Search Results (2,263)

Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on surfaces that come into contact with food create ongoing challenges in produce-processing environments, highlighting the necessity for effective surface sanitation. This research examined the effectiveness of chlorine (200 ppm), quaternary ammonium compound (QAC, 400 ppm), and UV-C light (0.85 J/cm²) against L. monocytogenes biofilms developed on stainless steel, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and silicone rubber materials frequently used in apple packing settings. Biofilms were cultivated using a mixture of LCDC and V7 strains in diluted apple juice and evaluated after 1 and 7 days of growth. The type of surface material and the age of the biofilm had a significant impact on the performance of the sanitizing agents (p < 0.05). Chlorine achieved a reduction of 2.84 ± 0.06 log CFU/coupon on 1-day-old biofilms on stainless steel, although its effectiveness dropped to 1.90 ± 0.07 log CFU/coupon on biofilms aged 7 days. Similar trends were noted for QAC (2.42 ± 0.05 to 1.73 ± 0.06 log CFU/coupon) and UV-C (2.71 ± 0.05 to 1.57 ± 0.08 log CFU/coupon) over time. PET and silicone rubber consistently exhibited lower log reductions than stainless steel for all treatments. The presence of organic matter from apple juice reduced the efficacy of sanitizers on all surfaces. These results emphasize the significant role of surface material, biofilm age, and organic load on sanitation effectiveness, offering practical recommendations for enhancing the control of L. monocytogenes in produce-processing facilities. Full article

The study investigates the presence of emerging contaminants in a river within a watershed located in the Brazilian semiarid region, specifically within the Caatinga biome, emphasizing the importance of environmental monitoring in areas that have historically been underrepresented in scientific research. The analysis focused on the associations between microplastics and pharmaceutical compounds, demonstrating that the discharge of untreated domestic effluents and the low efficiency of sanitation systems increase water resource contamination and threaten water security. The interdependence between these variables underscores the need for integrated public policies for waste management, complemented by environmental education strategies and technological innovations. The work makes an unprecedented contribution to expanding knowledge about emerging pollutants in semiarid environments, highlighting the urgency of holistic approaches, continuous monitoring, and strengthening environmental governance to ensure the sustainability and resilience of ecosystems like the Caatinga in the face of the challenges posed by global environmental change, urban growth, and those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

This comprehensive review synthesizes current advances and persistent challenges in integrating worker safety and food safety through human-robot collaboration (HRC) in poultry processing. Rapid industry expansion and rising consumer demand for ready-to-eat poultry products have heightened occupational risks and foodborne contamination concerns, necessitating holistic safety strategies. The review examines ergonomic, microbiological, and regulatory risks specific to poultry lines, and maps how state-of-the-art collaborative robots (“cobots”)—including power and force-limiting arms, adaptive soft grippers, machine vision, and biosensor integration—can support safer, more hygienic, and more productive operations. The authors analyze technical scientific literature (2018–2025) and real-world case studies, highlighting how automation (e.g., vision-guided deboning and intelligent sanitation) can reduce repetitive strain injuries, lower contamination rates, and improve production consistency. The review also addresses the psychological and sociocultural dimensions that affect workforce acceptance, as well as economic and regulatory barriers to adoption, particularly in small- and mid-sized plants. Key research gaps include gripper adaptability, validation of food safety outcomes in mixed human-cobot workflows, and the need for deeper workforce retraining and feedback mechanisms. The authors propose a multidisciplinary roadmap: harmonizing ergonomic, safety, and hygiene standards; developing adaptive food-grade robotic end-effectors; fostering explainable AI for process transparency; and advancing workforce education programs. Ultimately, successful HRC deployment in poultry processing will depend on continuous collaboration among industry, researchers, and regulatory authorities to ensure both safety and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global food system. Full article

