Néhány palackozott romániai ásványvíz jellemzése a teljes ásványi anyag tartalom alapján: Characterization of some bottled Romanian mineral waters on the basis of the total mineral content

Romania has many mineral water sources due to its geological features. In the present study, bottles of 26 Romanian mineral water brands were obtained from the market to make a characterization based on the pH, conductivity, and fixed residue content. According to the total fixed residue, the distribution of low, medium, and highly mineralized water was 43.9%, 41.46%, and 14.63%, respectively. The mean of fixed residue concentration was 763.3 mg/L, ranging from 40.37 mg/L to 2603 mg/L. The pH values of the still mineral waters varied between 6.86 and 7.91, while the pH values of the sparkling mineral waters were the lowest (4.7). The conductivity was strongly related to the concentration of the ions, therefore the maximum measured conductivity for the still waters was 573 µS/cm, for the partially sparkling waters 2133 µS/cm, and for the sparkling mineral waters 3079 µS/cm.  Kivonat Románia geológiai adottságainak köszönhetően sok ásványvízforrással rendelkezik. Jelen kutatás során 26 romániai palackozott ásványvizet elemeztünk, a pH, a vezetőképesség és a rögzített maradéktartalom alapján. A teljes fix maradékra összpontosítva az alacsony, közepes és erősen mineralizált víz eloszlása ​​43,9%, 41,46% és 14,63% volt. A rögzített átlagos maradéktartalom 763,3 mg/l volt, ugyanakkor 40,37 mg/l és 2603 mg/l között változott. Az szénsavmentes ásványvizek pH-értékei 6,86 és 7,91 között változtak, míg a szénsavval dúsított ásványvizek pH-értékei a legalacsonyabbak (4,7). A vezetőképesség szorosan összefügg az ionok koncentrációjával, így a szénsavmentes ásványvizek maximális mért vezetőképessége 573 µS/cm, a részben szénsavas vizeknél 2133 µS/cm, a szénsavas ásványvizek esetében pedig a vezetőképesség 3079 µS/cm volt.&nbsp

Phytotoxicity evaluation of nutrient-fortified pomegranate peel powders prepared from food waste and their feasibility as biofertilizers

Pomegranate peel powder (PPP) is increasingly used as a bioadsorbent to decontaminate wastewaters due to its adsorptive characteristics. The application of nutrient-fortified bioadsorbents as alternatives to chemical fertilizers can provide an innovative and eco-friendly approach for sustainable waste management. Nevertheless, there is extremely limited information regarding their effects on the growth of agricultural crops. We investigated the effects of raw and nutrient-fortified PPPs on oilseed rape ( Brassica napus ). Our results showed that the concentration-dependent in vitro phytotoxicity of high PPP doses (germination indices were 109.6%, 63.9%, and 8.9% at the applied concentrations of 0.05%, 0.5%, and 5%) was diminished by the application of nutrient-fortified PPPs (germination indices were 66.0–83.4% even at the highest doses). In pot experiments, most PPP treatments (especially Raw-PPP and the mixture of N- and P-fortified PPPs) promoted the development of aboveground plant parts. Reorganization of the pattern of protein tyrosine nitration in the root tissues indicated that the plants were acclimated to the presence of PPPs, and thus, PPP treatment induced no or low-level stress. Our findings confirmed that several doses of PPP supplementation were beneficial for the model crop plant when applied in soil. We anticipate that our study will be a foundation for future investigations involving more plant species and soil types, which can contribute to the introduction of nutrient-fortified PPPs as sustainable biofertilizers

Impact of Low-Dose Municipal Sewage Sludge Compost Treatments on the Nutrient and the Heavy Metal Contents in a Chernozem Topsoil Near Újkígyós, Hungary: A 5-Year Comparison

Agriculture is one of the major fields, where sewage sludge can be used. Its high nutrient content can contribute to the improvement of important soil properties, such as nutrient content, water balance and soil structure. However, sewage sludge may contain hazardous components, such as pathogens and pollutants. Therefore, it is important to monitor the effects of its field application. In this paper, we assessed the impacts of two low-dose (2.5 m3/ha) municipal sewage sludge compost applications (in 2013 and in 2017) in a 5.6 ha arable land in southeast Hungary (near Újkígyós), located in the Hungarian Great Plain. The nutrient and the heavy metal contents in the upper soil layer (0-30 cm) of the studied Chernozem soils were compared between two sampling campaigns in 2013 (before the compost applications) and in 2018 (after the compost applications). Basic soil properties (pH, salinity, humus content, carbonate content, Arany yarn number) complemented with nutrient content (K2O, P2O5, NO2+ NO3) and heavy metal content (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) analyses were performed. The results show that no significant change can be noticed in the baseline parameters over the 5-year period. The slight increase in the P2O5, NO2+ NO3 content is closely related to the beneficial effects of the sewage sludge deposition. The soil-bound heavy metal load did not increase significantly as a result of the compost treatments, only nickel showed a slight increase in the topsoil. In all cases the heavy metal concentrations did not reach the contamination thresholds set by Hungarian standards. The results provided positive evidences proving that low dose municipal sewage sludge compost disposal on agricultural land is safe, and can be considered as a sustainable soil amendment for agriculture in compliance with legal requirements

A Pécsi Tudományegyetem regionális fejlesztési szerepvállalásának lehetősége a tudományos munkatársak egyéni értékhierarchiáinak fényében

Jelen tanulmány a Pécsi Tudományegyetem (PTE) oktató és kutató munkatársainak értékpreferenciáit vizsgálja Shalom S. Schwartz „alapvető emberi értékek” koncepcióját felhasználva. Schwartz tíz alapértéket különböztet meg, melyek dinamikus kölcsönhatásban állnak egymással. Az oktatók-kutatók jellemző értékprioritásainak feltárása lehetőséget teremt arra, hogy a szerzők következtetéseket vonjanak le a PTE társadalmi-gazdasági hatásaival kapcsolatban, illetve azzal össze- függésben: az oktatók-kutatók motivációi vajon tudják-e kellőképpen támogatni az egyetem önmagán túlmutató szerepvállalásait? Elemzésük fontos része az összehasonlító perspektíva, melynek során az oktatók-kutatók értékpreferenciáit a különböző európai térségekre, illetve a magyar társadalom egészére jellemző mintázatokkal vetik össze. Eredményeik azt mutatják, hogy a PTE munkatársainak értékei, motivációi megfelelő alapot biztosítanak az egyetem hatékony regionális szerepvállalása szempontjából

Impacts of Plastics on Plant Development: Recent Advances and Future Research Directions

Plastics have inundated the world, with microplastics (MPs) being small particles, less than 5 mm in size, originating from various sources. They pervade ecosystems such as freshwater and marine environments, soils, and the atmosphere. MPs, due to their small size and strong adsorption capacity, pose a threat to plants by inhibiting seed germination, root elongation, and nutrient absorption. The accumulation of MPs induces oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity in plants, which also impacts plant development, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, toxic accumulation, and metabolite production in plant tissues. Furthermore, roots can absorb nanoplastics (NPs), which are then distributed to stems, leaves, and fruits. As MPs and NPs harm organisms and ecosystems, they raise concerns about physical damage and toxic effects on animals, and the potential impact on human health via food webs. Understanding the environmental fate and effects of MPs is essential, along with strategies to reduce their release and mitigate consequences. However, a full understanding of the effects of different plastics, whether traditional or biodegradable, on plant development is yet to be achieved. This review offers an up-to-date overview of the latest known effects of plastics on plants