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Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound commonly used in the production of plastic bottles and containers, where it is used as a plasticizer and can migrate into food. Its intake may impair the functioning of endocrine glands and have a negative impact on the health of human, especially infants. Because it is also found in baby bottles. Generally BPA can enter the body through daily, cumulative and long-term consumption of various foods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of BPA and its migration through some food containers and bottles. It also explains the potential risks associated with its consumption.

In this study, some of the research conducted in this field has been used by searching in various Web databases, including ScienceDirect, Scopus and PubMed. Therefore, this study provides an overview of the migration of BPA from different packages and compares the obtained values with standard ranges.

Most studies showed samples below the reference value. However, the use of containers made with BPA should be controlled and government policies should be implemented to eliminate or reduce the use of these containers.

This paper collects evidence of migration of BPA to some foods through bottles and food containers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical-economic process efficiency of obtaining simultaneous lipo-soluble (LSF) and water-soluble (WSF) fractions from annatto seeds.

The batches of annatto seeds were submitted to the refrigerated solid-liquid extraction process in four stages: pre-extraction, aqueous extraction, separation by decantation and filtration. After that, LSF and WSF from annatto seeds were obtained. The process efficiency and the quality of LSF and WSF were analyzed in terms of average yield and bioactive compounds (bixin, norbixin, phenolics and flavonoids) and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, they were economically evaluated in terms of costs of manufacturing and profitability parameters.

The process was efficient in terms of overall average yield (LSF = 8.68% and WSF = 2.76%) (w/w) and in terms of quality, mainly with higher average yields of bixin (82.34% in LSF) and norbixin (29.59% in WSF) (w/w). The concentration of bioactive compounds in the fractions promoted an increase in inhibiting free radicals (DPPH* and ABTS*+) and in the ferric-reducing power (FRAP). LSF showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.06 mg mL-1 for S. aureus and 0.13 mg mL-1 for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. The lowest manufacturing costs were obtained for the LSF due to its higher extraction yield compared to the WSF. Plants on an industrial scale of 100 and 1000 L were considered economically viable, with a return on investment of 5 and 2 years.

Thus, fractions (WSF and LSF) can be applied as natural additives, as sources of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical and/or pharmaceutical, and in the development of other innovative processes. These results have practical applicability for pharmaceutical and food industry.

1. Green processing of annatto seeds obtains fractions rich in antioxidant compounds.

2. Efficiently presents a high yield of bixin and other bioactive compounds.

3. Effective in concentrating compounds that inhibit microbial growth.

4. Fractions are more accessible sources of bioactive compounds for isolation.

5. Cost of manufacturing (COM) and profitability are studied.

Green processing of annatto seeds obtains fractions rich in antioxidant compounds.

Efficiently presents a high yield of bixin and other bioactive compounds.

Effective in concentrating compounds that inhibit microbial growth.

Fractions are more accessible sources of bioactive compounds for isolation.

Cost of manufacturing (COM) and profitability are studied.

There is an urgent need to develop climate-smart agrosystems capable of mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. Conventional agricultural practices prevail in Mauritius, whereby synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are used. It should be noted that Mauritius remains a net-food importing developing country of staple food such as cereals and products, roots and tubers, pulses, oil crops, vegetables, fruits and meat (FAO, 2011). In Mauritius, the agricultural sector faces extreme weather conditions like drought or heavy rainfall. Moreover, to increase the crop yields, farmers tend to use 2.5 times the prescribed amount of fertilizers in their fields. These excess fertilizers are washed away during heavy rainfall and contaminate lakes and river waters. By using smart irrigation and fertilization system, a better management of soil water reserves for improved agricultural production can be implemented. Soil Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) content, humidity, pH, conductivity and moisture data can be monitored through the cloud platform. The data will be processed at the level of the cloud and an appropriate mix of NPK and irrigation will be used to optimise the growth of the crops. Machine learning algorithms will be used for the control of the land drainage, fertilization and irrigation systems and real time data will be available through a mobile application for the whole system. This will contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2 (Zero Hunger), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and 15 (Life on Land). With this project, the yield of crops will be boosted, thus reducing the hunger rate (SDG 2). On top of that, this will encourage farmers to collect the waters and reduce fertilizer consumption thereafter sustaining the quality of the soil on which they are cultivating the crops, thereby increasing their yields (SDG 15).

