Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Spring 2020

The present study aimed to evaluate the health risk of heavy metals (iron, zinc, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, lead, and mercury), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the workplace in a secondary oil re-refining factory. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, samples were collected and analyzed using the NIOSH 1501 method at eight sampling points with determined concentrations of BTEX, 16Ʃ PAHs, and heavy metals. The concentration of each pollutant was evaluated based on the type of workers (packaging/filtration). The risk assessment of the contaminants was carried out using the RAIS software, and the risk of non-carcinogenic compounds was estimated based on the reference respiratory concentration (mg/m3). The results showed that the lifetime cancer risk index (LCR) cumulative risk of the heavy metals was within the definitive risk range at all the sampling points. The highest carcinogenic risk of LCR belonged to arsenic at sampling point H (filtration chamber), and the highest cumulative carcinogenic risk of the total contaminants in the environmental sampling points belonged to sampling point H. At all the sampling points, the LCR carcinogenic risk accumulation for the hydrocarbon compounds was within the definitive range. The maximum cumulative lifetime cancer risk for the hydrocarbon compounds was evaluated in filtration (point B), and the most hazardous carcinogens were arsenic, benzo(a)pyrene, and naphthalene. The proposed risk assessment method was observed to be comprehensive, and its results could be used for corrective and controlling measures and the prioritization of risk reduction resources.

Waterborne cryptosporidiosis in river water is considered to be an important source of Cryptosporidium oocysts in most developing countries across the world. In the present study, 20 water samples were collected from Zarjoob and Goharrood rivers contaminated with wastewater in the province of Guilan, Iran. The samples were filtrated through a membrane filter (pore size: 1.2 μm), then the sucrose clarification and molecular genotyping methods were also carried out. In total, 12 out of 20 water samples were positive for Cryptosporidium species based on the 18S RNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing techniques. In addition, C. parvum, C. muris, C. homnis, and C. canis were detected in the water samples studied. According to the results, river water resources were polluted with the pathogenic species of Cryptosporidium with human and animal sources, which increased the potential risk of waterborne cryptosporidiosis. Moreover, the long-term use of sewage-contaminated river water to irrigate crops and agriculture farms could be a major threat to local residents.

Tuyserkan plain is an important agricultural plain located in Hamadan province, Iran. Despite the severe decline of the water levels in aquifers, the quality of the plain has not been evaluated in recent years. The present study aimed to analyze the data of 15 wells during 12 years to evaluate the quality of groundwater in this area using the Wilcox diagram for the aquifer. The electrical conductivity (EC) of the plain was interpolated using the Kriging method to evaluate its spatial distribution since this parameter has caused a decline in the quality of the groundwater in the plain. According to the findings, the EC value was higher in the eastern parts of the plain and Tuyserkan city, which was described as the spatial distribution of the parameter. The Pearson's correlation-coefficient was used to assess the correlations between EC and other parameters. To predict and model the EC value, multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) were used. According to the results of the Pearson's correlation-coefficient, the reduced number of the data led to the decreased expenditures of the experiments in obtaining the input data. The third model was finally obtained with the lowest number of the input parameters, low error, and high correlations between the predicted and actual data. In this model, two input parameters and five neurons were obtained in a hidden layer (R: 0.997, mean: 8.634, NRMSE: 0.05) using the momentum and hyperbolic tangent functions, indicating the high potential of MLP-ANNs in the prediction and modeling of groundwater quality.

Recently, floods have become a severe environmental issue in the Iran due to climate change. Several studies have indicated that ensemble flood forecasting based on numerical weather predictions could provide an early warning with extended lead time. The floods during 1992-2013 showed that Hamedan Province is a high-risk area in Iran due to various causes, such as the harvesting and uncovering of farms, high intensity of precipitation, land and soil quality, and land slope. The present study aimed to identify the infleuntial factors in flood based on their scoring in terms of the influence intensity in recognized flooded areas. According to the results, the north (Kabudar Ahang), northeast (Razan), and south and southwest of the studied area (Nahavand) were high-risk regions in Hamedan Province. In addition, the causes of floods varied in different regions of the province, and Hamadan province is flooded in different areas due to various causes.

