Narjes Bagheri; Giti Kashi; Hamid Reza Tashauoei
Abstract
AbstractBackground and Aim: Helicobacter pylori is the most common gastrointestinal pathogen infecting more than half of the world's population. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that causes gastrointestinal ulcers (chronic gastritis), stomach cancer, lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to ...
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AbstractBackground and Aim: Helicobacter pylori is the most common gastrointestinal pathogen infecting more than half of the world's population. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that causes gastrointestinal ulcers (chronic gastritis), stomach cancer, lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to apply the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for investigating Helicobacter pylori in the tap water of selected hospitals in Tehran in 2020.Materials and Methods: In this study, 22 tap water samples and six well water samples were randomly gathered from the selected hospitals in different areas of Tehran from September 5 to November 20, 2020. The samples were collected in sterile bottles according to the procedure detailed in national standard methods. In this study, Helicobacter pylori was evaluated using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and surface culture. Data analysis was done by SPSS18 software. Results: This study showed Helicobacter pylori in two samples (10.3%) by PCR. The mean values of Helicobacter pylori in tap water and well water samples were 0.18 ± 0.85 and 0.67±1.63, respectively. The mean values of heterotrophic plate count in tap water and well water samples were 0.00 ±0.00 and 7.83±2.10, respectively. The mean values of coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, and Streptococcus faecalis in tap water were 0.00 ±0.00.Conclusion: Helicobacter pylori has high persistence in the aquatic environment due to resistance in harsh environments and its absence will be an indicator of proper environmental health. So, according to our results, infection control and preventive strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to Helicobacter pylori for safe water supply are purposed to public health authorities. The evaluation of the biological quality of water (heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, and Streptococcus faecalis), physicochemical quality of water, and Helicobacter pylori in water is among the strengths and innovations of this research.
Alireza Ehsanzadeh; Farhad Nejadkoorki; Ali Taleb
Abstract
Background and objective: Air pollution in Tehran, because of high concentration of pollutants, has caused various diseases and many problems concerning the public health and welfare of citizens and also damages to the environment and living organisms. Materials & Methods: Air Quality Index ...
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Background and objective: Air pollution in Tehran, because of high concentration of pollutants, has caused various diseases and many problems concerning the public health and welfare of citizens and also damages to the environment and living organisms. Materials & Methods: Air Quality Index (AQI) is a key tool to monitor the air quality, to realize the effects of air pollution on health and to choose methods against air pollution. This study aimed at modeling and estimation AQI by CART algorithm and adaptive boosting algorithm (AdaBoost). Hourly data on concentration of air pollutants and meteorological parameters related to Gholhak stations in Tehran was used for modeling and estimation of AQI. Results: The results showed that CART model had better performance than AdaBoost model. To evaluate these models, root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE) and correlation coefficient (R) of the CART model for the test, were respectively, 0.75, 0.101, 0.563, and 0.99 when compared to the AdaBoost model (RMSE=7.1, MAE=5.11, MSE=50.52 and R=0.95) which implies the absolute superiority of the CART model than the AdaBoost model. Conclusion:The results of this study showed that regression decision tree model can be used as an efficient model for modelling and estimation of urban air quality index.
Ayoub Khosravi Fard; Ghorban Vahabzadeh; Leila Gholami
Abstract
Background: Water is considered as a vital element in the life cycle. Therefore, water safety in drinking and agricultural fields is one of the communities’ necessities to protect health of humans and environment. Objective: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate and classify ...
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Background: Water is considered as a vital element in the life cycle. Therefore, water safety in drinking and agricultural fields is one of the communities’ necessities to protect health of humans and environment. Objective: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate and classify the water quality of Ghorbaghestan and Doab Merk Stations in Kermanshah Province owing to the importance of their drinking and agricultural uses as well as recent droughts in Kermanshah province and Gharasoo watershed resulting in discharge reduction of Gharasoo river. Material & Methods: The studied parameters of water chemical quality in this study were salts residual, acidity, electrical conductivity, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, sodium absorption ratio and total hardness. In this study, the obtained data placed in the XLSTAT software. Then, the homogeneity and Mankendal numbers were drawn using Homogeneity and Petit tests in a period of 40 years. Also, the Paiper, Duru, Shuler and Wilcox diagrams were drawn in Ghorbaghestan and Doabmerck stations using the Aqua Chem software. Results: The classification results of Wilcox in Ghorbaghestan and Doabmerck stations showed that the samples placed in the class slightly salty (C2S1);therefore, the river water in these stations was almost suitable for agricultural. The Shuler diagram showed that the water quality was inappropriate for drinking in Ghorbaghestan and Doabmerck stations. Conclision: For improving the quality of river water and its efficient use, point and non-point pollutants entry into the river water especially urban and non-urban sewage should be prevented with long-term plans.
mohammad hadi abolhasani; niloofar pirestani; hajar amini
Abstract
Background and aim: water oil contamination has occurred in Iran since the previous century and environmental oil accumulation threatens the country water resources’ health. There are several methods to remove oil and its derivatives contamination. In the present study, mineral wool waste was used ...
