Javad Torkashvand; Mahdi Farzadkia; Ahmad Jonidi Jafari; Mohsen Heidari; Ahmad Ghalkhanbaz
Abstract
Background and Aims: There are various methods for the disinfection of infectious wastes which are of great importance due to their potential health and environmental risks and there are different insights about their management in Iran. Hence, the aim of this study was to survey the various aspects ...
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Background and Aims: There are various methods for the disinfection of infectious wastes which are of great importance due to their potential health and environmental risks and there are different insights about their management in Iran. Hence, the aim of this study was to survey the various aspects of disinfection methods of infectious waste on the basis of environmental health specialist insights. Material and Methods: For performing this study, a questionnaire was prepared and the opinions of the specialists were gathered about five disinfection and disposal methods of infectious wastes, and finally the data were analyzed. Moreover, the preferences of the specialists for selecting each method were also asked based on 9 various aspects. Results: It was found that health issues received the highest priority (with 26% of desirability) from the specialists in selecting the method, while the lowest priority was assigned for financial issues (with 8% of desirability) and political acceptability (with 6% of desirability). Environmental health specialists believed that autoclaving and waste incinerating with 77.8% and 44.1% of desirability, respectively, are the most favorable and undesirable methods for disinfecting the infectious wastes. The results showed that the disinfection is a top priority for the specialists, and, with respect to current situation, they did not make any significant difference between on-site and ex-situ disinfecting methods, which is reflected in the scores of 3.65 and 3.72 for these two scenarios. Conclusion: Overall, health aspects have the most important priority in the management of infectious wastes. Therefore, autoclaving and microwaving are the most appropriate methods for the disinfection of such wastes. Landfilling and incineration were not suggested for the disposal or treatment of infectious wastes.
Mohsen heidari; zoha heidarinejad; Vali Alipour; kavoos dindarloo; Omid Rahmanian; Babak Goodarzi; hasan Mousapour
Abstract
Background: Air pollution and its health effects is a principal challenge in Iran. One of the effective measures to control air quality is to determine the actual amount of pollutants and describe the air quality in comparison with standard conditions. The main objective of this study was to evaluate ...
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Background: Air pollution and its health effects is a principal challenge in Iran. One of the effective measures to control air quality is to determine the actual amount of pollutants and describe the air quality in comparison with standard conditions. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the air quality in Kerman based on Air Quality Index (AQI) and to determine the responsible pollutant in polluted days during April 2015 to March 2016. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the air pollutants concentration data were obtained from Kerman environmental protection agency. Then, the AQI values were calculated based on the levels of the criteria pollutants, i.e., CO, NO2, SO2, PM10, PM2.5 and O3. Based on AQI levels, the air quality was classified into six groups including good, moderate, unhealthy for the sensitive people, unhealthy, very unhealthy and dangerous. Results: During the studied year, the air quality in 7%, 60%, 29% and 4% of the days, in which the pollutants concentrations were measured, was in clean condition, healthy conditions, unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups and unhealthy condition, respectively. The best and worst air quality conditions were observed in January (in cold season) and April (in warm season), respectively. PM2.5 was the responsible pollutant for air pollution in Kerman. Conclusion: The results showed that the main responsible pollutant which causes air pollution in Kerman was particulate matter. This situation may be originated from the local and regional dust storms, especially from south-west and Sistan regions. Therefore, the essential actions must be taken to control such pollution and to minimize the community exposure to this pollutant.