• Advances in nano research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.207-223
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• 2015

Nanotechnology is considered the most important technological advancement in recent years, and it is utilized in all industries due to its potential applications. Almost all of the industries (food, agriculture, medicine, automotive, information and communication technologies, energy, textile, construction, etc.) reorganize their future in the light of nanotechnological developments. As the most important source of income of countries, the agriculture industry increases the use of nanotechnology products gradually as a solution to the problems encountered. Reducing the use of agricultural inputs (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.) by increasing their efficiency utilizing nano-carriers, detecting the environmental conditions and development of the crops in the field simultaneously by making use of nanosensors, reducing the sample volume and the amount of analyte used thanks to nanoarrays, effective treatment of water resources through nano-filters, accelerating the development of crops by using nanoparticles are the prominent nanotechnological applications in the agriculture industry. This review presents information on the benefits of the recent developments in nanotechnology applications in the agriculture industry.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.323-329
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• 2017

Purpose: Biocompatible capsules have recently been highlighted as a novel platform for delivering various components, such as drug, food, and agriculture pesticides, to overcome the current limitations of living systems, such as those in agriculture, biology, the environment, and foods. However, few active targeting systems using biocompatible capsules and physical forces simultaneously have been developed in the agricultural engineering field. Methods: Here, we developed an active targeting delivery platform that uses biocompatible alginate capsules and controls movements by magnetic forces for agricultural and biological engineering applications. We designed and fabricated large-scale biocompatible capsules, using custom-made nozzles ejecting alginate solutions for encapsulation. Results: To develop the active target delivery platforms, we incorporated iron oxide nanoparticles in the large-scale alginate capsules. The sizes of alginate capsules were controlled by regulating the working conditions, such as concentrations of alginate solutions and iron oxide nanoparticles. Conclusions: We confirmed that the iron oxide particle-incorporated large-scale alginate capsules moved actively in response to magnetic fields, which will be a good strategy for active targeted delivery platforms for agriculture and biological engineering applications, such as for the controlled delivery of agriculture pesticides and biocontrol agents.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.99-112
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• 2018

Certain agrochemicals may be tuned for increased effectiveness when downsized to nanoparticles (NPs), where one dimension is less than 100 nm. The NPs may function as fertilizers, pesticides and products to improve plant health through seed priming, growth promotion, and induction of systemic tolerance to stress. Formulations will allow targeted applications with timed release, reducing waste and pollution when compared to treatments with bulk-size products. The NPs may be a single component, such as nano-ZnO as a fertilizer, or be composites of compatible materials, for example where N, P, and K plus micronutrients are available. The active materials could be loaded into porous carriers or tethered to base nanostructures. Coatings could include such natural products alginate, chitosan, zein, or silica. Certain NPs are taken up and transported in the plant's phloem and xylem so systemic effects are feasible. Timed and targeted release of the active product could be achieved in response to changes in pH or availability of ligands within the plant or the rhizosphere. Global research has revealed the many potentials offered by NP formulations to aid sustainability in agriculture. Current work will provide information needed by regulatory agencies to assess their safety in the agricultural setting.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.318-327
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• 2017

Background: A typical sewage treatment plant is designed for organic and nutrient removal from municipal sewage water and not targeted to eliminate micropollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and nano-sized metals which become a big concern for sustainable human and ecological system and are mainly discharged from sewage treatment plant. Therefore, despite contaminant removal by wastewater treatment processes, there are still remaining environmental risks by untreated pollutants in STP (sewage treatment plant) effluents. This study performed aquatic toxicity tests of raw wastewater and treated effluents in two sewage treatment plants to evaluate toxicity reduction by wastewater treatment process and analyze concentration of contaminants to reveal potential toxic factors in STP effluents. Methods: Water samples were collected from each treatment steps of two STPs, and acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted following USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines. Endpoints were immobility for mortality and reproduction effect for estrogenicity. Results: Acute $EC_{50}s$ (median effective concentration) of influents for Seungki (SK) and Jungnang (JN) STPs are $54.13{\pm}32.64%$ and $30.38{\pm}24.96%$, respectively, and reduced to $96.49{\pm}7.84%$ and 100%. Acute toxicity reduction was clearly correlated with SS (suspended solids) concentration because of filter feeding characteristics of test organisms. Chronic toxicity tests revealed that lethal effect was reduced and low concentration of influents showed higher number of neonates. However, toxicity reduction was not related to nutrient removal. Fecundity effect positively increased in treated wastewater compared to that in raw wastewater, and no significant differences were observed compared to the control group in JN final effluent implying potential effects of estrogenic compounds in the STP effluents. Conclusions: Conventional wastewater treatment process reduced some organics and nutritional compounds from wastewater, and it results in toxicity reduction in lethal effect and positive reproductive effect but not showing correlation. Unknown estrogenic compounds could be a reason causing the increase of brood size. This study suggests that pharmaceutical residues and nanoparticles in STP effluents are one of the major micropollutants and underline as one of estrogenic effect factors.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

The health benefits associated with consumption of fresh produce have been clearly demonstrated and encouraged by international nutrition and health authorities. However, since fresh produce is usually minimally processed, increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has also led to a simultaneous escalation of foodborne illness cases. According to the report by the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 10 people suffer from foodborne diseases and 420,000 die every year globally. In comparison to other processed foods, fresh produce can be easily contaminated by various routes at different points in the supply chain from farm to fork. This review is focused on the identification and characterization of possible sources of foodborne illnesses from chemical, biological, and physical hazards and the applicable methodologies to detect potential contaminants. Agro-chemicals (pesticides, fungicides and herbicides), natural toxins (mycotoxins and plant toxins), and heavy metals (mercury and cadmium) are the main sources of chemical hazards, which can be detected by several methods including chromatography and nano-techniques based on nanostructured materials such as noble metal nanoparticles (NMPs), quantum dots (QDs) and magnetic nanoparticles or nanotube. However, the diversity of chemical structures complicates the establishment of one standard method to differentiate the variety of chemical compounds. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables contain high nutrient contents and moisture, which promote the growth of unwanted microorganisms including bacterial pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli O157: H7, Shigella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus) and non-bacterial pathogens (norovirus and parasites). In order to detect specific pathogens in fresh produce, methods based on molecular biology such as PCR and immunology are commonly used. Finally, physical hazards including contamination by glass, metal, and gravel in food can cause serious injuries to customers. In order to decrease physical hazards, vision systems such as X-ray inspection have been adopted to detect physical contaminants in food, while exceptional handling skills by food production employees are required to prevent additional contamination.