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Background and aim: water oil contamination has occurred in Iran since the previous century and environmental oil accumulation threatens the country water resources’ health. There are several methods to remove oil and its derivatives contamination. In the present study, mineral wool waste was used as low price adsorbent for wastewater oil contamination (kerosene) removal. Materials and methods: first, XRF and XRD analyses were used to determine chemical composition. Then, adsorption tests were conducted discontinuously using laboratory solutions containing oil to determine optimum adsorption conditions by adjustment of effective factors such as pH, initial concentration, exposure time and adsorbent concentration. Thereafter, application of adsorbent for laboratory wastewater was studied. Results: after 15 min exposure, the adsorbent (mineral wool wastes) efficacy was significantly higher than the other times (76.01 % adsorption; P<0.05); whereas, the lowest efficacy was observed after 3 min (63.82 %; P<0.05). Among the tested pH, the highest and lowest adsorption were observed at pH = 3 (70.59 %; P<0.05) and 9 (57.69 %; P<0.05), respectively. There was no significant difference in adsorption between the adsorbent concentrations of 0.5 and 1 g (76.80 and 75.30 %); however, both were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other concentrations. the lowest adsorption was observed at the concentration of 0.25 g adsorbent (67.78 %). Isotherm fitting of surface adsorption showed that oil adsorption by mineral wool wastes follows Langmuir model (R2=0.99). Conclusion: it is concluded that mineral wool waste has high efficiency to adsorb oil from wastewater and could be used for oil contamination removal.
Mostafa Abyareh; Farhad Nejadkoorki; Mohammad Reza Ekhtesasi; Mohammad Akhavan Ghalibaf
Abstract
Background and purpose: Expanded industries and incorrect management led to land pollution, which caused irreparable damage to nature and organisms. Therefore, investigating the role of industrial centers in soil pollution is among the most important measures in field of pollution control. This study ...
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Background and purpose: Expanded industries and incorrect management led to land pollution, which caused irreparable damage to nature and organisms. Therefore, investigating the role of industrial centers in soil pollution is among the most important measures in field of pollution control. This study aimed to evaluate the Heavy Metals contamination in Surface Soil Caused by Steel Industry. Materials and Methods: In this study, to determine the concentration of Cadmium and Lead in soil, 6 soil samples with a depth of 0-5 cm from surrounding areas were collected. Lead and Cadmium levels were measured in soil samples by flame atomic absorption. The statistical indices for concentrations of elements in soil dust were calculated, then the concentrations of the elements in soil before and after the factory were compared, and In order to evaluate the contaminations of heavy metals and to study the environmental impact of the modified degree of contamination, the degree of contamination and the potential environmental risk were calculated. Results: The minimum and maximum amounts for Cadmium and Lead contamination in soil were 24.60, 99.30 and 35.60, 156.30 mg/kg respectively. The results indicated there was a meaningful difference between the amount of Cadmium before and after the company. The pollutant index for Cadmium was extreme and dangerous, whereas the pollutant index for Lead was not critical. Conclusion: Concentrations of two measured elements showed that only level of cadmium was higher than global standards and this indicates polluting role of this factory. Therefore planning for control the release of this metal and other pollutants should be considered.
Samira Rahnama; Hossein Khozeymehnezhad; Abbas KhasheiSiuki
Abstract
Background and Aim:Due to the increasing demands of the human population to groundwater, protection and prevention of these water resources from pollution are necessary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vulnerability of groundwater aquifer in Kuchesfahan- Astane plain located in Gilan province ...
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Background and Aim:Due to the increasing demands of the human population to groundwater, protection and prevention of these water resources from pollution are necessary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vulnerability of groundwater aquifer in Kuchesfahan- Astane plain located in Gilan province using DRASTIC method and nonparametric models. Materials and Methods:In this study, seven layers were prepared for parameters in GIS software, and after weighting and combining standard ranks, the groundwater vulnerability maps for the study area were prepared. Nitrate data were used to validate the model in this region. Subsequently, by using the nonparametric models, Instance-Based Learning with parameter K (IBK) and the Tree Decision M5, the amount of nitrate was estimated. Meanwhile, Gamma test was conducted to find the best combination of input parameters. ResultsThe results revealed that the vulnerability of groundwater aquifer in this plain has 4 classes including 18.56 % in low vulnerability, 51.29 % in low to medium vulnerability, 28.46% in medium to high vulnerability, and 1.67% in high vulnerability classes. Also, the results showed that both of the nonparametric models have suitable estimates of the nitrate content, but the M5 decision tree model yielded the best results (R2=0.98). Conclusion:The results showed that nonparametric models are efficient method to estimate the aquifer vulnerability and provide accurate results to estimate the potential of contamination in the study area.This demonstrates the superiority of the M5 model over other aquatic vulnerability assessment methods.
Seyed Reza Mousavian; Aliakbar Haghdoost; Razieh Tavakoli
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aim: Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental problems that has a remarkable impact on the incidence of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality. It is essential to comprehend air pollution effects and the ways of emission and predict the number of patients ...
