مدیریت پسماند

Single-use plastics are among the products widely used in recent years due to changing lifestyles, ease of use, and other benefits, and the waste they generate has become one of the most important global health and environmental problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the methods to manage and reduce single-use plastics, considering the economic conditions and environmental laws and regulations of Iran.

The present study was a review study conducted in winter 2023 by searching various databases using the keywords "Solid Waste Management", "Solid Waste Production", "Single-use Plastic", "Sustainable Development", and "Circular Economy" and reviewing the relevant studies.

Every year, about 19.28 million tons of household waste is produced in the country, of which about 2.18 million tons is plastic waste. Although 90% of the country's waste is collected by municipalities, only 5%-8% of it is recycled, and the rest is sent to landfills or disposed of improperly. Iran is among the top 10 countries in the world that consume the most single-use plastic containers. Improper disposal of plastics can harm the environment and human and animal health, and it is necessary to take measures to manage it.

To manage single-use plastics, the hierarchy of "comprehensive waste management" should be observed. To this end, it is necessary to reduce the waste at source by applying the right policies concerning the population of societies, creating legal restrictions and bans on the use of single-use containers and plastics (the subject of Article 4 of the Waste Management Act as well as the "Regulation on Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags"), providing incentive opportunities for manufacturers of reusable equipment, developing the culture of separation at source, recycling and reusing materials and energy, and, finally, the proper disposal of unavoidable waste

Effective management of healthcare waste is crucial for preventing the dissemination of pathogens and safeguarding public health. This study aimed to evaluate the medical waste management practices in educational hospitals of Khoy City, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included inquiries regarding the types and quantities of waste generated, as well as the processes involved in the collection, transportation, and disposal of chemical, pharmaceutical, and infectious waste. The assessment focused on three hospitals affiliated with Khoy University of Medical Sciences, with 466 active beds. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic during the study period, one hospital designated specifically for patients with COVID-19, along with two hospitals operating under standard conditions, were selected as the study population considering the number and variety of wards and the diversity of waste produced.

Waste management practices in the studied hospitals demonstrated compliance rates of 95.66% and 98.33% in the stages of segregation and transportation, respectively. The stages of temporary storage and decontamination showed moderate compliance, with approximately 75% adherence to established standards. The average total waste generated by the hospitals was 1505.9 ± 31.6 kg/day, with infectious waste comprising the largest portion at 67.2%. In contrast, chemical and pharmaceutical waste represented a minimal share of 0.5% of the total waste produced.

The results indicated a significant increase in the generation of infectious waste following the outbreak of COVID-19. Additionally, decontamination and sanitary disposal of chemical and pharmaceutical waste require increased attention and enhanced oversight.

Medical and healthcare wastes are major environmental concerns due to their hazardous and polluting nature. Considering the environmental hazards posed by medical waste as a regional and global issue, it is essential to conduct studies on the status of medical waste generation and management in Siahkal city, located in the eastern part of Gilan province. This city serves as a representative example of northern cities in the country.

This study investigated the waste produced by all medical and healthcare centers in Siahkal on an annual basis. Three days of each month were selected to weigh the waste produced, using a 10-gram scale. Excel and SPSS software were used to categorize and analyze the data.

The average total amount of waste produced in healthcare centers in the city was estimated to be 8,262.98 kg annually, consisting of 5,588.43 kg of infectious waste, 2,111.74 kg of general waste, 317.09 kg of needles, and 245.72 kg of chemical waste. The results showed that the total amount of waste produced (from clinics, private sectors, and hospitals) is higher in the spring and summer seasons compared to the autumn and winter. Additionally, the amount of medical waste produced by different treatment departments varied significantly.

The findings of this study indicate that hospital waste management in Siahkal city is generally inadequate. Private offices and clinics in the city are in worse condition than healthcare centers and hospitals in terms of waste production, separation, decontamination, and disposal.

 Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by arthropods. Given its significance in society's health and environmental sanitation's impact on its outbreak, it is important to increase awareness, monitoring, and prevention of this disease. Due to insufficient information in this field, this review article aims to provide insights into the factors influencing the spread of dengue fever.

The current review was conducted by searching the Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases using the keywords "Dengue fever," "environmental sanitation," "Aedes mosquito," "Drainage of water reservoirs," and "Waste Management" and articles published between 2000 and 2023 were reviewed and analyzed.

