Industrial Waste Management through Material and Energy Recovery: The Case of Hwange Power Station, Zimbabwe

The aim of this study was to examine industrial waste minimisation through material and energy recovery at Hwange Power Station in Zimbabwe. This project is significant in that it envisages the opportunities of boosting power output through the use of industrial waste management at international and national levels. Most industries in Zimbabwe are facing challenges in the sustainable waste disposal and the nation at large is experiencing severe power shortages. A detailed descriptive study was undertaken to analyse the potential of boosting power output whilst sustainably managing industrial waste. The research administered 200 questionnaires which are approximately 30% of the entire population directly involved in the core waste generating activities. Out of the 200 questionnaires that were administered, a total of 182 were completed and returned in time for data compilation giving a response rate of 88.5%. The qualitative and quantitative research designs were used with direct field observations, interviews and questionnaires as primary sources of data. Secondary data was acquired from existing literature to boost and support the research findings. The main findings of the research divulged the types and quantities of waste from power generation activities, the effectiveness of the current methods of waste management and the definitive degree of waste management through material and energy recovery at Hwange Power Station. The study also revealed that energy and material recovery are essential methods of industrial waste management as well as opportunities for boosting power output. It was therefore recommended that Hwange Power Station needs to consider investing in energy recovery to boost power output at the same time sustainably managing waste

Noise Exposure in Workplace and Mtabolic Syndrome; Are They related?

Several studies confirmed the association of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity and high body mass index (BMI) on hearing loss among the general population. We think that same with the general population, we might have same association among workers that exposed with noise exposure in their workplaces. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and noise-induced hearing loss among workers of the Iranian automobile industry. The present survey was performed on 606 workers of an Iranian automobile product factory. According to Noise exposure measurement, we divided workers into the noise-exposed (≥ 85 dB) and unexposed

A Study of The Potential Relationship between COVID-19 (Corona Virus) Daily Outbreak and Temperature Changes in Iran During March 2020

Climate is one of the most important structural factors on planet Earth and it is undoubtedly natural and all manifestations are at a wide range of levels. To recognize, control and adapt it, scientists have tried to improve life and well-being under various climatic conditions. Decreasing ambient temperatures can be common or annihilated by various diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between covid-19 (Corona virus) disease and temperature fluctuations in Iran during March 2020. This is, of course, a preliminary study, and further research may explore other aspects of the subject. The methodology applied was the chi-square statistic to evaluate the test of independence between the studied variables and linear regression analysis to find the possibility of the influence of temperature as an independent climatic factor in the increase or decrease of the number of patients. In case of failure of linear regression analysis, the quadratic fit estimation was used. Results of this study proved the slight significant correlation between the occurrence of Corona and the temperature changes in the study area during March 2020. Although the temperature element is considered to be an influential climatic factor in Corona-like diseases such as influenza or SARS, this study could not profoundly prove such a relationship. The prevalence of Corona in Iran can be affected by several other factors such as deficiency of medical equipment, the behavior of the Iranian people towards the epidemic and the spread of this virus, socio-political and cultural gatherings

Study on The Effect of Ammonium Hydroxide on Survival, Growth, Reproduction and Cocoon Hatching of Eisenia fetida

In this study, two chronic toxicity tests were conducted to assess, in vitro, the toxicity effect of ammonium hydroxide ‘AH’ on survival, growth, reproduction and cocoon hatching of Eisenia fetida worm. Adult earthworms and cocoons were exposed to an increasing AH concentration (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 5mg.g-1 of soil). Mortality, growth, cocoon production and juveniles’ emerging were measured over 56 days to determine LC50, EC50, NOECs and LOECs values. Moreover, the percentage of hatching success and number of juveniles emerging were recorded. For the first test, our results show that AH caused a high mortality rate, decrease of: biomass, cocoon produced and hatchlings emerging trend with increasing of the AH concentration and exposure time. The calculated LC50 after 28-d was 0.85 and 0.83mg.g-1 after 56-d. Otherwise, the obtained EC50 for biomass changes after 28-d and 56-d were 1.64 and 0.82mg.g-1, indeed, the EC50 of juveniles’ production was 0.82mg.g-1. The estimated NOEC value was similar for survival, growth and reproduction (0.5mg.g-1). Otherwise, AH has a toxic character on E. fetida cocoon hatchability, the estimated NOEC value of cocoon hatching success was 1mg.g-1

A Mini-Review for Causes, Effects and Preventive Measures of Choking Smog

Air pollution and its increasing hazards are growing issues in Pakistan. The main reason is over population and efforts to provide luxurious lifestyles to people. So, changes in economic growth result in ever-increasing fossil fuels consumption, deforestation, industrialization, construction and urbanization. The activities are responsible for the enhanced level of airborne particles and ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere that is resulting in low air quality especially in winter as compared to summer. Since the last few years, it was noticed in Lahore, Pakistan, that the ambient environment condition of the city is rapidly changing, particularly in winter. The sun rays are blocked out and result in smog. Smog is a combination of fog and smoke and an important secondary pollutant that reduces visibility and enhances various health issues. It particularly affects children and older people causing high risk diseases such as eye-watering, skin allergies and respiratory infections. Even though preventive measures are taken to control the effect of smog every winter, there is still a need to focus on the causes to control the prevailing problem of winter smog for betterment in the future. The present review will discuss smog’s history, sources, effects and preventive measures in Pakistan along with other countries

The Assessment of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Status and Its Determinants among Students of Iran University of Medical Sciences