This study aims to prepare an imprinted composite membrane with grafted temperature-sensitive blocks for the efficient adsorption and separation of rhenium(Re) from aqueous solutions.

PVDF resin membrane was used as the substrate, dopamine and chitosan (CS) were used to modify the membrane surface and temperature-sensitive block PDEA was grafted on the membrane surface. Then acrylic acid (AA) and N-methylol acrylamide (N-MAM) were used as the functional monomers, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker and ascorbic acid-hydrogen peroxide (Vc-H₂O₂) as the initiator to obtain the temperature-sensitive ReO4⁻ imprinted composite membranes.

The effect of the preparation process on the performance of CS–Re–TIICM was investigated in detail, and the optimal preparation conditions were as follows: the molar ratios of AA–NH₄ReO₄, N-MAM and EGDMA were 0.13, 0.60 and 1.00, respectively. The optimal temperature and time of the reaction were 40 °C and 24 h. The maximum adsorption capacity of CS–Re–TIICM prepared under optimal conditions was 0.1071 mmol/g, and the separation was 3.90 when MnO4⁻ was used as the interfering ion. The quasi first-order kinetics model and Langmuir model were more suitable to describe the adsorption process.

With the increasing demand for Re, the recovery of Re from Re-containing secondary resources becomes important. This study demonstrated a new material that could be separated and recovered Re in a complex environment, which could effectively alleviate the conflict between the supply and demand of Re.

This contribution provided a new material for the selective separation and purification of ReO4⁻, and the adsorption capacity and separation of CS–Re–TIICM were increased with 1.673 times and 1.219 time compared with other Re adsorbents, respectively. In addition, when it was used for the purification of NH₄ReO₄ crude, the purity was increased from 91.950% to 99.999%.

The purpose of this paper is to study and analyze the effects of fly ash (FA) as a mineral admixture on compressive strength (CS), carbonation resistance and corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete (RC). In addition, the utilization of inexpensive and abundantly available FA as a cement replacement in concrete has several benefits including reduced OPC usage and elimination of the FA disposal problem.

Reinforcement corrosion and carbonation significantly affect the strength and durability of the RC structures. Also, the utilization of FA as green corrosion inhibitors, which are nontoxic and environmentally friendly alternatives. This review discusses the effects of FA on the mechanical characteristics of concrete. Also, this review analyzes the impact of FA as a partial replacement of cement in concrete and its effect on the depth of carbonation in concrete elements and the corrosion rate of embedded steel as well as the chemical composition and microstructure (X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy) of FA concrete were also reviewed.

This review provides a clear analysis of the available study, providing a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge on this topic. Regarding concrete CS, the findings indicate that the incorporation of FA often leads to a loss in early-age strength. However, as the curing period increased, the strength of fly ash concrete (FAC) increased with or even surpassed that of conventional concrete. Analysis of the accelerated carbonation test revealed that incorporating FA into the concrete mix led to a shallower carbonation depth and slower diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the concrete. Furthermore, the half-cell potential test shows that the inclusion of FA increases the durability of RC by slowing the rate of steel-reinforcement corrosion.

This systematic review analyzes a wide range of existing studies on the topic, providing a comprehensive overview of the research conducted so far. This review intends to critically assess the enhancements in mechanical and durability attributes (such as CS, carbonation and corrosion resistance) of FAC and FA-RC. This systematic review has practical implications for the construction and engineering industries. This can support engineers and designers in making informed decisions regarding the use of FA in concrete mixtures, considering both its benefits and potential drawbacks.

The aim of this paper is to assess whether the current European target to increase the areas under organic farming to 25% by 2030 is attainable and whether the simple increase in areas under organic farming may be sufficient to improve the sustainability of European agriculture.

