Hadis Tahmasbpur; Maryam Mohammadi Rouzbahani
Abstract
Background & Purpose: Lead (Pb) is one of the most hazardous heavy metals to the environment, organisms, and humans. Effective methods for removing Pb from aqueous solutions include the use of biological adsorbents. This study investigates the biosorption of Pb (II) from aqueous solutions using the ...
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Background & Purpose: Lead (Pb) is one of the most hazardous heavy metals to the environment, organisms, and humans. Effective methods for removing Pb from aqueous solutions include the use of biological adsorbents. This study investigates the biosorption of Pb (II) from aqueous solutions using the leaves of Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane).Materials and Methods: Saccharum officinarum leaves were collected from fields in Ahvaz, Iran, and dried at 70°C for 24 hours. Biosorption tests were conducted under varying conditions: pH (2-9), contact time (15-150 minutes, at 15-minute intervals), biomass concentration (0.1-2 g), and initial solution concentration (10-50 mg L-¹). Adsorption isotherms were also evaluated.Results: The removal efficiency of Pb (II) increased with higher bioadsorbent doses and decreased with higher initial solution concentrations. The lowest removal efficiency (34.6%) was observed at 15 minutes, while the highest (71.5%) occurred between 105 and 150 minutes. The maximum Pb (II) removal efficiency (92.3%) was recorded at an initial concentration of 10 mg L-¹. The biosorption efficiency increased with rising pH levels, peaking at pH 6. Adsorption isotherm data indicated that the biosorption of Pb (II) by Saccharum officinarum leaves adhered well to the Freundlich isotherm model.Conclusion: The biomass of Saccharum officinarum leaves, as an inexpensive and readily available adsorbent, demonstrates significant potential for the removal of Pb (II) from aqueous solutions. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Ehsan Houshyar
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Due to the high pollutant load and high volume of wastewater from starch production factories, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of hydrated lime and aluminum sulfate to decrease contaminants of starch wastewater to successful wastewater treatment ...
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Background and Purpose: Due to the high pollutant load and high volume of wastewater from starch production factories, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of hydrated lime and aluminum sulfate to decrease contaminants of starch wastewater to successful wastewater treatment in the main wastewater treatments plants.Materials and Methods: The investigation was conducted during 2022 and 2023 over 16 months to improve the operational effectiveness of the wastewater treatment plant at a starch manufacturing factory in Fars province. The optimum dosage of two coagulants, i.e. lime and aluminum sulfate, were tested. Various pollutants were under study, such as chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand, etc. The statistical analysis was conducted in SPSS 22 using Dunkan analysis (α = 0.01).Results: The effectiveness of removing pollutants was improved while lime and aluminum sulfate rose from 20 mg/L to 40-60 mg/L. The removal efficiency of pollutants was almost constant and enhanced lower than 10% while coagulants were applied higher than 60 mg/L. The optimum lime and aluminum sulfate dosage was 40 mg/L and 20 mg/L, respectively. Following the application of coagulants, there was a notable reduction in the levels of pollutants and organic loading rate by 65% which led to an enhancement in the performance of the wastewater treatment plant.Conclusion: The coagulation and sedimentation with lime and aluminum sulfate can be utilized for successful starch wastewater treatment. These materials are cost-effective and easily accessible which justifies them as a desirable option for factories seeking wastewater treatment solutions. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Samad Jalilian; Sima Sabzalipour; Maryam Mohammadi Rouzbahani; Leila Ibrahimy Ghavamabadi; Ebrahim Rajabzadeh Ghatrami
Abstract
Background and Purpose: BTEX compounds are one of the most important chemical air pollutants in the oil industry, which have adverse health effects on the employees of this industry. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating and measuring the concentration of BTEX compounds and their possible ...