The findings of the study indicated that changes in environmental improvement factors affect the spread and prevalence of dengue fever. Additionally, the presence of stagnant water in ponds and pits, along with the accumulation of waste materials such as cans, plastic containers, and especially worn tires, has been identified as factors that increase the population of Aedes mosquito larvae. The study also determined that implementing measures such as emptying and weekly washing water tanks, as well as establishing a waste management program, can effectively control this disease.

The implementation of environmental sanitation measures in waste management systems, sewage collection, drainage, and water storage in reservoirs is an effective strategy for reducing the population of dengue carriers, and consequently, mitigating the spread of the disease. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Waste management has always been a significant challenge for municipalities. Alongside the formal operational cycle of municipalities, other stakeholders and actors also play an informal role in urban waste management. The majority of the segregation of valuable waste is carried out by these individuals. This study presents the waste management of the city of Kerman, focusing on both formal and informal recycling collection cycles and utilizing financial permits and municipal oversight to regulate these activities.

In this study, the waste management cycle model of the city of Kerman is initially introduced, emphasizing the formal and informal recycling collection cycles. Subsequently, a simulated model in MATLAB software is presented, along with a fuzzy controller system for determining the purchase price of recyclable materials by the municipality to compete with the informal cycle.

The model's results, including the number of individuals attracted by the formal network, the municipality's revenue from the purchase and sale of recyclables, and the sale of permits for a scenario with a permit price equivalent to ten million Rials, were examined. According to the results, the existence of an activity permit tool significantly impacts the municipality's share in attracting the participation of informal collectors throughout the city.

To prevent protests and a lack of support for the plan, it is recommended that the permit price be lower at the initial implementation stage, and the intensity of oversight be increased as much as possible to ensure collectors are required to obtain an activity permit. Issuing activity permits can not only enhance the financial benefits for the municipality but also have positive social and environmental effects, improving the supervision of individuals' activities.

Waste management as an inevitable byproduct is one of the most critical environmental issues in any society. Its management is essential for preventing environmental pollution. The aim of this research is to examine the management of production waste in the Azadi Sports Complex.

This research is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and empirical study that utilizies questionnaires, field visits, weight analysis, sampling, and determination of the physicochemical characteristics of waste. The questionnaire includes questions about the production rate, source reduction, separation, recycling, collection, storage location, transportation outside the complex, and final disposal of waste.

The amount of waste generated from the Azadi Sports Complex was 449.87±4.83kg/day, with the highest waste production observed from the Wrestling Federation (95.37 kg/day) and the lowest from the Kung Fu Federation (12.75 kg/day) and the clinic (12 kg/day). The results of the physicochemical characteristics indicated that the average moisture content was 47%. Combustible materials accounted for 67% with a high calorific value of 12807 kcal/kg, and the ash content was 42%. The dry and wet wastes were collected daily, mixed together, and stored together in an enclosed area.

The results showed that the waste separation, recycling, and storage practices in the Azadi Sports Complex are unsatisfactory. Additionally, there is no existing program for waste reduction at the source or recycling. Therefore, the establishment of a proper waste management system to mitigate the waste volumes in this complex is necessary.

 Through the recycling of separated waste, energy and cost are saved and less pollution is introduced into the environment. Therefore, appropriate solutions should be provided and implemented regarding the separation of waste from the source. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the factors affecting people's intention in waste separation using the theory of planned behavior.

 This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical research was conducted on 458 households in District 10 of Tehran. Sampling was done with a two-stage cluster method. The data was collected using a questionnaire designed in this study, and its validity and reliability were assessed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analytical statistics with Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression tests using SPSS (v. 16) software. Ethical considerations were considered throughout all stages of the study.

 Subjective norms, attitude and perceived behavioral control, respectively, showed the greatest effect on participants’ intention in such a way that, on average, for each unit increase of these variables, intention increased by 0.39, 0.31 and 0.14 respectively (R=0.678 and R2 =0.46).

 It is suggested to use the capacity of local trustees, schools and popular networks to improve the level of subjective norms. By providing waste separation facilities such as special bins and creating financial incentives, perceived behavioral control can also be increased.

Hospital wastes contain a wide range of microorganisms and require special management due to their dangerous properties, and their improper disposal is considered a serious threat to the environment and public health. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine and influence the educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on the behaviors of employees in the waste management of Hafez Hospital of Shiraz, Iran.

