Feature Channels: Food and Water Safety

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A new study reveals how sunlight can drive the purification of lake water by breaking down harmful contaminants. By comparing two photochemical pathways—triplet sensitization and direct photolysis—the research highlights how these mechanisms function differently across various lake environments. The study points out that while certain pollutants are degraded through organic carbon interactions, others rely heavily on sunlight intensity, suggesting a combined strategy for more effective water purification.

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In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign evaluated far-ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light as a safe way to alleviate fungal contamination of corn and wheat and found this technology to be effective.

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Guenther offers food safety advice for successful Thanksgiving

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Meals at Thanksgiving and other holidays serve as great social occasions for catching up with family and friends — and for the sake of all gathered, the culinary delights on the table should be delicious, sumptuous, and most importantly, safe.   Melissa Wright, director of Virginia Tech’s Food Producer Technical Assistance Network, and Lester Schonberger, associate Extension specialist, are both faculty members in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Department of Food Science and Technology and know exactly what you can do to reduce your risk of foodborne illness this holiday season.

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Parkinson’s research, a genetic commonality among very different species that learn how to vocalize, an AI-based water treatment training simulator, and a national AI collaboration underlie four annual HPCwire Awards won by PSC this year.

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A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) found that specific insecticides, called neonicotinoids, were found at high concentrations in some ground and surface water sources that could affect drinking water.

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SLAC’s SSRL helps pin down key players in the microbial production of methylmercury, a poison that can accumulate in fish.

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A research team has conducted a comprehensive study on the effects of various sterilization methods on the quality of Aronia melanocarpa juice (AMJ).

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What if farmers could not only prevent excess phosphorus from polluting downstream waterways, but also recycle that nutrient as a slow-release fertilizer, all without spending a lot of money? In a first-of-its-kind field study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers show it’s possible and economical.

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Halloween is a favorite holiday for many adults and especially young children. With traditions ranging from attending fun costume parties to transforming spaces with spooky decorations to trick-or-treating, there’s ample opportunity for kids to find themselves with heaps of candy. So, what should parents know about the health effects of all this candy? Christine Venema is a food safety educator with MSU Extension. Here, she explains what parents should know when it comes to the health concerns around candy and the shelf life of candy.

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Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters explored whether wildfire suppressants could be a source of elevated metal levels sometimes found in waterways after wildfires are extinguished. Several products they investigated contained high levels of at least one metal.

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There are just too many ways children can poison themselves by getting into things that are intended only for their parents. Medications, cleaning supplies, edible marijuana and a host of other ingestible products can turn what should be the safest environment for a child—the home—into one with danger lurking on every countertop.

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Christine Venema is a food safety educator with MSU Extension. Here, she explains what parents should know when it comes to the health concerns around candy and the shelf life of candy.

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A study led by the University of Bristol shedding new light on how arsenic can be made less dangerous to humans has the potential to dramatically improve water and food safety, especially in the Global South.