Mahdi Asadi-Ghalhari; Mohammad Ebrahim Ghafari; Ali Salehi
Abstract
Background and Objective: Acrylamide, as one of the emerging contaminants in food and the environment, has become a global concern in the field of food safety and human health. It is primarily formed by the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and the asparagine under high temperatures. Additionally, ...
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Background and Objective: Acrylamide, as one of the emerging contaminants in food and the environment, has become a global concern in the field of food safety and human health. It is primarily formed by the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and the asparagine under high temperatures. Additionally, the widespread use of polyacrylamides (PAMs) in various industries, including water treatment, drilling, and agriculture, has led to increased environmental pollution. The aim of the present study is to narrative review of the presence of acrylamide in food, examine its possible risks to human health and the environment, and review the current and novel strategies for its detection, reduction, and control.Materials and Methods: In this review study, a comprehensive approach was adopted to examine the sources and mechanisms of acrylamide formation, environmental contamination pathways, health and environmental effects, and its detection methods (such as GC-MS and LC-MS). Moreover, relevant technologies and mitigation strategies such as the Acrylamide Toolbox and the ALARA principle were discussed.Results: Acrylamide possesses carcinogenic, neurotoxic, genotoxic, and reproductive toxicity potential, and its presence in the food supply and water sources poses a major threat to public health. The findings indicate that controlling this contaminant involves significant coordination among policymakers, the food industry, scientists, and regulatory agencies, along with the creation and enforcement of contemporary benchmarks and the application of cutting edge scientific innovations. Conclusion: Effective management of acrylamide requires an integrated collaborative approach involving scientific, industrial, and regulatory frameworks. Constructing proper frameworks of collaboration can greatly aid public health through reduced exposure if knowledge, international standards, and new technologies are properly applied. 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 Hossein Manavi; Mehrdad Cheraghi; Ali Mahdinia; Bahareh Lorestani; Soheil Sobhan Ardakani
Abstract
Background: Heavy metals are among the most critical pollutants in industrial wastewater due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and persistence in the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the Electro-Fenton process in removing heavy metals (Ni, V, Cd, and Pb) from petroleum wastewater ...
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Background: Heavy metals are among the most critical pollutants in industrial wastewater due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and persistence in the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the Electro-Fenton process in removing heavy metals (Ni, V, Cd, and Pb) from petroleum wastewater of the Abadan refinery.Methods: Experiments were designed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Design-Expert software. The investigated variables included pH (4–6), reaction time (20–70 min), current density (20–60 mA/cm²), and electrode type (Fe-Fe and Al-Al). Final metal concentrations were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and regression modeling was applied to predict removal performance.Results: The findings revealed that the highest removal efficiencies were obtained under optimal conditions (pH = 6, reaction time = 30 min, current density = 60 mA/cm², and aluminum electrodes). Under these conditions, removal efficiencies for nickel, vanadium, cadmium, and lead were 81%, 81.3%, 81.8%, and 86.7%, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that pH, reaction time, and electrode type had the most significant effects on the process, and the RSM model accurately predicted the variations (R² ≈ 0.9).Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the Electro-Fenton process using aluminum electrodes under controlled conditions is an effective method for removing heavy metals from petroleum wastewater and can be applied as an efficient and eco-friendly technology for industrial wastewater treatment.
Ehsan Houshyar; Maryam Keshaii Jahromi
Abstract
Background and Aim: Iran is one of the countries with abundant palm groves and we must look for appropriate solutions to use palm tree lignocellulosic waste. In this regard, the potential for biogas production from palm tree leaf waste is very important as an accessible and indigenous source in the country.Materials ...
