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Background and Objective: Heavy metals are regarded as serious contaminants due to their toxicity, persistence in natural conditions, and ability to enter and accumulate (bioaccumulation and biomagnification) in food chains. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe and Ni in surface agricultural soils of the Miandoab landfill area. Materials and Methods: In this study, 57 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-20 cm. After preparing and digesting in the laboratory, the samples were analyzed using a inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP-OES). The Ecological Risk Potential Index (EPRI), Earth Accumulation Index (Igeo), Principal Components Test (PCA) Pearson's Correlation, Cluster Analysis, and One-T-test were utilized. Statistical processing was conducted using SPSS software. Results: According to the results of the single T-test, the average concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni did not significantly differ from their background concentration in the soil (p≥0.05). A significant difference was pbserved only for Fe (p<0.05), indicating a geological origin for this element. The EPRI was within the low-risk range, with an average value of 46.95. PCA revealed that the first factor was positively associated with Cr, Pb and Fe; the second factor with Zn and Cu; and the third factor with Cd. Cluster analysis showed that Fe was predominantly influenced by natural resources. According to the land accumulation index, all metals, except Cu, were classified non-polluted or slightly polluted at stations 2 and 4. Conclusion: The origin of elements is related to both natural and human factors. Specifically, Cr, Pb and Cd are more likely to originate from man-made sources, while Fe primarily comes from natural sources. The decrease in the concentration of metals can be attributed to continuous and annual ploughing, inactivity of the landfill, biological absorption by crops, soil leaching and transporting to lower depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionSoil contamination with heavy metals is one of the most important challenges related to the protection of water and soil resources. Heavy metals are metals that have a density of more than 5 grams per cubic centimeter. Among heavy metals, cadmium is of special importance due to its high solubility in water and quick and easy absorption by the plant root system. This element has been introduced as the fourth dangerous element for vascular plants (Kok et al., 2010). By accumulating in the root environment, cadmium can cause a decrease in growth, respiration, damage to the mechanisms involved in photosynthesis, and inhibit the activity of enzymes and the lack of nitrogen and phosphorus in the plant. Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is a valuable annual medicinal herb suitable for cultivation in many countries, including Iran. Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is considered as a native of both Europe and Asia. Several species around the globe fall under the denomination of “borage”. The presence of the highest γ-linolenic acid content in the seeds of borage makes borage distinctively important mainly for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical research. γ-Linolenic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid which cannot be synthesized in the body and hence falls into the category of essential fatty acids (Evesh et al., 2019). The present study was carried out with the aim of investigating the physiologic and biochemical responses of the medicinal plant Borage (Borago officinalis L.) to cadmium stress. Materials and methodsThis experiment was conducted in the form of a completely random design in the greenhouse of Shahid Bahnar University, Bardsir College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahnar University, Kerman, at an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius during the day and 20 degrees Celsius during the night, with a relative humidity of 60%. First, concentrations of cadmium (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160 mg kg-1) were prepared using cadmium chloride (Merck company) and the soil was uniformly contaminated with cadmium. The contaminated soil was incubated under constant humidity and temperature conditions for 30 days and then poured into pots with a capacity of 3 kg of soil. Plant seeds were disinfected with alcohol and 5% sodium hypochlorite solution and immediately washed several times with distilled water. Five seeds were planted in the pots containing the studied treatments and at a depth of 2 to 3 cm. Two months after planting, when the plant was in the 50% flowering stage, the growth and performance characteristics of the plant including the number of flowers, number of leaves, branch length, root length, shoot weight, root weight, flower weight were measured. Some biochemical characteristics (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacyl peroxidase, protein, proline and photosynthetic pigments) were measured. Results and discussionThe studied treatments significantly (p≤0.01) affected the biochemical, physiologic and performance characteristics of European borage. Increasing the concentration of cadmium had an inhibitory effect on the growth parameters of the plant, and this effect was clearly evident in pollution above 80 mg kg-1. Number of flowers, number of leaves, flower weight, root weight, total weight, root length and branch length decreased significantly with increasing cadmium concentration. The flowering of the plant was 71% at the pollution level of 120 mg per kilogram. At this level of pollution, the root weight was reduced by 69.9%. The weight of aerial parts decreased by 59.7% at the pollution level of 160 mg kg-1. The activity of ascorbate peroxidase enzyme increased up to 20 mg kg-1 treatment and after that the activity of ascorbate peroxidase enzyme decreased with the increase of cadmium concentration. Proline concentration increased with increasing cadmium contamination. Photosynthetic pigments also decreased in high concentrations of cadmium. The cause of the adverse effects of cadmium on plants in contaminated soils can be attributed to more absorption of cadmium by the plant and growth disturbance caused by cadmium toxicity in the plant, reduction of growth rate, reduction of water absorption and absorption of other ions affecting the activities plant growth (Veselov et al., 2003), the reduction of cytokinin hormone activity, which has a significant effect on cell proliferation and growth, or the negative effect of cadmium on energy production in mitochondria was attributed (Fotohi et al., 2011). Cadmium causes disturbances in the overall metabolism of cells. (Xie et al., 2021) Cadmium toxicity in plants can lead to negative effects on the photosynthesis process. This action takes place through damage to some photosynthetic enzymes, especially those involved in the Kelvin cycle and chlorophyll biosynthesis (Mishra et al., 2006). ConclusionThe results showed that the yield of European borage was not affected by cadmium up to a concentration of 1.25 mg kg-1. The activity of antioxidant enzymes increased up to the treatment of 20 mg kg-1 and then decreased with increasing cadmium concentration, which indicates oxidative stress. Photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence index decreased with increasing cadmium concentration. Considering the tolerance and resistance of some medicinal plants to the conditions in soils contaminated with heavy metals, it is possible to use the cultivation of some medicinal plants as a solution for the management and exploitation of lands that have medium contamination with heavy metals. Considering the number of flowers, flower durability and high yield, the European borage plant can be a suitable candidate for cultivation in polluted areas, of course, additional studies with the approach of reducing the adverse effects of stress and reducing the concentration of cadmium element in the soil are needed.

IntroductionHeavy metals are non-biodegradable and persistent in nature thereby disrupting the environment and causing huge health threats to humans. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that enters the environment through various anthropogenic sources, and inhibits plant growth and development. Cadmium toxicity may result from disturbance in plant metabolism as a consequence of disturbance in the uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients. The use of plant hormones has been introduced as a simple and suitable strategy to reduce the effect of heavy metals in plants. A new method for reducing the effect of cadmium on plants is the use of growth regulators such as salicylic acid (SA). Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important vegetable that is rich in minerals, various vitamins and antioxidant compounds. Since the cultivation of tomatoe, as an important and highly productive crop, is very common in many parts of Iran, there is a possibility of contamination of the soil under cultivation with cadmium. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the the effects of foliar spraying of salicylic acid on reducing Cd-induced stress in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.).Materials and methodsA factorial experiment based on a complete randomized design with three replications was conducted in a greenhouse of Razi University. Factors included Cd at three levels (0, 15 and 30 mg kg-1 as Cd(NO3)2) and SA at three levels (0, 250, and 500 μM). The solutions containing Cd-(NO3)2 were sprayed uniformly on the sub-samples separated from the original soil sample according to the desired concentrations. The samples were kept moist for 30 days at moisture conditions close to field capacity. At the four-leaf stage, SA solutions were sprayed three times on the foliage of the plants, until the beginning of flowering. After harvesting, some characteristics including soluble sugars and proline contents, plant height, dry weights of shoots and roots, and root volume and length were determined. All plant parameters were then averaged for each pot. Also, Cd concentrations in extracts obtained from the digestion of leaf tissues, were measured by Varian AA220 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and comparison of means (Duncan's multiple range test) were performed using SPSS-16 software.Results and discussionThe results revealed that Cd stress reduced all plant characteristics, such as plant height, root volume and root length, as well as, dry weights of shoots and roots, and elevated leaf Cd concentration, proline content and soluble sugars in tomato. However, the SA application resulted in improvements in growth parameters. Also, the results showed that the interaction effects of Cd and SA on the most growth characteristics such as plant length, shoot and root dry weights, stem diameter, leaf area, and proline content, soluble sugars and Cd concentration were significant (P

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are highly important in improving plant growth and decreasing the negative effects of contaminants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of inoculation of mycorrhizal fungus on the concentration of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) by parsley (Petroselinum sativum) in heavy metal-contaminated soil in the presence of kerosene. This study was carried out as a factorial experiment based on the randomized complete design with four replications under greenhouse conditions. Experimental factors were included: 1- microbial inoculation in two levels with mycorrhizal fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis) and control (without inoculation), and 2- kerosene in four levels of 0, 4, 8, and 12 mL kg-1 soil. The results showed that mycorrhizal inoculation led to a significant increase in root (61.1 to 150.1%) and shoot dry weight (9.1 to 51.5%), shoot P, Zn, and Cu concentration and root Pb (18.7 to 97.9%) and Cd (13.3 to 98.6%) concentration, while significantly decreased shoot Pb (10.0 to 29.2%) and Cd (19.6 to 72.1%) concentration. The root bio-concentration factor (BCF) (7.74%) was higher than compared to shoot BCF. The mycorrhizal inoculation decreased the translocation factor (TF) of Pb and Cd. The TF

