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In the present research, an ultrasound-assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction coupled with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry hybrid system was developed for the extraction/determination of trace amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in high-consumption soft drinks and non-alcoholic beers in Iran using magnetite graphene oxide adsorbent. The magnetite graphene oxide was characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and vibrating-sample magnetometer techniques. The highest extraction recovery (73.05%-95.56%) and enrichment factor (90.65-106.38) were obtained at adsorbent mass: 10 mg, adsorption time: 30 min, salt addition: sodium chloride 10% w/v, desorption time: 20 min, eluent type: hexane: acetone (1:1, v/v), and desorption solvent volumes: 200 μl. Under optimum conditions, the linearity range for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons determination was 0.2-200 ng/ml with a coefficient of determination 0.993, the limit of detection = 0.09-0.21 ng/ml, the limit of quantitation = 0.3-0.7 ng/ml, and relative standard deviation 8.1%, respectively. Relative recoveries in spiked real samples ranged from 94.67 to 109.45% with a standard deviation 6.05%. The proposed method is effective, sensitive, and reusable and it is promising for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons residues in environmental samples.

Background: The presence of anticancer drugs in water sources has become critical in recent years. Anticancer drugs are used in controlled amounts and conditions in medical centers. Cancerostatic platinum complexes (CPC) like cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are used in oncology centers to treat many cancers. Objectives: We determined the environmental risk of these compounds in municipal wastewater effluent of Qom, Iran. Methods: The LC-MS/MS technique quantified platinum complex drugs in wastewater effluent. Based on the blank laboratory method, the limit of detection (LOD) was determined as 0.009 µg/L, 0.013 µg/L, and 0.017 µg/L for oxaliplatin, carboplatin, and cisplatin, respectively. Results: The cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin concentrations in wastewater effluent were 0.19 ± 0.098, 0.22 ± 0.094, and 0.12 ± 0.059 µg/L, respectively. Ecological risk assessment results indicated that RQsw for cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin was 0.017, 0.013, and 0.02, respectively, showing that the platinum complex drugs had insignificant ecological exposure risk. Furthermore, ΣRQsw was estimated at < 1. Conclusions: Managing cytotoxic waste from hospital oncology wards is vital for environmental pollution control. The use of other methods to remove these compounds, such as advanced oxidation processes and membrane systems, is inevitable.

BackgroundThis study was designed to investigate microbial exposure risk assessment and consequences of adverse health effects due to the use of irrigation of fields with wastewater in Qom province MethodsEnvironmental monitoring program for 3 pathogens including Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae and Ecoli O157 in raw sewage and treated wastewater and irrigated products with wastewater, was performed.Results Results was shown that in the raw wastewater, concentrations of E.coli, Vibrio Cholerae and E.coli O157:H7, 3.4×103±500, 2.1×103±100 and 312 respectively were determined. Concentrations of E.coli, Vibrio Cholerae and E.coli O157:H7 in wastewater effluent 2.1×103±100, 0.8×103±100 and 176 respectively were determined. Based on these findings, it is determined that the conventional wastewater treatment system has been effective in removing E.coli, Vibrio Cholerae and E.coli O157: H7 by 50%, 59% and 43%, respectively. Irrigated crops with wastewater effluent containing 400±250, 0.1×103±0.019 and 52 for E.coli, Vibrio Cholerae and E.coli O157:H7 respectively were measured. In this study according to the exposure scenarios including accidental drinking, food crop consumption, dermal contact by wastewater effluent and dermal contact by raw wastewater, total annual Probability of infection in studied population for E.coli, Vibrio Cholerae and E.coli O157:H7, 8×10-2, 8×10-4 and 0.17 respectively was determined. ConclusionsImplementing of wastewater safety plans (WWSP) to safeguard wastewater quality, raising awareness in the population in contact with urban wastewater and upgrading wastewater treatment plants is inevitable.