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Abstract
Background and Aim: Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental problems that has a remarkable impact on the incidence of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality. It is essential to comprehend air pollution effects and the ways of emission and predict the number of patients with acute respiratory problems to eliminate and reduce air pollutants and associated mortality. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between different air pollutants and the number of cardiovascular disease patients in Mashhad.
Materials and Methods: This study applied a neural network to model and analyze the relationship between CO, NO2, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 and the number of patients with acute respiratory problems. The inputs were average temperature, humidity, wind direction, and wind speed and the output was the number of people referred per day by gender and age. The data set used included meteorological data from the Iran Meteorological Organization, air pollution data from the Mashhad Meteorological Organization, and the number of daily referrals of heart disease patients to the emergency department of Mashhad.
Results: According to this study, the most effective air pollutants in Mashhad were PM2.5 and PM10, followed by NO2, CO, and SO2, respectively.
Conclusion: Neural networks can be applied in the modeling of the relationship between environmental parameters and cardiovascular disease patients because they have a high ability to model nonlinear phenomena. These models show that the more airborne particles, the more rate of cardiovascular diseases in Mashhad
Maryam Sarkhosh; Mostafa Hadei; Sima Nourbakhsh; Hossein Alidadi; Mohammad Pazira; Gholam Reza Farahzad
Abstract
Background and Purpose:Assessing the health effects of air pollution can provide useful information for health policy . AirQ + software is a tool for determining and modeling the health effects attributed to air pollutants such as O3, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5. The aim of this study was to quantify the health ...
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Background and Purpose:Assessing the health effects of air pollution can provide useful information for health policy . AirQ + software is a tool for determining and modeling the health effects attributed to air pollutants such as O3, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5. The aim of this study was to quantify the health effects of PM2.5 pollutants in the air of Mashhad.materials and methods:In order to present this analytical study, air quality data were obtained in 2019 from the General Department of Environment of the province and the Environmental Pollutants Monitoring Center of Mashhad Municipality. Hourly data of each validated station and stations that less than 75% of the data were not registered or were not valid were eliminate. Demographic and meteorological information were also obtained from relevant organizations. AirQ + software was used to quantify the health effects of suspended particles. The desired cut-off concentration was 10 μg / m3 according to WHO guidelines.result:The results show that the total death rate attributed to PM2.5 in 2019 was about 1069 cases, which is about 9.5% of the total deaths in Mashhad. In the long term exposure, the rate of premature death attributed to PM2.5 due to COPD in that year was about 14%, due to cancer about 12%, due to IHD about 6% and due to stroke about 8% of the total deaths in Mashhad in the upper25 years old population. Conclusion:Among air pollutants, PM2.5 due to its special structure composition can be one of the risk factors for public health. This study does not consider the synergistic effects of air pollutants, which is due to the lack of studies worldwide. If the synergistic effects of pollutants are taken into account, the rate of deaths attributed to air pollution could be much higher than currently estimated.
Ava Heidari; Zahra Jafarpour Chek Ab; Mohamad Farzam; Abbas Rouhani
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Consumption of vegetables contaminated with heavy metals is dangerous for human health. The present research determined some heavy metals in Portulaca oleracea and assessed its health risk.Materials and Methods: P. oleracea was grown in pots using soil polluted with nickel and ...
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Background and Purpose: Consumption of vegetables contaminated with heavy metals is dangerous for human health. The present research determined some heavy metals in Portulaca oleracea and assessed its health risk.Materials and Methods: P. oleracea was grown in pots using soil polluted with nickel and various amounts of iron nanoparticles (0, 15, and 30 mg/kg). The concentration of heavy metals was determined by ICP-OEC after the samples were extracted. The bioaccumulation and transfer factors in plants, daily intake, and risk indicators of heavy metals for humans were all calculated.Results: The treatment with 30 mg/kg of iron nanoparticles resulted in the maximum concentration of nickel and iron in the roots and aerial sections of P. oleracea. The nickel and iron TF were below one for the soil-root but above one for the root-stem. For nickel and iron, the BAF in the plant was discovered to be less than one. Human consumption of P. oleracea poses minimal dangers, as indicated by HRI values that are less than 1. Compared to iron, nickel showed higher HRI values. Across all treatments, children demonstrated high HRIs for nickel and iron than adults.Conclusion: There are no non-cancerous diseases for consumers, according to the hazard ratio of the investigated components in the P. oleracea, which was 1. Overall, the findings demonstrated that the HRI of heavy elements for both analyzed age groups was less than one.
Abdoreza Pour Gholam Khabaz; Maryam Velayatzadeh
Abstract
Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate Pb pollution levels in the urban area of Shush City, utilizing dominant tree species as biological tracers.Materials and Methods: Sampling was conducted over one year, targeting two tree species, Albizia lebbeck and Eucalyptus microtheca, at four ...