The analysis has been carried out through a simple data processing related to areas under organic farming, for the period 2012–2020 (Eurostat database), in order to highlight the trends of areas under organic farming and to verify whether the annual average change rates may be compatible with the stated target.

The analysis showed that organic farming has a productive weight not corresponding to the amount on the total of the areas under cultivation and a small impact on the total of food consumption. It is a plausible hypothesis, the one that shows the increase in areas under organic farming will engage forms of agriculture and farms that, already, are more sustainable, so the achievement of 25% target will not particularly impact the European potential productive and the less environmental sustainable forms of agriculture.

This paper contributes to the debate, involving scientific community, policy maker and civil society, about the real contribution of organic farming to sustainability, and it will be developed in future research.

The purpose of this study is to perform comprehensive investigation to assess the mechanical properties of nano-modified ternary cement concrete blend. Nano silica (NS) (1%, 2% and 3%) and waste marble dust powder (MD) (5%, 10% and 15%) was incorporated as a fractional substitution of cement in the concrete matrix.

In this experimental study, 10 cementitious blends were prepared and tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and static modulus of elasticity. The microstructural characteristics of these blends were also explored using a scanning electron microscope along with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray reflection.

The results indicate an enhancement in mechanical properties and refinement in pore structure due to improved pozzolanic activities of NS and the filling effect of MD.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has reported the mechanical and microstructural behavior of concrete containing marble and NS.

The objective of the research is to evaluate the carbon footprint of the green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) supply chain, encompassing the agricultural production to the packaging stage in Italy, as it is the sixth largest producer and the second largest in Europe. It provides an assessment in the province of Foggia and highlights the global perspective of the carbon footprint application in agro-food systems.

The carbon footprint (ISO 14067:2018) considers 1 t of packaged fresh asparagus as a functional unit in the agricultural production and packaging stage and is based on primary data collected in one of the leading companies of asparagus production in the province of Foggia, which markets about 0.21 kt of asparagus per year produced in about 31 ha. Data were integrated with face-to-face in-depth interviews and pre-filled checklists.

Findings show that the carbon footprint of 1 t of packaged fresh asparagus is equivalent to 335.31 kgCO2eq, of which 61% in the agricultural stage and 39% in the packaging one. The majority of the emissions are associated with the fertigation and the diesel consumption for the transportation of workers. Farmers should adopt green electricity so as to reduce the emissions associated with the electric pump for the extraction of water from artesian wells. Moreover, it would be desirable to replace mineral urea phosphate with organic fertilizers.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, scholars have not yet investigated the environmental impacts of the green asparagus supply chain, even if it represents one of the most cultivated vegetables worldwide, with a global production that amounts to 8.5 Mt per year.

This study aims to examine the effect of traditional fermentation on gari’s total heavy metal and mineral nutrient content.

This study used a quantitative approach, descriptive-analytical design to baseline the risk of heavy metals and experimental design to assess the effect of traditional fermentation. Data were analyzed using descriptives, univariate and multivariate analysis.

Although gari is rich in mineral nutrients (total calcium 3.9 ± 0.1 g/kg, copper 5.5 ± 0.02 mg/kg, iron 97.1 ± 5.8 mg/kg, potassium 9.1 ± 0.29 g/kg and zinc 3.4 ± 0.11 mg/kg), the significant levels of heavy metals (total arsenic 1.2 ± 0.01, cadmium 2.5 ± 0.04, lead 1.7 ± 0.01, mercury 2.8 ± 0.01 and tin 1.7 ± 0.02 mg/kg) present are a cause for concern. The results further suggested that traditional fermentation has reductive effects on some heavy metals and stabilizing or concentrating effects on mineral nutrients.

This paper provides evidence that traditional fermentation may have exploitable differential effects on heavy metal contaminants and mineral nutrients that should be further explored.

Thise study reports fermentation implications for mitigating food with high heavy metal contaminants with minimal nutrient loss.

This study fulfills an identified need to optimize traditional fermentation to ensure food safety and nutrient security.