Background & Aims of the Study: Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural sector to control pests. Based on numerous studies, the presence of pesticide residues in food causes a wide array of diseases. The current study aimed to identify pesticide residues in foods of vegetal and animal origin and presented the methods used to reduce pesticide content in food before consumption. Materials and Methods: For the purpose of the study, the articles published within 2008-2018 were searched in the local and international databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, using the keywords of pesticides, food, Iran, and residual, in both Persian and English languages. The current study focused on pesticide residues in foods of vegetal and animal origin. Furthermore, this study discusses the methods used to reduce residual pesticide before consumption. The preliminary search yielded 185 articles. After reviewing the articles, 26 studies were finally selected considering the purpose of the study. Results: As evidenced by the obtained results, diazinon pesticide residue has been reported in many products. Pesticide residues were more frequently found in foods of vegetable origin, compared to those of animal origin. Effective factors influencing the presence of pesticide residues in food products include: farmers' unawareness, incorrect use of pesticide and inappropriate spraying, and disregard for the preharvest interval. Proper washing and immersion in alkaline solutions at a suitable time should be considered to decrease pesticide residues in food products before consumption. Conclusion: The consumption of food products containing pesticides is associated with a variety of risks to humans, including nervous system dysfunction, reproductive disorders, brain damage, mental illness, and respiratory system disorder. The impact of pesticide residues can be minimized by training and awareness of farmers, Proper washing food products before consumption and as well as the supervision of executive organizations are the keys to the reduction of pesticide application in foods.

Background & Aims of the Study: Solid waste management is one of the most daunting environmental challenges. The present study aimed to investigate the awareness and practice of people about household waste management in Kermanshah, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 150 Kermanshah citizens in 2017. Cluster sampling was performed and the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, including awareness, practice, and resources of education for waste management. Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version18) using ANOVA and t-test at α = 0.05. Results: Citizens' awareness of waste-related diseases and the impact of waste on the environment, the benefits of recycling and reduction in origin were assessed as moderate up to favorable. Nonetheless, the public's performance in relation to the Recycling Agency and the municipality was not favorable. Citizens demonstrated poor practice in terms of household waste management. Conclusion: From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that conducting training courses, increasing the level of general knowledge and culture in the field of household waste management can improve public awareness and practice.

Background & Aims of the Study: In this study three types of starch such as wheat, corn and potato were used as natural coagulants for turbidity removal of wastewater in stone cutting industry using jar test and their performance was compared with that of alum. Materials & Methods: This study is an analytical-applied. Natural wastewater from stone industry was used. The conventional jar test apparatus was utilized in all the coagulation-flocculation experiments. To evaluate the effect of gelatinized starch, the solution was prepared in both autoclaved and non-autoclaved forms. The effect of pH and coagulant doses were investigated in this study. Results: It was found that with regard to the effect of control sample from autoclaved starches, potato starch with a pH of 6 had the highest removal rate with 4.78% and among non-autoclaved starches, wheat starch with a pH of 7 had the maximum turbidity removal rate with 9.53%. Conclusions: The results showed that the non-autoclaved wheat starch has more efficiency in turbidity removal from wastewater in stone cutting industry than other starches.

Nowadays, the remaining of antibiotics in aquatic environments is increasing. Although the amounts of these antibiotics are extremely small (from 1 ng to 1 mu g), such tiny amounts can have poisonous effects on humans and aquatic organisms. Accordingly, this study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the electrocoagulation process on the removal of CFX antibiotic from aqueous solutions. The aim of this study was to the removal of Cefixime antibiotic by electrocoagulation process from aqueous solutions. In a batch mode, several parameters such as pH (3-10), initial concentration (3-100 mg/L), electric current intensity (0.1-1.1 A), and retention time (20-120 min) were investigated on the removal efficiency of Cefixime. The most effective removal (90.1) was obtained at pH of 6, initial concentration of 5 mg/L, electric current intensity of 0.7 A, and retention time of 60 min. According to the findings of this study, the electrocoagulation process can be considerable as an effective approach to remove Cefixime antibiotic from aqueous solutions.

