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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful method for predicting the release of pollutants in the workplace and has recently been used as a valuable tool by health authorities. The purpose of this study was to predict the distribution of lead fume in the workplace using computational fluid dynamics in the electronics manufacturing industry. A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted in the Neyshabur electronics industry (2019). Individual exposure to lead fume was measured by the OSHA121 method. Simulation and prediction of lead fume emission in the workplace were done using computational fluid dynamics and by the ANSYS16 software. The mean of personal exposure to lead fumes was 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/m 3 . The software predicted the distribution of lead fumes in the respiratory zone of the worker to be in the range of 0.04 to 0.07 mg/m 3 , which is very close to the real values. By doubling the suction power of the topical ventilation used, workers' exposure to lead fumes was nearly halved and reached well below the recommended limit. The results showed that CFD is a useful tool for simulating individual contact with pollutants in a geometry. Also, given that the CFD shows the diffusion and distribution of pollutants in all points of a geometry, it is useful to indicate critical locations and conditions.

Lead is one of the most widely used elements in the world. Lead can cause acute and chronic complications such as abnormal hemoglobin synthesis, kidney damage, abortion, nervous system disorders, male infertility, loss of learning ability, behavioral disorders, and even death. The aim of this study was to carry out quantitative and semi-quantitative risk assessments of exposure to lead among the solderers of the Neyshabur electronics industry. This cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted in 2017 and 2018 on 40 female soldering workers exposed to lead. Semi-quantitative risk assessment was carried out according to the Singapore Health Department and quantitative risk assessment according to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) method. The average occupational exposure to lead in the electronics manufacturing industry was 93.89 ± 33.40 μg m -3 with a range from 9 to 150 μg m -3 . Occupational exposure to lead in the industrial groups of initial soldering with an average of 130.37 ± 40.23 μg m -3 and cutting wires, electroplating, and coating bare parts with an average of 110.24 ± 30.11 μg m -3 was higher than the secondary soldering groups with an average of 90.78 ± 20.22 and shift supervisors with an average of 43.86 ± 10.97 μg m -3 . The mean excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was 0.11 per 1000 people and the mean non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) was 7.20. The results of this study indicate that there is a risk of non-carcinogenic complications among electronic solderers. Therefore, managers and employers should reduce lead exposure through engineering controls (substituting lead-free alloys, efficient ventilation) and management strategies such as reducing exposure hours.

Styrene is one of the essential components in making thousands of everyday products. Occupational exposure to styrene causes pulmonary, neurological, genetic and ocular complications, and leukemia and affects reproduction. The aim of this study was to assess the health risks of exposure to styrene in the electronics industry of Neyshabur, Iran. This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in three electronics industries, in Neyshabur city, in 2017-2018. Occupational exposure to styrene was measured according to the NIOSH1501 method, using a low-flow rate sampling pump (0.2 L/min) and an active charcoal absorber tube. Health risk assessment was done according to the Singapore semi-quantitative method and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (OEHHA) method. The average occupational exposure to styrene in men employed in the compact plastic parts production halls was 79.61 mg m -3 (range 28-208.33). 45.8% of exposed subjects (27 people) encountered exposure above the permitted limit. The average lifetime carcinogenic risk of styrene was 1.4 × 10 -3 ; therefore, 100% (59 people) had a definite risk of getting cancer. The highest lifetime risk of getting cancer was observed in plastic injection device users (1.9 × 10 -3 ) and then in shift managers (1.6 × 10 -3 ). The results of this study indicate a definite risk of getting cancer for all workers. Strategies to reduce workers exposure to styrene through engineering controls and routine measurements are necessary.

Some studies show that exposure to lead affects sleep quality and causes digestive disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of sleep and digestive disorders in solderers exposed to lead. In a cross-sectional study, the occupational exposure of 40 soldering workers to lead fume and their blood lead levels were measured in the electronics industry of Neyshabur city, according to standard methods. The sleep quality of workers was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and their digestive disorders were recorded in a checklist. This study showed that 67.5% of subjects had poor sleep quality. There was a significant relation between sleep quality, air lead (p = 0.02), and blood lead (p = 0.03). Bad sleep quality was 2.4 times higher in subjects exposed to lead above the threshold (p = 0.03). 92.5% of the population under study suffered from at least one digestive disorder. Digestive disorders such as hiccupping (85%) and nausea (67%) were more common among the workers, and their odds was 3.09 and 2.00 times higher in workers exposed to lead above the threshold, compared with others. Bad sleep quality and gastrointestinal disorders were prevalent among workers exposed to lead. The results of this study confirm the need for further research about the side effects of lead on humans. It also clarifies the need for a revision in the recommended occupational exposure level for lead.

Occupational exposure to lead compounds can cause headache, nausea, encephalopathy, anemia, chronic muscle pain, and saturnism. Exposure to lead in women can affect fertility, and cause abortion or low IQ in the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational exposure to lead and its relation with blood lead levels in female electrical parts solderers. This cross-sectional (descriptive and analytical) study was carried out on 40 female solderers, working in two electrical parts manufacturing factories in Neyshabur city in 2017-2018. Occupational exposure to lead was determined by the OSHA 121 method, and the NIOSH 8003 method was used to determine the concentration of lead in blood. Lead in blood and air samples were determined by using a flame atomic absorption analyzer. Blood was measured using a Cell Dyn Hematology device. Data were analyzed using STATA 15. The mean age of the solderers was 35.42 ± 6.80 years, and their average work experience was 7.85 ± 5.60 years. Mean occupational exposure to lead was 0.09 ± 0.01 mg/m 3 , and the mean levels of lead in the blood of solderers were 10.59 ± 3.25 μg/dL. The mean of red blood cells (RBC) was 4.88 mil/uL, white blood cells (WBC) = 8.53 Tho/uL, hemoglobin = 14.02 g/dL, and hematocrit = 42.38%. There was a significant correlation between the concentrations of lead in air and the level of lead in workers' blood (p = 0.012, r = 0.31). The level of lead in the workers' respiratory region (β = 0.36, p = 0.033), body mass index (β = 0.25, p = 0.028), and the season of the year (β = 0.21, p = 0.019) were the strongest factors affecting blood lead levels. There was a significant relation between lead in workers' air and their blood, although all blood indices were in normal range. Using lead-free alloys and local ventilation systems, and reducing exposure times are recommended to decrease exposure to lead among solderers.

The relationship between indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution was investigated at an urban background site on the Payambar Azam Campus of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Northern Iran. The concentration of particulate matter sized with a diameter less than 1 μm (PM 1.0 ), 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), and 10 μm (PM 10 ) was evaluated at 5 outdoor and 12 indoor locations. Indoor sites included classrooms, corridors, and office sites in four university buildings. Outdoor PM concentrations were characterized at five locations around the university campus. Indoor and outdoor PM measurements (1-min resolution) were conducted in parallel during weekday mornings and afternoons. No difference found between indoor PM 10 (50.1 ± 32.1 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor PM 10 concentrations (46.5 ± 26.0 μg/m 3 ), indoor PM 2.5 (22.6 ± 17.4 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor PM 2.5 concentration (22.2 ± 15.4 μg/m 3 ), or indoor PM 1.0 (14.5 ± 13.4 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor mean PM 1.0 concentrations (14.2 ± 12.3 μg/m 3 ). Despite these similar concentrations, no correlations were found between outdoor and indoor PM levels. The present findings are not only of importance for the potential health effects of particulate air pollution on people who spend their daytime over a period of several hours in closed and confined spaces located at a university campus but also can inform regulatory about the improvement of indoor air quality, especially in developing countries.