The presence of heavy metals such as arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, lead and mercury in canned food is of great importance from the point of view of their toxicity and nature, and it covers a wide range of food. The presence of these metals in canned products is sometimes the source of the food, the type of can or the possibility of corrosion of the inner body of the used can is attributed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure and compare the concentration of heavy metals in canned food (strong acid, acid, low acid). In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics methods were used to compare the mean and difference between the data, the one -way multivariate variance measurement and the Kolmogorov -Smirnov test were used to ensure the normality of the data and if there was a significant difference between the data, then Tukey's test was performed to separate the data. The results of this research showed that the average concentration of heavy metals was in the order of lead > mercury > cobalt > arsenic > cadmium, and among the available metals, lead with a total average of 0.2670 ± 0.019723 mg/ kg had the highest value and cadmium had the lowest value with an average of 0.0028±0.0049. Compared to international standards and other studies, all metals except lead were lower than the maximum value. Although the concentration of these metals in canned food samples was acceptable but it is necessary to pay attention to the factors that increase the presence of these metals in canned goods in order to control them and achieve a high -quality product . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Heavy metals are dangerous pollutants in the environment that accumulate in food. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating the health risks and contamination of some heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage in the cities of Hamidieh, Dezful and Ramhormoz in Khuzestan province. Materials and Methods: The sampling was completely random, with three repetitions, and 15 samples of each of the lettuce and cabbage vegetables grown in each region were prepared. Heavy metals were measured using the Perkin Elmer 4100 atomic absorption device. Heavy metal risk assessment was conducted using soil pollution indicators and health risk assessment method. Results: The highest amount of metal in cabbage is related to zinc (5.84±0.15 mg/kg), while the lowest amounts of chromium metal in lettuce (0.11±0.005 mg/kg) was achieved. Based on the daily absorption of heavy metals in lettuce and cabbage products, the results showed that the highest hazard index (HQ) values, related to lead metal in cabbage for children and adults, were 3.9376 and 3.4253, respectively, compared to other heavy metals. The highest value of the carcinogenicity index in children was 0.0133 for cabbage consumption. The carcinogenic index of chromium metal in lettuce and cabbage products had the lowest values (0.0003 and 0.0004). Regarding the metal enrichment factor, lead, chromium, copper and cobalt were higher in the agricultural soils of Ramhormoz compared to other regions, while nickel and zinc were higher in the soils of Hamidiyeh than in Dezful and Ramhormoz. The soil index of accumulation of chromium, zinc and copper in the soil of Dezful agricultural fields was higher, whereas lead and cobalt were higher in Hamidiyeh soils than in Dezful and Ramhormoz. Additionally, nickel was higher in Ramhormoz agricultural fields. Conclusion: According to the soil pollution indicators, cobalt metal played an important role in the soil pollution in Dezful, Hamidiyeh and Ramhormoz, while the metals lead, nickel, chromium, copper and zinc showed minimal pollution levels in the soil of the studied areas. The health risk assessment of soil heavy metals showed that the risk index for lead, nickel, chromium, copper, zinc and cobalt was lower than 1. Additionally, the carcinogenicity index of heavy metals for both adults and children was less than 10-4. The health risk assessment of heavy metals and their risk index showed that the consumption of lettuce and cabbage in these areas can lead to various health problems in people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: In today's society, preparing healthy food has become challenging due to the variety of food production methods. Oil is produced in several ways in our country. In the cold pressing method, there is insufficient monitoring of the manufactured product. The aim of the present study is to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and the levels of heavy metals of industrial oil compared to cold-pressed oil. Materials and Methods: In this research, 54 samples of sunflower, sesame, and canola oil produced by both cold pressing and industrial refiningmethods were prepared. Their physicochemical characteristics, including refractive index, acid value, iodine value, saponification value, peroxide value, anisidine value, as well as the concentrations of lead, iron, arsenic and copper were determined. Additionally, the effect of storage time on these characteristics was investigated. Results: The Iodine number showed the highest deviation from the standard (61%), with an average of 136.70 gI/100g for the cold-pressed oil and 134.48 gI/100g for industrially refined oiland. The average value of the physicochemical characteristics, except for the saponification value, were higher in the cold-pressed oil samples compared to the industrially refined oil samples, but the observed difference was not statistically significant. An investigation into the effect of storage time on physicochemical properties revealed a significant increase in peroxide value (p<0.01) and anisidine (p <0.05) in both oil groups over a two-month period. The average concentration of arsenic, lead, iron and copper in the studied oils was 0.03, 0.78, 0.05 and 0.05 mg/kgoil, respectively. A deviation from the standard was observed only in one sample of cold-pressed sunflower oil, with an arsenic concentration of 0.11 mg/kgoil). Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, the refined industrial oils exhibited more favorable chemical characteristics and stability. It is suggested that cold-pressed oils should be consumed within a short period of time. For frying purposes, refined industrial oils are preferable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Identifying the quality of non-conventional waters and exploring their optimal utilization are fundamental measures for maintaining public health. This study aims to investigate the effluent quality of the irrigation canals in Pakdasht farms. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 120 samples were collected from 6 irrigation canals in Pakdasht fields over a period of 5 months. The physicochemical and microbial characteristics of the canal effluents were determined based on the standard methods of water and wastewater tests. The concentration of heavy metals was measured using an ICP device. To determine the possibility of using the effluent of Pakdasht canals for agricultural purposes, the Environmental Protection Organization of Iran and FAO standards were used. Results: The average concentrations of COD, BOD5, TSS, TDS, NO3-, SO4-2, PO4-3 parameters were 259, 125, 105, 697, 4.5, 94.4, 13.5 mg/L. Additionally, the average number of total and fecal coliforms in the effluent of the canals exceeded the standard values set by IRNDOE and FAO. The mean pH was 6.97, the electrical conductivity (EC) was 1014 μm/cm, and the turbidity was 76.2 NTU. The detected concentrations of heavy metals were awithin the following ranges: Cr (0.025-0.045 mg/L), Cd (0.0006-0.001 mg/L), Pb (0.0006-0.001 mg/L), Co (0.038-0.059 mg/L), and Ni (0.05-0.06 mg/L), which were roughly lower than the suggested standards. However, both HEI and WWQI indices confirmed that the water was unsuitable for agricultural irrigation. Conclusion: Based on the comparison of the results of the parameters measured in this study with the environmental and FAO standards, the effluent from the irrigation canals of Pakdasht city is deemed unsuitable for the irrigation of warm-season crops but suitable for fodder and industrial crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Industrial development and human activities caused to accelerate environmental pollution. Heavy metals from various sources, such as industrial and agricultural activities, lead to serious hazards in the ecosystem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of industrial dust emitted from the Bauxite crusher located in the Jajarm Alumina factory on the level of soil contamination to Arsenic (As) and Nickel (Ni). Materials and Methods: In this research, with the regime of the study area plotted from wind rode and dust rose, the direction of the dominant and erosive winds was determined. Then, two transects were considered: a transect in the direction of erosive wind (transect A) with a 3 km length and a transect in the direction of the dominant wind (transect B) with a 5 km length. Samples from the soil surface (depth of 0-2 cm) were taken on these transects at regular intervals from the source of dust, i.e. Bauxite crusher (0-500 m intervals, one sample every 50 m, 500-1000 m interval, one sample every 100 m interval, 1000-2000 meters, one sample every 200 meters and in the last distance for transect B 2000-5000 meters, one sample every 500 meters and for transect A 2000-3000 meters, one sample every 500 meters) in total, 46 soil samples were collected and the concentration of Arsenic and Nickel in the soil samples was determined by the method of Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Finally, the indicators of land accumulation, pollution index, comprehensive pollution index and enrichment factor were used to determine the contamination level of the elements. The analysis of the significance of the increase in Arsenic and Nickel concentration and pollution level coefficients was implemented in the SPSS software using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and T-test. Results: The land accumulation index in the direction of erosive wind for Arsenic, at a distance of 200 to 250 m from the source, showed a medium to severe contamination. For the nickel, from the source of dust production to 350 m distance, the area was identified as unpolluted to medium contaminated. For Arsenic, in the dominant wind direction at a distance of 150 m and 250 to 450 m, moderate to severe pollution was determined. For Nickel, up to 900 m from the source of dust, the area was identified as unpolluted to medium contaminated. For Arsenic and Nickel, The pollution index in the direction of erosive wind up to 450 meters from the source of dust production shows a high to medium pollution level. And show medium and low to end transect, for Arsenic and Nickel. By this indicator, the high pollution levels in the dominant wind direction were determined for Arsenic up to 1200 m from the source of dusts, and medium pollution levels of the index of pollution were determined for Nickel from the source of dust production up to 500 m far apart. And show medium and low to end transect, for Arsenic and Nickel. A comprehensive index of pollution in the case of erosive and prevailing winds for Arsenic and Nickel showed high and medium pollution levels, respectively. The enrichment factor in the direction of erosive wind indicated a medium concentration of Arsenic at 350 and 400 m from the Bauxite crusher and a low enrichment for Nickel at all points. In the dominant wind direction, a medium enrichment factor for Arsenic was observed up to 250 m from the bauxite crusher. In contrast, the level of Nickel enrichment at all locations was low. Conclusion: Finally, the statistical analysis justified the significance of the measured concentrations of Arsenic and Nickel, as well as the other coefficients of pollution level in the direction of prevailing and erosive winds. Each of the coefficients of surface contamination in the direction of prevailing and erosive winds has risen to a distance of 500 m from the source. But the most coefficients of surface contamination, the index of pollution, in the wind direction is dominant to a distance of 1200 m from the source, for Arsenic, that is high pollution, and the most coefficients of surface contamination, the land accumulation, in the wind direction is dominant to a distance of 900 m from the source, for Nickel, that is medium pollution. On the other hand, a comprehensive pollution index, which indicates the average amount of pollution index of each element, shows high contamination of Arsenic and medium pollution of Nickel under both erosive and prevailing winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the accumulation of lead, nickel, and cadmium heavy metals in the muscle tissue of Peronia peronii in the waters of Bandar Lange and Qeshm in April. Thirty samples were separately collected from each station and subjected to drying and acid digestion before measurement using a flame atomic absorption device (GBC model F savant). The results revealed varying levels of metal accumulation, with the highest and lowest concentrations recorded as 0.112 and 0.024 micrograms per gram for nickel and cadmium, respectively, in Langeh and Qeshm ports. Additionally, a significant relationship between the concentration of nickel, lead, and cadmium and the average total weight of P. peronii was observed, indicating a positive correlation with the total weight (p0.05).

In this research, the biological adsorption process of lead heavy metal was investigated using brown algae Nizimuddinia zanardini and green algae Ulva rigida. Optimum adsorption conditions by measuring pH, the amount of adsorbent, time, and the concentration of lead ion were investigated. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms were used to investigate surface adsorption. Adsorption kinetics were investigated according to pseudo-first and second-order kinetic equations. Examining the pH results, it was found that brown algae at pH = 5 and green algae at pH = 6 could reach the maximum adsorption of lead. Examining the time-related results, it was found that the best adsorption time for both algae was 60 min. The results of the adsorbent dosage showed that the two bioadsorbents of brown and green algae have the highest amount of adsorption in the amounts of 0.5 and 0.7 g, respectively, and in the initial concentration of metal ions, the highest efficiency was obtained in the dosage of 2 mg/l. The results of the isotherm model showed that lead adsorption by brown algae corresponds to the Langmuir isotherm and green algae to the Freundlich isotherm. Also, according to the kinetic results, both adsorptions follow second-order kinetics.

Background: Trees are one of the appropriate biological indicators in industrial areas and factories, and by monitoring them; it is possible to determine the state of heavy metal contamination of soil resources. This research was carried out with the aim of biological monitoring of heavy metals lead, cadmium, nickel and iron using plant biomarkers of Prosopis juliflora and Phoenix dactylifera in Shadgan Steel Factory. Methods: According to the geographical location of the factory, 4 stations were selected, where 24 soil samples and 72 leaf samples were collected randomly with 3 repetitions, from 4 different geographical directions. In order to investigate the bioaccumulation of metals in tree leaves, the bioaccumulation coefficient was used. Results: The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that there was a significant difference between soil, palm tree and mesquite groups for the concentration of lead, cadmium, nickel and iron metals (P0.05) and this could be due to the accumulation in the lower parts of the plant, hence Phoenix dactylifera tree leaves and Prosopis juliflora is not a suitable biomarker for this metal. Considering that absorption through the soil is low, there is a possibility of pollutants entering through dry atmospheric precipitation. The accumulation potential of lead, cadmium, nickel and iron heavy metals was higher in Phoenix dactylifera tree than in Prosopis juliflora.

Introduction The food and water contamination with heavy metals is increasing due to the environmental pollutions. Heavy metals are the elements with the density of more than 5 g/cm3 and have become a serious problem as a result of the urbanization and industrialization. These toxic metals pollute water, soil, plants, and eventually foodstuffs and our bodies. Several methods exist to remediate heavy metal pollution in waters such as membrane filtration, ion exchange mechanisms, or by precipitation. Yet, these techniques are not cost effective, in some cases, and do produce wastes that need to be properly disposed of. Microbial bioremediation could be an alternative. The use of microbes for remediation of heavy metals has been well studied. Some microorganisms, especially soil bacteria, have the ability to tolerate these contaminants. In addition, certain bacterial strains are capable of binding to heavy metals or transforming them into less toxic forms. Low operating costs, usable in foodstuffs, selective removal for specific toxic metals, minimal use of chemicals (resulting in low sludge production) and high efficiencies at very low levels of heavy metals are some of the advantages of biosorption methods. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of active and passive absorption of heavy metals by a number of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains in laboratory environment and food. Materials and Methods Seven LAB isolates including Lacticaseibacillus casei (RTCC 1296-3), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (RTCC 1293-2), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (RTCC 1290), Limosilactobacillus fermentum (RTCC 1303), Enterococcus faecium (RTCC 2347), Lactobacillus helveticus (RTCC 1304) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (RTCC 1299) were obtained from Razi type culture collection (RTCC), located at Razi vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Iran. All isolates were cultured in MRS (Scharlau, Spain) broth medium, at 37 °C for 24 hours, under anaerobic conditions. Pure cultures were preserved for long term by freezing at -70°C with 20% Glycerol. Heavy metals including Nitrate of Pb (II), Cd (II) and Ni (II) were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). All standard solutions were prepared from the stock solutions containing 1000 mgl-1 in distilled water. Other chemicals used in study including Nitric acid (65%) and Hydrogen peroxide (37%), were also purchased from Merck, Germany. This study was conducted in two in- vitro and in-vivo phases; in the in- vitro phase, seven strains of bacteria with probiotic properties (L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. fermentum, Ent. facium, L. helveticus and L. acidofilous) were screened and then their ability to bind to cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) in aqueous solution was investigated. Then, in the in-vivo stage, three probiotic strains that had the highest biosorption efficiency in the previously stage were selected and their effect with a ratio of 1:1:1 and contact time of 15 and 30 minutes on the removal of these toxic metals in coriander, leek and parsley fresh vegetables was evaluated. The residual concentrations of heavy metals in solution were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS; ELAN DRC-e, PerkinElmer SCIEX, Canada) and Morphology of bacteria cell surfaces incubated with metals were monitored by scanning electron microscopy (JEOL JSM 5400 LV, Japan). Results and DiscussionThe results of the in vitro stage showed that the most ability to heavy metals adsorption was related to the Ent. Facium bacterium which were equal to 79.75±0.11, 75.28±0.05 and 83.99±0.10% for Pb, Cd and Ni, respectively. In general, the removal efficiency of heavy metals by LAB bacteria in the inactive and killed state was significantly higher than the active removal efficiency of these bacteria, so that the highest percentage of passive absorption of lead, cadmium and nickel metals by inactive strains of L. casei, L. plantarum and Ent. Facium were 90.01, 81.98 and 86.56%, respectively. Electron microscopy observations and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis confirmed that the majority of these toxic metals significantly damage the surface of living cells by accumulating and binding on the surface of bacterial cells. A combination of three bacterial strains had a synergistic effect on the binding properties of toxic metals compared to the single state of these bacteria, so that in both active and inactive states, 90-99% of heavy metals from edible leafy vegetables were removed in less than 15 minutes. The results of this research generally showed that the binding capacity of dead biomass is significantly high and it is possible to dispose and reuse biomass in case of biological absorption.

