Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume:9 Issue: 4, Autumn 2021

Investigating human health during work significantly affects society's safety and efficiency. Different types of activity, including industrial, constructional, heavy-duty ones, etc., affect workers' health during their workouts. In this study, the Multi-Objective Decision-Making (MODM) method was combined with fuzzy TOPSIS to investigate and optimize the air pollution risk affecting the health and safety of construction workers of Lar City, Fars Province Iran.

The comparison matrices (binary) and the Phillips–Perron test of different criteria and sub-criteria of health risk, including safety view, safety efficiency, understanding the risk, and risk investigation, were assessed to find the most influential factors for the optimization of the health risk of the workers.

Accordingly, the results indicated that "understanding the risk" followed by "safety efficiency" affected the health risk of the construction workers the most. However, among the sub-criteria, the most effective ones were "worker knowledge," "manager knowledge," "specialized logistic managers," "modern facilities," and "modern technology." The linear and non-linear models were selected according to the F values, and the model parameters were estimated using the Newton-Raphson test. Most coefficients were significant at P=0.99. The model also has a high describing value of 0.97. The final estimated homogeneity coefficient was equal to 1.31, and it ranged from 0.86 to 2.72 for the critical risk investigation. The significance of the present research is to increase the health and safety of workers during work resulting in a more sustainable and healthier environment.

Accordingly, the managers could handle the risks, determine the tolerable risks, indicate the risk of each process to control expenses, and take the essential measures for optimization.

One of the most important problems in the safe management of healthcare wastes is in decentralized centers that there are different methods for it in IRAN. The aim of this study was to compare and prioritize different methods of collection and decontamination of healthcare waste in decentralized health centers in Iran.  

In a descriptive-analytical study, various methods of collecting and decontaminating the healthcare waste of decentralized healthcare centers in Iran in terms of administrative, health, economic and environmental have been studied by a questionnaire. Also the opinions and the preferences of experts for selecting each method were collected and analyzed.

The results show that health issues had the highest priority for decontamination of waste from decentralized health centers according to environmental health experts. Collection by special vehicles with the help of the private sector and transfer to centralized disinfection centers is the best method of collecting waste (33%). Also, decontamination by autoclave was the most desirable method (56%) of decontamination and, in their opinion, the method of landfilling is the most harmful and autoclave / hydroclave is the least harmful to the climate and soil. Since the health aspect was the most important priority in waste management of decentralized healthcare centers (54%) were considered by environmental health experts.

Autoclave after collection at centralized location is the most appropriate way to decontaminate this type of waste. It is suggested that further studies be conducted on modern collection and disinfection systems along with localization and determination of workplace health policies.

This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of heavy metals bound to airborne particulate matter (PM) in high-traffic districts of Tehran and to determine the carcinogenic risk and hazard quotient (HQ) of these metals through a descriptive-applied method.

Six indoor/outdoor stations were established in three high-traffic districts. Each station was sampled (n = 36) with six replicates in winter 2018. After extraction of the metals from fiberglass filters by acid digestion based on the ASTM method, the concentrations of heavy metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) device. The human health risk was evaluated according to the U.S. EPA standard method. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using Spearman correlation and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

Districts 2, 3, and 15 were the most high-traffic areas of Tehran, respectively. Average heavy metal concentrations were in order of Al > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cr > As > Ni > Cd, which were significantly different in indoor and outdoor environments. The correlations between heavy metal concentrations, carcinogenic risk, and HQ were significant in all three districts (p<0.05). Mean carcinogenic risk variables, HQ levels, and heavy metal concentrations in all three regions were in the order of districts 15 > 2 > 3, and outdoors > indoors.

Based on the results, serious measures are recommended to control traffic congestion in Tehran for the prevention of cancer risk and other health hazards caused by heavy metal bonded TSP (Total Suspended Particulate Matter).

Visible light of short wavelength (blue light) can cause a damage to the retina cells, called blue light hazard. In order to protect the retina, permissible exposure limits have been determined by ICNIRP and other health and safety agencies, which includes complex physical concepts and their evaluation requires light measuring instruments equipped with blue light hazard function filter which is not available at the moment in developing countries. This study aims to assess retinal blue light hazard using the correlated color temperature of LED light sources.

In this study, a new method was proposed for evaluating the retinal blue light hazard using only the correlated color temperature of LED light sources for which concern on blue light hazard has currently been reinforced. In the proposed method, the radiometric quantity (blue light effective radiance) in W.m-2.sr-1 was converted to the corresponding photometric quantity (blue light effective luminance) in lm.m-2.sr-1, and then a computer code was developed for calculations.

The estimated permissible exposure times applying the new photometry approach was highly reliable and supported by the literature. The proposed method is particularly useful because it eliminates the need to utilize any light measuring device.

The new approach makes the concept of blue light hazard very simple and understandable for all specialists dealing with optical radiation safety.

