Micropollutants enter surface waters through various pathways, of which wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a major source. The large diversity of micropollutants and their many modes of toxic action pose a challenge for assessing environmental risks. In this study, we investigated the potential impact of WWTPs on receiving ecosystems by describing concentration patterns of micropollutants, predicting acute risks for aquatic organisms and validating these results with macroinvertebrate biomonitoring data. Grab samples were taken upstream, downstream and at the effluent of 24 Swiss WWTPs during low flow conditions across independent catchments with different land uses. Using liquid chromatography high resolution tandem mass spectrometry, a comprehensive target screening of almost 400 organic substances, focusing mainly on pesticides and pharmaceuticals, was conducted at two time points, and complemented with the analysis of a priority mixture of 57 substances over eight time points. Acute toxic pressure was predicted using the risk assessment approach of the multi-substance potentially affected fraction, first applying concentration addition for substances with the same toxic mode of action and subsequently response addition for the calculation of the risk of the total mixture. This toxic pressure was compared to macroinvertebrate sensitivity to pesticides (SPEAR index) upstream and downstream of the WWTPs. The concentrations were, as expected, especially for pharmaceuticals and other household chemicals higher downstream than upstream, with the detection frequency of plant protection products upstream correlating with the fraction of arable land in the catchments. While the concentration sums downstream were clearly dominated by pharmaceuticals or other household chemicals, the acute toxic pressure was mainly driven by pesticides, often caused by the episodic occurrence of these compounds even during low flow conditions. In general, five single substances explained much of the total risk, with diclofenac, diazinon and clothianidin as the main drivers. Despite the low predicted acute risk of 0%-2.1% for affected species, a significant positive correlation with macroinvertebrate sensitivity to pesticides was observed. However, more effect data for pharmaceuticals and a better quantification of episodic pesticide pollution events are needed for a more comprehensive risk assessment.

Concerns for health can lead to healthier food choices, especially if the consumer is well informed. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of package and health-related claims on Brazilian consumers' acceptance of snack bars. In order to evaluate package attributes, in focus groups discussions, 19 consumers chose the most important factors that influence their purchase decisions. Next, 102 consumers evaluated six commercial brands of snack bars in a three-session acceptance test: the first with no information about the product, the second containing the product package and the third with information on health-related claims associated with consumption of the bar. In general, package attributes, price and flavor were the most important factors that influence the purchase of snack bars. Health claims positively influenced consumer acceptance, but information concerning the absence of gluten and lactose did not significantly alter sensory acceptance. The presence of omega-3s, sugars, preservatives, flavorings and colorings have the potential to improve acceptability, because they were able to raise the acceptance of the seed bar, removing it from the rejection region. Protein and nut bars are not well known to the general public and the lower mean acceptance of the seed and protein bars demonstrated the need for sensorial improvement.

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Six Brazilian commercial brands of snack bars were chosen to evaluate the importance of packaging, highlighting the potential of health claims on the acceptability of them. Dne hundred and two consumers evaluated bars in three sessions of acceptance test, using a nine-point hedonic scale: the first with no information about the product, the second containing the packaging of the product and the last with information on health-related claims associated with the consumption of the bar. A Randomized Complete Block Design structured the experiment. The results were analyzed using frequency distribution, internal preference mapping, ANDVA and Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). On the blind test, the lower mean acceptance of the seed and protein bars showed the need for sensorial improvement. On the packaging test, the difference between the means show that the packaging of the bars evaluated did not differ on acceptance, differing only from the protein bar. Test with the information showed that information of health claims, for the most part, can positively influence sensory acceptance, even if in some cases there is no sensory pleasure.

Overweight and obesity are responsible for significant costs of the Brazil's public health system and can modify the self-perception of the body image, attitudes, cognitions and thoughts. This study intends to propose predictive models to evaluate factors related to body image dissatisfaction among university students. Undergraduate students, with a mean age of 22.4 years, were interviewed in Minas Gerais, Brazil, by means of a behavioral questionnaire and evaluated the body image by scale of figures of silhouettes according to the Brazilian biotype. Contingency analysis pointed out dissatisfaction in 67.1% of the students and the time dedicated to sedentary activities presented significant influence on body image. Female undergraduate students from health science courses with recent weight gain tended to wish smaller silhouettes, while male students wished larger body sizes. Multinomial and logistic regression analyses revealed a good predictive power, but the multinomial regression was more advantageous and effective in demonstrating a satisfactory predictive model comprised of a larger number of variables to explain the body image dissatisfaction.