Archives of Hygiene Sciences
Volume:5 Issue: 1, Winter 2016

Background & Aims of the Study: Household hazardous waste is an important part of municipal solid waste in any community and if it is not managed properly, it can significantly damage the health of family, community and environment. The present study aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude and practices of households regarding the management of household hazardous wastes in Amirkola, Mazandaran, Iran.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 330 households of Amirkola, Mazandaran, Iran in the summer of 2014. A researcher-made data collection form in accordance with the objectives of the study was used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of Iranian urban residents regarding the management of household hazardous wastes through observation of researchers and interview. The validity of the data collection form was confirmed by five faculty members of the Departments of Environmental Health and Community Medicine. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19, descriptive statistical indexes, T-test and Chi- square tests, and p The mean age of studied people was 39.1±10 years and 51.5% had high school and diploma degrees. In this study, 75%, 36.7% and 6.3% of households were good in the knowledge, attitude and practices, respectively. A major part of household hazardous wastes (78%) was the containers of disinfectants and detergents. 43.6% and 10.3% of households separated the household wastes and household hazardous wastes, respectively and no one recycled these wastes at home. 30% of households expressed that the lack of proper management of municipal on collecting the separated wastes as a major factor in the reluctance of them in waste separation. 86.7% of people need to get information about it.
Despite appropriate knowledge of surveyed households on different kinds of household hazardous wastes, most of them had no good attitude and practices and most of them did not separate and recycle the wastes. It is necessary to train the households because of the central role of families in improving the public and environmental health and their tendency to get information on the management of household hazardous wastes.

Background & Aims of the Study: Consumption of honey has remarkably increased in the last years all over the world. Factors such as plant species, environmental, processing, and storing condition are affecting honey quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluation of Hygienic quality of honey samples produced from Qazvin province.
34 fresh honey Samples were obtained from beekeepers from different regions of the alamut area in the period between June and November 2011. The microbial contamination (bacteria and fungi) was determined using conventional microbiological methods and the total aflatoxin was detected by “high performance liquid chromatography” (HPLC).
The results of microbial analysis showed that the aerobic mesophil bacteria count (50 cfu/g) and fungal count (1.5*102 cfu/g) were in low levels. However, coliforms were not detected in any of the honey sample. The most prevalent bacteria and fungi were Bacillus cereus and Aspergillus flavus respectively. Based on the HPLC method analysis, all of honey samples were contaminated whit aflatoxin and the mean concentration of aflatoxin was 3.67 ppb. Also the aflatoxin levels in 35% honey samples were higher than the maximum allowable amount of Europe Union (4 μg/kg).
According to the results, should have more control on the Hygienic quality of honey over the production, storage and supply periods in this area.

Background & Aims of the Study: Ground-Level Ozone (GLO) is the component of one of greatest concern that threatened human health in both developing as well as developed countries. The GLO mainly enters the body through the respiration and can cause decrements in pulmonary complications, eye burning, shortness of breath, coughing, failure of immune defense, decreases forced vital capacity, reduce lung function of the lungs and increase rate of mortality. Ahwaz with high emission air pollutants because of numerous industries is one of the metropolitan Iranian polluted. The aim of this study is evaluate to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and respiratory mortality related to GLO in the air of metropolitan Ahvaz during 2011.
We used the generalized additive Air Q model for estimation of COPD and respiratory mortality attributed to GLO pollutant. Data of GLO were collected in four monitoring stations Ahvaz Department of Environment. Raw data processing by Excel software and at final step they were converted as input file to the Air Q model for estimate number of COPD Cases and respiratory mortality.
According to result this study, The Naderi and Havashenasi had the highest and the lowest GLO concentrations. The results of this study showed that cumulative cases of COPD and respiratory mortality which related to GLO were 34 and 30 persons, respectively. Also, Findings showed that approximately 11% COPD and respiratory mortality happened when the GLO concentrations was more than 20 μg/m3.
exposure to GLO pollution has stronger effects on human health in Ahvaz. Findings showed that there were a significant relationship between concentration of GLO and COPD and respiratory mortality. Therefore; the higher ozone pollutant value can depict mismanagement in urban air quality.

Background & Aims of the Study: Ethylbenzene (EB) is a dangerously organic compound, which the presence of this pollutant in water solutions can be considered as an environmental and public health hazard. In this study, nano magnetic particles (Fe3O4) were used as an adsorbent to remove ethylbenzene from aqueous solutions.
The specification of the adsorbent was investigated by transmission electronic microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. A 4×4 factorial design including initial concentration of ethylbenzene, nano magnetic particles dose, contact time and pH were studied.
The results showed that the maximum ethylbenzene removal by nano magnetic particles was achieved in the following conditions; 100 mg.L-1, 2000 mg.L-1, 20 minutes and 8, in initial concentration, nano magnetic concentration, contact time and pH respectively. The most amounts of ethylbenzene adsorption and distribution ratio in optimum condition was 49.9 mg.g-1 and 261.9 l.g-1 respectively. The results demonstrated that the removal rate of ethylbenzene was higher in batch (99.8 %) rather than continuous (97.4%) condition.
The removal rate of ethylbenzene was higher in batch rather than continuous condition. The study of isotherm showed that adsorption data follow up linear isotherm. Comparing adsorption rate of NM particles and other adsorbents proved that Fe3O4, as a material with high capacity of adsorption can apply for removing ethylbenzene as an efficient and also cheap adsorbent.

