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High raw material prices and rivalry from the food industry have hampered the adoption of renewable resource-based goods. It has necessitated the investigation of cost-cutting strategies such as locating low-cost raw material supplies and adopting cleaner manufacturing processes. Exploiting waste streams as substitute resources for the operations is one low-cost option. The present study evaluates the environmental burden of biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoate) production from slaughtering residues. The sustainability of the PHA production process will be assessed utilising the Emergy Accounting methodology. The effect of changing energy resources from business as usual (i.e., electricity mix from the grid and heat provision utilising natural gas) to different renewable energy resources is also evaluated. The emergy intensity for PHA production (seJ/g) shows a minor improvement ranging from 1.5% to 2% by changing only the electricity provision resources. This impact reaches up to 17% when electricity and heat provision resources are replaced with biomass resources. Similarly, the emergy intensity for PHA production using electricity EU27 mix, coal, hydropower, wind power, and biomass is about 5% to 7% lower than the emergy intensity of polyethylene high density (PE-HD). In comparison, its value is up to 21% lower for electricity and heat provision from biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study was conducted to investigate whether the positive impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2) on the chemical composition of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) seeds is dependent on seed developmental stages and origin. To this end, we investigated the biochemical changes in eCO2-treated aniseed accessions from Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Morocco, Yemen, and Egypt during three developmental stages (immature, premature, and mature). The highest dry weight percentages and seed yields were recorded for the Egypt and Morocco accessions. eCO2 has inducing properties on the nutritive and biological values of aniseeds, yet its effectiveness is related to seed maturity and provenances. For instance, seed maturation increased the nutrients and antioxidant metabolites in most eCO2-treated accessions. Conversely, essential oil metabolism was decreased by seed maturation but this effect was significantly reduced by the use of eCO2. The enhanced accumulation of bioactive compounds in eCO2-treated seeds was accompanied by improved health benefits. In this regard, eCO2 induces the antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic activities of aniseeds, particularly at mature stages. Thus, the present study confirms that there are significant interactions between eCO2 exposure, aniseed maturity, and origin on the chemical composition and pharmaceutical properties of aniseed. Besides the lack of studies regarding applying elevated CO2 (eCO2) as a strategy to improve the chemical composition of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) seeds, studies on its interaction with seed developmental stages and origin are very limited. The seed yield, chemical composition, and biological activity of 6 aniseed accessions (Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, and Morocco) were investigated during three developmental stages (immature, premature, and mature) under control and elevated CO2 conditions. Mature seeds from all aniseed accessions had significantly higher (p < 0.05) dry weight (DW) percentages than premature and immature seeds. The highest DW percentages were recorded in Egypt and Morocco accessions. Seed maturation increased nutrients and antioxidant metabolites in most eCO2-treated accessions. In contrast, essential oils were decreased by seed maturation, while eCO2 reversed this effect. Essential oil-related precursors (e.g., phenylalanine) and enzyme activities (3-Deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) and O–methyltransferase) decreased with seed maturity. However, high CO2 reduced this impact and further induced the other essential oil-related precursors (shikimic and cinnamic acids). Consequently, eCO2 provoked changes in the antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic activities of aniseeds, particularly at mature stages. Overall, eCO2 application, as an efficient way to improve aniseed growth, essential oil metabolism, and chemical composition, was affected by seed maturation and origin. Future studies of eCO2-treated aniseeds as a nutraceutical and pharmaceutical product are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to air pollution in general and Particulate Matter (PM) and its constituents, in particular, can be extremely harmful to human health. Given the importance of PM and its constituents concerning human health, this study aimed to evaluate the levels of PM2.5 and some HMs in the atmosphere of Makkah City, Saudi Arabia, and assess the health risks associated with exposure to HMs. The 24-h mean concentration of PM2.5 in Makkah city was 38.0±13.5 µg/m3 which exceeded the WHO air quality guidelines and national ambient air quality standard of Saudi Arabia. The average concentrations of HMs were Mn (54.3±13.3 ng/m3)>Pb (40.3±9.2 ng/m3)>As (27.8±4.1 ng/m3)>Ni (20.5±12.9 ng/m3)> Cr (18.2±6.2 ng/m3)>Cd (13.0±3.1 ng/m3). The non-carcinogenic risks (non-CRs) and carcinogenic risks (CRs) associated with exposure to measured HMs were analyzed using hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), respectively. Arsenic was found to be the major contributor to health risk and oral ingestion was found to be the most detrimental pathway of exposure to HMs. For future research, it is recommended to evaluate the HMs and their health risks in various environmental media in different Saudi cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a list of editors who peer reviewed manuscripts in 2016 for the "Journal of the Acoustical Society of America" (JASA) and the journal "JASA Express Letters" including William M. Hartmann, Jan Rennies-Hochmuth, and Zoi-Heleni Michalopoulou.