a high degree of consistency; from 2000 to 2020, the overall GTCL rate in all Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions showed a “W”-shaped fluctuation uptrend. In the past five years, the development level of GTCL was higher in Northeast China, followed by Central China and North China, while South China was at a low level. In addition, WLFC showed a more obvious “W”-shaped fluctuation, with higher coupling coordination in Northeast China in good coordination and lower coordination in East China and Southwest China. Therefore, according to the results of the study, areas were divided into: benefit leading area, quality improvement area, connotation tapping potential area, ductile development area and ecological reserve area for the regulation of GTCL in all Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

La Echinacea purpurea es una especie vegetal de la que se investiga con intensidad su efecto sobre la salud humana, principalmente a nivel de sistema inmunológico y problemas respiratorios; debido a su potencial efecto positivo sobre la salud se está extendiendo su uso en animales domésticos de interés zootécnico y se asume que se vincularía al rendimiento animal. En el presente ensayo, quince cerdos de 20 kilos de peso inicial, de ambos sexos, fueron lotizados homogéneamente en tres tratamientos evaluando el efecto de un extracto comercial de E. purpurea suministrado a través del agua de bebida y del alimento, frente a un control, el ensayo finalizó cuando los cerdos alcanzaron 85 kg. El extracto no afectó negativamente el consumo de alimento; las diferencias en los incrementos de peso no alcanzaron significación estadística (P>0.05); se apreció un efecto beneficioso sobre la conversión alimenticia en los períodos finales del ensayo, notándose un proceso de acostumbramiento; el rendimiento de carcasa fue similar en los tres tratamientos, sin embargo, se notó una reducción importante (7.4%) en el espesor de grasa dorsal. El extracto de equinácea, tanto en el agua como en el alimento, propició reducción en el tamaño del hígado y de los riñones; en el caso del bazo, en el agua se incrementó (3%) el tamaño y en el alimento se redujo (34%). El extracto no ocasionó incremento en la longitud de las vellosidades intestinales duodenales, criptas de Lieberkühn y relación longitud: profundidad. Es recomendable realizar investigaciones bajo condiciones de desafío sanitario y en aspectos de la carcasa.