Background & Aims of the Study: Accidents in water networks can lead to increase the uncounted water, costs of repair, maintenance, restoration and enter water contaminants to water network. The aim of this study is to survey the accidents of Qom rural water network and choose the right approaches to reduce the number of accidents.
In this cross-sectional study, four sector of Qom province (Markazi, Dastjerd, Kahak and Qahan), were assessed over a period of 8 months (July – January 2010). This study was conducted through questionnaire of Ministry of Energy.
The total number of accidents was 763. The highest number of accidents in the four sectors was related to Markazi sector with 228 accidents. According to the time of the accident, the highest and lowest number of accident was related to September (19.7%) and November (6.8%), respectively. According to the location of the accident on network, the highest and lowest number of accident was related to distribution network (64%) and connections (17.5%) and transmission pipe (18.34%), respectively. According to the type of the accident, the highest and lowest number of accident was related to breaking 47.8%) and gasket failure (1.2%), respectively. Considering with the pipes’ material, the highest and lowest number of accident was related to polyethylene pipes (93%) and steel and cast iron pipes (0.5%, 0.5%), respectively.
Due to the high break rate of Polyethylene pipes, it is recommended to be placed in priority of leak detection and rehabilitation.

Background & Aims of the Study: Industrial wastewater sludges must be disposed in a safe way because they have hazardous effects on the human and environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and disposal options of sludges from oil-water separator (OWS) and dissolved air flotation (DAF) clarifier of a Refinery wastewater treatment plant.
Sludge samples were collected in grab sampling manner¡ in 6 month (April-September 2013) in order to be analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics. Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z¡ independent t-test¡ Mann-Whitney U test¡ one sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis. Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines (CSQG) and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Soil Cleanup Target Levels (FDEPSCTLs) were used to discuss the disposal fate of the generated sludge.
As¡ Cd¡ Cu¡ Pb and Se were not detected in the studied sludge. As compared with CSQG¡ the investigated sludge were polluted for residential/parkland¡ agricultural¡ commercial and industrial applications¡ because they contained high concentrations of Cr¡ Ni and Zn. Also¡ according to FDEPSCTLs¡ the studied sludges were not suitable for residential and non-residential applications due to their high Al and Ni contents. DAF sludge had a high Zn concentration for residential application¡ too.
present sludge management in the studied plant needs to be revised because metals’ concentrations are above the international standards and guidelines.

Background & Aims of the Study: The increasing levels of toxic heavy metals discharged into the environment have received considerable attention due to the adverse effects on receiving waters. Therefore, the developed adsorbent was assessed for its practical role in removal of metal ions from industrial wastewater. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the removal of Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions by chitosan as an abundant and inexpensive adsorbent.
In this study, adsorption of metal cations onto this new adsorbent was studied in terms of pH (2.0-9.0), adsorbent dose (1.0-7.0 g), contact time (15-120 min) and initial dye concentration (100-800 mg.L-1) in batch mode. The experimental data were fitted with different isotherms and kinetics models.
The results demonstrated that the optimum pH was found to be 5.0 and 6.0 for Ni(II) and Zn(II) and the equilibrium was achieved after 75 and 60 min for Ni(II) and Zn(II) adsorption, respectively. Evaluation of the experimental equilibrium data by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm illustrated that Langmuir is superior to other model for fitting the experimental data in term of higher correlation coefficient. The results of examination of the time on experimental adsorption data and fitting the data to conventional kinetic model show the suitability of pseudo-second order model. The maximum predicted adsorption capacities for Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions were obtained as 52.6 and 45.4 mg.g−1, respectively.
The results indicate that the chitosan is one of the best adsorbents for the removal of metal cations from aqueous solution.

Background & Aims of the Study: Among the environmental pollutions, noise pollution, due to the potential physiological and psychological effects on humans, is of a particular importance. Exposure to noise can result in hearing loss in citizens. Health risks from noise associated with road traffic. Noise health effects are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. This study was conducted to evaluate the noise pollution and health effects due to near roadway in Ahvaz, Iran.
In this descriptive-cross sectional study, Equivalent sound pressure level was measured by sound level meters in 75 points in 4 roadways, which have high density of traffic in Ahvaz city during daytime. In them, at measuring stations, on 4 days of week, at three times totally 1038 measurements were recorded that including 6 parameters of traffic noise and each measurement was recorded for 30 minutes. SPSS software’s were applied for statistical analysis.
According to the research findings, the equivalent sound pressure levels in all stations were equal to 72.36±2.87 dB. Based on result of this study the highest noise health effects were the nervousness and sleep quality.
Based on the results of this study, increasing trends of traffic load there is an increasing need for proper consideration plans organizations.