Arak University

Integrated assessment of heavy metal contamination and ecological and human health risks in agricultural soils, groundwater and surface water of an industrialized arid region (Arak Plain, Iran)

Study region Arak Plain, central Iran. Study focus This study evaluated the concentrations and associated ecological and human health risks of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Hg in agricultural soils, groundwater, and surface water of an industrialized wheat-growing plain. Soil conta...

Exogenous soluble sugars modulate disease severity and physiological and biochemical responses in olive (Olea europaea L.) trees infected with Verticillium dahliae Kleb.

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., is a soil-borne disease limiting olive ( Olea europaea L.) production, and its management remains challenging. This study evaluated the effects of soluble sugars, applied alone or in combination with fungicide and Trichoder...

Claws, consequences and coexistence: Local community attitudes toward large carnivores in mountain landscapes

Abstract Human attitudes toward large carnivores are shaped by multiple interrelated socio-psychological factors, yet conservation interventions often focus on reducing material impacts while paying less attention to underlying attitude drivers. We investigated attitudes towards...

Fruit development and quality traits of breadnut (Artocarpus camansi Blanco) and breadfruit (A. altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg): a comparative study

A comprehensive comparative assessment was conducted to characterize the morphological, physicochemical, cooking, biochemical, antioxidant, and mineral composition of breadnut ( Artocarpus camansi Blanco) and breadfruit ( A. altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg) at four fruit developmenta...

Diversified pomegranate-based intercropping systems to enhance productivity, profitability, and soil fertility in semi-arid ecosystems

Diversified intercropping is increasingly recognized as a strategy to enhance the productivity and the sustainability in orchard-based agroecosystems, particularly in water-limited environments. A five-year field experiment (2016–2020) was conducted under semi-arid conditions of...

Iron oxide nanoparticles mitigate salinity stress in Ziziphora clinopodioides by enhancing growth, ion homeostasis, and essential oil content

Salinity is a major environmental constraint limiting the growth, physiological performance, and productivity of medicinal plants. This study investigated the effects of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃-NPs) and bulk ferric oxide on growth, ionic balance, oxidative stress, photosy...

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in Iranian cereal products using ICP-AES and a hybrid machine learning framework

<title>Abstract</title> This study assesses the health risk associated with heavy metal contamination in 13 commonly consumed cereal-based products (11 pasta brands, Ash-Novin pasta, and wheat germ powder) from Arak, Iran. Concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg...

Thermal regulation of phenological development in karonda (Carissa carandas L.) based on an extended BBCH scale

This study provides the first integrated phenological and thermal time framework for karonda ( Carissa carandas L.) using the extended BBCH scale. Karonda is an underutilized evergreen fruit crop valued for its adaptability to marginal environments; however, standardized informat...