The containment of misinformation diffusion on social media is a critical challenge in computational social science. However, prevailing intervention strategies predominantly rely on static topological metrics or time-agnostic learning models, thereby overlooking the profound impact of temporal–demographic heterogeneity. This oversight frequently results in a “spatio-temporal mismatch”, where limited intervention resources are misallocated to structurally central but temporarily inactive nodes, particularly during non-stationary propagation bursts driven by exogenous triggers. To bridge this gap, we propose a Spatio-Temporal Deep Reinforcement Learning (ST-DRL) framework for proactive misinformation defense. By seamlessly integrating continuous trigonometric time encoding with demographic-aware Graph Attention Networks, our model explicitly captures the coupling dynamics between group-specific circadian rhythms and event-driven transmission surges. Extensive simulations on heterogeneous networks demonstrate that ST-DRL achieves a Peak Prevalence Reduction of 93.2%, significantly outperforming static heuristics and approaching the theoretical upper bound of oracle-assisted baselines. Crucially, interpretability analysis reveals that the agent autonomously evolves a “Preemptive Strike” strategy—prioritizing the sanitization of high-risk bridge nodes, such as bots, prior to event onsets—thus establishing a new paradigm for predictive rather than reactive network governance. Full article

Composting represents a sustainable and effective strategy for converting organic waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments, providing a safer alternative to raw manure, which poses significant risks of soil, crop, and water contamination through pathogenic microorganisms. This study, conducted under semi-arid Moroccan conditions, investigated the efficiency of co-composting green garden waste with sheep manure in an open window system, with the objective of assessing pathogen inactivation and evaluating compost quality. The process, conducted over 120 days, maintained thermophilic temperatures exceeding 55 °C, effectively reducing key pathogens including Escherichia coli, total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and sulfite-reducing Clostridia (SRC), while Salmonella was not detected throughout the composting period. Pathogen reductions exceeded 3.52-log despite moderate temperature fluctuations, indicating that additional sanitization mechanisms beyond heat contributed to inactivation. Compost quality, assessed using the CQI, classified Heap 2 (fallen leaves + sheep manure) as good quality (4.06) and Heap 1 (green waste + sheep manure) as moderate quality (2.47), corresponding to differences in microbial dynamics and compost stability. These findings demonstrate that open windrow co-composting is a practical, low-cost, and effective method for safe organic waste management. It supports sustainable agriculture by improving soil health, minimizing environmental and public health risks, and providing guidance for optimizing composting protocols to meet regulatory safety standards. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of different UV-C radiation doses combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the conservation of minimally processed grated anco squash. The squash, obtained from producers in Santiago del Estero (Argentina), was washed, sanitized, cut, peeled, grated, and centrifuged. It was then subjected to UV-C treatments of 5 kJ/m² (T5), 15 kJ/m² (T15), 30 kJ/m² (T30), and 50 kJ/m² (T50). An immersion treatment with NaClO (100 ppm, 3 min) (TH) and an untreated control (TC) were also included. All samples were packaged in PVC trays and sealed with 35 μm polypropylene film, forming a passive MAP. Treatments T5 and T15 preserved acceptable sensory quality for up to 8 days, and no significant differences in color parameters were observed among treatments during storage. Overall, PC decreased by 12–20% and C by 15–37%, while AC increased by 15–40% after 8 days. Treatments T15, T30, and T50 effectively reduced psychrophilic microorganisms for up to 4 days, achieving reductions of 1–2 log compared to TH and TC (6 log CFU/g). By day 8, all treatments reached the microbial limit. In conclusion, the T15 treatment was the most suitable for preserving grated anco squash for up to 4 days at 5 °C, offering a potential alternative to sodium hypochlorite–based sanitization. Full article

