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Background and Objectives: Waste produced by health and treatment centers (hospitals) including medical diagnostic laboratories is one of the sources of municipal waste production. Waste produced by medical diagnostic laboratories due to the existence of pathogens and infectious materials by high importance is one of the environmental issues. This survey has been done on the qualitative-quantitative analytical bases, and the investigation has focused on the management strategies of the waste material of medical diagnostic laboratories of Rasht, Iran in 2009. Methods: In this descriptive study, samples were collected from 19 medical diagnostic laboratories of Rasht in 3 consecutive days (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday every week), after filling the questionnaire and interviewing with the managers. Then, the samples were separated manually, and divided into 46 different constituents and weighed. Next, the constituents were classified based on characteristics and potentiality of being hazardous.Results: The total amount of annual waste production by the medical diagnostic laboratories of Rasht is 25785.143kg. In this study, the share of manufacturing conventional waste (domestic type wastes), especially infectious, chemical, pharmaceutical, and radioactive wastes were 1.16%, 95.34%, 1.42% and 2.08%, respectively. The highest and lowest amount of waste production relates to plastic materials and wood which are 48.37 and 0.43%, respectively. In this study sharp cutting things were calculated to be 10.52%. Furthermore, 84 percent of the managers of the medical diagnostic laboratories had not had enough information of the circulars and instructions on the enforceable management strategies of the medical wastes.Conclusion: Concerning the management of the medical waste production in the medical diagnostic laboratories, it is suggested that the managers and the personnel be trained on the separation, collection, and disinfection techniques and final disposal, and the wastes have to be treated per regulations and instructions.

Background and Objectives: Horizontal roughing filters (HRF) can properly remove suspended solids and microorganisms from surface water resources, especially on filtration rates less than 1.5 m/h. This research was aimed at suspended solid removal efficiency of HRF during secondary wastewater effluent filtration. Methods: This experimental study was conducted by installing an HRF pilot system on effluent pumping station of Qom wastewater treatment plant based on aerated lagoon process. The pilot was a horizontal cylindrical column consisting of three compartments filled with river gravels in various sizes. Grab samples were simultaneously taken from HRF inlet and outlet in three filtration rates: 0.5, 1, and 1.5m/hResults: The results indicated that filtration rate had a significant effect on the amount of total suspended solids in HRF effluent. During optimum operation of HRF, removal efficiencies of three filtration rates (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/h) were 78.5, 63.1, and 66.9, respectively.Conclusion: T-test analysis indicated that with a significance difference, outlet effluent from HRF in all three flow rates met the standard requirements of Iran Environmental Protection Agency for irrigation and discharge to surface water.

AbstractBackground and Objectives: Fungi spores can be found everywhere. The amount and variety of fungal spores and their vast spread could be a preliminary step to the initiation of different diseases in people with different levels of health.Methods: In the present study six wards including nephrology, internal ward for women, surgery ward for men, operating theater for E.N.T., ophthalmology, infectious diseases ward and the laboratory were chosen for sampling on the basis of their types of activities and their in-patients. We used Anderson sampling method, collected samples within two minutes with flow rate of 28.3 L/Min in sabouraud medium.Results: Maximum contamination in the infectious diseases ward was 300 CFU/m3 and minimum contamination in E.N.T. was 94 CFU/m3. The maximum percentage of fungal spores in the hospital air was observed to be as follows: penicillin with 36.36%, Cladosporium 24.74%, A.niger 17.97%, Rhizopus 10.57% and A.flavus 2.74A%.Conclusion: Fungal contamination concentration in hospital indoor air in this study was higher than the recommended limits and other similar studies from a quantitative point of view, but it was similar to other studies in terms of identified species.Keywords: Air Pollution, Indoor; Fungi; Sampling; Cross Infection; Qom, Iran.

"nBackground and Aim: Today, one of the most important environmental issues is dental solid wastes which are of great importance because of the presence of hazardous, toxic and pathogen agents. In this survey, solid waste produced in Hamedan general dental offices is evaluated. "nMaterials and Methods: In this descriptive study, from 104 general dental offices in Hamedan , 10 offices were selected in simple random way. From each offices, 3 sample at the end of successive working day (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) were analyzed. Samples were manually sorted into different 74 components and measured by means of laboratory scale. Then, measured components were classified in the basis of characteristic and hazardous potential as well as material type. "nResults: Total annual waste produced in general dental offices in Hamadan is 14662.67 Kg (9315.45>95.0% Confidence Interval>20009.88). Production percentages of infectious, domestic type, chemical and pharmaceutical and toxic wastes were 51.93, 38.16, 9.47, 0.44 respectively. Main components of produced dental waste were 14 components that consist of more than 80 percents of total dental solid waste. So, waste reduction, separation and recycling plans in the offices must be concentrated on these main components. "nConclusion: In order to dental waste proper management, it is suggested that in addition to educate dentists for waste reduction, separation and recycling in the offices, each section of dental waste(toxic,chemical and pharmaceutical, infectious and domestic type wastes) separately and according to related criteria should be managed.