Assessment of safety in drinking water supply system of Birjand city using World Health Organization’s water safety plan

Background: The conventional method for managing drinking water quality is not a suitable preventive strategy for protecting public health. A water safety plan (WSP) presents a systematic approach to ensuring the health and quality of drinking water. This study assessed the drinking water supply system safety of Birjand city using the WHO’s WSP. Methods: This investigation employed the WSP-QA Tool and the WSP manual of the WHO and the AWI. For this purpose, software checklists were prepared and, after confirmation of content and face validity, completed based on Birjand’s water and wastewater company records and interview with company’s experts. Data was analyzed using WSP-QA Tool. Results: From total possible 440 points for full use of the program and 328 points of the studied phases, a score of 190 was acquired, indicating a 43.18% coordinated implementation with WSP. System description and management procedures showed the maximum and minimum percentages of congruency with the WSP of 87.5% and 25%, respectively. Among the components of the water supply system, water resource had the most attention. Conclusion: As regards the percentage of overall WSP-phase implementation and the low attention given to some key parameters of the water supply system, such as risk assessment and management procedures, the system currently enjoys a relatively medium level of safety. However, the high points of some phases such as system description, operational monitoring and verification enhance the system’s flexibility for changing the current approach of qualitative management to the WSP. Keywords: Drinking water, Safety, Water supply, Risk assessment, Softwar

Green construction of magnetic MnFe2O4/ZIF-8 nanocomposite utilizing extract of Melissa officinalis plant for the photo-degradation of tetracycline under UV illumination

The current work explores the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline utilizing ZIF-8 grafted with MnFe2O4 through a facile green approach. The complete degradation was achieved at optimized circumstances (pH = 9, catalyst concentration = 0.5 g/L, contact time = 180 min, and 20 mg/L of tetracycline dose). The photocatalytic decontamination reaction of the as-made catalyst was more adherence to the pseudo-first-order model. Recycling experiments demonstrated the excellent stability of the MnFe2O4/ZIF-8 composite after six regeneration runs. Furthermore, the as-constructed composite can simultaneously eliminate tetracycline, COD, and TOC from real wastewater by 84%, 65%, and 50%, respectively, revealing its robust potential in addressing water contamination concerns

Investigation of Type and Frequency of Microplastics in Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Soil: A Systematic Review

Introduction and purpose: Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging pollutant with a long environmental persistence. Although several studies were conducted on MPs pollution in aquatic environments, soil environments received less attention due to the intangibility of pollution and the difficulty of evaluating MPs in soil. The present systematic study aimed to investigate the contamination of MPs in municipal waste landfill soil. Methods: This systematic review was performed in accordance with the principles of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To that end, the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and internal databases of Magiran and SID were searched using the terms Microplastic, Soil, landfill, and their MeSH equivalents until 2023. Finally, 15 studies were evaluated after being screened based on the entry/exit criteria and study objectives. Results: According to studies, the type and quantity of microplastics in the soil of municipal solid waste landfills are affected by various parameters. Microplastics had different concentrations and particle sizes from less than 10 μm to more than 5 mm. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the most extracted chemical compounds. The MPs levels fluctuated with sampling depth and rose with the age of the landfill site and plastic components. Smaller-sized microplastics were most frequent in regions where plastic debris had been subjected to severe weathering. Conclusion: The enormous production of plastic waste and its health and ecological risks as an emerging and persistent pollutant in the environment emphasizes the importance of implementing programs to minimize plastic materials use and increase recycling of its waste. On the other hand, given the importance of soil quality in the food chain and its direct impact on air and water pollution, continuous monitoring and control of soil pollution with these substances, as well as research into the sources of their entry into the environment, can help to manage this challenge

Association between spexin, nutritional status of pregnant women with excessive gestational weight gain, and newborn weight: A cross-sectional study

Summary: Introduction: Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) is associated with adverse effects on the life of the mother and the neonate. Spexin (SPX) is considered as a new factor involved in glucose homeostasis, body weight and fat metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between blood SPX concentration and the nutritional status of mothers with EGWG, Apgar score and the weight of the neonates. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Zahedan, Iran in 2021. The study sample includes 30 pregnant mothers with normal weight gain and 30 pregnant mothers with EGWG. Demographic questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall (24-hr) were completed. The mothers' weight was recorded, and the birth weight and Apgar scores of the neonates were measured. The concentration of SPX in the blood sample of the pregnant mother and the umbilical cord blood of the newborn at the time of delivery was measured by a SPX kit with the ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS; 21. P  0.05). Weight gain during pregnancy, energy, carbohydrate and protein intake in EGWG mothers were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05). In mothers with normal weight gain, the serum spexin showed a significant negative correlation (r = −0.430) with 5-minute Apgar score. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in the concentration of SPX between mothers and neonates in the group with normal weight gain compared to the EGWG group. This suggests that SPX may play a role in regulating weight gain during pregnancy. However, there was no significant difference in birth weight between the two groups, indicating that other factors may also contribute to birth weight. Additionally, mothers with EGWG had higher energy, carbohydrate, and protein intake compared to those with normal weight gain. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between serum SPX levels and 5-minute Apgar score in mothers with normal weight gain. This suggests that SPX may also have an impact on fetal well-being during pregnancy

Accomplishment of water safety plan using quality assurance tool in 2020-2021: A case study in a western city of Gilan province, Iran

Background: Water safety plan is a systematic approach to ensure the quality of water delivered to consumers from catchment to consumption. Methods: This study was conducted on the groundwater system of Talesh, Gilan, in 2020-2021. A Water Safety Plan (WSP) consists of 5 phases and 12 steps. In the implementation of this plan, all modules were reviewed. Software checklists were prepared and based on the background information in Talesh Water and Wastewater Company, interviews with experts and field visits were performed, and then, entered into WSP QA TOOL software. Results: Out of 440 raw scores, 222 points were obtained, indicating 50.45% compliance with WSP. The description system with the highest score (100%) and the management procedures with the lowest score (50%) were in line with this plan. The stages of development and supporting program and review of WSP cannot be evaluated due to the incomplete implementation of water safety plan in Talesh. Between different parts of the water supply system, more attention has been paid to production sources and points of use. Conclusion: This study identifies the inefficiency in dependence on the final tests and the necessary items in updating the supply system of Talesh. According to the study of the different stages of WSP, the system has a moderate level of safety. Keywords: Checklist, Drinking water, Groundwater, Software, Water safety pla