مجله تحقیقات سلامت در جامعه
سال ششم شماره 3 (پاییز 1399)

The one of the most toxic of mycotoxins is ochratoxin A (OTA). The aim of this study was to measure OTA in some fruit products and estimate its carcinogenicity risk.

In this study, 102 samples of fruit products including peach fruit leather, apricot fruit leather, half-dried apricot, whole-dried apricot (Qaisi), dried plum and unpitted (bokhara) plum were sampled from Hamadan. The ochratoxin level of samples was determined by ELISA and carcinogenic risk was calculated. The limit of detection of Elisa kit was 0.5 µg/kg according to producer’s guideline.

The range of OTA in the samples was 3.92-7.22 μg/kg. Thirty-one samples out of 102 fruit product samples were contaminated with ochratoxin, contamination level in 4 samples exceeded Iran limit (10 μg/kg). There is a significant difference among mean OTA of samples (P < 0.05). The mean contamination value in all samples was significantly lower Iran standard (P < 0.05). Depending on the type of fruit product examined, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of ochratoxin in children and adults ranged from 3.36×10-5-4.35×10-4 and 4.70×10-5-6.09×10-4 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. By considering OTA concentration and per capita of fruit products, carcinogenicity risk though these products was low.

Totally, the mean OTA of fruit products was significantly lower than Iran standard limit (P < 0.05). In addition, based on the calculations of carcinogenicity assessment, it could say that OTA ochratoxin intake through the consumption of fruit products didn’t result in carcinogenic risk for consumers.

Diagnosis of cancer in children is considered a crisis for the family that causes some disturbances in quality of life of parents. One of the best strategies to improve the quality of life is resilience. Resilience refers to adaptation to diseases and stressors in life. Belief also plays an important role in social, psychological and resilience life. The present study was conducted to explain the relationship between religious beliefs and quality of life and resilience of mothers of children with cancer.

The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study is 123 mothers of children with cancer who referred to the cancer ward of Taleghani Hospital in Gorgan. Data were assessed using demographic information questionnaires, Connor & Davidson resilience questionnaire, Khodayari religiosity questionnaire and Witzner cancer caregiverschr (chr (chr(chr(chr ('39')39chr('39'))39chr(ch r('39')39chr('39')))39chr(chr(chr('39')39chr ('39'))39chr(chr('39') 39chr('39'))))39chr(chr(chr(chr('39') 39chr('39')) 39chr(chr('39')39chr ('39')))39chr (chr(chr('39') 39chr('39')) 39chr(chr ('39')39chr('39'))))) quality of life questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression. P <0.05 was considered as a significant level.

The results of Pearson correlation coefficient indicate that belief has a significant positive relationship with resilience, while there was no significant difference between belief and quality of life.

According to the findings, religious beliefs are an effective factor in the resilience of mothers of children with cancer; therefore, finding a way to develop useful clinical services and appropriate counseling programs to improve the quality of life of these mothers and their children is necessary.

About 30% of Iranchr(chr('39')39chr('39'))s population lives in rural areas. Management of rural waste is an important component in maintaining health. The aim of this study was to find out the status and problems of rural waste management and compare it with the past in one of the northwestern cities of the country.

The condition of waste management in 20 villages with health houses and a population of over 500 people was analyzed through field visits, checklist completion, interviews with village managers, and review of information from East Azerbaijan Health vice-chancellor.

All villages surveyed had a specific trustee for waste management. Compared to the indicators of 1389, all components related to waste management have been relatively improved. The existence of village manager (Dehyari) is quite effective. Waste collection is done twice a week in 20% and once a week in 25% of the villages at unspecified times. Therefore, the residents are forced to release it in the village, which leads to dispersal of waste and environmental pollution. The status of separation from source and recycling is not favorable. There are many problems in animal waste management, especially in villages without a master plan.

Although good progress has been made in the field of rural waste, but due to the existing problems, training village managers in the field of waste management and educating people as one of the main stakeholders on waste segregation and compost vermicompost production, can solve these problems.

Industries face different risks depending on the type of activity. To reduce the level of risk, risk identification and analysis, standard methods are very useful in reducing their occurrence, so the purpose of this study was to identify hazards and risk assessment using HAZAN method in one of the steel industries of Khuzestan province.

The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was carried out in 2018 in the  utilityof one of the steel companies in the south of Iran during 4 months.HAZAN risk assessment technique was used to assess the risk of occupations of the units. In this study, methods of direct observation of jobs, workerschr(chr(chr(chr('39')39chr('39'))39chr(chr('39')39chr('39')))39chr(chr(chr('39')39chr('39'))39chr(chr('39')39chr('39')))) experiences and interviews with officials and supervisors were used. Risks were classified as ranks 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the sense of unacceptable, undesirable, acceptable, provided they are controlled and acceptable, respectively.