Background & Aims of the Study: Pharmaceutical compounds have a variety of forms and applications. Specific amounts of toxic organic compounds in the process of their manufacturing and utilization cause environmental pollution problems. So, degradation and removal these compounds are necessary. The aim of this paper is the study photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin drug in aqueous solution using photo-Fenton process in a batch photoreactor. Materials and methods: This is an experimental study on a laboratory scale. Fe2+ ions as a homogeneous catalyst applied for the degradation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous solution. The study was performed on synthetic wastewaters that contain ciprofloxacin as a pollutant. The effect of operational parameters such as pH, Fe2+ concentration and H2O2 concentration on reaction kinetics were studied and the optimum conditions were determined for the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin using one factor at the time (OFAT) experimental design method. Results: The optimal conditions were obtained at pH =3, Fe2+ concentration at 35 ppm and H2O2 concentration at 25 ppm. A first order reaction with rate constant (k=0.0291 min−1) was observed for the photocatalytic degradation reaction. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis of the ciprofloxacin under optimum conditions showed 92% reduction COD in a 49 min period. Conclusions: The results showed that the photo-Fenton process can be a suitable alternative method to degradation of pharmaceutical compounds from synthesis wastewaters.

This study reports on the characteristics, sources, and health risks of atmospheric PM10-bound heavy metals (HMs) on citizenship living in different regions of Ahvaz, Southwest of Iran were investi...

Dust storm in Khuzestan region is strongly influenced by transportation and influx of large amount of particulate matter from internal sources (Hawizeh Marshes and East Ahwaz) and external sources (the Arabian Desert in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and the Sahara Desert). Particulate matter is one of the main components of indoor and outdoor air quality that can be very dangerous for human. The principal objective of this study was the pinpoint of the source of airborne particulate matter by the NOAA HYSPLIT model in Ahvaz City, southwest of Iran. The investigation of dust storm and their origin was performed by the GFSG Meteorological Data (backward trajectories ending analysis of the NOAA HYSPLIT model) and collecting particulate samples with high-volume air samplers during the fall and winter seasons. The results showed the average ambient particulate matter concentration in the cold and warm seasons was 158 and 161 µg/m3, respectively. Moreover, the average particulate matter concentration in the cold season was significantly higher than the standard level as presented in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Consequently, it seems essential to develop green space, decrease particulate emission from source and make determined efforts to control dust at governmental and international scales.

Nowadays, a large number of health endpoints such as disease rates, treatment costs, and death, by air pollutants, have been a serious health problem for humans. One of the most hazardous air pollutants, which is highly dangerous for human health, is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The existence of the emission of industries’ pollutants and seasonal variations are the primary agents affecting PAHs’ concentration. The purposes of this study were to calculate the cancer risk and measure PAHs’ exposure in the ambient air of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran, during 2017. Three distinct areas ((S1) industrial, (S2) high traffic, and (S3) residential) of Ahvaz metropolitan were selected. Omni sampler equipped with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters were used for active sampling of PAHs. To detect the level of PAHs, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and lifetime average daily dose (LADD) were used to estimate the health risk caused by PAHs. The results showed that the residential and industrial areas had the lowest and highest level of PAHs. Moreover, the average levels of PAHs in industrial, high traffic, and residential areas were 8.44 ± 3.37, 7.11 ± 2.64, and 5.52 ± 1.63 ng m−3, respectively. Furthermore, ILCR in autumn and winter was higher than EPA standard, 0.06307 and 0.04718, respectively. In addition, ILCR in different areas was significantly higher than standard. Research findings imply that the levels of exposure to PAHs can increase ILCR and risk of health endpoint. The cancer risk attributed to PAHs should be further investigated from the perspective of the public health in metropolitans.

Over the last decades, air pollution has been regarded as one of the major environmental problems. Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are among the most common illnesses arising from a...