The Citarum River Basin (DAS Citarum) in Indonesia faces significant challenges in waste management, necessitating a circular economy-based approach to reduce land-based pollution, which is critical for achieving the sustainability goals of the blue economy in the basin. This study addresses the complexity and inherent uncertainty in decision-making processes related to this challenge by developing a novel hybrid model, namely the Weighted Fuzzy N-Soft Set combined with the COmbinative Distance-based Assessment (CODAS) method. The model synergistically integrates the weighted 10R strategies in the circular economy, obtained via the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the capability of Fuzzy N-Soft Sets to represent uncertainty granularly, and the robust ranking mechanism of CODAS. Applied to a case study covering 16 types of waste in the Citarum River Basin, the model effectively processes expert assessments that are ambiguous regarding the 10R criteria. The results indicate that single-use plastics, particularly plastic bags (HDPE), styrofoam, transparent plastic sheets (PP), and plastic cups (PP), are the top priorities for intervention, in line with the high AHP weights for upstream strategies such as Refuse (0.2664) and Rethink (0.2361). Comparative analysis with alternative models, namely Fuzzy N-Soft Set-CODAS, Weighted Fuzzy N-Soft Set with row-column sum ranking, and Weighted Fuzzy N-Soft Set-TOPSIS, confirms the superiority of the proposed hybrid model in producing ecologically rational priorities, free from purely economic value biases. Further sensitivity analysis shows that the model remains highly robust across various weighting scenarios. This study concludes that the WFN-SS-CODAS framework provides a rigorous, data-driven, and reliable decision support tool for translating circular economy principles into actionable waste management priorities, directly supporting the restoration and sustainability goals of the blue economy in river basins. The findings suggest that targeting the high-priority waste types identified by the model addresses the dominant fraction of riverine pollution, indicating the potential for significant waste volume reduction. This research was conducted to directly contribute to achieving multiple targets under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Full article

The presented study aims to experimentally investigate the potential of flash sanitation (short time exposure to hot air stream) for wheat seeds to control surface contamination and protect against fungal diseases. Experiments were conducted at the laboratory scale using very short residence times (2–4 s) and higher temperature range (150–350 °C) of dry air stream at two different flow rates (280 L/min and 557 L/min). The goal was to identify thermal conditions that provide high sanitation efficiency while maintaining seed viability. A design of the experiment approach, employing central-composite design and face-centred response surface methodology, was used to evaluate the effects of the thermal treatment on seed surface temperature, sanitation efficiency, and germination capabilities. Higher air flow rate (557 L/min) significantly increased post-treatment seed surface temperatures (42.1–122.7 °C) compared to the flow rate of 280 L/min (36.7–80.5 °C). Pronounced germination drops were observed with air temperatures above 175 °C. Satisfactory sanitation efficiency >90% was achieved only with high-temperature air >250 °C, which, however, caused unacceptable germination loss. Extending residence time beyond the experimental plan is unlikely to yield significant benefits, as the factor was identified as weak and insignificant compared to temperature. Higher flow rates improve heat transfer but require strict control to prevent variability affecting seed quality. The heating media flow rate should be considered an essential factor in thermal treatment studies. Dry air has not proven to be appropriate for seeds’ flash sanitation within the selected experimental condition framework. Full article

Brazil possesses a large bioenergy resource, embedded in agro-industrial, livestock, and urban residues; this study quantifies its technical magnitude and associated energy value. An assessment was conducted by substrate, combining official statistics with literature-based yields and recovery factors. Biogas volumes were converted into biomethane using representative upgrading efficiencies, and thermal and electrical equivalents were derived from standard lower heating values and conversion efficiencies. Uncertainty bounds reflect the variability of feedstock yields and process performance. The national technical potential is estimated at roughly 80–85 billion Nm³/year of biogas, corresponding to ~43–45 billion Nm³/year of biomethane and around 168–174 TWh/year of electricity. Contributions are led by the sugar–energy complex (~one-third), followed by livestock and other agro-industrial residues (~one-third), while urban sanitation supplies ~8–10%. Potentials are concentrated in the Southeast, Center-West, and South, and current production represents only ~2–3% of the assessed potential. The findings indicate that realizing this potential requires targeted measure standardization for grid injection, support for pretreatment and co-digestion, access to credit, and alignment with instruments such as RenovaBio and “Metano Zero” to unlock significant methane-mitigation, air-quality, and decentralized energy-security benefits. Full article