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Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate Pb pollution levels in the urban area of Shush City, utilizing dominant tree species as biological tracers.Materials and Methods: Sampling was conducted over one year, targeting two tree species, Albizia lebbeck and Eucalyptus microtheca, at four locations with varying traffic levels in the urban area. Soil samples were collected from zero to 30 cm where the trees were situated, and leaves were gathered from 2 meters above the ground, covering four cardinal directions and performed in triplicate. 120 leaf and soil samples were transported to the laboratory for chemical analysis.Results: The highest average concentration of Pb in the winter of 2018 was recorded as 1183.2±4.6 mg/kg in the soil beneath the trees at the high-traffic station and 95.1±2.4 mg/kg in the unwashed leaves of Albizia lebbeck at the low-traffic station. During the summer season of 2019, Pb concentrations were 1056±2.7±3.3 mg/kg in the soil beneath the trees at the high-traffic station and 95.3±1.4 mg/kg in the unwashed leaves of the Albizia lebbeck tree at the low-traffic station.Conclusion: With bioaccumulation coefficients in all samples remaining below 1, it can be concluded that neither Albizia lebbeck nor Eucalyptus microtheca species possess a significant capacity for transferring heavy metals from the soil to their aerial organs. Additionally, they do not appear to absorb the available lead within their growth environment, making them unsuitable as bio-tracer plants
Muhammad Pazira
Abstract
Background and objective: Paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing industries discharge large amounts of waste which contain a variety of pollutants and paints. These wastes are believed to generate the most environmentally hazardous industrial wastewaters. Biological procedures alone may not suffice ...
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Background and objective: Paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing industries discharge large amounts of waste which contain a variety of pollutants and paints. These wastes are believed to generate the most environmentally hazardous industrial wastewaters. Biological procedures alone may not suffice the treatment of such wastes due to having a high BOD5/COD ratio. On the other hand, applying costly chemical approaches to remove all these pollutants in a short time often results in the production of large quantities of sludge. Therefore, these industries are obliged to combine both these methods in order to optimize wastewater treatment. Methods: In this experimental study, the sample wastewater was provided from the discharge channel of Pazh cardboard factory located in Tous Industrial Zone of Mashhad, Iran. The wastewater samples were collected from this factory by composite sampling. Coagulation of these samples was accomplished by clay soil as the single coagulant. The optimum pH of the treatment was determined by Jar tests in various pHs (from 4 to 9). Afterwards, the optimum concentration of the coagulant was also verified at the optimum pHof 8 by Jar tests. Results: The optimum dosage and pH of treatment by clay soil wasdetermined to be 75 g/L and 8, respectively. Under optimized conditions, the removal efficiency of COD, BOD5 and TSS was calculated as 47%, 26% and 57%, respectively. In addition, the pH adjustment at 8 resulted in a 60% reduction of clay consumption. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the coagulation of cardboard wastes by clay soil could be a suitable pretreatment method. This particular material makes it possible to improve the quality of wastewater in subsequent bio treatments in a much less costly way compared to other conventional coagulants or adsorbents. It was also observed that the ratio of BOD5/COD reduced from 4.5 to about 3. Although the clay dosage required for the wastewater treatment is relatively high, this approach could stillbe recommended for the pretreatment of this type of wastewater as well as the wastes produced by similar industries mainly because the overall cost of this treatment is insignificant. Paper Type: Research Article
Majid Mirzabeygi; amirhossein Mahvi; Mozhgan Naji; Abbas Abbasnia
Abstract
Background & Objective:One of the most complicated and costly problems associated with drinking water providing, is called as corrosion. Corrosion processes can cause pitting problems, reducing lifetime of water utilities and loss of water which can lead to high cost. Therefore the aim of this study ...
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Background & Objective:One of the most complicated and costly problems associated with drinking water providing, is called as corrosion. Corrosion processes can cause pitting problems, reducing lifetime of water utilities and loss of water which can lead to high cost. Therefore the aim of this study is to determine the corrosion and scaling indices of rural drinking water resources of Khorasan Razavi. Material & Methods:In this cross sectional study to evaluate water quality characteristics in the Khorasan Razavi resources, 879 samples were taken during 2013 were analyzed based on standard manual method book. Five indices including Langlier, Ryznar, Puckorius, Larson-Skold and Aggressiveness Index were programed in Excel software then scaling potential and corrosiveness of rural water of Khorasan razavi was studied. Results: The results indicated that values of Langlier equals 0.33 ±0.14, Ryznar equals 7.36 ±0.37,Puckorius equals 7.4 ±0.6, Larson Ratio is equal to 2.1±1.4 and Aggressiveness Index equals 12.03 ±0.18. Conclusions: In comparison of five stability indices, it was found that drinking water in the study area is corrosive. Thus essential actions for reducing corrosion and corrosion by-products, health and economic loss are required.
Vafa Hamid; Gholamreza Goudarzi; Abdolkazem Neisi; Maryam Dastoorpoor
Abstract
Background: Perfectly clean air cannot be found in nature. It contains a certain abundance of particles, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. Mounting evidence indicates increase in particle concentrations and health effects attributed to them in developing countries. In this work, ...
