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COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation (p-value

Exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) may have different adverse effects on the health of pregnant women and fetal health, as pregnant women and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to exposure to contaminants.This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the exposure of pregnant women living in the vicinity of the Ilam petrochemical complex to BTEX and associations with serum pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. Based on the distance from the petrochemical complex, 110 pregnant women were enrolled in two groups of exposed (n = 60) and control (n = 50). Urinary BTEX was measured by a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The serum cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) diagnostic method. Results showed that the urinary concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-p-xylene, and o-xylene levels in the exposed group were 572, 829, 403, 567, and 416 ng/L, respectively, that were higher than the corresponding values in the control group. The mean serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α in the exposed group were 5.26 and 6.0 pg/ml. Based on Spearman’s correlation coefficient analysis, in the exposed group, only benzene had the most positive and significant correlation with serum levels of IL-6 (r = 0.515, p

COVID-19, one of the greatest health challenges of the present century, has infected millions of people and caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide. The causative agent of this disease is the new virus SARS-CoV-2; which continues to spread globally and sometimes with new and more complex aspects than before. The present study is an observational study aimed to investigate the role of AQI; PM

Urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) can be used as a reliable biomarker of exposure to these pollutants. This study was aimed to investigate the urinary BTEX concentration in operators of healthcare waste (HCW) autoclaves. This cross-sectional study was conducted in selected hospitals in Tehran, Iran between April and June 2017. Twenty operators (as the case group) and twenty control subjects were enrolled in the study. Personal urine samples were collected at the beginning and end of the work shift. Urinary BTEX were measured by a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A detailed questionnaire was used to gather information from subjects. Results showed that the median of urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-p xylene, and o-xylene levels in the exposed group were 3.26, 3.36, 0.84, 3.94 and 4.48 μg/L, respectively. With the exception of ethylbenzene, subjects in the exposed group had significantly higher urinary BTEX levels than control group (p 0.05). Urinary BTEX concentrations in the exposed case group were 2.5-fold higher than in the control group. There was a significant relationship between the amount of generated waste per day and the urinary BTEX in the exposed group. Smoking status and type of autoclave used were also identified as predictors of urinary BTEX concentrations. The healthcare waste treatment autoclaves can be considered as a significant BTEX exposure source for operators working with these treatment facilities. The appropriate personal protection equipment and control measures capable in reducing BTEX exposure should be provided to HCW workers to reduce their exposures to BTEX.

Heavy metals are neurotoxic, associated with brain dysfunction, and have been linked with cognitive decline in adults. This study was aimed to characterize chronic exposure to metals (Cd, Be, Co, Hg, Sn, V, Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and metalloids (As, B, Sb) and assess its impact on cognitive performance of Tehran's residents, capital of Iran. Scalp hair samples gathered from 200 volunteered participants (110 men and 90 women), aged 14–70 years and quantified by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Attention and executive function, two measures of cognitive performance, were characterized using the trail making test (TMT) part A and B, respectively. Mental flexibility was characterized as the Delta TMT B-A scores and cognitive efficiency or dissimulation as the ration between TMT B and A scores. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to gather information on demographic and socioeconomic as well as lifestyle and health status. The highest and lowest mean concentrations were observed for B (325 μg/g) and As (0.29 μg/g), respectively. Results indicated that chronic metal exposure measured in hair changed significantly based on gender and age (p < 0.05). The levels of Cr, Fe, Ni, Si, Hg, Pb and B were significantly higher in males' hair, whereas those of Ag and Ba were greater in females' hair (p < 0.05). The results of the cognitive TMT test were significantly different between gender and age groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, results revealed that As, Hg, Mn, and Pb levels in hair were significantly associated with poorer participants' performance scores in the TMT test (p < 0.05). Age, gender, cigarette smoking, water-pipe smoking, traffic density in the area of residence, and dental amalgam filling were significant factors affecting the TMT test scores. The results suggest that chronic exposure to metals has detrimental effects on attention, executive function, mental flexibility and cognitive efficiency.

The refining industry is one of the most water consuming industries. Hence, reclamation of effluents can be useful as a sustainable, permanent, and available source of water for refineries. Therefore, this research was conducted aimed to evaluate the efficiency of integrated processes of ultrafiltration, mixed bed ion exchange and multioxidant disinfectant (MOX) as an advanced treatment of oil refinery effluent in order to provide makeup water in cooling towers. Integrated pilot including polysulfone membrane, two types of strong acid cationic resin and strong base anionic resin were used for real effluent reclamation. Finally, the treated effluent was disinfected using on site generated solution of MOX disinfectant. In the optimum Trans Membrane Pressure of 1 bar, removal efficiency of COD (57%), TDS (80%), Turbidity (94%), SiO2 (67%), Oil (88%), HPC (99%) was achieved. Integrated processes was efficient in reclamation of oily effluents in order to provide makeup water in cooling towers.