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Background and Purpose: BTEX compounds are one of the most important chemical air pollutants in the oil industry, which have adverse health effects on the employees of this industry. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating and measuring the concentration of BTEX compounds and their possible effects on the respiratory parameters of the employees of Abadan Oil Refining Company.Materials and Methods: In this study, 80 workers were examined. Sampling of the respiratory area of the exposed workers was performed according to the NIOSH method 1501 using an active personal sampling pump of SKC UK company, model 44-224 MTX and using SKC activated carbon absorbent tubes(model 226-01) and the measurement of respiratory parameters was done by a microlab spirometry device made in Italy by MIR company.Results: The results showed that the average concentration of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene compounds in the respiratory area of the exposed workers is lower than the standard limit, but the average concentration of benzene compound is above the limit. The results showed that there is no significant difference between the respiratory parameters of the two groups of employees, and there is a direct and significant relationship between the average respiratory parameters of FEV1 and FVC in the two groups of employees, and there is no significant relationship between the respiratory parameters and demographic characteristics in the two groups. It didn't happen.Conclusion: Considering that the average concentration of benzene compound is higher than the permissible limit of the recommended standards, to control it, it is necessary to take necessary measures to reduce the concentration and remove this compound through technical engineering and management controls, periodic inspections. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Arsalan Moeini; Mozhgan Ahmadi Nadoushan
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Parks play a crucial role in modern city structures, serving various ecological functions. This study investigates the role of urban parks in the spatial distribution of PM 2.5.Materials and Methods: Using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method, the daily values of the concentration ...
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Background and Purpose: Parks play a crucial role in modern city structures, serving various ecological functions. This study investigates the role of urban parks in the spatial distribution of PM 2.5.Materials and Methods: Using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method, the daily values of the concentration of this pollutant, collected by 16 ground monitoring stations, were obtained for a full year from March 22, 2022, to March 20, 2023. Processing Landsat-8 satellite images, the entire green cover of Isfahan city was extracted. Subsequently, the annual concentration of this pollutant was mapped into a continuous map. Results: Based on the results, Region 11 in the northwest of the city showed the highest average concentration of PM2.5 in the amount of 62.047 and a standard deviation of 4.091 among the 15 urban regions of Isfahan, indicating high pollution levels in this region. The results of the correlation analysis (R2 = 0.203) between the annual concentration of PM2.5 and the total area of parks indicate that the greater the cumulative area of parks in an urban area, the lower the average concentration of PM2.5. The results showed that only the size of each park and its normalized difference vegetation index with the concentration of annual PM2.5 have a negative and significant correlation of -0.572 and -0.748, respectively, at the one percent level (p-value = 0.00).Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be inferred that utilizing the natural filtration capacity of park vegetation and larger green spaces significantly improves air quality. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Ali Nazari-Alam; Hasan Rahmani; Hossein Akbari; Mohammad Ali Asadi; Maedeh Qavami; Maryam Bahari; Nahid Yesliani
Abstract
Background and Objective: Laboratories, due to their large workforce, diverse sample types, and contamination by various pathogenic agents, are considered high-risk environments for the transmission and spread of numerous diseases. This study aimed to investigate bacterial and fungal contamination of ...
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Background and Objective: Laboratories, due to their large workforce, diverse sample types, and contamination by various pathogenic agents, are considered high-risk environments for the transmission and spread of numerous diseases. This study aimed to investigate bacterial and fungal contamination of laboratory equipment in the educational laboratories at Kashan University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2018 at Kashan University of Medical Sciences. A single consistent sampler performed a random sampling of 155 devices. After data collection, the frequency of microbial and fungal contamination was calculated for each laboratory and each piece of equipment. Frequency tables were constructed based on the type of bacteria or fungi and the colonies grown.Results: Among the 155 samples collected and cultured from laboratory equipment across various faculties, the highest percentage of contamination (83.22%) was observed with the Bacillus species (129 cases), followed by Pseudomonas species (17 cases, 10.96%) and Escherichia coli (17 cases, 10.96%). Only 7 samples were free of contamination, indicating widespread contamination across most equipment.Conclusion: The results indicate that the majority of educational laboratory equipment at Kashan University of agents Medical Sciences is contaminated with both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungal. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abbas Zangene Bahramvand; Shahram Baikpour; Seyed Masoud Monavari
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Unscientific and unhygienic urban waste disposal practices can trigger significant environmental, health, and safety crises within a region. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the spatial suitability of landfill sites to mitigate these risks. This study aims to evaluate the current ...