The results showed that 1763 hazards were identified in the whole of the utility area.WTP1, Make UP and WTP2 areas are the most dangerous areas of the utility with 644, 410 and 395 hazards, respectively. Also, out of the total risks identified in the 7 units under study in the utility area, 4.6, 6.5, 28.9 and 60% are in the ranks of 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

At the end, solutions according to the results of risk analysis to reduce accidents caused by identified hazards are presented.

BTEX is one of the most important pollutants in organic compounds in paint compounds, the toxic effects of which are well known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to health risk assissment of exposure of the painting unit workers of a bicycle industry to BTEX compounds and to provide control solutions.

In this cross-sectional study, 48 personal exposure samples of workers during of two seasons of winter and spring were collected using NIOSH 1501 method from six sections of painting unit in a bicycle industry and then analyzed by GC-FID and their risk was estimated by EPA method.

The cancer risk of benzene and ethylbenzene in all sections was exceeded from the EPA acceptable criteria. The paint preparation cabin had the highest cancer risk, with  8.2 per 1,000 cases for benzene and with 1.2 per 1,000 workers for ethyl benzene. Non cancer risk of benzene in all sections, toluene in the primer paint cabin, polishing and finishing paint cabin and xylene in the paint preparation cabin and cascade painting exceeded the EPA criteria.

Due to the high level of cancer risk of benzene and ethylbenzene in all sections as well as the high non-cancer risk of BTEX compounds in some sections and in general due to the simultaneous presence of all vapors of BTEX, all sections of Paint unit need to improve the work environment such as engineering controls and modify work procedures.

Nowadays, traffic-induced air pollution factors are classified as destructive to the environment. Due to the increase in urbanization and the increasing growth of cars and transportation and movement of passengers and citizens between cities, scientific and practical studies on transportation systems with the intervention of mathematical science and intelligent systems, should move towards sustainable development and having a healthy air and transportation. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effect of traffic parameters on air pollution of suburban roads in the Sari-Qaemshahr road in Mazandaran province with respect to atmospheric variables and ozone pollution.

In this study, ozone pollutant concentrations were analyzed and modeled the Sari-Qaemshahr road. The study was conducted to determine the factors affecting the concentration of pollutants based on traffic and climate statistics and the relationship between traffic variables, average speed, rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed and finally their relationship with air pollution. Then, by using SPSS 16 software and based on the regression method, a model was presented that will be able to estimate the concentration of ozone pollutant on suburban roads with appropriate accuracy for the coming years.

According to the proposed model for ozone pollutants, among the available variables, temperature, traffic volume and wind speed have the greatest impact on ozone pollutants. Also, the results obtained from the validation show the success rate of the model in estimating pollution. In this study, the level of regression significance was above 95%. Also, the 90% data contribution rate for ozone pollutants in the model has been very favorable.

According to the results, modeling by regression method and using Spss software is a suitable method for estimating ozone pollutants. The proposed model can control and manage pollution emissions in road design and construction.

Lice infestation is one of the most common parasitic infections that have a considerable hygienic importance. Epidemiological studies can determine the status of inestation and determine its relationship with environmental factors. Adequate humidity and high population density have provided a suitable environment for lice population increase in Mazandaran province. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of pediculosis in Mazandaran province from 2012 to 2020.

In this descriptive-analytical study, the frequency of pediculosis and the population of Mazandaran province were collected from health network of Mazandaran province during 2012 to 2020. Then, the results of the collected data were analyzed separately by gender, age and location variables using Poisson regression test.

history of people referring to the health network of Mazandaran province, showed the frequency of pediculosis infestation 243487 cases during 2012 to 2020. The highest level of infection was observed in 2015 (1.61%). Pediculosis was 5.6 times more common in females (P < 0/05) and 2.1 times more common in rural areas than in urban areas (P < 0/05). The highest rate of infection was in the age group of 6-12 years old.

The results show that age, gender and residential areas are major variables of pediculosis. Therefore it is highly suggested to concentrate on these important variables for prevention and control of pediculosis.

Legionella is a Gram-negative bacterium that is present worldwide in natural and man-made water sources such as hospital water distribution networks and causes two types of Legionnaires and Pontiac fever. The aim of this study was to review the of effect of biological and environmental factors on legionella growth in the water distribution networks of hospitals.

In this study, the databases of PubMed,Scopus, SID, Magiran, Web of Science, IranDoc and google scholar were searched and related articles from 2001 to 2020 were reviewed.

Symbiosis of Legionella with other bacteria in biofilm and the presence of amoebae increases Legionella growth. For each increase in iron and manganese concentration, the chances of Legionella presence increase 1.22 and 3.3 times, respectively. By increasing the concentration of zinc by 1 mg/l, the density of Legionella is increased by 17% and concentrations of zinc greater than 200 g/l and less than 100 g/l are considered inhibitory. Increasing the concentration of copper by 1 mg/l reduces the density of Legionella by 7%. The optimum temperature for growing Legionella is 35⁰C.

Amoebae and biofilm structure, metal ions, temperature and pH affect the persistence and growth of Legionella and finding complete information about these factors can be useful in future studies, better design and construction of hospital water distribution network and provide a suitable solution to control this bacterium.