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of pollution and concentration of heavy metals in agricultural soil, wheat and flour and to evaluate the consequent health risks in the residents of Bijar city in 2021. Materials and Methods: To determine the total content of heavy metals, after acid digestion, the dry soil samples were converted into powder and prepared according to the steps of acid digestion for reading by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Extraction from the samples was also done by acid digestion method. In the flour sample, direct acid digestion was done. For non-carcinogenic risk assessment studies, two routes including direct consumption (ingestion) and dermal absorption of heavy metals were considered. To calculate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, we considered heavy metals including cadmium, lead, zinc and arsenic. Results: The concentrations of heavy metals studied in the soil, wheat and flour samples of four regions were similar to one another and no significant differences were observed. The results of the risk assessment showed that the soil samples of all four studied areas were in class III (moderate risk) in regard to the carcinogenic risk of arsenic. Also, the soil samples of all four regions showed a low cancer risk in relation to cadmium. All other samples showed a low risk less than 10-6. In all of the samples of flour, wheat and soil from the four regions, we found no risk higher than 10-4 and, thus they were considered safe. Conclusion: The results of this study showed non-carcinogenic risk in relation to zinc, lead, arsenic, and cadmium based on the results of examined samples, but the concentration of some of these metals, such as arsenic, is close to the risk level for the vulnerable populations such as children, and appropriate measures should be taken to evaluate and reduce these heavy metals concentrations.

The aim of this study was to examine the accumulation of lead, nickel, and cadmium heavy metals in the muscle tissue of Peronia peronii in the waters of Bandar Lange and Qeshm in April. Thirty samples were separately collected from each station and subjected to drying and acid digestion before measurement using a flame atomic absorption device (GBC model F savant). The results revealed varying levels of metal accumulation, with the highest and lowest concentrations recorded as 0.112 and 0.024 micrograms per gram for nickel and cadmium, respectively, in Langeh and Qeshm ports. Additionally, a significant relationship between the concentration of nickel, lead, and cadmium and the average total weight of P. peronii was observed, indicating a positive correlation with the total weight (p<0.05). However, no significant relationship was found between the accumulation of these metals and the average total length of P. peronii in Bandar Lange and Qeshm Island, indicating a lack of correlation with the total length of the flounder seaweed (p>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Contamination in pulp mill wastewater and subsequently surface and underground water sources contamination with heavy metals is one of the most important problems which threatens the health of human being and other creatures. These metals penetrate and pollute the soil and water. In this regard, this study investigated and determined heavy metals in the pulp mill wastewater before and after the wastewater treatment process. In this study the newspaper adsorbent was prepared and the efficiency of the adsorbent in the adsorption of copper, lead and cadmium metals was studied. Methodology: The adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the effect of the time of contact of the newspaper adsorbent and metals, and dose of the adsorbent. For this purpose, waste newspapers were first treated with sodium bicarbonate for one hour and then refluxed with 5% disodium hydrogen phosphate for 4 hours at 100 degrees Celsius and finally washed. Aqueous solutions with an initial concentration of 30 ppm for three metals lead, copper and cadmium were prepared by diluting the standard solution with distilled water. A specific amount of adsorbent was added to 10 ml of each solution and stirred in a mechanical shaker for specific times. Then they were filtered by filter paper purified and analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopic device. After drying, the solid phase of the wastewater sample was subjected to acid digestion with nitric acid at a ratio of one to five. Then, the digested samples were analyzed with an atomic absorption spectrometer after washing. Results: The results of wastewater analysis in the basins before and after treatment showed that the amount of lead, copper and cadmium in the wastewater before treatment were 0.2129, 0.5983 and 0.0004 ppm, respectively. The amount of metals after the treatment process was 0.0469, 0.134 and 0.0001 ppm for lead, copper and cadmium, respectively. Also, according to the results, taking into account that the absorption rate was high and the same in the amount of absorbent used and the treatment times; the amount and time of the desired treatment in this experiment were not effective factors in the amount of metal absorption. Conclusion: The newspaper adsorbent is a good adsorbent for removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions due to high absorption capacity and low cost, which make the newspaper a potential adsorbent for the removal and wastewater treatment of the heavy metals. According to the results, the dosage and time of treatment with the newspaper adsorbent were not effective factors in metal removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the concentration of heavy metals in water and sediments in four stations of Chabahar Lagoon was investigated. Ecological risk index (RI), pollution load index (PLI), and land accumulation index (Igeo) were used to evaluate the ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment environment. To evaluate the risk of these metals to human health, the hazard index (HI) for two age groups, adults and children was used. The results showed that the highest value of the ecological risk index occurred in station 4 with a value of 38.73 and the lowest value occurred in station 1 with a value of 21.36. The calculated RI values for all stations were less than 150, indicating that they are in the low-risk range. The highest value of the pollution load index also occurred in station 4 with a value of 0.59, which shows that the sediments of all four stations were not polluted. However, Igeo values were less than zero, which indicates that the studied sediments are in the non-polluted range. Only station 4 had a value greater than zero and less than 1 for chromium, which is in the range of pollution, not polluted to moderate with this metal. Also, risk index values for minors and adults were calculated at each station. The highest value for minors and adults occurred at station 4 with values of 0.89 and 0.59, respectively. Although HI values are less than 1, minors are more exposed to these metals than adults. These results are very worrying for minors who are a vulnerable group in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a comprehensive assessment of the occurrence and spatial distribution of heavy metals including Nickel, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Cadmium and Chromium, as well as, TPHs in the surface sediments of the coastal areas and far from the coast of the Persian Gulf in Bushehr and Khuzestan provinces were performed to identify the possible sources of sediment contamination and determining the degree of pollution. Eight pollution indices were used to evaluate the quality of sediments in terms of heavy metal and TPH pollution. The investigated areas could be distinguished by a significant degree of heavy metal pollution of Nickel, Cadmium and Zinc. High concentrations of Nickel and Zinc were observed in stations around Nakhiloo, Bushehr. The comparison of average pollution indices between regions showed that both Bushehr and Khuzestan provinces, respectively, with the average of contamination degree (CD) (20.25 and 22.11), modified contamination degree (MCD) (3.38 and 3.69), pollution load index (PLI) (31.17 and 57.57), potential ecological risk index (PERI) (353.54 and 349.39) have a significant degree and risk of Nickel and Cadmium pollution, especially in Nakhiloo area, Bushehr. Investigating the spatial fluctuations of the concentration of TPHs in two provinces showed an increasing trend from Bushehr to Khuzestan. However, areas were located in no pollution or low pollution zonation and were safe from the adverse biological effects of TPHs. Comprehensive and impressive strategies to control and reduce these pollutions, especially in polluted areas, should be considered, so that the sources of these pollutions be managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gobiidae family fishes play a significant role in coastal ecosystems with mud beds and mangrove ecosystems and also play a key role in the food chain in these areas. They are known as a heavy metal biomarker. The aim of this study was to investigate the metals cadmium, lead and nickel in the muscle of two species including Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia in Hormoz Island and Boleophthalmus dussumieri in the Bandar Kamir. A total number of 30 fishes, samples for each species were collected from selected area and after biometrics and preparation and digestion steps to determine the concentration of nickel, cadmium and lead metals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. In this study, comparisons were made between the concentration of metals with a maximum of 13.10±1.88 and a minimum of 2.85±1.20 µg/g, respectively for lead and cadmium in the muscle of B. dussumieri. The highest and lowest values of 12.13±1.96 and 2.86±0.83 respectively were recorded for lead and cadmium in C. cyanotaenia muscle. By examining the correlation between the concentrations of metals in the muscle of the species, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between the concentration of metals in the muscle and their biometry (total length and total weight). The results showed that the studied Gobiidae family fish are suitable biomarkers for nickel, cadmium and lead metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Heavy metals are major soil pollutants due to their toxicity and persistence. Mining activities are a significant source of pollution in natural ecosystems. With its numerous mines, the Khaf region is a case in point. Identifying plants capable of absorbing metals from contaminated soils is crucial for phytoremediation efforts. This study investigated the phytoremediation potential of three plant species - Artemisia sieberi, Salsola richteri, and Scariola orientalis - in the iron mine area of Khaf city, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. Methodology: All plant species were first surveyed at distances 500, 1000, and 3000 meters from the mine to determine the dominant vegetation type. Three species belonging to this dominant type were then selected for heavy metal analysis. Plant samples were collected from different parts (leaves, roots) of these dominant species, along with soil samples from around their roots, at varying distances from the mine and in the direction of the prevailing wind. A total of 36 plant and 36 soil samples were analyzed for copper, iron, and lead using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to determine metal contamination levels. Plant remediation potential was assessed using various phytoremediation indicators. Results: Significant differences in phytoremediation indicators were observed among the plant species. Salsola richteri exhibited the highest bioconcentration factors (BCF) for lead (1.38), iron (1.37), and copper (1.99), and the highest bioaccumulation coefficients (BAC) for lead (1.55), iron (1.72), and copper (1.95). This indicates Salsola richteri's strong ability to accumulate these metals. The highest lead soil pollution index (2.64) was found around Artemisia sieberi, signifying moderate lead pollution exceeding natural levels in this plant's habitat. The highest iron contamination was observed in the soil around Artemisia sieberi and Scariola orientalis. Conclusion: Metal concentrations in shoots, roots, and soil were highest at 500 meters from the mine and decreased with increasing distance. Soil analysis revealed higher average concentrations of the studied elements compared to global soil values. Notably, high concentrations of copper (490 mg/kg), lead (343 mg/kg), and iron (49000 mg/kg) were observed. At 500 meters from the mine, Salsola richteri displayed BCF values of 1.4, 1.5, 1.45, and 1.02 for lead, iron, copper, and BAC values of 1.7, 1.8, 1.4, and 1.34, respectively. Based on these results, Salsola richteri shows promise as a suitable plant for decontaminating soils in the Khaf mine area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using treated wastewater is important for plant irrigation in arid and semiarid regions. Althaea officinalis belongs to the Malvaceae family and contains high levels of glazed compounds and mucilage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of urban wastewater on growth and some physiological characteristics of Althaea officinalis. To this aim, the seeds of A. officinalis were cultured in the pots containing perlite. The plants were treated with different levels of urbane wastewater of Yasouj (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) in three replications. The experiment was conducted in the form of randomized complete blocks design. The plants were harvested after three weeks of irrigation with different concentrations of wastewater for further analysis. The results showed that wastewater treatments increased the fresh and dry weights of shoots, the leaf area, and the height of plant and roots length. The highest growth rate was obtained in plants irrigated with un-diluted wastewater. In response to wastewater treatment, the amount of photosynthetic pigments including chlorophylls a, b, a+b, and carotenoids increased significantly and the highest level of increase was observed in the treatment with 100% of wastewater. Anthocyanins and flavonoids increased in response to wastewater irrigation while the amounts of proteins decreased. No cadmium and lead were detected in the leaves and roots of wastewaterirrigated plants. Overall, the results of this study showed a positive response of A. officinalis to urbane-wastewater-irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: : Regarding to the role of trees in reduction and absorption air pollutants, assessing the tolerance of different tree species to environmental pollutants is very much important in order to select suitable species around any polluted place. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of P. orientalis, M. nigra and A. altissima species to air pollution using biophysical and biochemical leaf biomarkers. Methods: For this purpose, sampling of the leaves from all three species was carried out at six stations in Isfahan, after being transferred to the laboratory, the Stomatal density, total protein content, soluble sugars and anthocyanin were calculated. Results: The results showed that M. nigra and A. altissima species responded to air pollution by increasing and P. orientalis by reducing the density of stomata. The amount of total protein content of M. nigra, P. orientalis and A. altissima leaves were 48.93, 55.76 and 23.53% higher in polluted areas than in unpolluted areas. The value of soluble sugars and anthocyanins in M. nigra, P. orientalis and A. altissima leaves were found (90.22, 38.65 and 88.88) and (19.64, 88.8 and 80.05%) in polluted areas compared to non-polluted areas. Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be concluded that trees have differently respond to air pollution in relation to stomata density, which can be done in two ways, increasing or decreasing stomata density. Increasing the amount of total protein, soluble sugars and anthocyanins in the leaves of trees in the polluted area indicates that these trees are tolerant to pollutants and they applied these useful strategies to adapt and deal with pollutants.

