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Although Cu and Zn are important microelements with well-defined roles in organisms functioning, their presence in toxic concentrations is related to a contamination process. On the other hand, Pb, Cd, and Hg are toxic xenobiotics with cumulative effects on various organisms, and in the case of Ni the reports are contradictory. All of these heavy metals are found as a naturally content in the earth�s crust wherefrom are mobilized through volcanic eruptions or mining activities. Some human activities, such as metals smelting, burning of fossil fuels, cement obtaining, usage of pesticides in agriculture, contribute to the environmental pollution with these heavy metals. The presence of heavy metals is considered a risk factor for all components of the ecosystem due to their geo- and bio accumulative features. In long-term exposure, especially in countries with intensive industrialization and urbanization, toxic and carcinogenic effects based on various mechanisms were reported. However, the extraction and the usage of heavy metals in various industry branches might be considered a necessary evil for the nowadays modern society. In some moments of our evolution there were no alternatives, neither as knowledge, nor as application possibilities. In last decades, alarm signals were pulled by the scientific community and non-governmental organizations, and a legislation of heavy metal residues monitoring was developed and applied in many countries all over the world. Moreover, various ecological alternatives were found for the limitation or even excluding of pollutant materials from many of our life aspects (unleaded petrol, insecticides based on pheromones, green concrete manufactured with less cement quantity etc.) and different ways of soil phytoremediation and heavy metals biosorption from aqueous media were tested. The aim of this paper is to review the most important aspects related to heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, Cu, Zn) ecotoxicology. Various sources of environmental pollution and different mechanisms for physiological homeostasis disruption for each reviewed elementary xenobiotic are critically discussed.

The paper aims to investigate the health effects of red beet juice and asorubine food dyes used in mice feeding and watering, considering the common use of these food colorants as additives in human food. The investigations related to this study were performed over a 3-month period, using 30 male mice which were divided into three batches 10 mice each. The red beet juice has given to nutrients and waters a better organoleptic quality so, the weight gain of mice was registered. The same, the increase in weight of mice receiving asorubine was higher. The anatomo- and histo-pathological examinations of mice that received red beet juice do not indicate a clear toxicity of this dye. However, red beet juice should not be consumed daily and in large quantities. On the other hand, injuries induced by asorubine in liver and kidneys may be characteristic for toxicity. So, the use and consumption of asorubine as a food additive should be undertaken with caution; although this compound is more stable and does not oxidize over time, if possible replace it with natural dyes.

In an increasingly urbanized world, construction industry is called upon to serve the needs of human society, such as environmental protection and safety in terms of infrastructure. In this context, a sustainable and ethical development means a close connection between buildings and environment. This connection can be achieved through, for example, the concept of ecological concrete or green concrete, as it is often called. The conventional process of obtaining cement and mineral aggregates from the concrete composition generates pollution, especially through greenhouse gas emissions. Also, one should not ignore the fact that extraction of the raw materials affects the habitats of the sites and of the neighboring areas. When construction materials are questioned, the ethical issues lay not in the means of expression, but mainly in the means of production. More to the point, the present contribution aimed to find solutions for enhancing the adhesion of vegetal aggregates with the cement matrix, in order to obtain a material with optimal mechanical properties, which is valued as an ethical approach of building industry. Results showed that plant aggregates can be used to obtain a building material which can be improved by using partial substitution of cement by silica fume, fly ash, or by using additives (sodium silicate and air entraining additive) and that green concrete as an environmentally friendly material offers the alternative for lower energy use and fewer CO2 emissions. Marketers must understand not only the advantages of these green materials, but also that they have an ethical commitment to provide consumers with environmentally friendly materials.

The paper aims to review literature data with respect to Romanian native cattle breeds which are considered at risk of extinction. In the last decades, the number of individuals of Romanian indigenous cows decreased significantly, as a consequence of the intensification and specialization of animal productions and agriculture modernization. Some of the native cattle breeds are already lost, due to their crossing with improved breeds. However, after the accession of Romania to the European Union, various preservation programs were initiated, and most of them included biochemical research and studies of molecular or quantitative genetics. All these, associated with the application of reproduction biotechnologies, give a chance to these animals, which are extremely valuable in terms of their genetic resistance to diseases and environmental factors. The reviewed literature on Romanian indigenous endangered cattle breeds confirms that these animals are carriers of a valuable gene pool, which can be kept and bred while applying different reproductive biotechnologies. Consequently, this paper raises awareness on two issues: the decrease of genetic diversity in two Romanian native cow breeds threatened with extinction (Grey Steppe and Romanian Pinzgauer); and the benefits of genetic diversity of the two breeds.

The present paper is a study based on the survey of the heavy metal milk residue levels (Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, Cu, Zn) in the NE Romania (Moldavia) and on the statistical interpretation of the analytical results that allowed for assessment of the contamination seasonality of the substrates during a four-year period. The analytical results revealed that the residues of Pb were found in 71.43 to 85.71% of samples at average concentrations of 2.49 to 3 μg/L, below the accepted legal limits (20 μg/L); those of Cd and Hg were zero in the analyzed samples or were in lower quantities than the method detection limits; those of Ni, Cu and Zn were determined in all investigated samples at average concentrations ranging from 11.24 to 11.90 μg/L, 237.10 to 303.43 μg/L and 2051.21 to 2628.64 μg/L, respectively. The investigated heavy metals showed higher seasonality during the autumn (csi = 1.00 to 1.21) and winter (csi = 1.09 to 1.34), and a lower one in spring (csi = 0.58 to 0.92). Ni was determined less than the provisional tolerable daily intake set by the World Health Organization for human consumers (5 μg/kg). Cu was found at concentrations considered as legal (-) for cow`s milk and some concentrations of Zn were found at levels that could provide the daily human consumption requirements of 3-10 mg.

The study was conducted to evaluate the concentration variation of heavy metals in milk collected from two different groups of sources: milk collecting centers and dairy farms. Also, their incidence in milk products, as pasteurized milk, butter milk, yogurt, cream, cheese, hard cheese was determined in the NE Romania (Moldavia). The analytical results revealed that the milk samples from the collecting centers had higher levels than the samples from the dairy farms of Pb (2.90 to 3.45 vs. 1.88 to 2.64 µg/kg) and Ni residues (11.31 to 11.88 vs. 11.17 to 11.91 µg/kg) and lower levels of Cu (224.05 to 293.15 vs. 250.15 to 313.70 µg/kg) and Zn (2036.11 to 2517.86 vs. 2066.32 to 2739.43 µg/kg). In the milk products, the average concentration of Pb varied from 2.73 µg/kg in pasteurized milk to4.05 µg/kg in hard cheese; the average concentration of Ni varied from 12.03 µg/kg in pasteurized milk to 16.33 µg/kg in hard cheese; the average concentration varied from 256.51 µg/kg in pasteurized milk to 1289.85 µg/kg in hard cheese; the average concentration of Zn varied from 2374.18 µg/kg in pasteurized milk to 12146.43 µg/kg in hard cheese. Pb and Ni were found at concentration levels less than WHO tolerated values depending on the amount eaten or drunk (25 µg/kg/week and 5 µg/kg/day respectively). The most average concentration levels of Cu and Zn could provide the daily human consumption requirements of 1-2 mg and 3-15 mg, respectively.