The present interval study was conducted in 2018 on all healthcare personnel (170 people) and service workers (32 people) of Hafez hospital of Shiraz, Iran. The statistical population of the present study was completed by enumeration. The measurement tool in the present study was a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior and knowledge assessment which its validity and reliability were estimated and used by experts. Other tools included a waste management evaluation checklist which included management infrastructure, separation, collection, transportation, temporary storage, disposal, and weighing form of hospital wastes. The present study was conducted in two stages before and after the educational intervention. In the first stage, before the educational intervention, information was collected through questionnaires, a waste management evaluation checklist, and waste weighing continuously for a week. Then the educational content was designed. Two months after the educational intervention, in the second stage, the health care and service workers completed the questionnaires once more. Moreover, the checklist was completed and the waste was weighed over again. Obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and parametric (paired t-test) and non-parametric (Wilcoxon) tests.

The findings indicated a significant difference in the mean score of knowledge, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention among both group health care workers and service workers after the intervention (P<0.001). After educational interventions, a significant difference in normal waste per capita was found (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in infectious waste, sharp waste, and pharmaceutical chemical waste per capita(P≥0.005). There was a significant difference in waste management in terms of separation, collection, transportation, and disposal (P<0.001). The infrastructure management and temporary maintenance were the same before and after the educational intervention.

The findings of the present study indicated that educational interventions based on the theory of planned behavior are effective in raising the awareness of health care and service workers and improving hospital waste management. Furthermore, the use of educational strategies and appropriate educational content can increase the quality of educational interventions.

many countries have currently put waste management as a priority on the agenda and are seeking to enhance its effectiveness by encouraging public participation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the willingness of rural residents to participate in waste management processes in Jajarm County, North Khorasan Province.

The survey research method was used. The target population consisted of 4031 households from 37 villages in Jajarm County. The dependent variable of willingness to participate in waste management was measured with 5 variables, including willingness to pay for waste disposal, willingness to use special containers, eagerness to separate waste at source, eagerness to deliver separated waste, and tendency to cooperate with rural development. The impact of independent variables on the five dependent variables was evaluated by running five logit functions.

The results of the models showed that age, education, regular waste collection by village councils, cooperation with rural cooperatives and organizations, payment for waste collection, familiarity with waste management methods, health effects of waste, familiarity with the harmful effects of waste, communication with extension agents and rural health liaisons, participation in waste management training classes, and satisfaction with the village council have a positive and significant (p≤0.05) impact on the willingness to participate in waste management.

Providing educational programs and introducing the consequences of non-separation of waste on human health and the environment is effective in attracting the participation of people in waste management plans and should be prioritized in waste management programs.

The economic evaluation is a tool for decision-making based on data that helps to select and prioritize waste management components and their implementation based on economic criteria. The purpose of this study was a comprehensive economic evaluation of the waste management components by life cycle costing assessment (LCC) , Net Present Value index (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR).

The cost of each waste management component, was calculated by LCC for one tonne of waste in. The efficiency of each waste management component was obtained using the NPV and IRR indicators.

The results showed that recycling with 260%, and then composting with 40%, have the highest economic returns and the ability to return capital. The sensitivity analysis showed the profitability of these two processes despite the changes of ±30% in the influential calculation parameters.

In this study, comprehensive economic evaluation showed that using LCC, NPV, and IRR with their sensitivity analysis, simultaneity can have an important role in waste management decision-making.

Increased waste production during patient treatment emerges as a serious issue following infectious disease outbreaks. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on medical waste production in Mashhad, Iran.

In this study, 4 referral (R) and 2 non-referral (NR) hospitals were examined. The quantity and quality of waste produced before (2018-2019) and during COVID-19 (2019-2020) were extracted from hospital records and noted in standard medical waste management checklists. Also, the number of hospital visits due to COVID-19 was determined and entered into the study by referring to the Treatment Deputy of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

The results showed that the mean waste production was 449.50 ± 49.45 kg/day and 436.04 ± 107.55 kg/day in 2018-2019 (before COVID-19) and 2019-2020 (during the outbreak) in R1, respectively, 3000.26 ± 227.46 kg/day and 3279.72 ± 153.00 in R2, 544.53 ± 107.10 kg/day and 666.32 ± 156.68 in R3, and 476.72 ± 15.96 kg/day and 635.41 ± 54.88 kg/day in R4. Also, the mean waste production was 219.6 ± 36.90 and 199.06 ± 49.58 kg/day in NR1 and 112.1 ± 29.55 kg/day and 108.8±59.1 kg/day in NR2 before and during COVID-19, respectively. Field surveys showed that despite the increased amount of waste production, all waste management stages, such as collection, transfer, and disposal, are being implemented in accordance with the guidelines.

The results of this study showed that the medical waste production rate is related to the prevalence of diseases. Considering the importance of medical waste management, it requires careful and correct application of national and international guidelines.