Today, soil pollution with heavy metals and petroleum compounds is one of the main environmental problems. This research was done to investigate the effect of drought stress, soil salinity, piriformospora indica (P.indica) and MWCNs on bio-degradation of diesel oil in the soil that contaminated with Pb and Cd under cultivation of triticale plant. Treatments consisted of applying MWCNs (2% (W/W)) in the Pb and Cd polluted soil that was simultaneously polluted with diesel oil (0, 5 and 10 % (W/W)) and the plants used in this study was inoculated with P.indica. After 70 days, plants were harvested and plant and soil Cd were measured using AAS. In addition, the degradation percentage of diesel oil in soil was determined. Soil application of MWCNs at the rate of 2 % (W/W) significantly increased the bio-degradation of diesel oil in the soil in the drought and salinity (6 dS/m) stress by 11.3 and 15.6%, respectively. In addition plant inoculation with P.indica significantly increased the bio-degradation of diesel oil in the soil by 12.3%. For salinity (6 dS/m) and drought stress, it was increased by 8.3 and 9.4%, respectively. In addition, the Pb and Cd concentration was decreased by 14.3 and 12.8, respectively, when the MWCNs was added to the soil (2 % (W/W)). Soil application of MWCNs (2 % (W/W)) and plant inoculation with P.indica not only increased the bio-degradation of diesel oil, but also decreased the plant Pb and Cd concentration that is a positive point in the environmental studies.

Population growth, the presence of numerous factories and a large number of vehicles are considered as the main sources for environmental pollution and heavy metals in Arak Industrial City. A total of 30 samples of heavy metals including, Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd) in surface soils were taken from a depth of 0-20 cm and measured using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) (PG990 Model). The results showed that the mean concentration of all heavy metals except As had a higher average of the background (baseline) values in the world. Heavy metals As and Zn were non-contaminated based on Igeo indices. As the results of this index for heavy metals Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr and Cd indicated the presence of contamination and their accumulation in surface soils. All samples had high level of contamination in terms of NIPI index. The TEF index of heavy metals Ni, Cr, Pb and Cu was higher than other metals. That illustrates geochemical behavior and similar origin of anthropogenic sources for these metals. RI's potential ecological risk for high risk and extremely high risk metals indicated a high level and of non-cancerous evaluation of health showed that heavy metals Cr and Pb had non-cancer effect on children. HI risk index values were in all heavy metals for children than adults. Also, the results of evaluation of carcinogenic health risks showed that the risk of chromium carcinogenicity for children creates a serious health threat to children and adults.

In order to fundamentally solve the critical environmental problems, macro and infrastructural perspectives of rational development should be designed in accordance with the rules of environmental protection. Constructing the proper performance measurement systems in every kind of otganizations has had the promising interest in university studies and many researchers have followed it. This research intends to compare and rank four evaluation performance models for using in gas refineris. To achieve a desired model in this study, the main method is grounded theory. The statistical population of research was created by 20 professionals and HSE managers of gas refineries who had experience and skills. The normal score was estimated on the basis of the weight obtained from AHP to apply the TOPSIS process and prioritize the models. The pairwise comparison matrix of four research models including the balanced scoring card, European foundation for quality management business excellence model, Iran national quality award, and environmental performance evaluation depicted that the geometric mean of the evaluation criteria includes the capablity to quantify qualitative data for environmental performance, facilitating, efficient impelementing, structuring, as well as mapping a roadmap of organization maturity to select an environmental performance estimated 1.22, 0.90, 0.95, and 0.96, respectively. Also, normal weights of these four criteria are estimated 0.3039423, 0.2242449, 0.2347026, and 0.2371102, respectively. The findings resulting from prioritizing the organization's environmental performance evaluation (EPE) models based on TOPSIS depicted that the suggested model with a relative proximity to 99% is the first priority of EPE for the gas refinery.

The purpose of this study was to investigated the performance of enhanced Modified Ludzack Ettinger Process - Oxic Settling Anaerobic Process (MLE-OSA) for treating real municipal wastewater in Sari Wastewater Treatment .To combine Oxic Settling Anaerobic Process technique with MLE system, the sludge holding tanks (SHT) were implemented in the return sludge line of designed pilot studies which comprise: 1) MLE which was regarded as the control system similar; 2) MLE-OSA4 with a 70-liter SHT operated at four-hour hydraulic retention time (HRT); 3) MLE-OSA6 with a 107-liter SHT operated at six-hour HRT. To start up the process, the overflow effluent of the primary settling tank of Sari Wastewater treatment plant was used. After a period of 45-60 days, the reactors reached a steady state. "Parameters including Dissolved oxygen (DO), Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), Temperature, pH, Chemical oxygen demand (COD), Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), Total suspended solids (TSS), and nutrients were analyzed." The results revealed that the average TSS, COD, BOD, phosphorus, nitrite, nitrate, and total nitrogen in MLE-OSA4 effluent decreased 20.1, 14.6, 2.97, 10, 51.1, 19.3, and 20,7% in comparison to MLE, respectively. Similarly, in MLE-OSA6, the values decreased 34.2, 16.1, 14.6, 16.7, 69.6, 31.3, and 25.8 %, respectively with regard to the control process. Therefore, by using real wastewater, the enhanced MLE-OSA process showed a better performance on removal of the study parameters and better quality for the effluent. Furthermore, the quality of effluent is in accordance with the standards of Iran Department of Environment (IDE).