Ancuţa Ţenter

Global food waste is a pressing issue, with around 1.3 billion tons wasted annually worldwide. While estimates may vary, the scale of this problem is undeniable, impacting the environment, society, economies, and global food security. Restaurants, facing rising food costs, industry competition, and environmentally conscious consumers, are under growing pressure to tackle food waste effectively. In Romania, vegetables, baked goods, and fruits are among the most wasted items, accounting for 13–17% of food waste. This study investigates the root causes of fruit and vegetable waste in restaurants and explores potential solutions. The research addresses three exploratory questions: “How do restaurant professionals perceive the meaning, types, and extent of fruit and vegetable waste?”; “What factors do they identify as drivers of fruit and vegetable waste in the food service sector?”; and “What strategies do they propose for reducing fruit and vegetable waste?” A qualitative approach was employed, consisting of in-depth interviews with restaurant employees. The results show that inefficiencies in handling and poor communication, both internally and with external partners, are seen as the main causes of fruit and vegetable waste in restaurants. Proposed solutions include better inventory management, portion control, and staff training. These findings call on chefs and managers to critically reassess their operational practices and ensure alignment with existing legislation. By providing a systematic framework of causes and potential solutions, this study offers practical and actionable guidance for reducing food waste within the restaurant industry.

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that occurs due to the radioactive decay of radium (226Ra) present in rocks which, in turn, cames from the radioactive decay of uranium (238U), a primordial natural element. Along with factors such as porosity, permeability and humidity of the rocks and soils, pressure and temperature, geology setting plays one of the most important roles in the release of radon into the environment. Depending on the mineralogical compositions and characteristics of the bedrock from a certain area, a higher or lower concentration of radioactive minerals can be found in the rocks, which will directly influence the level of radon in the atmosphere, implicitly the concentration of radon measured in houses. In this study, a six months concentration of radon (222Rn) was assessed in 256houses from Cluj-Napoca area using CR-39 nuclear track detectors. Correlations between the indoor radon levels and the geological setting was further analyzed. The aim is to better understand the influence of geology on the concentration of radon levels in homes, in order to further identify other risk areas in terms of exposure to radon. Further investigation is needed on other factors influencing the accumulation of radon in high concentrations indoor, such as ventilation, occupation patterns or constructive and architectural features for typical houses. Therefore, the results of this work are considered to be important for indoor radon management in Romania.