Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume:2 Issue: 3, Summer 2014

This study focuses on identifying source and frequency of noise pollution in Yazd, Iran. For data collection, we used two approaches: First we selected 55 monitoring stations for 122 km grid network; the distance between two stations was 2 km. Then, at the same time, we measured the sound pressure level (SPL) at main roads; the distance between two monitoring stations in this case was 1 km. After collecting data required, noise map of each collection and composite map were provided using ArcGIS software in geographic information systems environment. It was founded that the maximum noise pollution was created by vehicles in Yazd. The map based on 2 km network showed that 99% of residential areas were exposed to noise pollution. Composite map showed that 56% of Yazd lands were exposed to noise pollution. In addition, other activity zones such as university, administrative and commercial were in critical pollution conditions. Moreover, due to the surrounding sources such as airport and industries, the SPL in the western and eastern parts of the city was too much, so that it is a limiting factor resulted in the city development most properly toward those parts. We propose a project to define the impact of industrial noise pollution on residential land in the eastern and western parts of the city. Nevertheless, due to the high pollution levels in the city center and because of existence of uses such as bazaar in historic area of the town, residential areas, some small shops and major hospitals of the city, the pollution and exposure must be reduced.

The purpose of this study was to monitor the concentrations of mercury in the edible muscle, gill, liver, and skin of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), in the Sanandaj Gheshlagh Reservoir, Iran. Mercury concentrations were assayed using Shimadzu AA 6600 atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and the results were given as µg/g wet weight. The level of mercury in organs of silver carp was higher than in common carp. Moreover, the highest and lowest level of mercury has been accumulated in the gill and skin organs respectively. The results showed that the maximum allowable fish consumption rate for an adult person with mean 71.5 kg body weight were 21 g/day base on g/day based on mercury levels. In conclusion, results showed that the mercury concentrations in the edible muscle of both fish species are below levels of concern for human consumption.

The most common used methods for water disinfection were chemicals like chlorine, ozonation, ultraviolet radiation, membrane processes, etc. Water disinfection using irradiation techniques is new in water treatment industry which has been developed recently. The aim of the present study was to investigate radio frequency (RF) efficiency for the inactivation of total coliform (TC), fecal coliform, and heterotrophic bacterial count of water pellets. Tap water samples were taken from School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and irradiated using hydropad device, steam KLEAR model S-38 (1.2 W and frequency of 120-200 kHz). Microbial concentration was measured in cycles 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 in 1 and 2 h contact time. Indicator bacteria were counted using plate count method and multiple fermentation tube technique. According to the microbial results, after 40 cycles and without chlorine residual, TC, fecal coliform, and heterotrophic bacteria were reduced by 86, 90, and 85%, while after 15 cycles and 0.8 mg/L chlorine residual, removal rate was 89, 91, and 89%, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that after 2 h of contact time, TCs, fecal coliforms, and heterotrophic plate count were reduced by 78.2, 80, and 60%, respectively. Although RF efficiency in water disinfection has not been studied, our findings suggested its possible use due to more than 75% efficiency. From the standpoint of practical use, more studies should be done, especially to find a fine synergist agent, determining power, frequency, and suitable contact time and also the method should be modified.

In this study, the efficiency of household reverse-osmosis system (HROS) with and without neutralizer accessory was investigated in both real and synthetic samples. The real samples were collected from rural and urban public drinking-water systems with and without primary refinery treatment. The selected areas were situated in the Kurdistan province, Iran. The HROS model RO100GPD with and without neutralizer accessory was used in all experiments to prevent effects of the membrane used, age of devices, and length of time in service. In order to assess sample quality, some more common physico-chemical analyses consisting of hardness, Ca2, Mg2, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, Cl-, Br-, SO42-, PO43-, NO3-, NO2-, and heavy metals were performed based on standard methods. The results indicate that HROS and neutralizer accessory have significant effects on the physico-chemical properties of feed water. However, the results indicate the instability of HROS output water quality, but they verify that this instability cannot reduce the output quality. Finally, results emphasize that HROS output water meets standard levels regardless of the input water quality and application of neutralizer accessory.

Fluoride is found in all water resources at different concentrations and drinking water is the major source of fluoride exposure. Thus, because of the adverse effect of fluoride in low and high concentrations, the evaluation of its content in drinking water is necessary. In the present study, the temporal variations and spatial distribution of fluoride concentrations in the drinking water of villages in Divandareh (Kurdistan, Iran) were determined. Thus, 30 villages were selected and 180 groundwater samples were taken in 2 dry and wet seasons in the year of 2013. The concentrations of fluoride and other anions were measured using the ion chromatography (IC) method. Geospatial analysis of the data was performed using the ArcGIS geographical information system (GIS) software. The results showed that the average fluoride concentration in drinking water ranged from 0.136 to 0.736 mg/l; 90.56% of samples had a concentration less than 0.50 mg F/l, and the rest had concentrations between 0.51 and 1.0 mg F/L. Based on the results of the nonparametric Wilcoxon test, a significant difference was found between the concentrations of fluoride in the two-stage sampling (P

In this laboratory scale study, impregnated almond shell activated carbon was used as adsorbent to investigate its feasibility for nitrate adsorption from aqueous medium. The effects of activated carbon dosage and contact time have been examined in batch experiments. Experimental data show that impregnated activated carbons by Fe0, Fe2 (SO4)3, and FeSO4 were more effective than virgin almond activated carbon in nitrate removal. The maximum nitrate removal was 70% and 10-15% for modified activated carbons and virgin activated carbon, respectively. These experiments were conducted at pH 6.2, 20 ºC, and initial concentrations of 20 mg/l nitrate-N. The increase in modified activated carbon dosages increased the removal of nitrate. The equilibrium time was found to be 30 min for modified activated carbons.

This study contributes to the improvement of low-cost biotechnology for wastewater treatment in constructed wetlands (CWs). Constructed wetlands are energy efficient engineered systems that mimic the treatment processes of natural wetlands, removing polluting organic matter, nutrients, and pathogens from water. The aim of this study was to investigate the advisability of the inoculation of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands with the enriched biomass of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria to enhance nitrogen removal. Contaminants removal in constructed wetlands occurs mainly due to the biological transformations caused by indigenous water-borne microorganisms. However, the role of different microbial mechanisms is still unknown. To estimate the role of the anammox process in wetlands the laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor planted with Juncus effusus was inoculated with enriched biomass of anammox bacteria and fed with synthetic wastewater containing ammonium-nitrogen as the main contaminant. In order to obtain the active enriched culture of anammox bacteria, an upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactor inoculated with activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was run. The reactor was fed with enrichment medium containing ammonium and nitrite in high concentrations. After 270 days of operation, nitrite was not found in measurable levels, the concentration of ammonium had slightly increased, and the concentration of nitrate in the reactor had significantly dropped compared to its level at the initial phase. The microbial association, which had developed in the enrichment reactor, allowed continuous removal of ammonium and nitrite. The anammox bacteria abundance in the reactor accounted for approximately 95% of total biomass.