This study investigates heavy metal contamination in soils, irrigation water, and agricultural produce (fruits: Vitis vinifera (grape), Cucumis melo var. saccharimus (melon), and Citrullus vulgaris. Schrade (watermelon); vegetables: Lycopersicum esculentum L. (tomato), Cucurbita pepo (zucchini), Daucus carota (carrot), Lactuca sativa (lettuce), Convolvulus Batatas (potato), and Capsicum annuum L. (green pepper)) in the Boumerdes region of Algeria. The concentrations of seven heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) in soil and food samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Health risks associated with these metals were evaluated through the estimated daily intake (EDI), non-carcinogenic risks (using target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard quotient (TTHQ), and hazard index (HI)), and carcinogenic risks (cancer risk factor (CR)). Statistical analyses, including cluster analysis (CA) and Pearson correlation, were conducted to interpret the data. The results revealed the highest metal transfer as follows: Cd was most significantly transferred to tomatoes and watermelons; Cr to carrots; Cu to tomatoes; and Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn to lettuce. Among fruits, the highest EDI values were for Zn (2.54·10⁻³ mg/day) and Cu (1.17·10⁻³ mg/day), with melons showing the highest Zn levels. For vegetables, the highest EDI values were for Fe (1.68·10⁻² mg/day) and Zn (8.37·10⁻³ mg/day), with potatoes showing the highest Fe levels. Although all heavy metal concentrations were within the World Health Organization’s permissible limits, the HI and TTHQ values indicated potential health risks, particularly from vegetable consumption. These findings suggest the need for ongoing monitoring to ensure food safety and mitigate health risks associated with heavy metal contamination.

In recent years, there is a dire need for energy, and energy storage appears to be a cost-effective solution to meet these needs. Supercapacitors are the most widely used for this purpose. Materials based on polyaniline (PANI) are соmmоnly usеd in supеrсаpасitоrs due tо their impressivе prоpеrtiеs, such as significant specific capacitance, eхсеllent еleсtrоchemicаl perfоrmanсе, cost–effective оf synthеsis. Hоwever, a significаnt drаwbaсk оf PANI is its limitеd durability. Tо addrеss this issue, PANI is often combined PANI with various materials. In this study, we investigate supercapacitor’s electrode materials by combining PANI with various metal oxides such as ZrO2, ZnO2, TiO2 and MnO2. Herein we used X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourrier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm PANI/Metal oxides composite synthesis. The electrochemical performance was conducted by cyclic voltammetry. The PANI/ZrO2 exhibited a specific capacity of 563.5 F/g the highest comparing to the other composites, which make it more suitable for supercapacitors application. On the other hand, PANI/TiO2 demonstrated lower conductivity, therefore it could not be selected to this application. Highlights Metal oxide were successfully combined with conducting polymers using simple and cost effective root. The combination of metal oxides with conducting polymers improve significantly the specific capacitance. The prepared composite electrode shows good electrochemical performance, making it highly suitable for supercapacitor applications.