Colloidal particles are the main cause of turbidity in an aquatic environment. Water turbidity maintains pathogenic microorganisms against disinfection. In addition to increasing the consumption of antiseptic substances, mainly it causes a lot of aesthetic and non-sanitary problems such as the formation of toxic and carcinogenic side constituents in the treatment of water. In this study we investigated the efficiency of the use of tragacanth of Astraglus gossypinus (Catira) on the effectiveness of the electrocoagulation process in the removal of turbidity from brackish water. In this descriptive-analytic study, direct bentonite injections of 2 to 8 g/L were used to provide opacity. In the following, the effect of applying coagulant aid of Tragacanth of Astraglus gossypinus plant with values of 0.25 to 1.5 g/L on the efficiency of the electro-coagulation process equipped with iron electrodes in the removal of opacity from brackish water samples were examined in potential difference from 5 to 30 volts, and pH from 2 to 9 over a period of 60 min. Variation of turbidity was determined using the turbidity sensor in accordance with standard reference methods. The results showed that the highest opacity removal efficiency is about 99 for each 1 kg of opacity due to the addition of 7 g/L bentonite under neutral pH conditions, Tragacanth dose of 1.5 g/L, 8 g/L dose of NaCl, and voltage of 30 V for 30 min, along with the average consumption of iron and electrical energy of 0.18 kg and 0.53 Kwh, respectively. Thus, the use of Astraglus gossypinus tragacanth for removing turbidity as a natural coagulant aid dramatically improves the electrocoagulation process efficiency in the removal of turbidity from brackish water samples and reduces current costs of the electro-coagulation process.

Background & Aims of the Study: Methylene blue (MB) is a risk for human and environment. Adsorption process is one of the removal mechanisms of MB. The purpose of this research was the evaluation of low cost adsorbent of walnut bark granule for MB dye removal from aqueous environments. Materials & Methods: In this experimental research, the effect of various operating parameters such as dose of dye (100-500 mg/L), contact time (10-50 min), adsorbent dosage (1-5 g/L) and pH (3-8) was investigated. Color concentration was measured by spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Model UV-120-02) at 663 nm wavelength and pH was analyzed through pH meter (Digimed model DM-20, Digicron AnaliticaLtda, Sao Paulo, Brazil). Results: The findings of this research were showed that the walnut bark granule was able to remove up to 41% of MB dye (100 mg/L) from solutions at initial pH 7. Removal efficiency was increased by adsorbent dosage and contact time. MB concentration has a reverse effect on removal. Also, the equilibrium data were also fitted to the Freundlich equilibrium isotherm model (R2=0.95). Conclusions: Present study showed that use of walnut bark granule, as an absorbent, could be utilized in methylene blue removal. Therefore, considering the production wastes of this compound, utilization the essence of this substance as inexpensive absorbent with inexpensive and available raw material is clear.

Background & Aims of the Study: The quality of the edible oils is made with chemical compositions and percentage of the degree of unsaturation fatty acids. The peroxide value (PV) always measures the extent of primary oxidation (rancidification) of oils. Oils Rancidity can produce potentially toxic compounds associated with health effects such as heart and neurological disorders. In order to investigate initial oxidative rancidity of the oils, PV will be measured. The aim of this paper is determination of PV and the acid number taking place in oils during frying process and its relationship with demographic characteristics and environmental conditions. Materials &Methods: In this study, the statistical populations are sandwich and fast food shops of Qom city, Iran. Samples were conducted, using cluster sampling. For data collection, a questionnaire and chemical tests were used. Samples were transferred in the laboratory under cool conditions for PV and acid number (AN) examination. A hundred fifty different sample of oil were collected. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. The ANOVA, T-test and Pearson coefficient were used for data analysis. Results: From the points of view of PV, 80% of oils were consumable and 20% were not. The lowest and the highest number of PV were 0.6 to 16.5, respectively. The minimum and the maximum number of AN were 0.028 to 0.2, respectively. With the assumption of equal variances (p>0.05), a significant relationship between the increase after the age of the chefs and the lack of obtaining a health card was shown. The small correlation between the temperature of the oils and PV, r(150)=-0.21, p=0.009 is shown. There wasn’t seen any relation between the type of oils with PV and AN. Discussion: Antioxidants, oil saturation and the reduction of temperature can reduce the production of peroxide; thus, PV was reduced. Due to the results, temperature increasing lead to increases the peroxide content. In this case, 3.3% of the edible oil samples were in rancidity conditions. Conclusion: This study has indicated that PV in almost sample was lower than the standard amount. However, removing the oil absorbed into the food leads to reducing the peroxide content and other hazardous compounds by fast-food consumers. This survey indicated that some cookers are not completely aware of government regulation and control procedures for PV and AN of frying oils.