To remove pollutants, many methods have been used so far, including ion exchange, coagulation and reverse osmosis. Most of these methods have many disadvantages and among them, the adsorption method is considered as a useful method. The purpose of this study is to synthesize adsorbents in the form of nanocomposites based on graphene oxide and modify the surface of graphene oxide by using iminodiacetic acid ligand to remove chromium ion by adsorption method. To determine the chemical structure and characterization of functionalized magnetic graphene oxide, we used XRD, BET, FTIR and SEM analysis. After that, the factors affecting the removal rate such as adsorbent amount, time of reaction, pH and initial concentration of chromium ion were investigated. The optimal conditions for removal of chromium ion were obtained as pH of solution 2, initial adsorbent weight 30 mg, initial chromium ion concentration 15 mg/L, absorption process time of 15 minutes and removal efficiency was 92.00%. The experimental results and the results of the response surface design were in good agreement (98.8%). Reviewing kinetic and isotherm studies showed that the adsorption process follows the pseudo second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm. Magnetic graphene oxide functionalized with iminodiacetic acid has the highest adsorption rate and was considered as the optimal adsorbent for successful metal removal.

Introduction: Environmental pollution, including pollution caused by urban and industrial sewage, factories and vehicles, causes pollution of natural resources in the environment, including water and fodder. The entry of these elements into the body of animals and their accumulation increases their concentration in products and enters the human food chain. Contamination of milk, meat and other edible tissues of animals with heavy metals is also a worrying issue and threatens food hygiene and human health because these elements are not naturally present in edible tissues and even very small amounts of them can be cause severe side effects. Scientists have mentioned the main cause of contamination of meat and animal tissues is feeding them from contaminated fodder sources or rearing them near contaminated areas. In the studies conducted in different countries, the amounts of heavy elements were more than allowed.Material and Methods: In order to investigate the amounts of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and nickel in milk and body tissues of dairy cows in North Khorasan province, two experiments were conducted in three regions and the amounts of heavy metals in milk and body tissues of dairy cows using the device Inductively coupled plasma-atomic diffusion (ICP) was measured, and studied.In the first experiment, three dairy cattle farms were selected from three regions, two farms were located in two regions at equal distances from large industries, and the third region was selected as a control region far from large industries. In each of the farms, 10 dairy cows (5 first lactation and 5 second lactation and above) was sampled and the amounts of elements were measured. In the second experiment, muscle, heart, liver, kidney and lung tissues were sampled from 5 dairy cows from each region that were removed and sent to the slaughterhouse for reasons such as mastitis and reproductive problems. Heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and nickel, were measured in the tissues by an inductively coupled atomic diffusion plasma (ICP) device.Result and Discussion: The initial experiment's findings indicate that the levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in the milk of Holstein cows remained unaffected by varying regions. However, there were significant regional impacts on the levels of chromium and nickel in the milk of Holstein cows. Furthermore, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and lead in the milk of Holstein cows were not influenced by the age of the cows or the interaction between region and age. In contrast, the concentration of chromium exhibited sensitivity to age and the interaction between region and age. These nuanced insights highlight the diverse influences on trace metal concentrations in Holstein cow milk, providing valuable information for understanding regional and age-related variations. The amount of arsenic, cadmium and lead metals in the thigh muscle tissue of Holstein cows in different regions was not significantly affected by regions. However, the amount of chromium and nickel in the thigh muscle tissue was significantly affected in different areas. The amount of arsenic, chromium, nickel and lead in the heart tissue was not significant in any of the regions (Shirvan, Esfrayen and Bojnoord). The amount of cadmium in the heart tissue of Holstein cows was significantly affected by different regions. Thus, the highest amount of cadmium in heart tissue was observed in Bojnord region and the lowest in Esfrayen region. The amount of chromium, nickel and lead in the tissue of all Holstein cows in different regions was not affected. However, the amount of arsenic and cadmium in the kidney tissue was significantly affected in different areas (Shirvan, Esfrayen and Bojnoord). Based on the obtained results, there was no significant difference in the amount of arsenic, cadmium and lead in lung tissue in different regions. However, the amount of chromium and nickel in the lung tissue of Holstein cows was significantly affected in different regions. Chromium enters various environmental sources (air, water and soil) from a wide range of natural and human sources, the most of which is emitted from industrial activities. When heavy metals are present in the air, feed and water of animals, they eventually accumulate in their tissues.Conclusion: While the levels of heavy metals did not exhibit significant differences across many investigated areas, it is noteworthy that the concentrations surpassed the standard values established for these metals in products like milk. The elevated concentrations raise concerns about the potential health implications associated with consuming products containing such heightened metal levels. An interesting observation emerges from the examination of elemental concentrations in tissues, irrespective of regions and distances. The lead element, in particular, demonstrated the highest concentrations, with the liver exhibiting the most notable accumulation compared to other tissues. This underscores the need for strategic interventions, and the consideration of solutions such as the application of absorbents to mitigate metal concentrations in dairy cattle products emerges as a viable recommendation. Implementing such measures could play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and compliance of dairy products with established standards.

Background and purpose: Heavy metals are among the pollutants that can cause destructive and fatal effects on marine organisms, including fish, in aquatic environments. This study aimed to determine and compare the concentration of heavy metals in the edible tissue of highly consumed farmed fishes (trout and carp) and marine fishes (carp, mullet, and whitefish) in Mazandaran province, Iran. Materials and methods: In this study, 10 farmed fishes of Rainbow trout and Carp and 20 marine fishes of Carp, Leaping mullet, and Rutilus kutum were purchased from several cities of Mazandaran province, including Sari, Farahabad, Babolsar, Fereydoun Kanar, and Mahmoud Abad from the fishmongers market in two seasons (spring and summer). In this study, the edible tissues were completely separated and homogenized by a meat grinder; then, the freeze-dried tissues were analyzed by an ICP-MS to identify heavy metal contents. Results: The average length and weight of the sampled marine fish species were 33.05±6.24 cm and 354.65±230.54 gr, respectively. Also, the length and weight of the farmed fish species were 33.45±10.30 cm and 586.45±501.32 gr, respectively. The results showed that the average concentration of most heavy metals in both farmed and marine species was within the permissible ranges, and only the average amount of zinc and manganese in both groups was reported higher than the maximum allowed permissible ranges. Spearman's statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between the metal concentration and the fish's length and weight (P

Background and Aim: Today, environmental pollution, including water pollution, has become a global issue, and human life is dependent on the safe drinking water. This study aimed at spatial analysis of minerals and heavy metals in drinking water distribution network in Kurdistan Province’s villages. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study we assessed the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, total soluble solids, fluoride, arsenic, lead, and cadmium in drinking water of all villages connected to water distribution network (1524 villages) in Kurdistan Province from 2015 to 2017. To describe the concentrations of the studied chemicals, spatial distribution maps were plotted using Arc GIS V. 10.3 software. Other statistical analyses including the analysis of the mean difference of the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and total soluble solids in the studied cities were performed by one-way analysis of variance using SPSS V. 22 software. Results: According to the results of this study, tap water in 1485 villages of Kurdistan Province (97.44%) contained nitrate and the amount of this ion in the drinking water of 31 villages (2.03%) was above the national and WHO standards. The mean concentration of total soluble solids in Bijar City was significantly higher than that in other cities (P

Introduction: Today, soil pollution is one of the important environmental issues that must be taken into consideration. Industrial activities cause pollution and accumulation of heavy metals in the soil. The rate of absorption of pollutants, especially heavy metals, by different plants is different. If resistant plants can be found that are able to reduce some of the pollution in water or soil, they can be used to remove pollution from polluted sources. Heavy metals are considered as an important environmental problem due to their toxicity, cumulative effects, long persistence time in the environment, carcinogenicity and non-degradability. Chemical phytoremediation is a method in which different chelating agents are used to increase the absorption of metals by the plant. The purpose of this research is to investigate the ability of morale as a weed with a wide geographical spread in the country, to absorb cadmium metal pollution. Material and Methods: This research was carried out in the agricultural year of 2018-2019 in the greenhouse of agricultural Research Institute of Zabul University, located in Zahak city, with a geographic location of 61˚ 41' east longitude and 30˚ and 54' north latitude and an altitude of 483 meters above sea level. The research was carried out as a factorial experiment in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications. The experimental treatments include EDTA and PIOA chelate at four levels (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg/kg of soil) as the first and second factors, respectively, and cadmium at three levels (0, 15 and 30 mg/kg of soil) from the source of cadmium nitrate as the third factor. This research aims to investigate the phytoremediation ability of Morale in the presence of EDTA and PIOA chelating agents in a selected soil from the drainage area of zabol in the form of a pot test on a soil contaminated with cadmium, in the greenhouse of the agricultural research institute was done of the zabol university. In each pot, 4 morale seedlings prepared from the treasury of Zabol University Agricultural Research Institute were planted at a depth of 10 cm. Analysis of data was done using SAS software version 9.1. The mean comparison of the treatments was analyzed using Duncan's multiple range test at the 5% level. Results and Discussion: The application of chelating agent increased chlorophyll a in all treatments affected by cadmium, so that the highest amount of chlorophyll a (878.33 mg/g) was in the treatment of 1.5 mg/kg EDTA and soil without cadmium, which ratio It showed an increase of about 3.75% compared to the control (without chelating agent and without cadmium). The highest amount of cadmium in aerial parts (8.57 mg/kg) corresponds to the treatment containing 1.5 mg/kg of EDTA chelated and soil with 30 mg/kg of cadmium and the lowest amount of cadmium in aerial parts (0.427 mg/kg) was related to the control treatment (without chelating agent and without cadmium). The application of chelating agent increased root cadmium in all treatments under the influence of cadmium, in a way that showed an increase of about 94.42% compared to the control (without chelating agent and without cadmium). Conclusion: In sum, the results of this research show that the Morale plant is a plant resistant to soil pollution and can tolerate the levels of pollution to a certain extent. Refinement and separation of cadmium metal from the soil was done better by the plant. Due to the high tendency of EDTA to bind to metals, when EDTA is used in high concentrations. It has a potential effect on the release of metals from the solid phase by forming soluble complexes, and the formation of EDTA complexes with metals in the soil solution may advance the balance of precipitation and absorption towards the dissolution of metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urmia Lake, with more than 51,000 Km² area, is one of 6 main Iran’s catchments. Nazluchai, Shaharchai, Bazandozchai, Gadarchi, Mahabadchai and Siminehroud located in west and southwest of Urmia Lake are among the most important rivers supplying the lake. This study aims to evaluate heavy metals health risk including cadmium, lead, nickel, cobalt, arsenic and chromium in surface sediments of western and southwestern rivers of Urmia Lake, for which 22 sediment samples from depth of 0-10 cm was randomly taken and after analyzing by ICP-OES method, non-carcinogenic risk for all studied elements and carcinogenic risk for elements with definite carcinogenicity (cadmium, nickel and chromium) were calculated. According to results, the highest concentrations of nickel, cobalt and chromium were recorded in Baranduzchai and Gadarchai, the highest arsenic concentration was recorded in delta and downstream of Nazluchai and Mahabadchai and the highest cadmium concentration was recorded in Nazluchai delta and downstream of Siminehrood. In mentioned cases, heavy metals concentration is much more than the other parts. Average daily doses of studied heavy metals for children and adults were measured as follows: cadmium

