Archives of Hygiene Sciences
Volume:12 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

This research was conducted with the aim of assessing the health risk and ecological risk of heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel in agricultural lands of Khuzestan province in 2018.

Sampling of 3 farms in each city and 5 points with 3 replications was performed. A plot with dimensions of 10 × 10 m was considered in the field and four soil samples were taken from four corners of the plot and one sample from its center was taken from a depth of 0-030 cm and finally a composite sample was obtained.

The average amount of cadmium, nickel and lead in the soil of Baghmalek, Shavar and Shushtar counties was 5.04, 83.44 and 312.64 ppm, respectively. The mean values of cadmium and nickel in the soil of the studied farms were higher than the global average, but the lead in the soil of the study areas was lower than the global average. The ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil showed that the farms of Baghmalek and Shavor cities had a very high ecological risk and the city of Shushtar had a severe ecological risk.

According to the calculation of pollution indicators, the soil of Baghmalek, Shavor and Shushtar farms are contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel and have a human origin. In this study, the risk index of heavy metals was less than 1, only in the case of lead metal in children the absorption by ingestion was higher than 1. The Metal Cancer Risk Index also showed that nickel metal has a carcinogenic potential for children.

The large-scale production and extensive utilization of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in numerous industries have raised significant concerns among environmentalists. The objective of this study was to assess the toxicity and environmental impact of functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) on the halophilic green alga Dunaliella salina.

The present work evaluated the effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) functionalized with carboxyl and amine groups (as representatives of NTs with negative and positive surface charges, respectively) on photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll), cell proliferation, and some oxidative stress indicators, including lipid peroxide, protein carbonyl, and hydrogen peroxide content, in a strain of halophilic green algae native to Iran.

The findings indicated that the presence of NTs did not have a notable impact on the levels of chlorophylls a and b, as well as the intracellular hydrogen peroxide levels in algae. However, when examining cell density, it was observed that CNTs exhibited varying degrees of toxicity, particularly at high concentrations and during the logarithmic growth phase of the algae. The results confirmed that the inhibition of alga growth is influenced by the type of functional group. When carboxyl-functionalized SWCNT was used, there was no alteration in the lipid peroxidation (LPX) level at any examined NT concentration. However, when carboxyl-functionalized MWCNT was employed, the level of LPX was consistently lower than the control. On the other hand, amine-functionalized CNTs demonstrated a significantly increasing impact on LPX at high concentrations. Although both functionalized forms of SWCNT can increase the levels of protein carbonyl in algal cells, MWCNTs have no significant effects on cell protein carbonylation.

The results suggest that at concentrations less than 10 mg/L, the anti-stress properties of carboxyl-functionalized CNTs outweigh their cytotoxic properties. Furthermore, SWCNTs have a higher potential for inducing protein carbonylation compared to MWCNTs, regardless of the type of functional group.

The burden of tobacco smoking is known worldwide. In a high percentage of preventable cancers, respiratory diseases are attributed to smoking. This study aimed to investigate the relationship and the effect of different variables on smoking prevention behaviors among students in southwest Iran in 2022 by the regression analysis.

The current study is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in two phases. In the first phase of the study, demographic and contextual information questionnaires, a questionnaire based on the health belief model, and a questionnaire related to smoking prevention behaviors were used to collect data. To this end, 120 students from different undergraduate programs at Payame Noor University in Ahvaz were randomly selected. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software version 16 via central indicators, dispersion, and multiple linear regression tests.

The results showed that the perceived barriers dimension (beta = 0.168, P value = 0.038) and action guide (beta = 0.235, P value < 0.001) have a significant effect on prevention behaviors. According to the reported coefficients, a one-unit increase in perceived barriers and action guidelines, 0.168 and 0.235 units, respectively, increased the number of prevention behaviors.

It is possible to exert a positive effect on the prevention of smoking among students by properly educating students’ parents. Paying attention to these recommendations can increase the probability of students’ understanding of the prevention of smoking.

Based on reported evidence of an outbreak incidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Qom province, this study aimed to evaluate the environmental risk factors in the outbreak of avian influenza infection in this province to provide essential data for developing effective interventions in infection control.

The cross-sectional method was predicted and implemented in two specific phases. In the primary phase of the study, the necessary criteria were extracted using a questionnaire. In another part of the study, the characteristics and spread of the infection in Qom province were evaluated by DotMapper software.

