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Applications of Analytical Chemistry in Environmental and Food Contaminants

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2025 | Viewed by 1834

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Products Technology and Nutrition Hygiene, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 30-149 Krakow, Poland
Interests: food contamination; organic compounds; processing contaminants; environmental contaminants; endocrine disruptors; analytical chemistry; liquid chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The quality of the food we eat has a tremendous impact on our health. There is a close relationship between food, nutrition, and human health. Our health depends on how we eat and what kind of food we provide our bodies. Food contaminants are substances that end up in food as a result of environmental contamination, as a side effect of the production process or in the event of irregularities in its circulation. Industrial and agricultural development, the use of various types of chemicals in many areas of modern life, and other sources of environmental pollution all contribute to an increased risk of food contamination. Contaminants may penetrate food products from the ground (e.g., fertilizers), water (e.g., sewage and fertilizers), and air (mainly dusts and exhaust fumes), and are spread when treating animals or spraying plants with protection agents, for example. Residues from the production process and contaminants from packaging can also be a problem. Many factors contribute to the presence of various types of contamination in food, often random events. Food contamination can lead to acute poisoning and long-term illness. Regular food testing is an ongoing monitoring process that safeguards the health and lives of future consumers. They also help detect and react quickly to possible inconveniences and unfair play by producers. In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of studies on food contamination by environmental pollutants and process contaminants, and chromatographic techniques detection.

Prof. Dr. Magdalena Surma
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • food analysis
  • food chemistry
  • analytical chemistry
  • chromatography detection

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4295 KiB  
Article
Visual Analysis of Carbendazim Residues in Carrot Tubers via Postionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging
by Tianyu Wang, He Zhang and Yongjun Hu
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5431; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135431 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 798
Abstract
Carbendazim (CBZ) residues in food are a severe threat to food safety, and their detection is a challenging problem in food science. We introduce here a new method based on laser desorption postionization mass spectrometry imaging (LDPI-MSI) for detecting CBZ residues in carrots. [...] Read more.
Carbendazim (CBZ) residues in food are a severe threat to food safety, and their detection is a challenging problem in food science. We introduce here a new method based on laser desorption postionization mass spectrometry imaging (LDPI-MSI) for detecting CBZ residues in carrots. In the novel LDPI-MSI method, two distinct laser beams simultaneously exert dissociation and ionization, which offers several advantages over traditional techniques based on single-photon matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), including simplified sample preparation, streamlined operation workflow, and a lower limit of detection (LOD). The LOD, in the proposed method, has been lowered to 0.019 ppm. Coupled with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), the LDPI-MS method enabled in situ detection of small molecular compounds, such as chemical pesticides, and provided comprehensive and accurate results. The image obtained from the characteristic mass spectrometric signature of CBZ at m/z 191 illustrated that most of the CBZ could not enter the carrot tubers directly, but a small amount of CBZ entered the carrot root and was mainly concentrated in the central xylem. The results suggest that the proposed method could potentially be used in pesticide analysis. Full article
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11 pages, 2617 KiB  
Article
Method Development and Validation of a Rapid Silica Plate-Based Smartphone-Assisted Device in the Detection of Iron in Water
by Bame Sanah Senna, Wellington Masamba and Veronica Obuseng
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 3651; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093651 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 639
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is a micronutrient that can be toxic at elevated concentrations, prompting its significance in frequent environmental monitoring. Typically analyzed using methods such as FAAS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS, the challenge of expensive instrumentation operated only in the laboratory presents a barrier for [...] Read more.
Iron (Fe) is a micronutrient that can be toxic at elevated concentrations, prompting its significance in frequent environmental monitoring. Typically analyzed using methods such as FAAS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS, the challenge of expensive instrumentation operated only in the laboratory presents a barrier for rapid and frequent testing. This study aimed to develop a silica-based smartphone-assisted on-site method for rapid detection of Fe in water using ImageJ software. Suitable conditions, including reagents and a color intensity measurement tool, were optimized for this method. Figures of merit such as detection limit, accuracy and precision were determined. The results showed that adding polyacrylic acid to detection points for silica worsened the results, in contrast to results for paper devices. It was also found that, on ImageJ, it is best to use an integrated density tool to measure color intensity, contrary to the previously reported mean gray tool. Results showed a limit of detection of 0.2 ng, a limit of quantification of 0.6 ng, a linear range of 0.6 ng to 4.5 ng and RSD of <20%. This method is therefore an alternative in field pre-testing and screening. Future studies include application of this method in the field with real samples and in the analysis of other metals. Full article
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