Background and

Production of household infectious waste is a constant concern and problem in home medical care services. Considering the increase of household infectious waste in recent years, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying strategies to improve the management of this type of waste.

This qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis method. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts in the field of waste management. These people were selected purposefully. Four criteria of acceptability, confirmability, dependability, and transferability by Guba and Lincoln were used to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the results. Data classification was done using MAXQDA2018 software. The data collection period was from 22 November 2023 to 21 January 2023.

Data analysis showed 13 main topics, including: education and culture, management measures, provision of resources, social and legal support, technology, control and evaluation, waste generation, collection, temporary storage, transportation, processing, disposal, and management challenges; and 30 subtopics.

The results of the present study identified different strategies for improving the methods of household infectious waste management in Iran based on the experiences of the participants. This could be a crucial step towards addressing the challenges and achieving better outcomes in the management of these wastes.

Improper management of hospital waste has become a major concern in many developing countries. The present study was conducted with the aim of ranking the health-environmental and management criteria of hospital waste using the multi-criteria decision-making approach of ANP-TOPSIS.

This research is a qualitative study. After identifying and determining the health-environmental and management criteria of hospital waste, the validation of criteria was done using the Delphi method and using a questionnaire. SPSS software was used for data analysis. In order to weight the criteria and sub-criteria, the Analytical Network Process (ANP) technique and Super Decision 2.2 software were used. Then, TOPSIS method was  used to evaluate and prioritize the identified sub-criteria.

Totally, 11 criteria and 44 sub-criteria were validated by Delphi method. Results indicated that “the participation of nursing assistants in separating infectious and non-infectious waste” (by weight of 0.705), “the participation of nurses in waste disposal” (by weight of 0.659), and “decontamination using hydroclave method” (by weight of 0.633) were found to be the first three main controlling health-environmental sub-criteria in waste disposal, respectively. Also, the sub-criteria of “participation of nurses in educational programs”,  and “participation of nursing assistants in educational programs”, and “changing the purchasing chain in reducing waste production” were identified as the most effective management criteria in reducing waste production, with scores of 0.778, 0.748 and 0.718, respectively.

Based on the obtained results, encouraging employees to participate in waste separation and management training, modifying the purchasing process with an emphasis on reducing hospital waste production, as well as regular and continuous monitoring can improve the effective implementation of waste management practices in hospitals.

The research was carried out to empower housewives in waste separation as a result of the ever-increasing waste caused by industrial life and its short-term and long-term damaging effects on the environment.

This research was conducted by a semi-experimental intervention method on 60 people (30 intervention group and 30 control group) homemakers of Nowshahr city, who were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. Face-to-face intervention was conducted over a month with four sessions. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire containing 22 questions based on the theory of planned behavior. The data were analyzed in two stages the preliminary test and three months after the intervention of the training program through SPSS22 software.

The average age of the participants in the intervention group was 34.7 and in the control group was 34.2. Independent t-tests did not show a significant difference between the intervention and control groups before the educational intervention, but three months after the educational intervention, the average structures of the theory of planned behavior were significantly different except for the structure of subjective norms (p<0.05), indicating that the average of these structures had increased over time in both groups.

The training program based on the theory of planned behavior is effective in improving the behavior of waste separation. Therefore, educational programs regarding the separation of waste from the source should be based on scientific theories and appropriate educational methods for the target group.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) acts as a genotoxic, cytotoxic, and a potential hepatocarcinogen agent. Any contact with aflatoxins is a main threat to workers in the waste management industry. On the other hand, just a few studies have investigated occupational exposure to mycotoxins in the aforementioned industry. In this study, the exposure level of workers to dust and AFB1 has been investigated in dry and wet waste sorting and recycling management centers of Karaj city. 

18 surface samples from bread separation, 18 surface samples of plastic separation, and 18 samples for control locations from the dry waste recycling centers, and 20 surface dust samples from the work environment of the wet sorting department of the center in the spring and fall seasons, and also 20 control samples were collected. After extraction and purification processes, the amount of AFB1 in the surface samples was measured by HPLC.

The amount of dust and AFB1 levels of the surface samples collected from dry bread and plastic sorting places as well as wet waste sorting sites were higher in comparison with the control places in the spring and fall seasons. 

Based on the results, the workers in this industry are exposed to AFB1 and the risks associated with its exposure.

 barbershops are one of the most important public places for beauty activities, which requires attention to health issues (personal and environmental), and non-compliance with health standards and procedures can be a threat to public health. The level of awareness and performance of employees can affect the management of waste production. This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of personnel about waste production and performance in southern Tehran in 2021.