Arsenic contamination demands innovative, sustainable remediation. This study presents a fuzzy approach for synthesizing a magnetic biochar nanocomposite from pecan shell agricultural waste for efficient arsenic removal. Using a Multi-Input Fuzzy Rules Emulated Network (MiFREN), a systematic investigation of the synthesis process revealed that precursor type (biochar), Fe:precursor ratio (1:1), and iron salt type were the most significant parameters governing material crystallinity and adsorption performance, while particle size and N₂ atmosphere had a minimal effect. The MiFREN-identified optimal material, the magnetic biochar composite (FS7), achieved > 90% arsenic removal, outperforming the least efficient sample by 50.61%. Kinetic analysis confirmed chemisorption on a heterogeneous surface (q_e = 12.74 mg/g). Regeneration studies using 0.1 M NaOH demonstrated high stability, with FS7 retaining > 70% removal capacity over six cycles. Desorption occurs via ion exchange and electrostatic repulsion, with post-use analysis confirming structural integrity and resistance to oxidation. Application to real groundwater from the La Laguna region proved highly effective; FS7 maintained selectivity despite competing ions like ${Na}^{+}$, ${Cl}^{-},$ and ${SO}_4^{2-}$. By integrating AI-driven optimization with reusability and real contaminated water, this research establishes a scalable framework for transforming agricultural waste into a high-performance adsorbent, supporting global Clean Water and Sanitation goals. Full article

We assessed the prevalence of three helminthic zoonoses—echinococcosis, fasciolosis and the taeniosis/cysticercosis complex—among residents of the Chucuito Health Network (Puno Health Region, Peru) over four years (2018–2021). Sera (n = 910) were analysed by ELISA to detect pathogen-specific antibodies, following national protocols. Echinococcosis predominated, whereas fasciolosis and taeniosis/cysticercosis occurred at comparatively low levels. Prevalence ranged from 4.4–9.2% for echinococcosis, 1.1–4.9% for fasciolosis, and 1.1–2.7% for taeniosis/cysticercosis across the four years. Prevalence varied significantly between years, with a notable upsurge in echinococcosis in 2021. These findings underscore the need for integrated control and prevention measures grounded in a One Health framework that recognises the interconnections between human, animal and environmental health. Priority actions include strengthened health education programmes, improved hygiene and sanitation practices, and enhanced rural health infrastructure, alongside coordinated epidemiological surveillance and environmental management. Such measures are essential to mitigate the burden of zoonotic disease in vulnerable high-Andean communities. Full article

Foodborne diseases remain a major global challenge because pathogenic microorganisms persist in food systems, often protected by biofilms and increasing resistance to conventional chemical preservatives and sanitizers. Control strategies that were effective in the past are becoming less reliable in complex processing environments, creating a need for more precise and adaptable food-safety approaches. This review examines emerging technologies that shift food safety from broad, reactive control toward targeted, data-driven intervention. Biological tools, including bacteriophages, phage-derived enzymes, bacteriocins, quorum-sensing inhibitors, and gene-guided antimicrobial systems, are discussed for their capacity to selectively control specific pathogens while limiting unintended effects on beneficial microbiota. The review also addresses nano-enabled strategies that improve antimicrobial stability, delivery, and performance, along with plant-derived and microbial bioactive compounds that support clean-label and sustainable preservation. In parallel, advances in anti-biofilm surface engineering, such as nano-textured, contact-active, and responsive materials, are examined as preventive measures to reduce microbial attachment and persistence on food-contact surfaces. Beyond individual interventions, this review emphasizes integration within coordinated multi-hurdle systems supported by real-time monitoring and predictive analytics. Emerging digital frameworks, including digital twins of food-processing lines, are highlighted as tools to link detection, risk prediction, and targeted control. Finally, remaining knowledge gaps, regulatory challenges, and research priorities are identified, highlighting the need for realistic testing, long-term safety evaluation, standardized validation, and collaborative efforts to translate precision food-safety technologies into dependable real-world applications. Full article