One of the important wards in educational hospital due to special conditions of patients is operating rooms (ORs). Anesthetic gases sevoflurane among air anesthetic pollutant is very dangerous for health care worker (HCW) and patients. The aim of this study was to associate the concentration of anesthetic toxic sevoflurane gases (ppm) indoor air in Emam, Razi and Golestan teaching hospitals OR during 2016. In the current study, portable pump SKC equipped with sorbent Tube Tenax TA 250 mg was used to sampling and measurements of sevoflurane gases concentration in the ORs. Three detection places were selected for sampling volatile anesthetic gases sevoflurane. In this study, health risks produced by non-cancer causing agents are quantified by calculating the hazard index (HI). Based on result this study, the Emam and Golestan had the lowest and the highest sevoflurane concentrations. According to the results from the current study, level of sevoflurane on indoor air quality in the operation room in Emam, Razi and Golestan hospitals were 2.058, 2.201 and 2.289 ppm, respectively. According result this study HI was under 1.0 and it amount showed that no significant risk of adverse health effects related to exposure to concentration of sevoflurane in Emam, Razi and Golestan teaching hospitals OR during 2016. Result showed that the average concentration of sevoflurane in studied hospitals were more than the standard level (2 ppm) and exposure to this concentration of sevoflurane could be threaten for HCW. Based on result our study, the average level of sevoflurane was significantly higher than that of ORs without standard ventilation in comparison with ORs with standard ventilation system. Performed active for decreasing anesthetic gases can cause decrease health endpoint in OR HCWs and costs. While OR management in ambient air can cause disorders in staffs and causing more spiritual and material costs.

Removal or reduction of nitrogen compounds in natural waters resulted from discharge of industrial and agricultural activities, which has environmental and human health problems, is necessary. In this study, the effect of initial nitrate concentration (15.5, 50, 80, 120 and 200 mg/L), pH (1-7) and contact time (4.5-36 h) on the adsorption efficiency of cane bagasse modified by ZnCl2 was investigated to remove nitrate from groundwater sources in Izeh city, Khuzestan province of Iran. Adsorption performance was evaluated using Freundlich, Langmuir and Bet isotherms and the first-order and pseudo-second order feed removal models. Results showed that for modified bagasse, the system reached equilibrium after 32 h and the maximum adsorption occurred at pH = 4. Also, the removal efficiency increased by decreasing the concentration of nitrate. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm. The results of the study showed that the modified bagasse fiber absorbent has a great potential for nitrate removal. Because of the inexpensiveness of bagasse fiber and especially bagasse abundance in Khuzestan province, it is suggested to remove nitrate from groundwater of Izeh city via cane sugar (bagasse) modified by zinc chloride.

Hierarchical distance-based fuzzy multi-criteria group decision making (DBF–MCDM) was applied to evaluate the health-care waste (HCW) treatment alternatives for Qom hospitals. A list of aspects consisting of 6 criteria and 21 sub-criteria were evaluated based on a linguistic term set by five decision-makers. Also, four HCW treatment alternatives including “incineration”, “steam sterilization”, “chemical disinfection” and “controlled landfill” were evaluated according to these aspects. Data were aggregated and normalized to obtain Performance Ratings of Alternatives (PRAs). Then, the PRAs were aggregated again to achieve the Aggregate Performance Ratings (APRs). After renormalization, the weighted distances (WDs) from ideal solution (Di *) and anti-ideal solution (Di -) were calculated. Finally, the proximity of each alternative to the ideal solution (Ωi *) was computed. The alternatives were ranked according to the magnitude of (Ωi *) values. Results demonstrated that “controlled landfill” was the most appropriate alternative for the HCW treatment of Qom hospitals and “steam sterilization” was the second acceptable treatment option. A novel configuration of criteria and sub-criteria was proposed based on the public health and occupational health risks. The criterion “Occupational Health” was added to the list of criteria to distinguish the health risks on public and those related to the healthcare waste management workers. Also, a new concept of “land requirement" was presented. The limitations of high-tech alternatives were also considered according to the level of dependency on overseas. © 2018, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania. All rights reserved.