 This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in southern Tehran with a statistical sample of 330 places. In this study, a questionnaire was used which comprised of three sections; demographic information, the level of awareness and performance of personnel, and the information was completed after interviews with hairdressers. Data were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient, one-sample t-test, and Mann-Whitney using SPSS software (IBM-v.26).

 The average scores of awareness and performance of individuals in waste management were 43.18 and 48.27, respectively, and based on the results of qualitative analysis, the scores of awareness and optimal performance of individuals in waste management were 53.6% and 72%, respectively. Also, 46.6% and 28% of the participants obtained unfavorable scores on knowledge and practice in waste management, respectively. People's knowledge about the management of waste produced in hairdressers had a significant relationship with gender, history of health education, history of health crimes, education and performance of people about the management of waste produced in hairdressers with gender and history of health education. There was no significant relationship between knowledge and practice with other variables.

 Barbershop is a place where paying attention to environmental health is effective in promoting community health and disease control. Ignoring this issue can lead to the spread of various diseases. In general, the results of this study showed that the level of awareness is effective in the performance of barbers regarding the management of waste production. Additionally, health education was known effective in the level of awareness and performance of hairdressers in this field, so the improtant roles of these variables should taken into consideration.

With the development of cities and increasing health-care needs, the production of medical waste has increased. Therfore, this study was conducted to determine the quantity, quality, and status of hospital waste management in hospitals affiliated to Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2020.

In this descriptive study, hospitals affiliated to Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (Ali-Ibn Abitalib, Moradi, and Niknafs) were examined. Data were collected by the researcher using a standard checklist of the Environmental and Occupational Health Center. Finally, the obtained data were described and analyzed using Excel software.

The mean health-care waste generation rate in Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences hospitals was 2.12 kg/patinet.day. From the total waste generated in University hospitals (1170 kg/day), 54.27% (635 kg/d) were general waste, 40.17% (470 kg/d) infection and sharp waste, and 5.56% (65 kg/d) chemical waste. Also, the average percentage of the score obtained from the maximum score in the field of proper waste management in different stages of separation, collection, storage, and decontamination and disposal in the studied hospitals were 66.36, 72.72, 62.03 and 57.57, respectively.

Therefore, according to the intermediate status of hospital waste management in Rafsanjan, it is recommended to implement a safe and sustainable program in the field of hospital waste management from the point of production to disposal in an operational manner and monitor it continuously.

The purpose of this study was to use the HELP model to estimate the leachate generation rate and its pattern in a landfill located in the semi-arid region of Iran.

The input data for the model were collected through fieldwork. To evaluate the accuracy of outputs, the actual amount of leachate production has been measured on-site for 10 months. In addition, sensitivity analysis was conducted to find out the most important parameters in leachate generation in the landfill.

The results showed that the model was able to estimate the rate of leachate generation with an accuracy of 75.5% and the correlation between the model's estimated values and actual values was 60%. In addition. the sensitivity analysis showed that the most important factors affecting the leachate generation in the landfill were waste moisture content and rainfall, respectively.

The model showed satisfactory performance in the prediction of leachate generation in the arid area. The model showed that the moisture content of the waste significantly contributes to leachate generation in Karaj landfill and therefore, it is suggested to identify and implement procedures to reduce the moisture content of the waste at the source of generation.

The impact of various types of waste produced in the system, transportation and treatment of waste, and diversity of pollutants due to waste collection are some standard problems that communities, including Iran, are straggling with. The city of Tehran, as the capital of Iran, produces more than 7,000 tons of waste per day, and if this volume of waste is not properly managed, it will release excessive emissions into the environment.

In this research, a superstructure model for solid waste management was presented, with an approach to achieve the maximum avoided emissions. Optimization was done by normalizing the output of the emissions and then categorizing and sorting the data.

We examined 31250 different scenarios and based on the obtained results, the best scenario in terms of emission optimization was scenario 21303. Based on this scenario, organic materials, paper, and wood undergo anaerobic digestion while plastics, glass, and metals enter a recycling system. In this case, the amount of emissions avoided is equal to -837027 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per day.

Anaerobic digestion of organic materials, paper, and wood and recycling of plastics, glass, and iron can be selected as a sustainable model for the current waste management system in Tehran. In this case, the amount of emission avoided will be very high and it can be considered the best environmentally friendly option.Keywords: Superstructure, Optimization, Waste Management, Emissions, Tehran