Careful assessment of lifestyle status among students is a necessity for identifying lifestyle problems and, it is an essential prerequisite for more efficient planning and implementing health promotion interventions among them. This study performed to estimate the current status of a health-promoting lifestyle among students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was performed on 250 students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. By performing a proportional stratified random sampling method according to the number of students in each academic discipline, samples were chosen. The data gathering tool was a two-part questionnaire. The first part was related to demographic and socioeconomic information. The second part consisted of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 through descriptive and inferential statistics. The results were statistically observed as significant at p < 0.05. The mean score of health-promoting lifestyle was 124.36 ± 18.41. The highest mean score was for the nutrition dimension (23.67±4.91) and the lowest was for the physical activity dimension (15.08±5.16). This research showed that a statistical proper correlation was found between marital status and spiritual growth. Also, there was a relationship between academic discipline and health responsibility. Additionally, another statistical significant relationship between financial status and health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, spiritual growth, and stress management was observed. Since the status of a health-promoting lifestyle is not satisfactory, a wide range of planning and implementing health interventions are needed to improve the health-promoting lifestyle among the students

Frequency of Pneumoconiosis and Related Factors in Ceramic Workers Admitted between 2016 - 2018 to the Occupational Diseases Clinic of a University Hospital in Turkey

Accumulation of metals and dust may lead to pneumoconiosis in long-term workers in the ceramic industry. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pneumoconiosis and the affecting individual, occupational, medical, and socioeconomic factors in ceramic industry workers admitted to the clinic of the occupational disease of a university hospital. This cross-sectional study evaluated the medical records of 216 ceramic workers admitted to the Occupational Diseases clinic of a university hospital in Turkey, between May 2016 and June 2018. The sociodemographic characteristics, detailed occupational history, physical examination findings, respiratory function test results, and radiological results (chest x-ray and/or High-Resolution Computed Tomography-HRCT) of the workers were documented. Chest x-rays were evaluated by two occupational disease specialists with ILO pneumoconiosis certification. According to gender, 213 patients were male and 3 female. Pneumoconiosis was detected in 34 (11.1%) of the patients, all were male. There was a statistically significant correlation between total time of dust exposure and pneumoconiosis diagnosis (p=0.002). In total, 80.6% of patients were asymptomatic at presentation to the clinic. According to the evaluation of the standard chest radiography of the cases, most of the opacities were characterized as p (120, 55.6%) or q (13, 6.0%) and observed in mid and upper zones; 10 patients showed s opacity (4.6%) and 1 patient showed r opacity (0.5%). Spirometry results of the cases who were categorized according to the results of ILO radiological assessment were compared and no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p>0.05). When the HRCT results of 196 workers were evaluated, 142 cases (65.7%) were shown reticular opacity, 87 (40.3%) nodule, and 2 cases (0.9%) large opacity. These results emphasize the importance of conducting follow-up studies in workers exposed to respirable particles in the ceramic industry and reforming health policies related to pneumoconiosis

Analysis of Crop Production for Sustainable Food Security in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examines the issue of food security and the trend analysis of agricultural productivity in Kwara State, Nigeria. Agricultural data on maize, sorghum, rice, millet, yam and cassava were collected from Kwara State Agricultural Development Project (KWADP), Ilorin for a period of twenty-two years (1992-2013). Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation were used in data analysis. A standardized Anomaly Index was used to analyze fluctuation in crop yields. The semi-average method was used in the trend analysis of crop yield. The result of the descriptive statistics shows that the production of sorghum was heterogeneous. The Standardized Anomaly Index (SAI) revealed that the crop yields fluctuated around the long-term mean. Annual sorghum and rice yields vary positively from 1999 to 2002 while maize and yam vary negatively from 1995 to 2002 and 1997 to 2000 respectively. About 59.1% of the cassava yields fall below the long-term means. The result of the semi-average method shows that all the identified crops exhibit an upward trend. This implies that the production of these crops will keep on increasing and thereby ensuring food security in the country. The study, therefore, suggests that both the State government and private organizations should encourage modern agricultural techniques like the application of fertilizer and pesticides to sustain the increasing pattern of crop productivity in the State

A New Potentiomertic Sensor for a Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Based on Nano-Silver Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

Due to the importance of vitamin B6 (VB6) drug for human health, especially in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, it is useful to develop new, simple, cheap and rapid methods for the determination of this compound. A high linear range and a sensitive potentiometric sensor for VB6 based on carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with synthesized silver nanoparticles by co-precipitation method were prepared. The sensor fully characterized in terms of distinctive nanoparticles quality, electrode composition, and usable pH range. Under optimal conditions, a linear calibration curve with range 1×10-6 to 1×10-2mol L−1 and a detection limit of 4.84×10-7molL−1 was obtained for VB6 determinations. The research introduces the design and construction of the nanocomposite modified CPE for simple and low-cost determination of VB6 in pharmaceutical formulation. Validation of the method indicates the suitability of the sensor for application in quantity control analysis of VB6 drug in pharmaceutical formulation preparations

The Effect of Educational Intervention based on Social Support Theory on Improvement of Hemodialysis Patients’ Quality of Life

Chronic kidney failure is a progressive and irreversible degeneration of renal function that affects the quality of life of patients. Social support as a coping mechanism can help promote health and improve the quality of life of a person. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention based on social support theory on the improvement of hemodialysis patients’ QOL. This is a controlled quasi-experimental conducted in 2015 in Sari and with the participation of 100 hemodialysis patients that were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Prior to education, the patients were evaluated with demographic form, quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and social support (MOS-SSS) questionnaires. Then, an educational program was developed based on social support theory and implemented for the intervention group. The two groups were re-evaluated with the same questionnaires after 1 and 3 months and the data were analyzed in SPSS. In the intervention group compared to the control group, the mean scores of quality of life and social support increased significantly after the intervention (