Dendrimers are symmetric, round and ramose macromolecules made up of monomers which have a certain structural order. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of different concentrations of G3-poly-amidoamine dendrimer (G3-PAD) on 7 species of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in aqueous solutions. Different concentrations of G3-PAD were prepared and from each bacterial species, a suspension with a different pH was prepared according to the McFarland 0.5 standard. Bacteria were left in a 37 degrees C incubator and shaker from 0 to 60 min, and were cultivated on a Mueller-Hinton Agar plate. The bacteria that grew on each plate were counted and analyzed. The results showed that the antibacterial effect of G3-PAD in aqueous solutions was directly related to dendrimer concentration, contact time and pH. The strongest effect on Salmonella and Bacillus Subtilis was at pH = 6.5 and 7.5 and contact time 45 min, and in pH = 9, contact time 30 min; for Enterococcus faecalis in all three pH, it was 60 min; for Staphylococcus Aureus in pH = 6.5 and 7.5, 60 min and in pH = 9, 30 min; for E. coli in pH = 6.5 and 7.5, 60 min and in pH = 9, 45 min. G3-PAD showed its strongest effect on Shigella bacteria in pH = 6.5, contact time 60 min. In pH = 7.5 there was no optimum condition and in pH = 9, the optimum contact time was 60 min. The strongest effect of G3-PAD on all species was seen in 2000 ppm concentration. These results show a new strategy to improve bacteria elimination from aqueous solutions. However, safely using dendrimers for disinfecting drinking water still needs more research.

Nurses have the most important role among health care workers (HCWs) in each hospital (Aiken et al., 2008) [1]. Nurses education can lead to the improvement of nursing care If is implemented and designed based on nurses’ needs and proper principles (Aiken et al., 2008) [1]. Nowadays, increased quality of the treatment and increase the chances of survival of patients with acute respiratory failure are very important (Teixeira et al., 2013) [2]. Nursing care plan in ICU patients is one of the important elements in nursing care, and one of the main strategies is promotion of education level. Nurses due to longtime relationship with nursing staff in 24 hours and use of multiple roles of education have excellent position in evaluating educational needs and performing clinical educator roles. The effect of education on the nursing care quality of patients who were under mechanical ventilation (UMV) in intensive care unit (ICU) ward of Razi hospital is evaluated during 2015. The present study is descriptive-analytical and semi experimental research. Research statistical population included 30 nurses. In this paper, the effects of communication with the patient, correct suctioning, compliance of aseptic techniques, the correct discharge of tube cuff, chest physiotherapy, the correct change positions, health food gavage, prevent of foot drop, oral hygiene, the eyes hygiene and protect the cornea have been studied. After completion of the questionnaires by patients, the obtained coded data were fed into EXCEL. Reliability was confirmed with coefficient Alfa 0.86 and the result of software and techniques were entered to SPSS for statistics and analysis. Keywords: Education, Nurse, Intensive care unit, Mechanical ventilation, Nursing care, Iran

The present work contains data obtained during the analysis of pregnant women referred to Abadan Health Centers Organization (Abadan HCO) with confirmed acute hypothyroidism diagnosis. From among all pregnant women referred to Abadan HCO, 600 were chosen consisting of 120 pregnant women from each of the health centers in quintuple areas. In this paper, the effects of family history, occupation, death, abortion, type of diabetes, smoking, lithium consumption, allergy, radiotherapy, ovarian cysts (OC) and oral contraceptive pills (OCP) consumption have been studied (Yassaee et al., 2014) [1] . After completion of the questionnaires by the patients, the obtained coded data were fed into ECSELL software. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using Special Package for Social Sciences version 16 (SPSS 16).

