The purpose of the study was to establish whether UV-C radiation applied to potato tubers prior to their storage affected their natural losses over a long period of time. A custom-built UV-C radiation stand constructed for the purpose of this experiment was equipped with a UV-C NBV15 radiator generating a 253.7 nm long wave with power density of 80 to 100 μW∙cm−2. Three varieties of edible medium late potatoes, Jelly, Syrena, and Fianna, were the objects of the research. The measurement of tightly controlled storage conditions was carried out over three seasons between 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, in a professional agricultural cold store with automated adjustment of interior microclimate parameters. The obtained data were processed using the variance analysis (α = 0.05). There was a statistically significant reduction in transpiration- and respiration-caused losses in the UV-C radiated potato tubers in comparison to those of the control sample. Additionally, the Jelly variety reacted to UV-C radiation demonstrating a reduction in sprout weight.

Color evaluation, using its numerous parameters, was applied to assess qualitative changes of products resulting from the use of specific technological treatment. The study investigates the possibility of using the CIE (Comission Internationale de l’Eclairage) L*a*b* (components describe color: L - luminance, a - green to magenta color, b - blue to yellow color) method to determine selected color coefficients of fried potato products. Statistical analysis of the results was performed at the assumed significance level of α = 0.05. It was demonstrated that the method proposed (CIE L*a*b*) is effective in evaluating the color of french fries modified with the use of raw material exposed to ultraviolet radiation in the C band.

This study aims to determine the effect of raw potato tubers’ exposure to UV-C radiation and semi-products soaking in water on the content of acrylamide in the dry matter of French fries. The French fries were prepared from tubers of the Innovator variety of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Acrylamide contents were determined by HPLC-UV/Vis on a C-18 column after extraction of fried potatoes with acetonitrile. Potato tubers exposure to UV-C radiation caused an increase in acrylamide content and the soaking of semi-products in water caused a decrease in acrylamide content in the dry matter of French fries.

Amongst the surface treatment technologies to emerge in the last few decades, UV-C radiation surface treatment is widely used in food process industries for the purpose of shelf life elongation, bacterial inactivation, and stimulation. However, the short wave application is highly dose-dependent and induces different properties of the product during exposure. Mechanical properties of the agricultural products and their derivatives represent the key indicator of acceptability by the end-user. This paper surveys the recent findings of the influence of UV-C on the stress response and physiological change concerning the mechanical and textural properties of miscellaneous agricultural products with a specific focus on a potato tuber. This paper also reviewed the hormetic effect of UV-C triggered at a different classification of doses studied so far on the amount of phenolic content, antioxidants, and other chemicals responsible for the stimulation process. The combined technologies with UV-C for product quality improvement are also highlighted. The review work draws the current challenges as well as future perspectives. Moreover, a way forward in the key areas of improvement of UV-C treatment technologies is suggested that can induce a favorable stress, enabling the product to achieve self-defense mechanisms against wound, impact, and mechanical damage.

Lakes are the most important freshwater resources for humans. It is stated that together with population growth, unplanned urbanization, excessive water consumption, industrialization, and unconscious irrigation, global climate change causes changes in the water levels and volumes of lakes. Lake Eğirdir in Turkey, which is important in terms of drinking and irrigation water use, was chosen as the study area. Lake Eğirdir water level (LWL) and water volume (LWV) values measured between 1988–2019 were used. Dependencies in the annual LWL and LWV were examined by autocorrelation analysis, and trend changes were examined by regression analysis, the Mann-Kendall rank correlation test, and the Şen innovation trend test. The research has shown a significant decrease since 2000 in LWL and since 1990 in LWV. The LWL has decreased by −1.272 to −3.514 m and the LWV has decreased by −72.980 to −1082.134 hm3 in approximately 32 years. The actions to be taken based on the values determined in this study will help protect the water resources of lakes. As a result of the tests used in our study, it was determined that there were decreases in both the water level and the volume of the lake. The climatic changes in the lake basin and the decrease in the water resources feeding the lake are shown as the biggest factor in these reductions.