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Background: Perfectly clean air cannot be found in nature. It contains a certain abundance of particles, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. Mounting evidence indicates increase in particle concentrations and health effects attributed to them in developing countries. In this work, we focused on the determination of number of cardiovascular, respiratory diseases and total death associated with PM2.5 in Karaj city during 2012 to 2015. Material and Methods: The health effects of PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air of Karaj was determined using AirQ+ software. Air pollution data was obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection of this city. To validate the data, WHO criterion was performed. After all, data processed by Excel was given to the model. Results: The annual average PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air of this city during the study was higher than WHO health protective guideline (10 µg m–3). The concentration of pollutant has been reduced during the study period but there is a sudden increase in 2015. In addition, the most attributable proportion was estimated in Karaj in 2012 (59.04% for long-term and 5.86 for short-term effects). PM2.5 exposure has caused 275 and 60 natural deaths due to long-term and short-term exposure in 2012 which is unexpected. Conclusion: Regarding the health effects of PM2.5 in ambient air of Karaj city, the importance of controlling air pollution in this metropolis is becoming increasingly evident.
Mahin karbar; Hussein alidade; Noorali nikrooh
Abstract
Background &Objeftive: Vermicompost application plays an important role in agriculture. Crop plants can be sensitive to negative effects of vermicompost at early stages of development. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of different vermicomposts on seed germination of lepidiumsativum ...
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Background &Objeftive: Vermicompost application plays an important role in agriculture. Crop plants can be sensitive to negative effects of vermicompost at early stages of development. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of different vermicomposts on seed germination of lepidiumsativum species. Materials & Methods: In the current work, the effects of different vermicomposts’ extracts, which were produced from cow manure, fruit waste, paper, sawdust and leaves, on s germination and early development of lepidiumsativum were investigated in various volumetric percentages (0%, 15%, 30% and 45%). For data analysis, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program and ANOVA test were used. Results: The results showed that different volumetric percentages were effective on lepidiumsativum growth. Average growth in volumetric percentage of 30% was less than 15 and 45%. In the way that presence differences was significant. Volumetric percentage of 15% was in appropriate level for plant growth and seed germination. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the use of vermicompost extracts can have an effective role in production efficiency increase of lepidiumsativum.
Morad Ali Zareipour; Ehsan Movahed; Ali Asghar Kheirkhah; Fatemeh Seyedi; Mahsa Tahergorabi; Shohreh Shafiei
Abstract
Abstract Background and Aim: One of the most important issues in maintaining and promoting community health is comprehensive waste management, especially in the COVID-19 epidemic. Failure to pay attention to waste management leaves irreparable damage. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge ...
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Abstract Background and Aim: One of the most important issues in maintaining and promoting community health is comprehensive waste management, especially in the COVID-19 epidemic. Failure to pay attention to waste management leaves irreparable damage. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and practice of health workers about the stages of waste management in the COVID-19 epidemic. Materials and methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 428 health workers working at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences. A convenience sampling method was used. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire on waste management. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and logistic regression tests with SPSS24 software. Results: The mean age of employees was 32.16 7 ±7.03 years. The staff’s knowledge and practice about waste management in COVID-19 conditions were 54.2% good, 32.2% moderate, and 13.6% poor. All stages of waste management had significant positive correlations with each other (p <0.05). Logistic regression results showed that the female gender (OR = 1.8, P = 0.001), place of work (OR = 2.1, P = 0.002), higher education (OR = 2.9, P = 0.001), and good economic status (OR = 2.7, P = 0.001) increase the probability of knowledge and practice of health workers about waste management in COVID-19 conditions. Conclusion: In general, the knowledge and practice of employees about waste management in the COVID-19 epidemic were good, but it is necessary to make educational interventions in accordance with the determinants of waste management to increase and maintain the knowledge and performance of employees. Article type: Original Quantitative Research Article Keywords: Knowledge; Performance; Waste Management; Health Workers; COVID-19
Azim Rabiei Mesbah; Soheil Sobhan Ardakani; Mehrdad Cheraghi; Bahareh Lorestani
Abstract
Background and Aim: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a large group of ubiquitous environmental pollutants with teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, which are products of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of fossil fuels and combustion of organic matter. This study was performed to ...
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Background and Aim: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a large group of ubiquitous environmental pollutants with teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, which are products of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of fossil fuels and combustion of organic matter. This study was performed to determine and identify the origin, concentration and source of PAHs compounds in surface soils of industrial areas, Hamedan, Iran, in 2021.Material and Methods: In this descriptive study, 36 surface soil specimens were collected from 12 sampling sites of industrial areas. After extraction of analytes based on the soxhlet method, the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was used for the determination of PAHs compounds in the samples. Molecular diagnostic ratios (MDRs) were used to determine the origin of PAH compounds. Furthermore, the amounts of pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total organic carbon (TOC) parameters of soil samples were measured. Statistical data processing was performed using SPSS statistics 20 software. Results: The results showed that the total concentrations of 16 identified isomers ranged from 2417 to 16279 µg/kg with a median of 7675 µg/kg and with a dominance of 4-6 rings hydrocarbons (66% of total PAHs). Furthermore fluoranthene (Fla), pyrene (Pyr) and benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF) were the most abundant compounds in soil and the average of compounds such as benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DB(ah)A) were higher than MPC established by The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (MHWS). The results of the MDRs method indicated that both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources are the origin of PAHs in the study area. Conclusion: The result of this study indicates the high impact of anthropogenic activities on the contamination of the study area with PAH compounds. Thus, appropriate soil remediation (especially bioremediation) approaches should be considered.