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Background and Aim: Iran is one of the countries with abundant palm groves and we must look for appropriate solutions to use palm tree lignocellulosic waste. In this regard, the potential for biogas production from palm tree leaf waste is very important as an accessible and indigenous source in the country.Materials and methods: The combined effects of sulfuric acid percentage was studied at four levels and the pretreatment time at two levels. Also, the combined effects of ozonation time was studied at three levels and the moisture content of palm tree leaves was studied at two levels. All experiments, on the amount of biogas and methane produced, were conducted based on a factorial design. The main and interaction effects of the factors were analyzed using SPSS 22 software and Duncan's test.Results: The maximum daily biogas production reached 540 ml/L with 1% acid concentration and 440 ml/L with 4 hours of ozonation. Based on the cumulative methane produced and the amount of volatile solids (VS) reduced, the best acid pretreatment can yield approximately 374 ml/gr VS of biogas and 173 ml/gr VS of pure methane. In comparison, the best ozone pretreatment can produce around 175 ml/gr VS of biogas and 64 ml/gr VS of pure methane. Conclusion: The lignocellulosic biomass of palm tree leaves can be effectively used for energy production with appropriate pretreatment. Further research is essential to evaluate other pretreatment methods to find the best approach for maximizing biogas yield from this affordable and readily available resource.
Zahra Maarefvand; Masomeh NazerAli
Abstract
Background and purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the main issues related to Environmental health and safety in elementary schools, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy educational environment for the physical and mental well-being of students. Recognizing these problems is ...
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Background and purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the main issues related to Environmental health and safety in elementary schools, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy educational environment for the physical and mental well-being of students. Recognizing these problems is essential for developing effective strategies to improve school health conditions and enhance the overall health of students. Method: The study was applied in terms of purpose and was conducted with a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. The statistical population of the study included school health experts (including university professors, managers and experts from the health and wellness offices of education regions, caregivers and experienced school principals) who were selected as samples using non-random, criterion-based purposive sampling. The research tool was a semi-structured interview. The validity of the findings from the interviews was confirmed based on the Kappa index (0.72). Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the findings. Findings: In order to determine the Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools, 1 overarching theme (Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools), 4 organizing themes (poor personal hygiene; poor environmental hygiene in schools; poor school health facilities; and poor school safety status), 8 basic themes, and 18 subcategories were extracted and identified from the analysis of the interviews. To identify solutions, 1 overarching theme (solutions to solve Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools), 3 organizing themes (health education; improving school health facilities; and improving school safety), 8 basic themes, and 22 subcategories were obtained. The primary requirement for developing the safety, health, and well-being of elementary school students for the optimal efficiency of teachers' and educators' educational and training efforts relates to issues such as personal hygiene; environmental hygiene; and the safety status of schools, which always require serious monitoring and care.
naim kazemian; Mahmoud Shams; Mojtaba Davoudi; sajad rahimi
Abstract
Synthetic dyes, due to their high chemical stability and toxicity, are considered among the most significant pollutants in industrial wastewater, and their removal from aquatic environments is of particular importance. Among them, Malachite Green is a widely used cationic dye in the textile and aquaculture ...
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Synthetic dyes, due to their high chemical stability and toxicity, are considered among the most significant pollutants in industrial wastewater, and their removal from aquatic environments is of particular importance. Among them, Malachite Green is a widely used cationic dye in the textile and aquaculture industries, which poses a serious threat to the environment due to its toxic effects and bioaccumulation potential. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), particularly ZIF-8, in the removal of Malachite Green from aqueous solutions. In this research, three types of MOFs, including Cu-doped ZIF-8 (Cu-ZIF-8), octahedral ZIF-8 (ZIF-8 Octa), and Leaf-like ZIF-8 (ZIF-8 Leaf), were synthesized, and their efficiencies under identical conditions were determined as 42%, 39%, and 50%, respectively. Further investigations were carried out on the ZIF-8 Leaf adsorbent. The effects of parameters such as pH, temperature, contact time, dye concentration, and adsorbent dosage were examined. The results showed that, under optimal conditions (pH = 6, dye concentration = 15 mg/L, adsorbent dosage = 0.5 g/L, and contact time = 60 min), the removal efficiency exceeded 99%. Kinetic studies revealed a better fit of the experimental data to the pseudo-second-order model, indicating the chemical nature of the adsorption process. Experiments on real wastewater samples demonstrated removal efficiencies ranging from 26% to 55%. In addition, the regeneration ability of the adsorbent was confirmed through two adsorption–desorption cycles, with the second cycle still showing 82% removal efficiency. Overall, the findings indicated that Leaf-like ZIF-8, due to its high adsorption capacity, stability, and reusability, can be considered an effective and sustainable option for the treatment of dye-containing wastewater.