This study aims to investigate the content, geochemical speciation and mobility of heavy metals as well as mineralogical characteristics of wastes in a coal washing plant (Alborz-e-Sharghi Company). The obtained results revealed that coal wastes as compared to world coal mean are normal to enriched in terms of Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr and As while are depleted with respect to Cd and Zn. XRD analysis indicated that quartz, kaolinite, illite, calcite, calcite, siderite, gypsum and pyrite are present in the studied samples. The results obtained from speciation analysis showed that Pb, As, Cu, Ni and Cr were mainly associated with phases 6 and 5 (sulfide and silicate bound fractions) while Zn and Cd were mostly retrieved from phase 1 (water soluble fraction). The mobility factors also confirms that Zn and Cd with 53.32 and 44.12 % are the most mobilizable elements. This is particularly prominent for 30 years aged coal wastes. This study generally concludes that most mobilized metals such as Zn and Cd have the high potential to find their ways into the surrounding environments and this should be considered in future assessments and management of coal waste produced in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Environmental pollution, including pollution caused by urban and industrial sewage, factories and vehicles, causes pollution of natural resources in the environment, including water and fodder. The entry of these elements into the body of animals and their accumulation increases their concentration in products and enters the human food chain. Contamination of milk, meat and other edible tissues of animals with heavy metals is also a worrying issue and threatens food hygiene and human health because these elements are not naturally present in edible tissues and even very small amounts of them can be cause severe side effects. Scientists have mentioned the main cause of contamination of meat and animal tissues is feeding them from contaminated fodder sources or rearing them near contaminated areas. In the studies conducted in different countries, the amounts of heavy elements were more than allowed. Material and Methods: In order to investigate the amounts of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and nickel in milk and body tissues of dairy cows in North Khorasan province, two experiments were conducted in three regions and the amounts of heavy metals in milk and body tissues of dairy cows using the device Inductively coupled plasma-atomic diffusion (ICP) was measured, and studied. In the first experiment, three dairy cattle farms were selected from three regions, two farms were located in two regions at equal distances from large industries, and the third region was selected as a control region far from large industries. In each of the farms, 10 dairy cows (5 first lactation and 5 second lactation and above) was sampled and the amounts of elements were measured. In the second experiment, muscle, heart, liver, kidney and lung tissues were sampled from 5 dairy cows from each region that were removed and sent to the slaughterhouse for reasons such as mastitis and reproductive problems. Heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and nickel, were measured in the tissues by an inductively coupled atomic diffusion plasma (ICP) device. Result and Discussion: The initial experiment's findings indicate that the levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in the milk of Holstein cows remained unaffected by varying regions. However, there were significant regional impacts on the levels of chromium and nickel in the milk of Holstein cows. Furthermore, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and lead in the milk of Holstein cows were not influenced by the age of the cows or the interaction between region and age. In contrast, the concentration of chromium exhibited sensitivity to age and the interaction between region and age. These nuanced insights highlight the diverse influences on trace metal concentrations in Holstein cow milk, providing valuable information for understanding regional and age-related variations. The amount of arsenic, cadmium and lead metals in the thigh muscle tissue of Holstein cows in different regions was not significantly affected by regions. However, the amount of chromium and nickel in the thigh muscle tissue was significantly affected in different areas. The amount of arsenic, chromium, nickel and lead in the heart tissue was not significant in any of the regions (Shirvan, Esfrayen and Bojnoord). The amount of cadmium in the heart tissue of Holstein cows was significantly affected by different regions. Thus, the highest amount of cadmium in heart tissue was observed in Bojnord region and the lowest in Esfrayen region. The amount of chromium, nickel and lead in the tissue of all Holstein cows in different regions was not affected. However, the amount of arsenic and cadmium in the kidney tissue was significantly affected in different areas (Shirvan, Esfrayen and Bojnoord). Based on the obtained results, there was no significant difference in the amount of arsenic, cadmium and lead in lung tissue in different regions. However, the amount of chromium and nickel in the lung tissue of Holstein cows was significantly affected in different regions. Chromium enters various environmental sources (air, water and soil) from a wide range of natural and human sources, the most of which is emitted from industrial activities. When heavy metals are present in the air, feed and water of animals, they eventually accumulate in their tissues. Conclusion: While the levels of heavy metals did not exhibit significant differences across many investigated areas, it is noteworthy that the concentrations surpassed the standard values established for these metals in products like milk. The elevated concentrations raise concerns about the potential health implications associated with consuming products containing such heightened metal levels. An interesting observation emerges from the examination of elemental concentrations in tissues, irrespective of regions and distances. The lead element, in particular, demonstrated the highest concentrations, with the liver exhibiting the most notable accumulation compared to other tissues. This underscores the need for strategic interventions, and the consideration of solutions such as the application of absorbents to mitigate metal concentrations in dairy cattle products emerges as a viable recommendation. Implementing such measures could play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and compliance of dairy products with established standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers are one of the most important sources of surface water in the world. The purpose of this research is to investigate the contamination of Karaj River sediments with heavy metals using sediment quality indices, evaluate the effects of pollution on the environment, and provide solutions to reduce pollution and its aftereffects. To achieve this goal, the sediments of the Karaj River bed were sampled at nine stations, and the total concentration of heavy elements in the samples was measured by the ICP device. Eventually, the sediment quality indicators for each of the metals were analyzed separately. The results showed that the Karaj River suffered little pollution in terms of bed sediment contamination with heavy metals, but the role of human activities in producing this amount of pollution cannot be neglected. Urban and rural activities, as a result of their effluents and sewage leaking into the river environment, construction and road construction projects in the region, land use changes in the river's boundaries and margins, and the people's lack of awareness in the region regarding the environmental effects of metal pollution. Inadequacy in proper education and culture in relation to tourism and environmental protection are among the destructive and polluting human factors in the area of Karaj River, which caused an increase in copper contamination up to 2.36 as well as the Pollution Load Index to the point of 0.76 in downstream stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: During the last few decades, heavy metal pollution in indoor dust has been widely studied; While, the quality of the environment inside the cars has not been considered enough. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study generally include investigating the levels of selected heavy metals in the dust of private cars collected from Ahvaz city, as well as evaluating the health risk of carcinogenesis and exposure to the dust inside these cars through ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption. Materials and Methods: 10 cars were selected for this study. The condition of choosing the cars was not to wash the car for a week. Then, samples were collected and coded from the dust of the air conditioner filter and the cabin of each car. To determine the composition of heavy metals, spectroscopic analysis (ICP) was performed on the samples. Results: The study of non-carcinogenic risk index (HI) in the present study indicates that the values of more than 1 and the health risk is high. The sequence of HI index values for heavy metals was obtained as Pb>Cu>Cr> Fe> Zn> Cd> Ni. Evaluated risks from different pathways in children was HQing

Background and Objective: Monitoring and remediation of metal contaminants in aquatic ecosystems is of particular importance to estimate, control, and reduce the level of threats to alive creatures and humans. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate metal contamination of surface sediments and the ability to monitor and bioremediation of iron, lead, and copper by aerial and underground tissues of Typha Latifolia and Nasturtium microphyllum located along the aquatic ecosystem of the Lar River, Tehran, Iran in 2021. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, after selecting four sampling sites, 48 plant samples and 12 sediment samples were collected. After preparation and acid digestion of the samples in the laboratory, the contents of the elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Also, pollution index (PI), pollution load index (PLI), bioconcentration coefficient (BCF), bioaccumulation (BAF), and translocation factor (TF) were calculated. Statistical analyses of the results were performed using SPSS statistical software. Results: The highest values of Fe, Pb, and Cu (mg/kg) in sediment samples were 11.8 ± 0.665, 0.915 ± 0.030, and 0.710 ± 0.026, respectively, and belonged to station 4; and in plant tissues 11.4 ± 1.25, 0.578 ± 0.180, and 0.298 ± 0.095, respectively, and were belonged to the roots of T. Latifolia. The PI values showed that the pollution of Fe, Pb, and Cu was "low" and the average PI values for the elements followed the descending order of Pb > Cu > Fe. The average values of PLI also vary from 0.003 to 0.006, indicating the quality conditions of "no pollution" in all the studied stations. On the other hand, T. Latifolia had a BCF > 1 and TF < 1 for Fe. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that T. Latifolia is a suitable species for stabilizing Fe in sediments and could be used to monitor and remediate potentially toxic elements from polluted aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Heavy metals enter the environment directly and indirectly with the development of various industries of metal smelting, mining, and chemical industries. Physical and chemical methods of soil purification from heavy metals are used due to high costs and less time-consuming. Phytoremediation is a low-cost and relatively fast solution to soil pollution and increases biodiversity, reduces erosion, and increases soil fertility. Materials and Methods: In this study, the phytoremediation potential of the Camelina plant in removing heavy metals Pb and Cd from soil was investigated. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with Cd (0, 3, 5, and 10 mg.kg-1) and Pb (0, 100, 300, and 600 mg.kg-1) treatments with 3 replications in the greenhouse of Razi University in Kermanshah. Results: The results showed that with increasing the concentration of Pb and Cd, the accumulation of these elements in the roots of the Camelina plant increased significantly. Most soil biological properties at the highest concentrations of Cd and Pb were significantly reduced compared to the control. Conclusion: The high concentration of Pb and Cd in the roots of the plant and the low transfer factor of these elements, indicate the greater efficiency of this plant for use in plant stabilization techniques, and we cannot be used to extract heavy metals lead and cadmium from soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soil serves as the primary repository for microplastics, yet their impact on soil-dwelling organisms remains insufficiently understood. This study aims to investigate the influence of varying concentrations of microplastics in soil on the absorption of Cd and Cu by Eisenia fetida within an artificial soil matrix. Methods: The artificial soil consisted of kaolinite clay (20% dry weight), quartz sand (70% dry weight), and Sphagnum peat (10% dry weight). Microplastics, derived from worn-out tire rubber, were incorporated into the soil to establish four concentration levels: 5, 25, 50, and 100 grams of tire microplastics per 500 grams of dry soil. Each treatment was inoculated with ten mature earthworms, weighing between 3.0 and 5.0 grams. After 14 days, samples were collected for ICP analysis. Results: : The highest accumulation of both metals was observed in treatments with 25, 50, and 100 grams of tire microplastics. The results demonstrated significant disparities in copper and cadmium accumulation in the tissue samples following the introduction of tire wear particles, indicating an augmenting effect of tire particles on metal uptake by the samples. Statistically notable reductions (p < 0.05) in Cd and Cu concentrations were noted in both the control soil and soil containing microplastics, particularly in the 100-gram microplastic treatment for Cd and the 50-gram microplastic treatment for Cu. Conclusion: Exposure to a combination of microplastics, Cd, and Cu has more pronounced adverse effects on E. fetida, and microplastics enhance the bioavailability of heavy metal ions within the soil environment.

