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The design of an agricultural machine or equipment can be considered of great complexity, due to the interactions between the operator, the machine, the product and the environment. There is a lack of available technologies for collecting fruit in bulk cargo at any time from transport to industries. A limiting factor is the loading of fruits that are at the base of the cargo. This study was carried out to develop a detailed design of a bulk cargo fruit sampler that can collect fruits in any position of the x, y and z axes. A methodology was applied and adapted to execute the design. This methodology was divided into the following stages: design planning, informational design, conceptual design, preliminary design and detailed design. The variant considered the most appropriate was selected for the preliminary design and detailed design. The concepts were divided into chassis or support, sample collector and support for sample removal. The removal of fruits was carried out to maintain as much of their interaction with the environment outside the collector as possible. With the conclusion of the detailed design, it was possible to file, at the National Institute of Industrial Property, the patent for the collector of fruit samples in bulk cargo. Results obtained from fruits in the collector were used in doctoral theses.

An electroanalytical platform capable to take and dilute the sample has been designed in order to fully integrate the different steps of the analytical process in only one device. The concept is based on the addition of glass-fiber pads for sampling and diluting to an electrochemical cell combining a paper-based working electrode with low-cost connector headers as counter and reference electrodes. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of this all-in-one platform for biosensing applications, an enzymatic sensor for glucose determination (requiring a potential as low as −0.1 V vs. gold-plated wire by using ferrocyanide as mediator) was developed. Real food samples, such as cola beverages and orange juice, have been analyzed with the bioelectroanalytical lab-on-paper platform. As a proof-of-concept, and trying to go further in the integration of steps, sucrose was successfully detected by depositing invertase in the sampling strip. This enzyme hydrolyzes sucrose into fructose and glucose, which was determined using the enzymatic biosensor. This approach opens the pathway for the development of devices applying the lab-on-paper concept, saving costs and time, and making possible to perform decentralized analysis with high accuracy. Graphical abstract

Agriculture activities in coastal catchments often contribute pollutant runoff such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and trace metals to estuarine environments. Here, we determine the historical impacts from agricultural expansion using sediment samples from an estuary and a coastal wetland downstream from intensive historical banana, and now, blueberry plantations (Hearnes Lake estuary, NSW, Australia). The three 210 Pb dated sediment cores and surface sediment samples analyzed in this study revealed that trace metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr) and N fluxes recently increased as a result of increasing sedimentation rates. Several moderate localized enrichments were observed in recent sediment layers. Most importantly, we found a clear link between the sediment P profile and recent blueberry cultivation. P enrichment increased by 9-fold and sediment fluxes by over 40-fold (up to 12.6 mg m⁻² year⁻¹) during the expansion of blueberry cultivation within the catchment since 2002. The trapping of sediments enriched in P by the wetlands provided a good chronology of agricultural practices in the region. With a global and regional increase in estuarine eutrophication, this study further demonstrates the importance of agricultural sources and the role coastal wetlands play in sequestering P from runoff.

The municipality of Limoeiro do Norte-Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil, stands out as a major center of agribusiness due to the high productivity indexes, especially in the irrigated fruit production, with a high consumption of pesticides, including glyphosate, considered potentially carcinogenic by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In this context, the aim of this study is to evaluate the atmospheric pollution caused by the use of glyphosate herbicide in the rural and urban zones of the municipality of Limoeiro do Norte, evaluating the impacts on the environment and health of the population. Samplings were performed over a period of 4 months using calibrated air samplers. Concentrations of TSP and glyphosate were estimated by gravimetric and liquid chromatography methods, respectively. The results showed TSP levels between 10.8 and 137.4 μg/m 3 (mean of 41.1 μg/m 3 ) in rural zone and between 3.87 and 97.7 μg/m 3 (average of 38.1 μg/m 3 ) in the urban zone. The glyphosate associated with TSP in the rural zone presented levels between 0.002 and 0.144 μg/m 3 (mean of 0.055 μg/m 3 ) and the atmospheric TSP (gas phase) showed levels between 0.313 and 2.939 μg/m 3 (average of 1.218 μg/m 3 ). The glyphosate associated with TSP in the urban zone ranged from 0.009 to 2.576 μg/m 3 (mean of 1.006 μg/m 3 ). These values can be considered high and dangerous to human health and to the environment.