Concerns are mounting over the health risks associated with the use of harmful pesticides to control crop pests. In this study, the salad vegetables and soil samples from three farms in Lagos, Nigeria were evaluated for organochlorine pesticide residue concentrations using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eighteen organochlorine pesticides were detected in the vegetable and soil samples. In Idi-Araba farm, α-BHC had the highest concentration (0.06±0.07 mg/kg) in lettuce shoots, Endosulfan I had the highest concentration (0.29±0.26 mg/kg) in spring onion. P, P-DDE and L-cyhalothrin had the highest concentrations (0.08±0.03 and 0.08±0.08 mg/kg, respectively) in spinach shoots. In Tejuosho farm, L-cyhalothrin, PF-38, and chlorothalonil had the highest concentrations (0.50±0.71, 0.13±0.07, and 0.03±0.01 mg/kg, respectively) in lettuce shoots, spring onions, and spinach, respectively. In Alapere farm, Endosulfan I had the highest concentration (0.03±0.02 mg/kg) in lettuce shoots, Aldrin had the highest concentration (0.02±0.01 mg/kg) in spring onion shoots, and L-cyhalothrin had the highest concentration (0.04±0.05 mg/kg) in spinach shoots. The concentrations of these pesticides were higher than the maximum residual limit prescribed by the European Union (EU) Commission. Moreover, the hazard index (HI) calculated for spring onion and spinach from Idi-Araba farm and lettuce from Tejuosho farm exceeded one (HI>1). These results may be a reflection of what obtains in other countries where harmful pesticides are still being used. Therefore, governments and stakeholders should raise awareness to discourage farmers from the use of organochlorines and other harmful pesticides.

The negligence of health regulations in the preparation of the foods, services, and sanitary and welfare facilities provided in religious borders could increase the risk of waterborne infectious intestinal diseases. Therefore, the continuous monitoring and control of health indicators is essential in mourning borders. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on the Mawkebs of Shalamcheh border (n=267). In total, 186 samples were evaluated in terms of the microbial quality of water, and 66 samples were evaluated in terms of the microbial quality of food. The studied parameters in drinking water included the residual free chlorine, pH, turbidity, total coliform, and fecal coliform, and the studied parameters in foodstuffs included the total count and fecal coliform (Escherichia coli). According to the findings, these indicators were appropriate in terms of accommodation hygiene and preparation and distribution of crew hygiene by 99.9%. On the other hand, there were zero cases where the food sampling results were undesirable for the measurement of the total count and fecal coliform. The number of the contaminated water samples was 46 (24.7%) out of 186 water samples. Therefore, the proper implementation and continuous control of health instructions seem critical for these borders, and it is suggested that special regulations and indicators be enacted for the crew in charge, so that they would attend training courses, obtain medical examination cards, and practice personal hygiene.

Dyes are considered to be important pollutants in different industries (e.g., textile) and contain various organic materials with complicated structures. These compounds are mainly carcinogenic and toxic and less biodegradable when discharged into the environment. The present study aimed to investigate the performance of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified by chitosan and EDTA in the removal of Direct Blue 15 dye from aqueous solutions. MWCNT was synthesized and characterized using the BET, zeta potential, DLS, SEM, and FTIR techniques. The effects of key parameters including pH, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration, and contact time were also evaluated. The experimental data of the adsorption process were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich models. With the increased contact time, the removal efficiency of the dye improved, while the increased pH, initial dye concentration, and adsorbent dose led to the reduced dye removal efficiency. With the optimum values of pH (=7), contact time (60 min), adsorbent dose (0.5 g/L), and initial dye concentration (60 mg/L), the maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 114.42 mg/g. According to the results, the adsorption process using the modified MWCNT followed the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics.

Several chemicals are used in the labrotaies of universies for teaching and research activities, and lack of awareness regarding their toxicity and safety may be hazardous to the health of staff and students. The present study aimed to identify the chemicals used in the academic and research laboratories of Golestan University of Medical Sciences in the north of Iran and classify them based on human health and environmental hazards. Data were collected through the observation of the chemicals in the laboratory and via interviews with the laboratory manager during March-August 2019. Hazard classification and risk description were performed using based on the guidelines of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The results indicated 408 chemicals, five, eight, and 12 of which belonged to groups one (carcinogenic to humans), 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans), and 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans), respectively based on the IARC guidelines. Additonally, three, two, and 15 chemicals had compounds with the capablity of severe flammability, reactivity, and health hazard, respectively based on the NFPA guidelines. The presence of hazardous chemical compounds such as benzene, chloroform, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, diethyl ether, and picric acid revealed that medical science laboratories may be hazardous to the health of the staff, faculty members, and students if not properly managed. Therfore, the design and implementation of comprehensive programs are essential to the risk management of chemicals in academic laboratories.