ORALS

SESSION: AdvancedMaterialsThuAM-R5	7th Intl Symposium on New & Advanced Materials and Technologies for Energy, Environment, Health and Sustainable Development
Thu. 30 Nov. 2023 / Room: Heliconia
Session Chairs: Fernand Marquis; Session Monitor: TBA

12:00: [AdvancedMaterialsThuAM02] OS
SUSTAINABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE ADSORBENT MATERIALS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS
Anita Trajkovska-Broach¹ ; Anka Trajkovska Petkoska² ; ¹Scientist/Consultant, CSI: Create. Solve. Innovate. LLC, Blacksburg, United States; ²Full Professor, Veles, Macedonia (North Macedonia);
Paper Id: 239 [Abstract]

Air pollution is one of the largest health and environmental problems in the world. It is a treat for the human and animal health and is one of the leading risk factors for death. In fact, the air pollution is responsible for more than 6.5 million deaths each year globally [1].In this study, we are presenting sustainable and biodegradable materials, which can be used as sorbents for air pollutants, such as CO2, CO, CH4, NOx, SOx, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and others. The presented sorbent materials are composed of agricultural by-products in a network of fungal threads (mycelia), named My-Com™. My-Com™ composites can be easily made in any shape, form and size. Preliminary life-cycle assessments show negative CO2 emissions for the composite production, i.e. the material production uses CO2 from the environment to produce the “mycelium-wrapped” agricultural by-product composites [2]. My-Com™ composites in their original state, as well as the amine-functionalized My-Com™ composites efficiently adsorb the small-molecule environmental pollutants, viz. CO, CO2, CH4 and others [3]. The studies of the VOC-adsorption on My-Com™ materials are in progress. Overall, My-Com™ composites are promising sustainable materials for removing pollutants from the environment, and at the end of their use, when disposed, they are completely biodegradable. 

References:
[1] Air Pollution and Your Health (nih.gov)
[2] Achiya Livne et al., Fungal Mycelium Bio-Composite Acts as a CO2-Sink Building Material with Low Embodied Energy, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 37, 12099–12106
[3] Taekyoung Lee, Jaeyun Choi, Mycelium-composite panels for atmospheric particulate matter adsorption, Results in Materials 11 (2021) 100208

SESSION: MineralWedPM3-R7	Torem International Symposium (8th Intl. Symp. on Sustainable Mineral Processing)
Wed. 29 Nov. 2023 / Room: Sunflower
Session Chairs: Fernando Jose Gomes; Session Monitor: TBA

18:20: [MineralWedPM314] OS Keynote
RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS AND HEALTHY DIETARY PATTERNS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD - THE CASE OF MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Anka Trajkovska Petkoska¹ ; Anita Trajkovska-Broach² ; ¹Full Professor, Veles, Macedonia (North Macedonia); ²Scientist/Consultant, CSI: Create. Solve. Innovate. LLC, Blacksburg, United States;
Paper Id: 238 [Abstract]

The industrial development, globalization and increased population in the world have significantly affected the food production and food consumption in such ways that negatively impact the ecosystem and the health of the people. Most of the current food systems are not sustainable, nor resilient. Many households in the developed world do not cook their food, traditional cooking practices are vanishing from the family kitchens, and people are shifting towards ultra-processed ready-to-eat food choices with poor nutritional profiles. Regardless of the fact that there is plenty of food for consumption, these nutrient-poor food choices have become the number one cause of health issues in the modern world, such as obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic syndrome problems, as well as cancers and cardiovascular diseases, which is an enormous health and economic burden for every society. The developing countries are also facing the problem of “double burden” – a combination of under-nutrition and non-communicable diseases.Sustainable and resilient food systems can be the key factors towards a more sustainable planet and the well-being of all people. Such food systems offer not only reduced environmental pollution, but have the potential to end the hunger and yield healthier nations. A good representative of a resilient food system is the Mediterranean diet – an affordable diet with numerous science-backed health benefits, which is easily transferable to regions outside the Mediterranean basin. Mediterranean diet (MD) refers to the dietary patterns and the lifestyle habits of the people living around the Mediterranean Sea. MD is mainly a plant-based diet, which emphasizes abundant consumption of seasonal and local unprocessed (or minimally processed) fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices, followed by moderate consumption of fish, poultry, eggs, dairy and fermented products. Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of healthy fats, while the consumption of red meat products and products with refined sugars is low. The food is consumed together with family and friends, which along with the other social aspects and the sense of community are integral parts of the Mediterranean way of living. Numerous studies have associated the MD with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others, but also have linked it to improved longevity and quality of life of the people who adhere to this diet.Due to its importance, MD was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2010, where it is defined as “a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking, and particularly the sharing and consumption of food”.In this study, different aspects of the MD will be considered with an emphasis on the nutrient-dense, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory character of the diet, which are responsible for the diet’s health benefits. The resiliency of the diet, which originally was “a diet of the poor”, its environmental impact and the potential this diet holds for the future of the mankind and the planet will be discussed, too.

References:
[1] 1. Trajkovska Petkoska and A. Trajkovska-Broach, Mediterranean Diet: A Nutrient-Packed Diet and a Healthy Lifestyle for a Sustainable World, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/JSFA.10907.
[2] 2. Trajkovska Petkoska, A.T. Broach, Sustainable food systems and healthy diets: the case of mediterranean diet, Acta hort regiotec, 24, (2): 110–118. 2021.
[3] 3. Trajkovska-Broach A. and Trajkovska Petkoska A. Mediterranean Diet Ingredients: Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential. Austin J Biotechnol Bioeng. 2021; 8(2): 1114.
[4] 4. Trajkovska-Broach A. and Trajkovska Petkoska A. Mediterranean Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants – Natural Therapeutics and Rich Sources of Bioactive Compounds, JSFA Reports, 2023.
[5] 5. Trajkovska Petkoska, Can We Solve the Problem of Global Syndemic? Mediterranean Diet as a Potential Solution, Acta Scientific Nutritional Health, 5.2 (2021): 137-145.