Somayeh Sefidgar Shahkolaie; Mojtaba Barani Motlaq; Farhad Khormali; Esmael Dordipour
Abstract
Background and purpose: Increasing agricultural activities and subsequently releasing pollutants from agricultural systems as well as expanding industries cause heavy metals (lead and cadmium) to enter the environment. Application of amendments are suitable methods for the inactivation of heavy metals ...
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Background and purpose: Increasing agricultural activities and subsequently releasing pollutants from agricultural systems as well as expanding industries cause heavy metals (lead and cadmium) to enter the environment. Application of amendments are suitable methods for the inactivation of heavy metals in contaminated soils. Materials and methods: In order to study the effect of organic amendments (bichar 640 and 420) and inorganic amendments (zeolite, bentonite, leca and pumice) on bioavailability of Pb and Cd during incubation time in a calcareous soil, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 levels of amendments application in soil (0, 1 and 5 %) in three replications. Bioavailability of Pb and Cd in soil was determined using DTPA and EDTA- extractable during 90- and 180-days incubation time. Results: Results showed that concentration of DTPA-extractable Pb and Cd increased during the time. Application of biochar 640, bentonite and zeolite (5%) decreased concentration of EDTA-extractable Pb during the incubation time. Application of biochar (1%) were the most effective treatment in decreasing Pb concentration EDTA-exchangeable. Application of the organic amendments (biochar 640 and biochar 420) and inorganic amendments (pumice, leca bentonite, and zeolite) increased concentration of EDTA-extractable Cd during the incubation time. Application of 5% of zeolite showed the lowest increasing concentration of EDTA-extractable Cd during the incubation time. Conclusion: Organic amendments were more efficient in immobilization of Cd and Pb than the inorganic amendments. These results might due to the high amount of organic carbon and cation exchange capacity of the organic amendments than the inorganic amendments.
Elham Asrari; Maryam Paydar
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Air pollution problem in metropolitan’s city is made by different sources of pollutants. The proportion of air pollutants’ emissions have been increased in many cities of Iran such as Mashhad. This study aimed to investigate the relationships ...
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Abstract
Background and Purpose: Air pollution problem in metropolitan’s city is made by different sources of pollutants. The proportion of air pollutants’ emissions have been increased in many cities of Iran such as Mashhad. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the trend of particular matter concentration changes and metrological parameters in the atmosphere of Mashhad.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross - sectional study, data including temperature, sunny hours, precipitation, evaporation, moisture, speed and direction of wind were collected from 11 monitoring stations of air pollutants and Metrologic synoptic stations in Mashhad during 2010-2016. Daily average concentrations of PM10 of PM2.5) were calculated, and then relationships between pollutants and metrological data analyzed by Spss18 software.
Findings: The results showed that the maximum concentrations of particle matter occurred in October and autumn season. Numbers of unhealthy days were increased during the years of 2011-2013, decreased in 2014 - 2015 and increased again in 2016. The variations of PM10 and PM2.5 are significant with season, month and year (P <0.001). PM10 was directly related to temperature and evaporation (r=0.095). Also, there was a reverse relation among humidity and rainfall. A reverse relationship was observed between PM2.5 concentration and minimum temperature, sunny days, rainfall and wind speed; however, it was directly related to wind direction.
Conclusion: According to the obtained results in the autumn and October, the highest concentration of particulate matter was observed. Also, GIS maps showed that eastern and relatively center of Mashhad is more polluted than other areas.
Keywords: Air pollution, Mashhad, PM2.5, PM10, Meteorology data
Seyedeh Negar Assadi
Abstract
Background and objective: The occupational musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent in different jobs. These have effects on results of works. The main objective of this study was the determination of the occupational risk factors for upper limbs musculoskeletal disorders in educational employees. Materials ...
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Background and objective: The occupational musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent in different jobs. These have effects on results of works. The main objective of this study was the determination of the occupational risk factors for upper limbs musculoskeletal disorders in educational employees. Materials and Method: In this historical cohort study, 350 employees were chosen from educational institutes. During this study, all employees were considered from the aspect of musculoskeletal health and its dependent problems. . In present study, Nordic questionnaire along with RULA and a check list forthe risk factors were took advantage of. Finally, SPSS 16 software was used to analysis of the obtained data through T-Test, Chi-2 and relative risk (P<0.05). Results: The obtained results showed that the frequencies of musculoskeletal disorders were less than other studies. In investigation and comparison of occupational risk factors in employees, it was revealed that, amongst the employees with musculoskeletal disorders, work with computer, work above the shoulderlevel, flexion and extension and twisting on upper limbs were significantly more than the others (P<0.05). Also, Family history, previous history of the same disorders, smoking and psychological stress were related with musculoskeletal disorders (P<0.05). Conclusion: There is an appropriate situation in the educational institutes from the aspect of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders existence. There are non occupational and occupational risk factors in the educational centers. In order to prevention of chronic disorders, annual examinations are recommended.
