E-consulting of Small and Medium Agribusiness Enterprises: The case of eEurope Godigital application into the Peloponnese Region

This study describes the design and development of a web-based electronic training system aiming at business operations of small and medium-sized agribusiness enterprises (SMAEs). The proposed system will meet current and future needs of SMAEs for timely, accurate, and customised training removing the barriers of geographical solitude and economies of scale. The objectives of this system are: (a) to offer training and consultancy to SMAEs on how to use information and communication technologies as business tools in order to improve their operations and gain competitive advantage (b) to provide education material customised to the special needs of each SMAE, (c) to provide on-line training, advice and consultancy using special-trained operators, and (d) to provide on-line training, advice and consultancy by skilled operators who have been trained to offer those services. ETS will be an Internet-based system. The system will operate as a third-party trusted intermediate between SMAEs, consultants, and content providers. The system design will be extended to cover the needs of the programme "Training support for Go-Digital Project" funded by Greek Ministry of Development which aims to offer training and support in the usage of Internet services to 50.000 SMEs

Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from aquaculture farms in central macedonia region, greece, using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method

A new sensitive and selective gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of 26 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including 16 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 15 + 1 European Union (EU) PAHs, in mussel samples from aquaculture farms in Thermaikos and Strymonian Gulf, Central Macedonia Region, in three sampling periods. Concentrations were found at moderate to low values at all sampling sites, without exceeding maximum levels set by EU. Low molecular weight PAHs were predominant in all samples. Seasonal variation of the concentrations was observed; values were slightly higher in the winter period. Use of diagnostic ratios for potential sources of PAHs showed both petrogenic and pyrolitic origin. In comparison to other related studies of mussels from the Mediterranean Sea, Greek mussels cultivated in the studied gulfs are low in contaminants due to minimal environmental pollution effects. Low concentrations of PAHs are in compliance with the low values of other POPs which were found in the mussels. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace elements dietary intake in inhabitants of Athens, Greece, based on a duplicate portion study

Concentration levels of 26 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 20 trace elements were measured in dietary samples, in order to estimate the dietary intake and the potential exposure risk of the Greek population. Dietary samples were collected with the help of 30 volunteers inhabitants of Athens, Greece, according to the duplicate portion study (DPS) method where the determination of the compounds is conducted in the final consumed meal. DPS was selected as an alternative to a total diet study for its feasibility, low cost and realistic image that it provides. PAHs determination was performed by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and trace elements determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The estimated mean daily dietary exposure on 26 PAHs for an adult was estimated at 101.47 ng kg−1 body weight day−1, while moderate to low exposure was related to the type and amount of food consumed. Exposure levels to PAHs do not indicate a possible risk for the health of the study group. For toxic, potentially essential and/or essential trace elements the daily exposure calculated for Greek population was in accordance with the reference values of the health-based guidances and compared to previous diet studies reported for the population of other countries was in general similar to the lower bound exposure. © 2022 Elsevier Lt

Levels and Distribution of PCBs and Organochlorine Pesticides in the Air, Pine Needles, and Human Milk

U ovome preglednom radu prikazani su rezultati dobiveni diljem svijeta o raspodjeli i razinama 20 kongenera poliklorbifenila (PCB) i 7 organoklorovih pesticida (OCP) u uzorcima zraka, majčina mlijeka i borovih iglica. Istraživanja prisutnosti navedenih spojeva u tim uzorcima dugi niz godina provode se i u Institutu za medicinska istraživanja i medicinu rada te su u ovome preglednom radu sažeti i ti rezultati. Vidljivo je da su se koncentracije organoklorovih spojeva značajno snizile nakon zakonske zabrane njihove upotrebe, no to se snižavanje usporilo i oni se još nalaze u svim uzorcima. Općenito, više razine PCB-a nađene su u uzorcima s urbanog područja, razine pesticida više u onima gdje je vjerojatno u prošlosti postojala njihova primjena u poljoprivredi, dok je razina HCB-a obično pokazatelj industrijske aktivnosti. γ-HCH određen je u najvišoj koncentraciji u uzorcima zraka i borovih iglica, dok su u ljudima najzastupljeniji DDE i β-HCH. Indikatorski kongeneri PCB-a također su različito zastupljeni u okolišu i ljudima te su tako u zraku i borovim iglicama više koncentracije hlapljivijih nižekloriranih PCB-a, a u ljudima postojanijih višekloriranih PCB-a. Od toksičnih ortho-supstituiranih kongenera PCB-a i u uzorcima ljudi i okoliša najzastupljeniji je PCB-118, dok su najrjeđe detektirana tri najtoksičnija ne-ortho-supstituirana kongenera: PCB-77, PCB-126 i PCB-169. Od organoklorovih pesticida DDD u svim je uzorcima određen u najnižim koncentracijama.This review presents the findings on the distribution and levels of 20 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 7 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) all over the world, based on measurements in samples of air, human milk and pine needles. The Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health has been conducting research in all three matrices for many years, and this review summarises its results too. Significant decrease in concentrations of organochlorine compounds has been seen after the legal ban of their use, but that decresing trend has been slowed down and they are still found in all samples. In general, higher PCB levels are found in samples from urban locations, pesticides levels are higher in samples from locations where has been their probable usage in agriculture, while HCB levels are usually indicator of industrial activity. γ-HCH has been found in the highest concentration in air and pine needles samples, while in humans DDE and β-HCH are the most abundant compounds. Indicator PCB congeners are also differently present in environment and humans: in air and pine needles lower-chlorinated, more volatile PCB congeners have higher concentrations while in humans that goes for more persistent higher-chlorinated PCB congeners. Among toxic ortho-substituted PCB congeners in human and environmental samples the most abundant is PCB-118 while three non-ortho substituted congeners (PCB-77, PCB-126 and PCB-169) that are the most toxic ones are rarely detected. From organochlorine pesticides, DDD is found in lowest concentrations in all samples