Introduction Rice as a staple food, especially in Asian countries, can be a major source of heavy metals. Heavy metals also enter the soils where crops grow naturally and / or through human activities. Metals are absorbed and accumulated in the edible parts of the plant and enter the food chain. Toxic metals, which are present in nature due to industrialization, have polluted the environment, including soil, air, water and food, and have adverse effects on human health through food chains. The Codex Organization has set maximum levels for these elements in various cereals to protect trade and health. Nitrate and nitrite are naturally present in soil, water and food. But today, foods have higher levels of nitrate and nitrite. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers to achieve higher yields and improper disposal of human and animal wastes may lead to nitrate accumulation in agricultural products. Very few studies have been performed on the measurement of heavy metal and nitrogen indices in replanted rice. The aim of this study was to measure the amounts of heavy metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic) and the amounts of nitrate and nitrite in first harvest rice and re-harvest rice and compare it with the standard values of the World Health Organization. Methods and Materials In this study, a total of 18 rice samples were prepared from three selected farms in the first and second cultivation times and the amount of nitrite, nitrate and heavy metals lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury were evaluated. Results and Discussion The results showed that in all farms in the second crop the concentration of lead decreased significantly (P

Introduction Although the exploitation of mineral resources is very useful for the country, it has a negative impact on human and plant life with its destructive effects. These destructive effects appear as pollution in the soil, which can lead to the imbalance of ecosystems and ultimately endanger human health. In addition, economic development and the expansion of industrial areas, especially coal mining mines, cause heavy metal contamination of the soil to become more severe and cause the destruction of soil resources and the deterioration of ecosystems in different regions of the world. The present study was conducted to investigate the contamination of the two elements Pb and Zn in the surface soil of the Komarzd mining area in Mazandaran province (Iran) due to coal mining. Materials and Methods Komarzd mines in Mazandaran province are one of the largest and oldest coal-producing areas in the central Alborz coal field. Komarzd mines are located 48 km from the southern district of Qaemshahr and 25 km from Alasht. Four indices, including CF, mCF, RI, and Igeo were calculated for 110 samples from surface soil prepared at a depth of 5-15 cm. After separating the rubble, the collected soils were kept in closed plastic bags with a unique code, and a GPS device recorded their location. The samples prepared in a dry environment were transferred to the laboratory. The ICP-MS method at 75 microns was used to analyze and measure the concentration of heavy elements in the collected samples. According to the presence of different elements measured in the region's soil and the compounds in it, two metals Zn and Pb were selected for evaluation and analysis. Sampling was randomly selected based on saved points and drilling tunnels. PCA statistical test is a type of multivariate analysis widely used in sediment, water, and soil pollution studies. Varimax Rotation is one of the most common types of PCA tests to interpret the results and contamination components of the method. This statistical method can be calculated using R and SPSS softwares. Results and Discussion The results showed that the ordinary kriging model is the most suitable model to show the region's concentration distribution of the two metals, PB and Zn. Also, the statistical status of the elements showed that the lowest amount of Zn for the Igeo index is equal to -0.53 and the highest value for the CF index is equal to 0.72. The amount of Pb concentration measured based on Igeo, CF, mCF, and RI indices equals 0.08, 1.03, and 213 mg/kg, respectively (RI CF> 1). The Igeo index showed that Zn with a concentration lower than zero is not polluted, but Pb with a value (0< Igo

IntroductionThe contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals is considered as a fundamental problem of industrial and non-industrial societies all over the world, which is increasing significantly with technological advances and is considered a serious threat to the environment, soil and human health. One of these heavy metals is cadmium, which has entered the environmental cycle due to various industrial activities such as metal smelting, battery manufacturing, paints, and plastic production. One of the suitable methods for cleaning the soil contaminated with heavy metals is to stabilize the elements by adding a modifier to the soil, which leads to a decrease in their mobility and bioavailability during the processes of absorption, oxidation and reduction, complexation or deposition. The use of iron nanoparticles is a new generation of environmental cleaning technology that can be an economic solution to some problems caused by pollutants, unlike traditional methods. Considering the importance of soil as a plant food holder and its special role in the food chain and the harmful effects of pollutants such as heavy metals in the soil, this research seeks to explore the potential of magnetic iron nanoparticles in remediating cadmium-contaminated soil. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these nanoparticles in reducing cadmium levels and their impact on the distribution of cadmium in different soil components. Materials and MethodsThe experiments were carried out in the chemical and biological research laboratory of the Department of Soil Science and Engineering of Maragheh University. To conduct the experiment, a soil sample from Ajabshir city with a geographic location of 54 degrees 46 minutes 51.7 seconds east longitude and 37 degrees 24 minutes 34 seconds north latitude located in East Azarbaijan province with an altitude of 1451 meters above sea level, with this The target of extractable cadmium less than 1.16 mg/kg of dry and textured soil (loam) was selected. This experiment is factorial based on random design with two factors of heavy metal cadmium from cadmium sulfate source including cadmium concentrations at three levels of zero, 6 and 12 mg/kg of soil and the factor of magnetic iron nanoparticles at three levels of zero, 1 and 2% in The time was four weeks after the addition of cadmium treatments and it was implemented in three repetitions. After measuring some physical and chemical properties of soil, cadmium concentrations in different species and ionic fractions were measured according to the method provided by Tisser. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS and MSTATC software and the means were compared with Duncan's multiple range test at the level of five and one percent probability and the results were interpreted. Discussion and ConclusionBy increasing the amount of cadmium treatment levels from 6 to 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium absorption in the exchange phase decreased. Therefore, the increase in the amount of cadmium levels in different levels of iron nanoparticles reduced the absorption of cadmium in the exchange phase, which in turn reduced the ability of the plant to absorb cadmium and removed cadmium from the plant. By increasing the amount of cadmium in the soil by 1%, nanoparticles increased the amount of cadmium extracted from the carbonate phase. Increasing the amount of cadmium added to the soil at different levels of nanoparticles, the amount of cadmium absorption extracted from the carbonate phase increased, and at the level of 12 mg cadmium/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted from the carbonate phase increased compared to the level of 6 mg cadmium/kg. In cadmium treatments at the level of 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted from the phase of iron and manganese oxides were increased compared to cadmium at the level of 6 mg/kg, and in the same treatments at the level of 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted was increased with the increase in the amount of nanoparticles. The results showed an increase in the phase of iron and manganese oxides, which may reduce the amount of cadmium available to the plant. In cadmium treatments at the level of 6 mg/kg at the level of 1% of nanoparticles, compared to the other two treatments, an increase in the amount of cadmium extracted from the oxide phase was observed. In the treatment of cadmium at the level of 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted from the phase of organic matter increased compared to the treatment of cadmium at the level of 6 mg/kg. Indeed, the research findings reveal an interesting trend in the impact of increasing iron nanoparticles at both cadmium levels of 6 and 12 mg/kg. Specifically, the changes in the amount of cadmium extracted from the organic phase of the soil follow a consistent pattern. Initially, as the iron nanoparticles were introduced, the cadmium extraction from the organic materials decreased. However, at higher levels of nanoparticles, the cadmium extraction started to increase again.This trend suggests that the presence of a higher concentration of nanoparticles may play a role in stabilizing cadmium in the organic matter of the soil. As a result, it may reduce the accessibility of cadmium to plants. In the treatment of cadmium at the level of 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted from the residual phase increased compared to cadmium at the level of 6 mg/kg. In the examination of cadmium extracted from the residual phase, it was found that, unlike other phases, the difference between treatments at zero cadmium level and other treatment levels of cadmium in the remaining phase was less compared to other phases, so that the amount of cadmium absorbed in the remaining phase 6 and 12 mg of cadmium per kilograms of soil have the lowest values among different absorption phases. Also, another noteworthy point about this examination was the trend of changes in extracted cadmium according to the levels of nanoparticles in all three levels of cadmium, so that with the increase of nanoparticles from zero to 1% in all levels of cadmium, there was a decreasing trend and with the increase of non-particles to two percent, an increasing trend was observed. ConclusionThe results showed that in general, with increasing the level of iron nanoparticles, treatment of 12 kg of cadmium, the amounts of residual cadmium, carbonate, organic and oxide phases increased. Increasing the level of cadmium in different levels of iron nanoparticles reduced the absorption of cadmium in the exchange phase, which reduces the ability of the plant to absorb cadmium and removes cadmium from the plant, so that in the treatment with cadmium at the level of 12 mg/kg, the amount of cadmium extracted from the exchange phase reduced. Also, in the cadmium treatment at the level of 6 mg/kg with increasing the amount of nanoparticles, the amount of cadmium extracted from the exchange phase first increased and then a slight decrease in the amount of absorbed cadmium was observed, while at the level of 12 mg of cadmium, the amount of cadmium increased, absorption reduced, and thus removing cadmium from the plant.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of heavy metals in seven types of tobacco widely consumed in the east of the country through inhalation exposure. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted from April 2022 to October 2022 in the city of Bojnord, Iran on sook of seven popular tobacco brands. Metal concentrations in sook of tobacco were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In order to analyze the data and ensure the accuracy of the results, the amount of metals in the samples was repeated three times, and their average was analyzed. Monte Carlo software was used to assess possible risks. Results: The results of this study showed heavy metal concentrations in sook tobaccos were, respectively, Fe>Zn>Mn>Ba>Pb>Ni>Cu>Mo>Cr>As>Cd. The concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and molybdenum in Alrah brand tobacco was higher than other types of tobacco. So that the amounts of heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium and molybdenum for this brand were 14.2±0.05, 10.4±0.06 and 11.6±0.04 micrograms per gram, respectively. The hazard index (HI) values for different types of tobacco, including Al-Rah, Amordadsub, Al-Fakher, Al-Rubi, Mazaya, traditional flavorless, and Nakhle, were 2.64, 2.41, 2.05, 1.7, 1.49, 1.46, and 1.44, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for Amordadsub, Al-Rah, Nakhla, Mazaya, Al-Rubi, Al-Fakher, and traditional flavorless tobaccos was 2.8×10-3, 2.43×10-3, 1.72×10-3, 1.58×10-3, 1.43×10-3, 9.58×10-4, and 8.08×10-4, respectively. Lead in Alrah tobacco sook had the highest non-carcinogenic risk value with a value of 1.59. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, Alrah tobacco sook has a higher cancer and non-cancer risk than regular tobacco and can cause non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for consumers. Thus, it is necessary to regularly monitor the quality of prevalent tobacco to reduce delete human health risks.

IntroductionChromium pollution of the soil due to natural processes or industrial activities such as metal refining, chrome plating, stainless-steel production, leather tanning, and chemical dye production is a globle environmental issue. Excessive soil Cr levels cause detrimental effects on plant physiological processes including photosynthesis, water relations and mineral nutrition as well as the growth of roots, stems and leaves, which may decrease the biomass and yield of plants. Currently, soil application of organic amendments particularly humic acid seems to be an effective procedure to enhance relative plant tolerance to Cr stress. Humic acids are complexes of heterogeneous poly electrolytes with abundant functional groups that act as a weak poly electrolytic acid. Their structures, the degree to which these functional groups are protonated or ionized and environmental conditions influence the interaction between HA and soil pollutants. The complex compounds form by interaction of HA and heavy metals that cannot be uptaken by plants. Humic acid may play a significant role in the mobility and uptake of Cr which leads to a significant increase in plant biomass and growth. The aim of this research was to investigate the ability of humic acid to reduce Cr uptake and translocation by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from Cr-contaminated soil. Materials and MethodsThe present study through a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of Ferdowsi university of Mashhad. The experiment was arranged in a factorial manner in a randomized complete design with three replications and treatments consisted of 3 levels of Cr (0, 25, and 50 mg kg-1as K2Cr2O7) and 3 rates of HA (0, 5 and 10 %). The soil samples were dried at room temperature, ground and sieved with a 2-mm mesh screen for further analysis. The bioavailable concentrations of Cr in the soils were assessed by DTPA. Three lettuce seedlings were grown in each pot containing five air-dried soil and watered to a near field capacity with distilled water as needed. After 100 days plant tissues were harvested, carefully washed with deionized water and the leaf, stem and root parts separated. All of them were oven-dried at 65-75 °C to constant weight and the dry weight of lettuce tissue samples was recorded. To determine the Cr concentrations, the tissues were ground, passed through a 0.3-mm sieve and digested in di-acid mixture (HNO3:HClO4). Concentrations of Cr in the digested solutions and soil extractions were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). Translocation factor (TF) is determined from the ratio of the concentration of Cr in the plant’s shoots compared to that in the plant’s roots. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was evaluated as defined as the accumulated concentration of Cr in plant divided by concentration to that in respective soil. A two-way analysis of variance was done by using a statistical package, JMP version 8.0. The differences between the treatments were determined using LSD multiple range tests at significance level of P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.001.Results and DiscussionThe results of the present study clearly demonstrate that all Cr treatments significantly reduced leaf, stem, shoot and root dry weights. In unamended soils, both Cr treatments alone reduced leaf, shoot, stem and root dry weights 83%, 101%, 207% and 65% (for Cr 25 mg kg-1) and 194%, 219%, 355% and 92% (for Cr 50 mg kg-1) respectively as compared to control. Using HA (5 and 10%) and Cr treatments (25 and 50 mg kg-1), showed that leaf, shoot, stem and root dry weights were significantly increased as compared to Cr contaminated control. The lowest values of these parameters were recorded in Cr treatments without addition of HA, whereas at each Cr level, the highest values of them were obtained with application of 10% HA. The Cr concentrations in shoot and root samples significantly were affected by adding HA and Cr levels in soil. It was observed that Cr contents in shoots and roots, transfer factor and bioaccumulation factor of shoots and roots significantly increased by increasing soil Cr levels. Moreover, HA application negatively affected Cr content in shoot compared to Cr treatment alone. The interaction of chromium and humic acid caused a significant decrease in the concentration of chromium in the aerial parts, the shoot accumulation factor and a significant increase in the concentration of chromium in the roots and consequently reduced translocation factor. The highest value of Cr in shoot (47.7 mg kg-1) was obtained in those plants grown in soil with addition of 50 mg kg-1 Cr alone, whereas at each Cr level the lowest value of Cr in shoot was found in those plants grown in soil with the application of 10% HA. HA application in soil increased Cr concentration in root compared with Cr contaminated control. The maximum Cr concentration in the root (367 mg kg-1) and root bioaccumulation factor (28.5) was obtained after exposure to 50 mg kg-1 Cr +10% HA treatment. Also, the regression models showed that the transfer factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor decreased significantly and linearly with increasing shoot dry weight. Moreover, the regression model of shoot dry weight and shoot bioaccumulation factor was able to predict traslocation factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor with Adjusted R2 = -0.78** and R2 = -0.93**, respectively. ConclusionResults demonstrated that Cr toxicity markedly reduced plant growth parameters for instance leaf, stem, shoot and root dry weight and enhanced the concentration of Cr in shoot and root as compared to control. Humic acid application in Cr contaminated soil induced increased plant biomass, root bioaccumulation factor, Cr contents in roots and reduced Cr concentration in leaves, translocation factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor. Therefore, the application of HA specially at higher dose (10%) seems to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for the restriction of Cr accumulation and its transfer from contaminated soil to edible parts of lettuce, thus helping to enhance food security.

Background and Objective: Population growth and pollution caused by the discharge of all kinds of urban, industrial, and agricultural sewage, leachate from landfills, and surface water runoff cause an increase in pollution of water sources. The entry of heavy metals into the environment, especially aquatic ecosystems, due to entering the food chain and jeopardizing human health is one of the concerns of society. This study was conducted to determine the level of heavy metals in muscles of Cynoglossus arel and Pomadasys kaakan fishes in Boushehr coastal waters, north of the Persian Gulf. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on twenty pieces of Cynoglossus arel and twenty pieces of Pomadasys kaakan fishes take place from three coastal stations of Boushehr, north of the Persian Gulf, Iran during spring of 2022. The samples were randomly selected from the fish market. After preparation, bioassay, and digestion of fish muscle by concentrated nitric acid, the concentration of heavy metals including nickel, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium (µg/g) in the muscle tissue was measured by ICP-OES device. The concentration of heavy metals in the fish muscle tissue for human consumption was compared with international standards (FAO, WHO, FDA, NHMRC, and UKMAFF). According to the method of the US Environmental Protection Agency for fish consumption, daily absorption estimates and heavy metal risk indicators were calculated. Results: The risk potential index for both species was less than one. The daily and weekly absorption of Cynoglossus arel (zinc > copper > nickel > lead > cadmium) and Pomadasys kaakan (copper > zinc > nickel > lead > cadmium) were determined. The mean concentration of heavy metals nickel, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium in the muscle tissue of the studied species was determined to be 1.88±0.07, 27.16±8.11, 11.55±4.12, 1.14±0.06, and 0.19±0.03 µg/g, respectively. The highest amounts of studied metals in aquatic animals were zinc > copper > nickel > lead > cadmium. The concentration of metals in the analyzed samples was lower than the international standards. Conclusion: Regarding toxicity, the concentration of metals in Cynoglossus arel and Pomadasys kaakan was evaluated as acceptable for human consumption. In addition, the amount of risk potential and risk index for non-cancerous diseases in adults and children in fish muscle tissue was less than 1, and the consumption of this fish does not cause any problems for human health.

Introduction Wind Erosion is the natural process of transportation and deposition of soil by wind. It is a common phenomenon occurred mostly in dry, sandy soils or anywhere the soil is loose, dry, and finely granulated. Heavy metals are found in the environment and soils may become contaminated by accumulation of heavy metals through emissions from the rapidly expanding industrial areas, mine tailings, disposal of high metal wastes, leaded gasoline and paints, land application of fertilizers, animal manures, sewage sludge, pesticides, wastewater irrigation, coal combustion residues, spillage of petrochemicals, and atmospheric deposition. Soils are the major sink for heavy metals released into the environment by the aforementioned anthropogenic activities and their total concentration in soils persists for a long time after their introduction. The heavy metal contamination of soil and its potential risks to humans and the ecosystem is a significant concern. Windy deposition, which is the process of heavy metals being transported by erosive winds and deposited onto soil, is one of the sources of heavy metal contamination. Due to the geographical situation and climatic conditions such as arid soil, erosive winds are blown in periods of year in Tabas. Since wind are erosion is severe in this area, huge amounts of wind deposition accompanied with erosive winds entered into this town. Heavy metals through the windy deposition are suspended, translated and finally deposited in residential regions, which can create some problems for human health. Therefore, the knowledge of wind erosion and the human risk of these deposits is essential. The aim of this research was to determine the rate of wind erosion and the concentration of some heavy metals in these deposits. Materials and Methods For this purpose, the rate of suspended load was measured monthly from February 2021 to January 2022. Based on previous information from the erosive winds and storms, suspended depositions were gathered in some directions (north, northwest, northeast, west and southwest) of the Tabas entrance. In addition, the suspended load in the city center of Tabas was also measured. The cumulative load of suspended depositions was measured monthly and the concentration of some heavy metals such as manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cupper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were measured in these suspended particles. Soil digestion was made by Aqua regia (nitric acid and chloridric acid; ratio of 3:1), and after then atomic absorption was used to measure the total concentration of above heavy metals. Results and Discussion The results indicate that Tabas experiences significant wind deposition of suspended loads, with the highest rates entering from the northeast direction and the lowest rates from the southwest direction. This pattern aligns with the wind rose of Tabas, which illustrates the prevailing wind directions in the region. Additionally, substantial suspended loads are observed in the northwest and north directions. The variations in suspended load discharge reveal that the maximum discharge occurs in the city center of Tabas during the months of June and July 2021. This corresponds to the arid climate conditions of these months, where plant growth is limited, soil cohesion is low, and loose soil particles on the surface are susceptible to wind forces. As a result, these loose particles are easily detached by the wind, contributing to the high levels of suspended load. Regarding the spatial variation of heavy metals in suspended particles, the cumulative concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn are found to be higher in the west, northwest, north, and west directions, respectively. This suggests that these heavy metals are transported and deposited in specific areas within Tabas due to the prevailing wind patterns. In terms of temporal variation, the highest concentrations of Mn and Fe in suspended particles are observed in April 2021, predominantly in the northeast and west directions, respectively. On the other hand, the highest concentrations of Cu and Zn are found in May 2021, with the southwest and northeast directions being the primary deposition areas for each metal, respectively. These findings highlight the spatial and temporal dynamics of suspended load and heavy metal deposition in Tabas, emphasizing the influence of wind patterns and climatic conditions on these processes. Understanding these variations is crucial for assessing the potential risks associated with heavy metal contamination and implementing appropriate mitigation measures in the region. Conclusion The results of this research showed that most contents of the suspended load are entered from the northeast direction into Tabas. In addition, the spatial variation of heavy metals indicated that the concentrations of studied heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in suspended particles, especially in the western, northwestern, and northern in spring, are very high and they can cause carcinogenic effects on human life. Therefore, the management practices should be mostly made in these directions to control or reduce soil erosion and reduce its damage effects.

Background and Objective: Heavy metals in water can pose risks to human health. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and measure metals to ensure the health of consumers. Materials and Methods: This study aimed to measure heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, and mercury in water resources and urban water distribution networks in spring and summer of 2021 in Maragheh city. Accordingly, 25 samples were taken to investigate the presence of heavy metals. The presence of these metals in water sources was investigated using qualitative maps and finally, by evaluating the health risk caused by the presence of these metals, their effect on the health of consumers has been studied. Results: Examining the concentration of metals in water resources upstream of the dam shows a relatively high concentration of metals, especially arsenic (13.2 µg/L). Despite this, the amount of arsenic after the water treatment plant and in the distribution network is reduced to an insignificant level. On the other hand, the results show that the amount of zinc metal in the network is higher than in the reservoir of the dam, and its concentration in the dam is equal to zero and in the network, it reaches the highest value of 578 µg/L. Finally, the health risk assessment shows that the calculated THI values for all samples vary between 0.01 and 0.99. Conclusion: Based on the calculated health risk, there is no threat to the health of consumers regarding heavy metals in Maragheh drinking water. Also, these results double the necessity of additional studies regarding the leakage of zinc metal from the pipes and accessories of the city's drinking water distribution network in the future.

The increase of the entry of industrial effluents containing various types of heavy metals into water and soil leads to the ever-increasing spread of environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to find less expensive solutions to reduce the pollution. In this regard, in order to compare the effect of the removal of heavy elements on some of the morphological and physiological characteristics of C. alternifolius, Ch. zizanioides and Aloe vera plants, an experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications for 14 months at the University of Guilan. The results showed that under the treatment of industrial wastewater, the metal accumulation indices (MAI) of zinc, chromium, lead, copper, manganese, nickel, magnesium were higher in Ch. zizanioides and Aloe vera than those in C. alternifolius. In all three studied plants, the indices of root length, shoot length, total biomass and tolerance index (TI) had a significant decrease compared with those in the control plants, and Ch. zizanioides and A. vera plants had the lowest percentage of decrease. In addition, other investigated components including absorption index (UI), total soluble sugar, total phenol content, total flavonoid, total anthocyanin, total tannin, and DPPH free radical inhibition percentage increased in all three plants under industrial wastewater treatment. The highest percentage of increase in all investigated components, except DPPH free radical inhibition percentage, was observed in Ch. zizanioides. In general, it can be said that in terms of MAI and morphological and physiological characteristics, Ch. zizanioides and A. vera were more successful than the C. alternifolius. Therefore, it is recommended to plant the studied plants in the order of priority (Ch. zizanioides ˃ A. vera ˃ C. alternifolius) in soils contaminated with industrial effluents, in order to remediate the soil.

Introdaction Heavy metals are one of the most important environmental contaminants, particularly in soil and water sources. Mining and metal mining activities are major factors in soil contamination and generally surface soil around mines contain high amounts of these metals. Lead (Pb) is one of the heavy metals and important pollutant in arid ecosystem. The use of plants to remove contaminated soil or phytoremediation is an economical method. Today, due to increasing the pollution of soil sources and resultant problems, identification of the resistant plant species against soil pollution is essential. Using lead-contaminated soils requires their decontamination and improvement. There are different methods to remove these pollutions, one of them is the use of phytoremediation to remove pollutants from water and soil or to reduce them. Among the plants that as an ornamental plant can have a covering role in the green space and also perform the work of phytoremediation is the ornamental cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea L.). In this regard, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of lead heavy metals and the use of brown algae (Polycladia indica) and spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) as biofertilizers on ornamental cabbage plants in the direction of plant treatment. In addition, due to the presence of polysaccharide compounds such as carrageenan and alginate in the cell wall, algae (seaweeds) have a higher ability to absorb many heavy metals. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted as factorial based on a completely randomized design in 2020 at the research greenhouse of Zanjan University. The studied factors including lead from lead nitrate source Pb(No3)2 with three concentrations (0, 25 and 50 mg/kg) were applied to the potting soil in four replications in two stages with an interval of two weeks. The second factor was included no algae, brown algae (Polycladia indica) and spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), which occurred in four replications. The measured traits included morphological traits: number of leaves, leaf surface index. Wet and dry root weight, and physiological traits included total chlorophyll content, total leaf antioxidant, peroxidase enzyme, glycine betaine, malondialdehyde, and leaf lead and phosphorus content. Data analysis was performed using SAS software and means were compared by LSD method. Results The results of the variance analysis showed that different levels of lead and the application of algae had a significant effect on the number of leaves per plant, leaf area index, weight, and drying of roots, total chlorophyll, and antioxidants. Moreover, the interaction effect was significant for leaf area, root fresh and dry weight, antioxidants, and leaf lead content. The simple effect of lead at p≤0.01 significantly affected glycine betaine, malondialdehyde, and leaf phosphorus. When comparing the average mutual effects of lead and algae application, it was found that the treatment with no use of lead and spirulina algae resulted in the highest weight and dry weight of the root, with an average of 11.19 and 3.625 grams, respectively. Additionally, despite the decrease in dry weight of the root due to increased lead concentration, using algae, especially for ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), increased the dry weight of the root. The presence of natural plant hormones, organic substances, carbohydrates, fiber and amino acids in algae accelerates rooting, reduces stress caused by heavy metals and absorbs more water due to the presence of o developed root system. Also according to the results of comparing the amount of leaf lead with increasing lead, algae as an auxiliary factor can reduce the amount of uptake in the plant. Leaf phosphorus was also significant due to the simple effect of lead and algae. The highest amount of phosphorus with an average of 0.56% was observed in spirulina and the lowest with 0.48% was observed in control. Conclusion In general, due to the toxicity of lead metal even in low concentrations, sufficient attention should be paid to the sources of this pollutant entering the environment. In this study, the effective parameters on the uptake of heavy metal lead from the soil by spirulina and brown algae were investigated. The findings of this study indicate that the ornamental cabbage plant is capable of sustaining its growth in the presence of lead and has a high resistance to this heavy metal while simultaneously absorbing it from the soil. Furthermore, the addition of algae as an auxiliary factor can improve the growth of ornamental cabbage under adverse conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that this plant be further examined for its potential to absorb other heavy metals.

