Research Publications (Food Safety)

This research was conducted in Jableh city in the Latakia Governorate during 2019–2020 to study the level of pollution of the soils and plants of some greenhouses in Jableh city with the elements cadmium and nickel. Several greenhouses were randomly distributed in different areas in Jableh city based on the period of their investment (5, 10, 20, and 25 years), as the investment period was considered the variable factor between greenhouses.

The effect of environmental pollutants on living organisms can be assessed by studying the changes in the indigenous microbial community. Therefore, in this study, cultivatable bacterial community in nonpolluted as well as household sewage and industrially polluted water of Lai Nullah flowing through Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan was analyzed.

The challenges associated with the global phosphorus (P) cycle are complex and multifaceted, from geological resource limitation, to P deficiency on arable farmland, to environmental contamination via excess P fertilization. Although no single solution can address all of the challenges associated with the P cycle, the principle of circularity provides a framework toward a more sustainable and food-secure P system.

Nanoparticles with high reactivity can be applied as amendments to remediate soil metal contaminations by immobilizing toxic elements. Nano-oxides of Fe have been studied but Al and Ti nano-oxides have not been tested for their remediation capacity of toxic metals.

Combined papermill biosolids (PB) and forest-derived alkaline by-products are known for their direct benefits to agricultural crops, but their residual effects after several years of application have received little attention.

This paper highlights major activities and achievements in soil science by professors at the University of Alberta (U of A), which provide incredible benefits to society, provincially, nationally, and globally. Evolution of the soils profession in Alberta commenced in 1919 with the hiring of F.A. Wyatt, who developed the Department of Soil Science (DSS) and initiated a soil survey program in Alberta. J.D.

Mine tailings are a potential source of heavy metals (HM) that can be toxic to microbes, plants, and animals in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Bacteria have evolved several mechanisms to tolerate the uptake of HM ions.

Microbial research for maintaining soil productivity, health, and environment as well as for ecosystem function has been one of the main research focuses in the Department of Renewable Resources (formerly Department of Soil Science) during the last 100 yr. In recent years, microbial research has been expanded to effectively reclaim disturbed land, remediate contaminated sites, and manage soft sediments such as huge volumes of oil sands tailings.

Metal-contaminated soils present a great threat to natural ecosystems and human health. Remediation studies focusing on metal-polluted soils with high organic matter (OM > 20%) are limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of biochar, compost, diammonium phosphate (DAP), and iron oxides (Fe-O), in immobilizing metals from an OM-rich boreal forest soil contaminated with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn).