The danger of mycotoxin contamination entering the food supply through post-harvest infection is of perennial concern to food safety experts. To explore the distribution of Penicillium expansum and diffusion of its mycotoxin, patulin, in blue mold-damaged pears, Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. cv. Yali obtained from markets and orchards in China were artificially inoculated with P. expansum and assayed for patulin accumulation and degree of fungal colonization. The inoculated pears were incubated until the lesions were 5, 10, 20, or 30 mm in diameter. We sampled tissue at a range of distances from the lesion, measured the spread of Penicillium by plate colony-counting methods, and used UHPLC-MS/MS to detect and quantify the patulin concentration. More P. expansum colony-forming units were isolated from pears with a higher degree of decay. Farther from the lesion, the fewer P. expansum colonies were observed, and the lower the patulin content detected. We found a significant difference in the patulin content between samples due to lesion size, and also in tissue sampled 10 mm away from the lesion. In consideration of this finding, to ensure food safety, we recommend that when a blue mold rot lesion on pear is 5, 10, or 20 mm in diameter, 20, 30, and 40 mm beyond the lesion should be removed, respectively. If a lesion surpasses 30 mm in diameter, the whole pear should be thrown away.

A field plot experiment in a calcareous soil with wheat and maize rotation was carried out for 2 yr. The study aimed to investigate the effects of biosolids (sewage sludge or chicken manure) application on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation in soils and to develop a model for the effects of biosolids application on available P (Olsen-P) accumulation in soils, by which the quantities of biosolids that can be safely applied to agricultural soils were estimated. The results showed that heavy application of biosolids to agricultural soils based on the N requirement of a wheat-maize rotation cropping system will oversupply P. Soil total N was increased by 0.010 g kg-1 at application rate of 1 ton sewage sludge per hectare. The high ratio of N to P in grains of wheat and maize (from 4.0 to 7.6) and low ratio of N to P in biosolids (<2) led to more surplus P accumulated in soils. Although plant yields and P uptake by plants increased with increasing quantities of applied biosolids in soils, there was still an average 2.87 mg kg-1 increase in Olsen-P in the plough layer treated with biosolids for every 100 kg P ha-1 surplus. A predictive model was developed based upon the initial Olsen-P in soils, P input rates, crop yield, soil pH, and cultivation time. From the model, it is suggested that sewage sludge could be applied to calcareous soils for 12 yr using the recommended application rate (9 tons ha-1 yr-1). The field results will be helpful in achieving best management of biosolids application for agricultural production and environmental protection.