Background & Aims of the Study: The safe drinking water providing is one of the most crucial objections in these centenaries. Bacterial water contamination and high rate of morbidity and mortality is crucial health threat. Efficiency of potassium persulfat (KPS) associated solar disinfection as a novel water disinfection technology was evaluated in batch scale experiments, using Ent. faecalis (ATTCC 29212). Material and Methods: This research is a descriptive and experimental study which done on Tehran city, Iran. Ent. faecalis (ATTCC 29212) was provided in standard form from reference laboratory. Desired bacterial density in water was prepared by Mc Farland method. Water specimens were exhibited with solar radiations from 10 a.m to 16 p.m of Tehran local time. All experiments were conducted into 1.5 L volume of Damavand bottled water. Non-injured bacteria cells were detected by plating onto Bile Esculin azide agar media. Turbid water samples were provided by spiking of sterile slurry. Contact time (1-6 h), turbidity (30-200 NTU), KPS concentration (0.1, 0.7, 1.5 and 2 mMol/l), Ent. faecalis density(1000 and 1500 cell/ml) and UV intensity were independent and disinfection efficiency was a dependent variable, respectively. Results: Intensity of UVA solar irradiation varied from 3770 to 6263.3 µW/Cm2, with the highest value was measured on 13.30 p.m. In single SODIS and 1 hour contact time, increasing of bacterial closeness from 1000 to 1500 cell/ml implied disinfection performance decreasing in which, the vital bacteria was 10 and 20 cell/ml, respectively; but beyond of this contact time, a complete disinfection was occurred. Disinfection of Ent. faecalis was achieved within 2 h with single solar irradiation but KPS associated solar disinfection with applied dosage of KPS provide completely disinfection in 1 h in which the process efficiency was not influenced by increasing of bacterial density and turbidity up to 200 NTU. Conclusion: Association of KPS with SODIS enhancing water disinfection which can be used in remote area and emergency status.

Background & Aims of the Study: Lung is directly exposed to surrounding air and existing pollutants to perform its natural task. In this paper, COPD cases attributed to NO2, O3, and SO2 were studied based on assessed data in Ahvaz city of Iran during 2014-2015. Materials and Methods: Data were processed by Excel through steps including temperature and pressure correction, programming, processing (average) and filtering. Results: The results indicated that number of COPD cases was estimated to 15 members in accordance with the central relative risk, so, each 10µg increase in NO2 concentration would lead to 0.38% increase in COPD risk. Each 10µg/m3 increase in Ozone concentration causes 0.58% increase in disease attributed to this pollutant. Number of cumulative cases of this disease has been equal to 35 members during 2014-2015. Estimated cumulative number of obstructive pulmonary caused by sulfur dioxide has been estimated to 20 members during 2014-2015. Obviously, each 10µg/m3 increase in SO2 concentration would lead to 0.44% increase in risk of the considered disease. Conclusion: In conclusion, O3 as a pollutant has the most effect on COPD compared to the other two pollutants in Ahvaz city of Iran during 2014-2015. This might be because of more days with high concentration of this pollutant compared to other two pollutants in Ahvaz. If emission of this pollutant is not prevented, number of people who are suffering from COPD will increase to 55 members in 2016 and it will be reduced to 13 members in case of control.

Based on research findings around the globe, the content of heavy metals (HM) has been kept limited in traditional popular pastries. This study was carried out to conduct a health risk assessment of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn) in Qom's Sohan (a kind of traditional Persian saffron brittle toffee) in 2015. Samples were selected randomly from the most popular brands of Sohan workshops in Qom. After the dry digestion of all Sohan samples, 100 different brands were analyzed via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). In this study, about 100 brands of Sohan made by vegetable oil or buttery were analyzed. The results showed that the metals level (µg/kg) in specimens for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn ranged 100–300, 10–50, 500–36,000, 60–550, 30–1750, 45–1700, and 2500–15000, respectively. In addition, health risk assessment showed that consuming the sample Sohan of the study poses no potential risks for children and adults. Results also revealed that althoug...

