Small-scale industries account for a large proportion of jobs and play a vital role in most countries' economic growth and prosperity. Due to the very low use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), employees are exposed to numerous physical, chemical, and accidental hazards in small-scale industries. PPEs are very effective in minimizing occupational injuries, accidents, and other hazards which otherwise result in substantial manpower and financial losses. The study objective was to assess the availability and use of PPEs as well as self-reported occupational exposures among workers in surveyed small industries in Jeddah. The study involved 102 workers from 28 small-scale industries (vehicle repair, welding, and paint). A survey was conducted to gather data of socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported occupational exposures, and frequency of PPEs used by workers. The occupational exposures (never exposed, sometimes exposed and always exposed) were reported in percentages including; noise exposure (19.6, 73.5 and 6.9%); dust/smoke exposure (9.8, 69.6 and 20.6%); vapors/fumes exposure (11.8, 60.8 and 27.5%); and direct sunlight (43.1, 56.9 and 0%), respectively. The reported use of different PPEs in descending order was; knee joints mats (50%), welding shields (50%), safety glasses (33.3%), gloves (27.5%), face masks (26.5%), safety shoes (10.8%) and earplugs/ muffs (8.8%). On the basis of this study findings, hand hygiene and general OSH awareness like interventions can be developed which will help in minimizing workplace exposures among small-scale industry workers.

Compared to seeds and mature plants, sprouts are well characterized based on their nutritive values and biological properties. Moreover, laser light application is known to be a promising approach to improving plant growth, photosynthesis, and nutraceutical values. However, no studies have investigated the phytochemicals and biological activity of lemongrass (Cymbopogon proximus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Chiov.) sprouts or the further improvement of their quality by applying laser light treatment. We carried out a preliminary experiment for the optimization of laser treatment conditions, finding that a helium neon (He–Ne) laser at 632 nm and 5 mW for 5 min provided the most favorable conditions. We then investigated fresh weight, photosynthetic reactions, and primary and secondary metabolites, including sugars, amino acids, organic acids, essential oils, and phenolic compounds. Moreover, we studied the effect of laser light-induced changes in chemical compositions on the antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-cholesterol activities of Cymbopogon proximus sprouts grown from laser-treated seeds. Laser light treatment increased the photosynthesis and respiration and hence the fresh weight of Cymbopogon proximus sprouts. Overall, sprouting increased most bioactive primary and secondary metabolites as compared to seeds. Increased photosynthesis by laser light improved carbon allocation and raised non-structural carbohydrates, which in turn led to improved synthesis of amino acids, organic acids, and essential oils, as well as phenolic and flavonoid compounds. As a result, laser light significantly improved the antioxidant capacity in terms of increasing the levels of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (from 9.5 to 21 µmole trolox/g fresh weight (FW)), oxygen radical absorbance (ORAC) (from 400 to 1100 µmole trolox/100 g FW), and DPPH (from 5% to 25% of inhibation) and enhanced the hypocholesterolemic and antidiabetic activity through increasing the percentage of cholesterol micellar solubility (CMS) inhibition (from 42% to 62%) and glycemic index (from 33 to 17 µmole/g) over sprouts and seeds. In conclusion, the synergism of seed laser treatment and sprouting induced the health-promoting bioactive compounds in Cymbopogon proximus as compared to seeds, which can be applied at a large scale to improve the biochemical, physiological, and nutraceutical values of medicinal and crop sprouts.

Soil contamination with indium (In) oxide nanoparticles (In₂O₃-NPs) threatens plant growth and development. However, their toxicity in plants under ambient (aCO₂) and elevated (eCO₂) conditions is scarcely studied. To this end, this study was conducted to investigate In₂O₃-NPs toxicity in the young and old leaves of C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants and to understand the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating impact of eCO₂. Treatment of C3 and C4 plants with In₂O₃-NPs significantly reduced growth and photosynthesis, induced oxidative damage (H₂O₂, lipid peroxidation), and impaired P and Fe homeostasis, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. On the other hand, this phytotoxic hazard was mitigated by eCO₂ which improved both C3 and C4 growth, decreased In accumulation and increased phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) uptake, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. Moreover, the improved photosynthesis by eCO₂ accordingly enhanced carbon availability under the challenge of In₂O₃-NPs that were directed to the elevated production of metabolites involved in antioxidant and detoxification systems. Our physiological and biochemical analyses implicated the role of the antioxidant defenses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) in stress mitigation under eCO₂. This was validated by studying the effect of In₂O₃-stress on a transgenic maize line (TG) constitutively overexpressing the AtFeSOD gene and its wild type (WT). Although it did not alter In accumulation, the TG plants showed improved growth and photosynthesis and reduced oxidative damage. Overall, this work demonstrated that C3 was more sensitive to In₂O₃-NPs stress; however, C4 plants were more responsive to eCO₂. Moreover, it demonstrated the role of SOD in determining the hazardous effect of In₂O₃-NPs.

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.