Hossein Azarpira; Tayebeh Rasolevandi; Rahim Aali; Amirhossein Mahvi; Mohammad Amin Ghorbanpour; Hanieh Moradi; Ali Atamaleki; Maryam Sadeghipour; Zahra Sarlak
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Purpose:Qualitative parameters of drinking water such as concentration of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, fluoride, total hardness and electrical conductivity can play an important role in groundwater resources and are mainly related ...
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Abstract
Background and Purpose:Qualitative parameters of drinking water such as concentration of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, fluoride, total hardness and electrical conductivity can play an important role in groundwater resources and are mainly related to agriculture, waste disposal areas and sewage. The aim of this study was to determine these parameters in drinking groundwater resource of Saveh city using Geographic Information System during the year of 2018 and investigation of contaminant’s in the region’s aquifer.
Materials and Methods:This research is a descriptive-analytic study. 120 samples of water from 12 drinking water wells were prepared in spring and two times in the morning and afternoon in different parts of the city of Saveh. The quality parameters of drinking water, including concentration of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, fluoride, total hardness and electrical conductivity were entered into the GIS software and stored in a database and then processed by the information system software, color mapping was prepared and geographical maps (GIS) were mapped to qualitative status. Also, reverse interpolation was used to estimate the conditions of the whole region.
Findings:The average concentration of chlorine, sulfate, electrical conductivity, total soluble solids, total hardness and sodium exceeds the permissible limits, and the non-qualitative water conditions are quite evident. Also, the amount of two magnesium and sulfate ions was above the standard 1053. It should be kept in mind that the high levels of these two ions can interfere with the digestive system. Fluoride and nitrate levels were also acceptable range in all areas.
Conclusion:The highest deviation level from 1053 standard was for total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, and sulfate. It is better to consider a comprehensive program to solve the problem, including use of nanotechnology, filtering or ion exchange.
Mahmoud Mohammadyan; Ahmad Alizadeh Larimi; Mohsen Gorgani; Fatemeh Taghavi Soghondikolaei
Abstract
Background & objeftive: Electromagnetic field comprises electric and magnetic fields which is produced by electricity current. Long term exposures to electromagnetic fields have some adverse health effects on exposed workers. Applications of equipment which create electromagnetic field are increasingly ...
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Background & objeftive: Electromagnetic field comprises electric and magnetic fields which is produced by electricity current. Long term exposures to electromagnetic fields have some adverse health effects on exposed workers. Applications of equipment which create electromagnetic field are increasingly high. Therefore, the current study was carried out to evaluate electromagnetic fields in one of the oil product distribution company in Mazandaran province. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study a real time EMF measurement device was used to evaluate electromagnetic field in the vicinity of computers’ monitors, cases, servers, copying machines, and also in electricity posts. Measurement was carried out in 28 sites and the results were compared with national and international standards. Results: The average of electric field for all stations was 44.4 v/m and the maximum and minimum rates of electric field were 208 and 0.5 v/m related to copying machine and the electricity generator respectively. The mean magnetic field density was 61.7×10-6 mT for all studied sites. The highest magnetic field intensity (5.0×10-4 mT) was found in high voltage fuse box and the lowest (0.2×10-6 mT) was related to electricity control room. Conclusion: The measured electric and magnetic intensity fields were lower than national and international standards. As the intensity of evaluated electric and magnetic fields were lower than national and international recommended levels, the workers would exposed to safe level of electromagnetic field.
Alireza Ehsanzadeh; Farhad Nejadkoorki; Sattar Khodadoostan
Abstract
Background & objectives: Air particulate matters which have natural and human made origins have significant effects on the climate, the environment and human health. Several epidemiological studies have shown a direct relationship among the concentrations of suspended particles with different ...
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Background & objectives: Air particulate matters which have natural and human made origins have significant effects on the climate, the environment and human health. Several epidemiological studies have shown a direct relationship among the concentrations of suspended particles with different adverse health effects. The general purpose of this research was to determine the most important parameters affecting on the concentration of PM10 in Tajrish station (Tehran) and develop an estimator model for PM10. Materials & methods: In this study, a model is constructed using principal component regression (PCR) for the relationship between the hourly concentration of particulate matter smaller than 10 microns with meteorological parameters (WD, WS, T, P, H) and air pollution parameters (CO, NO2, SO2, NOx, NMHC, THC) in Tajrish station (Tehran). The results of the performance evaluation of PCR model were measured in training and testing stages using RMSE, MAE, R and IA as statistical indicators. Results: The results of principal components import into multiple regression model showed that the most important variable affecting on the concentrations of PM10, are air temperature and the wind speed. Also, CO and SO2 emissions were known as synergic factors for PM10 concentration. The results showed that PCR model is able to estimate 41% of PM10 concentrations in the testing. Conclusion: The principal components regression analysis showed that meteorological parameters are one of most important factors affecting on the reduction of PM10 concentration in Tajrish station (Tehran).