Salmonella is a globally prevalent and diverse group of pathogenic bacteria that reside in food animals, such as swine. They possess transmissible antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence factors, causing outbreaks with varying disease outcomes. This study identified and characterized 110 Salmonella enterica isolates from swine meat in abattoirs and wet markets of Metro Manila, Philippines. Thirteen different S. enterica serovars were identified using the Check & Trace microarray platform. The most prevalent were Rissen, Typhimurium 1, 4, [5], 12:i:-, Anatum, and Derby. This study is also the first to report serovar Soerenga in the Philippines and Asia. A high prevalence of virulence genes was observed, namely, hilA (75.45%), avrA (73.64%), mgtC (72.73%), pipB (66.36%), sseC (58.18%), and spi4R (53.64%), with no plasmid-borne spvC and spvR. A high prevalence of bla_TEM (44.55%) was also observed, consistent with the phenotypic AMR profiles. Additionally, 14.81% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. Statistical associations and predictions were also found among virulence genes, serovars, and location types, which highlight implications of Salmonella contamination and serovar variations. These findings suggest the need for continuous surveillance of Salmonella, especially for emerging or rare serovars, the deeper investigation of virulence and AMR mechanisms, and improved regulation and sanitation throughout food animal industries. Full article

Dermatomycoses pose significant zoonotic and public health challenges, involving interactions among fungal agents, host immunity, and environmental reservoirs. Eight cases of dermatophyte infection involving five humans, two cats and one dog were investigated in the Umbria region applying a One-Health approach, as recommended by the CDC. Fungal isolates were identified by mycological and molecular methods as Microsporum canis (n = 4), Nannizzia gypsea (n = 3), and Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes genotype III* (n = 1). The source of infection was identified in four cases enabling the implementation of appropriate treatment, removal of fomites, and environmental sanitization; as a result, no recurrences were observed. In the remaining cases, environmental assessments showed no fungal burden, indicating likely incidental transmission. Close cohabitation or contact with cats emerged as a risk factor. The patient’s medical history should always include exposure to animals in order to facilitate early recognition, correct management, and prevention. Interdisciplinary collaboration among dermatologists, veterinarians, and laboratory technicians is essential to optimize therapeutic outcomes and to prevent potential antifungal resistance phenomena. Moreover, continuous surveillance under a One-Health framework will enable better epidemiological understanding of dermatophyte species dynamics, particularly zoonotic agents. Full article

Concentrated wastewater streams, like vacuum blackwater (VBW), pose significant management challenges due to their high organic strength and pathogen loads. This review evaluates an integrated biorefinery model employing sequential black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) bioconversion and thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) as a circular solution for effective VBW management. The BSFL pretreatment facilitates bio-stabilization, mitigates ammonia inhibition via nitrogen assimilation, and initiates contaminant degradation. However, this stage alone does not achieve complete hygienization, as it fails to inactivate resilient pathogens, including helminth eggs and spore-forming bacteria, thus precluding the safe direct use of frass as fertilizer. By directing the frass into TAD, the system addresses this limitation while enhancing bioenergy recovery: the frass serves as an optimized, nutrient-balanced substrate that increases biomethane yields, while the sustained thermophilic conditions ensure comprehensive pathogen destruction, resulting in the generation of a sterile digestate. Additionally, the harvested larval biomass offers significant valorization flexibility, making it suitable for use as high-protein animal feed or for conversion into biodiesel through lipid transesterification or co-digestion in TAD to yield high biomethane. Consequently, the BSFL-TAD synergy enables net-positive bioenergy production, achieves significant greenhouse gas mitigation, and co-generates digestate as sanitized organic biofertilizer. This cascading approach transforms hazardous waste into multiple renewable resources, advancing both process sustainability and economic viability within a circular bioeconomy framework. Full article