Background: Healthy and hygienic foods should be available for healthy life of humans in all circumstances. This issue will be more important when a disaster occurrs. Iran is among high risk natural disaster countries, that should be always prepared. The present study aimed to evaluate the awareness of Gonabad University Medical students about nutrition and food preservation at times of disaster. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on 360 students out of 1800 Medical Sciences students of Gonabad University who were selected by stratified random sampling method in 2016. A self-designed questionnaire consisting of 10 questions with acceptable validity and reliability was used with Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.8. Finally, the data were analyzed by 1-sample t-test and Mann -Whitney test through SPSS 16. Results: The results showed that 39%, 35.5%, and 25.5% of the participants had a good, moderate, and low level of awareness about nutrition and preservation in disasters, respectively. No significant difference was observed between genders (P>0.05), and fields of study with regard to their awareness (P=0.002). Conclusion: It was found that the students' awareness about nutrition and food preservation at times of disaster was poor. Thus, to achieve a successful disaster management, it is recommended that an appropriate instruction manual of nutrition and food preservation be prepared by disaster response agencies and be taught for the guidance of students.

Background & Aims of the Study: The most important compounds in hospital wastewater are antibiotics, disinfectants, anesthetics, radioactive elements, static cytotoxic agents, other chemicals and hazardous materials that caused to be different domestic sewage. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of performance of extended aeration biological system in pollutants removal from Razi Hospital wastewater treatment plant (WTP), Ahvaz city of Iran. Materials and Methods: The hospital wastewater disposal and treatment in Razi hospital have been studied in this cross-sectional research. Total of 12 samples from effluents of wastewater treatment plants were collected and tested for pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solid (TSS) and Total Coliform (TC). EPA standard method was used for conducted trials. Finally, the relationship between results at different months and stations was done, using SPSS18 and descriptive statistics. Results: Results shown that parameters average in effluent was pH=7.46، BOD= 48.58 mg/l, COD=99.25 mg/l, TSS=54 mg/l, NH3=5.65mg/l, Turbidity=29.57 NTU. Also total coliform and fecal coliform of effluent were 46.19 MPN/100 ml and 36.65 MPN/100 ml, respectively. According to results, the percentage of BOD, COD, TSS and TC removal in WTP were 85.21, 82.46, 86 and 90.15. Conclusion: Based on these findings, Razi hospital effluent wastewater treatment plant was mitted at Iran environmental standards for discharge to recipient wasters. Based on the result of our study, Extended Aeration Biological System is a comparatively suitable process for BOD, COD, TSS and TC removal from hospital wastewater.

Background & Aims of the Study: One of the most important pollutants in drinking water, air and soils is heavy metals. It is very harmful for humans and other live organisms. The purpose of this study was the usage of a co-composting process for removal of heavy metals from municipal solid waste and sewage sludge. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was a conducted sewage sludge and municipal solid waste. For collection of samples from urban solid waste composting and wastewater treatment plant, a 200 mL polyethylene bottles was used, samples after acidification were stored in a dark place at 4°C temperature until the metals analysis the heavy metals values remaining in the samples was measured by graphite furnace absorption spectrometer method (Varian, SpectrAA 240, Australia). In this study, we used SPSS version 16 for data processing; and they were also analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: Result of this study showed that values of C/N in the first, second and third stage compost were 31.7, 27.3 and 41.8, respectively. Based on the result of this study the value of removal of Cd with 9.8 mg kg-1 in first stage and Cr, Cu and Zn with 89, 21 and 87.6 mg kg-1 in third stage were highest treatment. Conclusion: Our results show that co-composting process between many treatment processes having to be cost effective forheavy metalremoval from solid waste and wastewater treatment.