Due to the importance of nickel (Ni), and the effect of common soil additives on Ni fractions distribution, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of zeolite and vermicompost on nickel fractions over time. The experimental design consisted of a factorial combination of two levels of vermicompost (zero and 2% by weight), three levels of zeolite (zero, 4% by weight of Firoozkooh zeolite, and 4% by weight of Semnan zeolite), and two soil texture (clay and sandy loam) in a completely randomized design in triplicates. Treatments were contaminated with 50 and 100 mg nickel/kg soil. Ni fractions were extracted and measured at 20 and 60 days. The results showed that in initial soils, Car-Ni in sandy loam soil was higher than in clay soil, while the content of Fe, Mn- Ox Ni, OM-Ni, and Res-Ni in the clay soil was higher. In sandy loam soil, more nickel was recovered in Exch- and Car-fractions, while nickel recovery was higher in Mn, Fe-Ox Ni, OM-Ni, and Res-Ni in the clay texture. Zeolite addition caused a significant decrease of Exch- and Car-Ni in the clay soil on 60d and 100 mg/kg Ni level. Exch-Ni was reduced due to vermicompost application. Vermicompost application caused the decrease in Fe, Mn Ox-Ni in both studied soils and times, and OM-Ni increased by vermicompost application. Aging generally reduces the Exch-Ni but changes in Car-Ni over time depending on the soil texture. Aging did not affect Mn, Fe-Ox Ni, and Res-Ni, while OM-Ni increased over time in clay soil.

IntroductionOne of the most fundamental global environmental challenges in the past two decades has been the issue of soil pollution and degradation. Soil, as an important environmental element, has played a significant role in food production, human health, and living organisms, but various factors, by both human and naturally have destroyed it. The exploitation of natural resources with activities such as mining and quarrying, as an anthropogenic action (caused by human activities), is one of the most important factors of human intervention in nature and also one of the environmental hazards of soil degradation, which has caused the spread of desertification. Sangan iron mines in Khaf city are the largest mines in the northeast of Iran. According to the geomorphological disturbances caused by the activity of Khaf iron ore mines and the geological composition of the region, there is a potential for causing pollution and destroying the soil around the mine. This research was conducted with the aim of evaluating the impact of mining activity on concentration of some heavy metals such as lead, iron, nickel, copper, and arsenic in the soil around the iron ore mine in Sangan area of Khaf city in Khorasan Razavi province. Realizing the polluted hotspots due to the concentration of heavy metals, as one of the important signs of soil pollution and the spread of desertification, is one of the goals of this research, and the results can be effective in making appropriate management decisions to prevent soil pollution and further destruction.Materials and MethodsIn order to conduct this research, 60 soil samples were systematically taken from a depth of 0-20 cm from two areas adjacent to the mine and control. The concentration of aqua regia extracted heavy metals was measured using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). In the first stage, the results were descriptive, and in the second part, after performing tests related to the normality of the data, they were inferential using the parametric independent t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient in the statistical environment of the SPSS software. In order to quantify the level of soil contamination with heavy metals, geochemical indices including contamination factor, pollution load index, and enrichment factor were used. The pollution load zoning map of the area adjacent to the mine as well as the average enrichment map of lead and arsenic elements were prepared using the inverse distance weighting interpolation method in the ArcGIS environment.Results and DiscussionThe results of this research showed that the average concentrations of arsenic, copper, nickel, lead, and iron elements in the area near the mine were 12.71, 25.54, 34.59, 48.64, and 38860 mg/kg and in the control area were 8.57, 15.97, 32.13, 16.96, 29110 mg/kg, respectively. The comparison of the coefficient of variation (dispersion criterion) of heavy metals showed that the highest coefficient of variation among the metals is related to the lead with a value of 42.8%, as well as the coefficient of variation for other metals in the area adjacent to the mine also has a relatively high dispersion compared to the control area. In addition, it was found in all elements except for nickel (p

Background and purpose: Heavy metals in urban air are major health threats and increase the risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancers in humans. An efficient and low-cost method for monitoring these pollutants is using tree bark as a bioindicator. The purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of heavy metals by pine tree bark as a bioindicator in Neishabur, north-east of Iran and the ecological risk of these pollutants. Materials and methods: Twenty seven locations were determined on Neishabour map using GIS. Concentrations of heavy metals, including silver (Ag), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) were measured using Inductivity Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Ecological risk potential index, total ecological risk, and Spearman correlation coefficient were examined. Results: In this study, Cr and Zn had the highest average concentrations (34.7 mg/kg and 10.2 mg/kg,respectively) and other heavy metals in the bark were in the following order: Mn>Cu>Co>Pb>As>Ag>Cd>Cs. The average ecological risk potential decreases as Cd>As>Pb>Zn>Cu>Cr. Ecological risk potential index for all heavy metals except As and Cd (medium risk) was found to be at low-risk levels. The total ecological risk index showed that the concentrations of the studied heavy metals are at low-risk levels. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Cs and As had the highest correlation among the elements and there is a considerable relationship between these heavy metals which indicates the same source of pollution. Cr and Cd also have a strong correlation and have the same source of contamination. Conclusion: The present study showed low risk of heavy metal pollution according to the average ecological risk potential in pine bark samples in Neishabour.

Introduction Heavy metals especially cadmium (Cd), with potential toxicity and injurious effects for plants and humans, are one of the most important abiotic stresses for crop plants such as maize which lead to a considerable reduction in the crops production in developing countries including Iran. Therefore, assessing genetic diversity for Cd stress tolerance, as one of the basic principles of plant adaptation to abiotic stresses, is very important. In this regard, the present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic diversity of maize pure lines and hybrids based on important agronomic traits associated with grain yield under non-stress and Cd stress environmental conditions. The results of this research can be useful for maize breeders in identifying suitable parental genotypes for maize breeding programs to develop high-yielding and Cd stress-tolerant genotypes in regions contaminated to this heavy metal. Materials and methods In this study, 95 maize genotypes comprising pure lines and hybrids, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications under two non-stress and Cd stress conditions. The experiment was performed in a pot experiment in an open area of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station of Jiroft, Kerman province, Iran, in two cropping seasons, 2020-21 and 2021-22. Under Cd stress conditions, cadmium chloride solution (CdCl2.2H2O) with a concentration of 30 mg.L −1 was applied at two important stages of maize plant growth, including sixleaf stage (Code 16 in Zadoks scale) and the appearance of first male flowers (Code 50 in Zadoks scale). The measured traits included 24 different phenological, morphological, and agronomic traits. Grouping of maize genotypes in term of the studied traits was performed using cluster analysis based on Ward’s minimum variance method, and discriminant function analysis was used to confirm and validate the results of cluster analysis. Research findings The results of this study indicated that there was an extensive genetic diversity among the studied maize genotypes for most of the studied traits, especially for grain yield and its components under non-stress and Cd stress conditions. Cluster analysis grouped the maize genotypes into four separate clusters with accuracy probabilities of 91.6% and 97.9% under non-stress and Cd stress conditions, respectively. Comparison of means between these four groups showed that under non-stress conditions, 41 and 24 genotypes in the third and fourth groups were the high yielding genotypes of this experiment, respectively. Under Cd stress conditions, 49 genotypes with the higher grain yield and yield components in the second and third groups (such as Ma002, Ma003, Ma004, Ma005, and Ma007) were identified as Cd-tolerant genotypes. These genotypes mainly showed short to medium phenological periods. Also, 11 genotypes (Ma001, Ma008, Ma030, Ma033, Ma036, Ma039, Ma042, Ma045, Ma072, and Ma089), indicated the lowest means for important agronomic traits including yield and its components under both non-stress and Cd-stress conditions. These genotypes were unable to tolerate Cd stress under the conditions of this experiment and were identified as sensitive genotypes. Conclusion The present study led to the identification of 40 tolerant maize genotypes to Cd stress (such as Ma003, Ma005, Ma007, Ma013, Ma014, and Ma015). These genotypes in addition to exhibiting desirable yield and yield components under non-stress environment, also showed suitable yield under Cd stress conditions. Therefore, by carefully selecting the parents among Cd-tolerant genotypes and carrying out targeted crosses between them, it is possible to obtain suitable hybrids for cultivation in Cd-stressed environments by exploiting genetic phenomena such as transgressive segregation and heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Airborne particles, commonly known as aerosols, can carry polluting and harmful particles and elements. Street dust refers to particles smaller than 70 micrometers that enter urban environments due to the resuspension of particles from human activities or dust storms. These particles host various pollutants, including heavy metals, which are produced from various anthropogenic and natural sources. The sources and amounts of these metals can be seasonally and spatially highly variable. The objectives of this research were to investigate seasonal changes in the concentration and pollution level of selected heavy metals in street dust and soil samples around a few cities in Isfahan province, and they have also been compared with a number of cities in other parts of Iran and the world. Materials and Methods: Street dust samples were taken in the first half of the second month of each of the four seasons in 2018 including 80 samples from Isfahan, and 40 samples for each of the cities of Flavarjan, Najafabad, Shahreza, Khomeinishahr and Natanz Each dust sample (about 300 g) was collected from the surface of pedestrian walkways and stored in plastic containers. All the samples were then extracted by digestion with 6N nitric acid, and the concentration of selected heavy elements including copper, zinc, lead, and cobalt was measured in the extracts by an atomic absorption spectrometer. Finally, the contamination indices including geoaccumulation index and Nemerrow pollution index were calculated in the samples and the seasonal and spatial changes in the concentration and rate of heavy metal pollution were investigated. Results: Spatial and seasonal changes in the concentration and contamination level of copper and lead showed that the highest pollution rate of these elements happened in Isfahan in spring. They also indicated that the highest degree of street dust pollution with zinc was found for the city of Flavarjan in the spring season. As far as cobalt, the highest pollution level was found in Shahreza city in the winter season. For all the elements, the lowest concentration and level of pollution were obtained for Natanz city in the summer season, and lead showed the lowest concentration in fall. Except for cobalt, soil samples taken from non-urban areas showed the least concentration and pollution level. The comparison of the obtained results with the data reported for other cities of the world showed a higher level of pollution of the street dust in the urban area of Isfahan compared to other big cities of the world. The concentration of copper in the street dust of Isfahan is almost similar to that in Ahvaz and Huainan (China), and that of zinc is lower than Avilés (Spain) and Zhuzhou (China). Furthermore, the concentration of lead is lower than that in Zhuzhou and Huludao (China). Also, cobalt concentration in the street dust of selected cities was higher than that in all the studied cities except for Rabat-Saleh highway (northwestern Morocco) and Huainan (China). Conclusion: The results of this investigation and their comparison with those of other studies indicated that the mean concentration of copper, zinc, and lead elements in street dust was highest in all the cities, except for Natanz. This is mainly due of higher traffic, more population and the density of machinery, the presence of more and larger constructions in big cities, the transit of vehicles, and the presence of more intense atmospheric dust storms in the central areas of Isfahan province, drought and lack of sufficient rain. Lower concentration of selected heavy elements in the street dust of Natanz city is probably due to the lower population density, different types of parent materials as compared to other cities, and its low industrial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]