Fatemeh Jafari; Farzad Motevali Haghi; Masoumeh Eslamifar; Mahmoud Fazeli Dinan; Ali Jafari
Abstract
Abstract Background and Aim: House flies are able to transmit pathogenic organisms from infected materials to human. The role of the flies in the transmission of many diseases has been demonstrated. This study was conducted to determine the bacterial contamination of M.domestica flies in various sources ...
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Abstract Background and Aim: House flies are able to transmit pathogenic organisms from infected materials to human. The role of the flies in the transmission of many diseases has been demonstrated. This study was conducted to determine the bacterial contamination of M.domestica flies in various sources of Joybar city. Materials and Methods: A total of 384 household flies were collected from five sources including urban and rural solid wastes, hospital campus, coastal areas and slaughterhouses. Samples were transferred to the microbiology laboratory of the school of public health in some sterilized glass containers, and standard tests were carried out to isolate and identify bacterial species. Results: Escherichia coli was the dominant species in the samples. From all of the samples, 46% E.coli, 19% Staphylococcus aureus, 9.98% Staphylococcus epidermidis and 16.66% Enterobacter Aerogenus were isolated. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that the presence of these insects in the public places and different parts of the environment is regarded as a disturbing agent, and vector of pathogens. Since public spaces should not be a source of contamination, the implementation of the sanitation programs and control of these insects seems to be so necessary to create a safe and healthy environment.
Sareh Nezami; Akram Fatemi
Abstract
Abstract Background and Aim:Theexcessive consumption of nitrogen fertilizers leads to the production of vegetables with high concentrations of nitrate. High nitrate concentration in crops causes a variety of diseases, especially due to the production of carcinogen nitrosamine in adults. Because of the ...
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Abstract Background and Aim:Theexcessive consumption of nitrogen fertilizers leads to the production of vegetables with high concentrations of nitrate. High nitrate concentration in crops causes a variety of diseases, especially due to the production of carcinogen nitrosamine in adults. Because of the increase in cancerous and non-cancerous diseases caused by the consumption of foods containing high nitrate, a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the state of nitrate accumulation in vegetables is required. This study was conducted to evaluate the risk of nitrate in high-consumption vegetables in Kermanshah. Materials and Methods: In this study, 120 samples of five kilograms of high-consumption vegetables were sampled in different months of each season and sent to the laboratory. Samples included tomato, cucumber, potato, onion (yellow, white, red), lettuce, celery, watercress, and spinach or beet leaves. After sample preparation and extraction, the nitrate concentration was determined by a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 410 nm. Results:The nitrate concentration in all vegetables was less than the WHO and ISRI standard limits in winter. But in the summer, the concentration of nitrate in celery, cress, and sugar beet leaves exceeded the standard limits. The hazard quotient (HQ) was less than 1 in all vegetables and both seasons. In summer, the highest HQ values were observed in cress (0.425), beet leaves (0.363), and celery (0.135), in sequence. In the winter, the highest amount of HQ was seen in cress (0.190). Conclusion:According to the HQ values (less than 1) in all vegetables, the possibility of exposure to non-carcinogenic diseases caused by nitrate from eating vegetables in this study is not serious, but it is necessary to monitor the concentration of nitrate in consumed vegetables at different intervals.
Soheil Sobhanardakani; Bahareh Babaei
Abstract
Background & Objective: Toys are integral part of children’s developmental processes. Besides providing entertainment to children, toys also serve as educational materials for them. Chemical exposure to children, from toys, is an emerging concern. Therefore, quality control of toy is very important. ...
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Background & Objective: Toys are integral part of children’s developmental processes. Besides providing entertainment to children, toys also serve as educational materials for them. Chemical exposure to children, from toys, is an emerging concern. Therefore, quality control of toy is very important. The aim of this study was examined heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd and Cr) content within the plastic children’s toys marketed in Hamadan city in 2015.Materials and Methods: Totally 30 specimens of toy were collected from market basket of Hamadan City. After preparation and processing the samples in the laboratory, the concentration of metals in samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Also, all statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical package. Results: The results showed that the maximum mean concentrations of metals in domestic production and imported plastic toys were 6.20±5.41 and 7.58±2.12 mg/kg for Cr and Pb, respectively. Also the mean concentrations of metals in all samples were lower than Iranian National Standards Organization and European Commission permissible limits. Conclusion: Although the results showed that mean concentrations of metals in children’s toys were lower than ISIRI and CEN permissible limits, but as regards the chewing, licking and swallowing behavior of children is a common source of metals exposure, acting quickly by adopting policies to protect and educate consumers about the risks posed by plastic made toys needs a special attention which could help protect children’s lives especially in Iran.