Many staple foods originate from durum wheat and its milling products; because of this, it is very important to know their characteristics. This study investigates elemental contents in these products and if differences exist because of organic farming. The concentrations of 28 elements in the whole seed and in milling products, that is, bran, semolina and flour, of durum wheat, were determined through ICP-OES. The wheats were grown under conventional or organic agronomic practices to verify the possibility of discriminating, using the elemental content, between products coming from one or the other practice. The elements were more abundant in the outer layer of the seed, the bran, but most of them were also present in the others. Traces of Sb were present only in 3% of the samples, while traces of Tl were detected in approximately half of the seed and bran samples but not in other samples. The absence of an element was more characteristic of specific products, e.g., most semolina and flour lacked Co, while other elements showed small differences between products from organic and conventional cultivation or between different milling products, which was the case, for example, for traces of Ag, B, and V. The concentrations of these elements were coupled with multivariate discriminant analysis, specifically PLS-DA, to identify the cultivation provenance of the milled products. A few elements, although different for each product, are sufficient to attain precision and accuracy of classification close to 1; small differences exist for different products. The worst is flour, where the predicted precision and accuracy are 0.92, although using only three elements: B, K, and Se. Semolina attains perfect prediction when also adding to the three previous elements, Ag, Cd, and Cu. Further elements are necessary for bran, while Fe and Mg replace K and Ag to classify seeds. In conclusion, five elements, B, Cd, Cu, K, and Se, are the most important in distinguishing between organic and conventional agriculture; these elements also permit some differentiation among products. The method could help in fraud prevention.

Posidonia oceanica significantly contributes to the health of oceans and coastal areas; however, its progressive decline is becoming an increasing source of concern. The present preliminary study aims to assess the chemical parameters that describe the state of preservation of the aforementioned plant meadows located in the Tremiti Islands archipelago. To better understand the plants’ response to external factors, the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) was investigated using Posidonia oceanica as a biological indicator. Subsequently, the heavy metal concentrations (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) in sediments, leaves, and seawater were determined and pollution indicators were calculated to assess the deviation from the natural background levels of sediments. The dimethyl sulfoniopropionate (DMSP) to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) ratio was calculated to evaluate the oxidative stress levels in the meadows because the DMSP naturally present in Posidonia oceanica is oxidized to DMSO and decreases the ratio of DMSP/DMSO. BVOC analysis revealed dimethyl sulphide (DMS) as the most abundant molecule. Morphological features led to variations in metal concentrations across sampling sites, with sheltered bays displaying a higher metal content. Degradation is indicated by a greater DMSO content in the outer leaves. In accordance with the metal content, the bioindicator ratio confirms greater degradation on the south side, which aligns with increased oxidative stress.

The absorption of atmospheric particulate matter lead (APM-Pb) by wheat leaves is the primary source of Pb in wheat grains, yet the mechanisms of how wheat leaves absorb Pb remain unclear. In this study, spraying Pb(NO₃)₂ (Treatment T1) and spraying PbS (Treatment T2) were used as soluble and insoluble Pb, respectively, to evaluate the primary pathways of APM-Pb absorption by wheat leaves, as well as the translocation and accumulation patterns of Pb within the wheat plant. The results showed that both soluble and insoluble Pb can be absorbed by wheat leaves. Compared to the control group (CK), the treatment of T1 and T2 significantly increased Pb concentration in both leaves and grains, as well as the Pb accumulation rate in grains (p < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) technology visually confirmed the distribution of particulate Pb in the stomatal region, demonstrating that solid-state Pb can penetrate the leaves through stomata. From the greening stage (GS) to the late filling stage (FS2), the leaves’ cell sap contained the highest proportion of Pb, indicating that Pb within the cell sap possesses the greatest capacity for translocation. Concurrently, a significant increase in grain Pb concentration during this period indicated that the migration of Pb to cell sap after penetrating the leaves is subsequently translocated to the grains (p < 0.05). Compared to the jointing stage (JS), the proportion of the ethanol and water extraction states of Pb significantly decreased in FS2 (p < 0.05), indicating that Pb is more readily translocated to the grains during this period. Moreover, in FS2, Pb concentration in leaves and grains in the T2 treatment reached 76.5% and 63.9% that of T1, respectively. Since PbS can only be absorbed through stomata, it can be inferred that stomata are the primary pathway for wheat leaves to absorb APM-Pb. Therefore, Pb absorbed through the stomatal pathway and accumulated in the cell sap fraction is most likely to be translocated to the grains during the filling stage. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of Pb absorption and translocation in wheat, emphasizing the critical role of stomata in the uptake of APM-Pb. It offers a new direction for breeding wheat varieties resistant to APM-Pb pollution, which is of significant importance in agricultural practices aimed at reducing heavy metal contamination in crops.

A measurement campaign was conducted on San Domino Island, part of the Tremiti Islands archipelago, located in Foggia, Italy. The area is almost entirely covered by vegetation, dominated by the following main species: Juniperus turbinata, Helichrysum italicum, Myrtus communis, Rosmarinus officinalis, Pistacia lentiscus and Pinus halepensis.This study focused on the BVOCs emitted by plants and the ground, employing a simple, economical, and efficient sampling and analysis method. The main known BVOC species emitted by Mediterranean plant species as α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene and limonene were detected. The measurements highlighted a daily complementarity between plant and soil emissions. The daily variations in BVOCs emitted by both plants and the soil are differ, ensuring an almost constant concentration throughout the day. At the same time, the composition of sea spray aerosol (SSA) was also measured. The measurement sites were selected based on botanical characterization to account for the predominant species on San Domino Island, and the sampling was conducted at human height to accurately identify the species for potential use. The combination of beneficial effects of the substances emitted by plant species and soil, along with the simultaneous presence of SSA, are factors that could enhance the effectiveness of forest therapy in a previously unexplored location.

Metal (loid) contamination in food poses a significant global health concern and represents a long-term threat to crop growth and agricultural sustainability. This study focused on the Henan Province of China (Yuzhou and Jiyuan) and the Marche region of Italy (Jesi and Camerino) to analyze the uptake and translocation characteristics of heavy metals (HMs) in wheat across different regions. Additionally, it employed chemometric and transcriptomic techniques to compare the effects of organic (Org) and conventional (Conv) cultivation. Results showed significant regional differences in soil pollution profiles: Pb and Cd dominated in Jiyuan, Cd in Yuzhou, and Al and Cu in Jesi. The bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of Cr, Ni, and As in wheat grains were significantly higher in the two locations in Henan compared to those in Marche, indicating a greater propensity for these metals to be translocated and accumulated in the grains. During the tillering stage, wheat actively absorbed and translocated Mn, Al, and Cd, whereas Pb, As and Ni accumulated predominantly during the filling stage, demonstrating stage-specific responses of wheat to HM stress. Org reduced soil HM contents by an average of 1.29 % annually compared to Conv. Wheat grown near railways (Org-rial) exhibited an average increase of 21.25 % in HM contents, indicating a stimulatory effect of railway pollution on HM uptake and accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis identified 25,102 differentially expressed genes in wheat leaves under Org. Org significantly enhanced the expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways, photosynthesis, and antioxidant mechanisms, while suppressing the expression of certain HM transport-related genes. This study underscores the potential of Org to mitigate HM accumulation in crops, contributing to enhanced food safety and sustainable agricultural practices.