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Background and Purpose: Unscientific and unhygienic urban waste disposal practices can trigger significant environmental, health, and safety crises within a region. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the spatial suitability of landfill sites to mitigate these risks. This study aims to evaluate the current waste disposal site in Akhtarabad, Malard, aligning its suitability with both national and international standards.Materials and Methods: This research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing a survey-based approach. The factors influencing spatial suitability were initially identified through various authoritative sources, including regulations from environmental organizations and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) guidelines for waste disposal in the United States. The integration of these factors was conducted using the LINMAP (Linear Programming for Multidimensional Analysis of Preferences) method for multi-criteria decision-making and weighting. ArcGIS software was employed to analyze and overlay information layers. The prioritization of spatial suitability for urban waste disposal sites, along with the calculation of conformity percentages, was executed using the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method.Results: The analysis revealed that among the evaluated criteria for spatial suitability, the distance from residential areas, educational and healthcare centres, urban centres, groundwater, and surface waters were the most heavily weighted. The Moran Index of 0.640034, coupled with the calculated standard score, supports the hypothesis of a clustered spatial suitability pattern with a 99% confidence level.Conclusion: National criteria exert a more substantial influence on the evaluation of spatial suitability. The findings of this study indicate that the combination of LINMAP and TOPSIS is a reliable and effective approach for assessing the spatial suitability of urban waste disposal sites. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hossein Vahidi; Mohammad Ali Bagherzadeh; Ehsan Seyedi
Abstract
Background and Objective: Waste management has always been a significant challenge for municipalities. Alongside the formal operational cycle of municipalities, other stakeholders and actors also play an informal role in urban waste management. The majority of the segregation of valuable waste is carried ...
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Background and Objective: Waste management has always been a significant challenge for municipalities. Alongside the formal operational cycle of municipalities, other stakeholders and actors also play an informal role in urban waste management. The majority of the segregation of valuable waste is carried out by these individuals. This study presents the waste management of the city of Kerman, focusing on both formal and informal recycling collection cycles and utilizing financial permits and municipal oversight to regulate these activities.Materials and Methods: In this study, the waste management cycle model of the city of Kerman is initially introduced, emphasizing the formal and informal recycling collection cycles. Subsequently, a simulated model in MATLAB software is presented, along with a fuzzy controller system for determining the purchase price of recyclable materials by the municipality to compete with the informal cycle.Findings: The model's results, including the number of individuals attracted by the formal network, the municipality's revenue from the purchase and sale of recyclables, and the sale of permits for a scenario with a permit price equivalent to ten million Rials, were examined. According to the results, the existence of an activity permit tool significantly impacts the municipality's share in attracting the participation of informal collectors throughout the city.Conclusion: To prevent protests and a lack of support for the plan, it is recommended that the permit price be lower at the initial implementation stage, and the intensity of oversight be increased as much as possible to ensure collectors are required to obtain an activity permit. Issuing activity permits can not only enhance the financial benefits for the municipality but also have positive social and environmental effects, improving the supervision of individuals' activities. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Amir Farahnasab; Atefeh Chamani; Razieh Rahimi
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Birds, especially resident species, are valuable indicators of potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution in aquatic environments. These organisms are critical for assessing environmental health. This study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (zinc, ...
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Background and Purpose: Birds, especially resident species, are valuable indicators of potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution in aquatic environments. These organisms are critical for assessing environmental health. This study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, selenium, and arsenic) in the feathers of the common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) in the Zayanderud River.Materials and Methods: Thirty feather samples were collected from common moorhens across various regions along the Zayanderud River. After collection, the feathers were prepared using an acid digestion method. The concentrations of the elements were determined using ICP-MS.Results: The mean concentrations of zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, selenium, and arsenic were 59.07, 10.73, 0.49, 5.52, 2.33, and 2.66 μg/g, respectively. Based on established threshold levels, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and selenium concentrations were considered unfavorable. The proximity of the study area to industrial effluents and human sewage discharge points suggests that these pollutants in the common moorhen feathers likely originate from anthropogenic sources.Conclusion: The findings of this research demonstrate that the common moorhen can be utilized as an indicator for assessing the concentrations of potentially toxic elements. These results emphasize the importance of assessing the environmental impacts of human activities on aquatic resources. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/