The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples, as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from two depths in 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analyses, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity, and CaCO₃ content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.27–383.10 mg kg⁻¹), Cu (17.11–68.15 mg kg⁻¹), Ni (30.16–55.66 mg kg⁻¹), and F (319–544 mg kg⁻¹) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. Igeo, EF, PI, and PERI pollution indices indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni, and Cu, while the CSI and mERM_Q indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The elemental concentrations in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) provide valuable insights into the soil–plant relationship, health risks, and the selectivity of plant compartments for different elements. Thus, the results revealed that the wheat plants tended to exclude the bioaccumulation of particular elements in their tissues, while exhibiting a different bioaccumulation pattern for Zn and Cu. In the case of corn, most BFs were below one, indicating a limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu with the sunflower BFs indicating higher bioconcentration of these elements in leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant.

This study investigated the effect of total substitution of NaCl with KCl and MgCl₂ on the physicochemical, microbiological, and textural characteristics of pickled apples during 35 days of fermentation. The results showed that the pH for all brine-pickled apples decreased significantly (p < 0.05) during the fermentation process. The highest quantity (1077.59 ± 17.56 mg lactic acid/100 g product) of lactic acid was detected on the 28th day for the samples fermented with NaCl. The concentration of metallic ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺) in the brine-pickled apple samples showed a peak on the 14th day of fermentation, followed by a decrease on the 21st day. The antioxidant activity for all types of saline solutions increased as fermentation progressed. The total LAB count increased rapidly until the seventh day for all the samples. At the end of the storage period, a decrease in LAB count was observed for all tested samples. The obtained results revealed that replacing NaCl with KCl or MgCl₂ led to small changes in the characteristics of the pickled apples, and is thus a promising option for dietary sodium reduction.

Wheat (Triticum vulgare L.) is one of the most cultivated plants in the Galati-Braila region, where after the latest statistical data, quantities of 4000-5000 kg/ ha/year have been obtained. The present study aims to investigate the contamination level of the wheat edible parts due to industrial activity. This aspect is of great interest for human nutrition, especially as the studied area is located in the air mass circulating zone that trains the toxic particles emitted by the Galati steel plant. An impact on the quality of agricultural production, regarding the contamination with toxic elements, may also have the defective application of chemical fertilizers, which in quantities not complying with plant needs and soil properties may lead to the loading of agricultural products with harmful elements. In order to determine the transfer level of contaminants (heavy metals) in grains, the concentrations of Cr and Zn both in soil and wheat were determined by specific techniques, such as High-Resolution Continuum Source Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS AAS) applied at INPOLDE research center, ReForm multidisciplinary platform, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati. Analytical results showed very high concentrations in soil for total Cr (117.10-383.10 mg/kg), exceeding approximately 13 times the maximum admissible limit (30 mg/kg), and for total Zn (63.31-136.59 mg/kg), exceeding sensitively the reference limit (100 mg/kg). Zn is known for its important role in the normal course of physiological processes in plants, but which in high concentrations can cause significant crop decline. Chromium is one of the most toxic elements which, if released in the soil solution, mostly under particular pH conditions, can be translocated into the plant tissues. The investigated grains shows low concentrations of Cr and Zn. The bioaccumulation factor recorded values ​​lower than 1, which means that the wheat grains do not accumulate these elements in excess, under this region climate and the given soil condition.

The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples from two depths (0–5 cm and 5–30 cm), as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analysis, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.270–383.100 mg kg-1), Cu (17.110–68.151 mg kg-1), Ni (30.157–55.656 mg kg-1), and F (319–544 mg kg-1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. The pollution indices (Igeo, EF, PI, PERI) indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni and Cu, while CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The concentrations of elements in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) show the soil-plant relation and health risk, but also the elemental selectivity of vegetal compartments. Thus, the results showed that wheat plants tend to exclude the bioaccumulation of certain elements in their tissues, while for Zn and Cu, the bioaccumulation pattern is different. In the case of corn, most BFs were below 1, indicating limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu. Sunflower BFs indicate higher bioconcentration of Cu, Cd, and Zn in both the leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, with children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant.

The latest national and global data highlight the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Romania, in all age groups, and the predictions for the future are not encouraging. General eating patterns are formed in preschool age, mainly influenced by the feeding practices of the children’s caregivers. The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) is a useful self-report tool for assessing parental feeding practices, validated across various age groups in several countries, but not in Romania. This study aimed to validate the CFPQ among 443 caregivers of children aged 2 to 7 years in Romania. An Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure of the CFPQ. The original factor structure (12 factors, 49 items) of the CFPQ was not confirmed among Romanian caregivers. The EFA supported a four-factor model with 14 items (Monitoring, Restriction for Weight Control, Modelling, Food as a Reward), which CFA indicated fit well (χ²/df = 1.78, GFI = 0.961, CFI = 0.981, RMSEA = 0.042). The findings support using the 14-item CFPQ among caregivers of 2- to 7-year-old children in Romania. This study highlights the potential of this abbreviated version to inform future tailored interventions designed to help caregivers address child obesity among Romanian children.