From a total of 175 investigated farms, 95 farm units (54%) were infected and were positive for AI. The results showed that at least one of the environmental risk factors was not controlled in 86% of laying poultry farms and 66% of broiler poultry farms, according to the questionnaire. The findings of statistical analyses for the evaluation of environmental risk factors affecting AI infection in poultry farm units indicate that sanitary land disposal of infected poultry carcasses, waste and manure of birds (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02), complete quarantine and installation of warning signs in contaminated areas (OR = 0.55), the existence of facilities and performance decontamination, as well as the use of effective disinfectants for the disinfection of ventilators, disinfection of poultry vehicles, and equipment and manure of birds (OR = 0.33) have a considerable association with AI infection on poultry farms in Qom province.

Our findings revealed that control and monitoring of environmental risk factors as part of an effective surveillance system for the AI virus are key processes for the propagation and contribute to the spread of the infection.

The quality of drinking water includes the microbial, chemical and physical parameters of water, and non-standard values of these parameters cause water pollution. Water improvement has a direct relationship with the reduction of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to Investigating and determining the critical points Ahvaz drinking water.

This descriptive sectional study was done during 2019 to 2022 (3 years). Tests and monthly reports are based on the methods listed in the method standard were collected directly from distribution network drinking water in Ahvaz drinking water. Statistical analysis, including the one-sample t-test was used to compare the average with the standard level. The significance level was 0.05 used by SPSS version 22 software in all analyses.

result of this study, out of 172 cases, the cause of the crisis is due to broken water pipes, 62 cases are in the west region and 110 cases are in the east region. Based on result, out of 22 cases, the cause of the crisis is due to the lack of sewage overflow in 1 case in the western region and 21 cases in the eastern region. In total, there is a significant difference in the occurrence of crisis causes in the water network between the east and west regions of Ahvaz, and the east region (86.4% of crisis cases) has a higher percentage of crisis causes than the west region of Ahvaz (13.6%). from crisis cases) is included.

In general, the best way to guarantee the quality of drinking water, reduce incidents and record critical cases in the drinking water distribution network is to implement a comprehensive management system with the cooperation of all relevant organizations. The new approach of the World Health Organization (WHO) to achieve this goal is to implement the water safety program.

Storage tanks for crude oil and petroleum products are always prone to various accidents such as fire and explosion. Depending on the volume and content of these tanks, these incidents can lead to environmental consequences. Ahvaz oil field is considered the third largest oil field in the world with many storage tanks. The present research was conducted to evaluate the emission of greenhouse gases caused by the fire of strategic diesel tanks in the Shahid Almasi field and provide an environmental management plan based on the McKinsey method in 2022.

In this descriptive-analytical study, the risks of fire and tank explosion accidents were identified and evaluated in the field based on the hazard analysis and operation management (HAZOP) method. The technical information on the reservoirs was obtained from the National Iranian South Oil Company. The emission coefficients of the main greenhouse gases (CO2, CO, CH4, and N2O) were based on the OAQPS standard, and the global warming potential was calculated in the scenarios according to Flessa et al. Then, the McKinsey 7S method was used to evaluate the state of environmental management. The validity and reliability of the McKinsey Questionnaire were assessed by the content method and Cronbach’s alpha method, respectively, using SPSS 19.

The explosion of strategic fuel tanks due to an attack, wall decay, and human error with priority of 200, 168, and 120 were the most important risks of fuel storage. The results of the greenhouse gas emissions analysis due to accidents showed that the total global warming potential (GWP) for the fire of diesel tanks in the Koreyt Camp of Ahvaz is 8 277 143 kg of CO2 equivalent. The results of a gap analysis by the McKinsey method also revealed that the lowest average score was related to the strategy dimension (3.67), and the highest efficiency was related to the system dimension (4.82).

The occurrence of an accident for diesel storage tanks in the Koreyt Camp complex in the Ahvaz oil field led to significant environmental effects such as the release of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Recently, laccase has drawn the attention of researchers and manufacturers due to its various applications in different industries such as the pulp industry, bioremediation, food industry, and medical product industry. This eco-friendly enzyme is one of the leading enzymes of the multicopper oxidase family that has shown incredible ability to remove pollutants like antibiotics from wastewater and nature. This review aims to introduce the laccase enzyme and its history, explain its chemical features, and describe its constituent resources. Finally, this paper discusses its applications, especially the removal of antibiotics from wastewater with the help of syringaldehyde (SA) and hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT). In this research, basic and comprehensive information about laccase enzyme and their applications has been presented by reviewing numerous articles. These articles were searched using relevant keywords. Moreover, schematic diagrams, pictures, and tables were used to describe the data in the paper. Laccase treatment with SA in an enzymatic membrane reactor is one of the feasible solutions for removing antibiotics from wastewater, which showed the elimination of 32 different antibiotics. Laccase is a good choice for industrial applications and decontamination of antibiotics. This enzyme shows tolerance to industrial thermal conditions, hence its broad applications in the decolorization of textile dye and paper industries.