Wheat exhibits low zinc and high arsenic levels in its grains when cultivated in low-zinc alkaline calcareous soils irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water, posing a significant risk to both plants and human health. We showed that the application of soil zinc to zinc-biofortified wheat cultivars increased grain yield and grain zinc accumulation, accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in grain arsenic accumulation. These findings could contribute to enhancing food safety and promoting human health.

Agricultural byproducts, fertilizers and pesticides, domestic waste, pollutants transported from distant locations by atmospheric processes, and animal waste can all contribute to the contamination of underground and surface waters. The accessibility of clean water on a global scale is becoming increasingly challenging. Because it is a basic biological necessity for all living creatures to have access to clean water, analyzing and monitoring the pollution of drinking and utility water is essential.

This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and norovirus (NoV) in wastewater and air at a wastewater treatment plant. Viral RNA was detected in wastewater but not in air samples, indicating a low-to-medium exposure risk for workers. These findings emphasize the necessity for further research on viral transmission in wastewater environments.