Background: Air pollution effects on children's neurodevelopment have recently been suggested to occur most likely through the oxidative stress pathway. Objective: We aimed to assess whether prenatal exposure to residential air pollution is associated with impaired infant mental development, and whether antioxidant/detoxification factors modulate this association. Methods: In the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA; Environment and Childhood) Project, 2,644 pregnant women were recruited during their first trimester. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and benzene were measured with passive samplers covering the study areas. Land use regression models were developed for each pollutant to predict average outdoor air pollution levels for the entire pregnancy at each residential address. Maternal diet was obtained at first trimester through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Around 14 months, infant mental development was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Results: Among the 1,889 children included in the analysis, mean exposure during pregnancy was 29.0 µg/m³ for NO₂ and 1.5 ug/m³ for benzene. Exposure to NO₂ and benzene showed an inverse association with mental development, although not statistically significant, after adjusting for potential confbunders [β (95% confidence interval) = -0.95 (-3.90, 1.89) and -1.57 (-3.69, 0.56), respectively, for a doubting of each compound]. Stronger inverse associations were estimated for both pollutants among infants whose mothers reported low intakes of fruits/vegetables during pregnancy [-4.13 (-7.06, -1.21) and -4.37 (-6.89, -1.86) for NO₂ and benzene, respectively], with little evidence of associations in the high-intake group (interaction p-values of 0.073 and 0.047). Inverse associations were also stronger in non-breast-fed infants and infants with low maternal vitamin D, but effect estimates and interactions were not significant. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to residential air pollutants may adversely affect infant mental development, but potential effects may be limited to infants whose mothers report low antioxidant intakes.

Summary The bacterium Xanthomonas fragariae is the causative agent of angular leaf spot (ALS) of strawberry, a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest in Europe (EPPO A2) for plant propagation material. Field experiments were conducted to explore if X. fragariae is dispersed through the air during trimming ALS-diseased strawberry plants with dry or wetted leaves. Trimming the leaves led to dissemination of leaf fragments to the nearby surroundings. A sharp decrease in the amount of leaf fragments within the first 5 m distance downwind from the strawberry plants was found. Furthermore, air quality monitors demonstrated that during trimming 0.5 – 10 μm sized particles were ejected into the air, resulting in short periods with increased particle densities 45 cm above ground level, which could be detected at least 50 m downwind. At this height X. fragariae was detected by means of air samplers, as evidenced with a combination of dilution-plating and TaqMan assays, at 25 m distance downwind from ALS-diseased plants. A sharp decrease in the density of X. fragariae colony forming units (cfu) within the first 10 m distance from the source plants was found. The densities of X. fragariae cfu were strongly associated with the particle densities. Results indicate that during trimming leaves of strawberry propagation crops with ALS-diseased plants there is a considerable risk of deposition of airborne X. fragariae inoculum on nearby nursery beds. Whether this airborne inoculum can result in infections is discussed.

Tannery wastewater is a significant cause of chromium (Cr) contamination in land and water. This study assessed Cr contamination caused by the discharge of tannery wastewater in the Dhaleshwari River and identified possible native plants for phytoremediation of Cr. Water, soil and sediments samples were collected from upstream and downstream of the wastewater discharge channel of Savar tannery industrial estate situated on the bank of the river. Samples of root, stem, leaf and fruit of four selected plants (i.e., Eichhornia crassipes, Xanthium strumarium L., Cynodon dactylon, Croton bonplandianum Baill.) were also collected from those sampling points. The total Cr in acid digested samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. High concentrations of Cr were detected in the water, soil and sediment samples collected near the wastewater discharge channel. Of all the plant species, Xanthium strumarium L. exhibited high translocation factors (TF) and bioconcentration factors (BCF) for Cr. Based on the findings of this study Xanthium strumarium L. is preferable as a native species for phytoremediation of Cr.

Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. The hydrocarbons in petroleum encompass a large number of toxicants such as BTEX, which are frequently discharged into water bodies during spillage. In terms of scope, this study assessed for the first time BTEX levels in surface water, sediment, and biota of the Ubeji Creek. Environmental samples were collected at designated sampling locations along the Ubeji Creek quarterly for 2 years. Water quality was determined in situ, while BTEX levels in water, sediment, and biota were assessed in the laboratory using GC-FID. The physico-chemical characteristics of water were within the acceptable WHO limits with the exception of DO of 3.01 ± 0.25 mg/L. Organic pollution load could have contributed to the depression of DO level below the limit. BTEX of 5.57 ± 0.62 mg/kg in sediment samples was higher than the level in control sample. The BTEX levels in fish, shrimps, pawpaw fruit, pineapple tissue, bitter leaf, and cassava were 0.37 ± 0.05, 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.56 ± 0.02, 1.35 ± 0.04, 0.46 ± 0.06, and 0.22 ± 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Accumulation of BTEX in this biota can affect their nutritive quality and consequently pose threat to humans who daily consume them.

Airblast sprayers remain the dominant pesticide delivery system in California citrus; however, mechanistic characterization of spray transport and off-target fate under realistic field-scale atmospheric variability remains limited. Regulatory airblast drift assessments in the United States (U.S.) currently rely on a sparse, dormant-apple canopy representation, despite substantial structural differences from foliated citrus canopies that may influence drift behavior. To address this gap, this study quantified airblast spray drift in a commercial citrus orchard across multiple downwind distances under varied daytime meteorological conditions and evaluated the influence of distance and weather variables on measured drift. Airborne and sedimentation drift were measured from a conventional axial-fan airblast sprayer operating at 10.3 bar, 5.1 km·h−1, and 935 L·ha−1 in a 4.0 m tall mandarin (Citrus reticulata) orchard using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 22866-aligned protocol. Drift collectors (n = 2688), including flat cards, artificial foliage, and horizontal and vertical string samplers, were deployed from 33 m upwind to 183 m downwind of the orchard edge. Airborne drift measurements showed no significant vertical stratification or near-field decay between 8 m and 23 m downwind (p > 0.05), indicating rapid plume homogenization following canopy exit. In contrast, sedimentation drift declined sharply within 30 m and attenuated logarithmically with distance, governed by progressive droplet depletion and plume dilution. Estimated drift cessation distances were 127.5 m for artificial foliage and 182.1 m for horizontal string samplers. Drift magnitude varied significantly among trials (p < 0.05), reflecting sensitivity to meteorological variability. Multiple linear regression identified wind direction, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure as significant predictors of downwind deposition (p < 0.05), whereas air temperature and relative humidity primarily influenced drift through evaporative control of droplet lifetime. Collectively, these results demonstrate that spray drift from foliated citrus canopies is substantially attenuated relative to dormant-canopy scenarios. Although not intended to define regulatory buffer distances, the high-resolution dataset generated provides mechanistically interpretable parameterization inputs for next-generation airblast drift models, supporting improved representation of canopy interactions, plume evolution, and meteorological modulation in regulatory exposure assessments.

A qPCR-based method was developed to detect and quantify Podosphaera pannosa, the main causal agent of peach powdery mildew. A primer pair was designed to target part of the ITS region of the fungal ribosomal DNA, which proved to be highly specific and sensitive. A minimum of 2.81 pg µL− 1 of P. pannosa DNA and 6 conidia mL− 1 in artificially-prepared conidia suspensions were found to be the limit of detection. Moreover, a quantification of conidia placed on plastic tapes commonly used in volumetric air samplers was performed. Regression equations on conidia quantification obtained either from aqueous conidia suspensions or conidia placed on plastic tapes were similar. The protocol was further validated in field conditions by estimating the number of P. pannosa conidia obtained with an air sampler, by both microscopic and molecular quantification. Both techniques detected the peaks of conidia production during a 4-month sampling period, and a significant correlation (r = 0.772) was observed between both quantification methods. Additionally, the molecular method was applied to detect latent fungal inoculum in different plant parts of peach trees. The pathogen was detected mainly on the bark of affected twigs, and to a lesser extent, in foliar buds. The method developed here can be applied in the study of P. pannosa epidemiology and can help in improving the management of this pathogen through its early detection and quantification.