Enhanced Biodegradation of Formaldehyde Using Aerobic Sequencing Batch Rotating Bed Bioreactor With and Without Stimulation by Hydrogen Peroxide

The removal of formaldehyde as a toxic substance from aqueous solutions is of particular importance. In this research, a sequencing batch rotating-bed bioreactor (SBRB) was used on a laboratory scale for biodegradation of formaldehyde from synthetic wastewater. The reactor was made of plexiglas with a cylindrical shape. Kaldnes media were placed in a rotating cylindrical basket in the reactor. The effects of formaldehyde concentration (500–1500 mg/L), hydraulic retention time (HRT) (8, 15, 24 hours), and injection of hydrogen peroxide (0.1-0.5 mM) on the performance of the reactor were investigated. The results showed that in the SBRB, at an HRT of 24 hours and an inlet formaldehyde concentration of 1000 mg/L, the removal efficiencies of formaldehyde and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 99.2% and 92%, respectively, while without rotating the bed, the removal efficiency of formaldehyde and COD was found to be 95% and 83%, respectively. By adding hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 0.3 mM and operation of the SBRB with an HRT of 8 hours and an inlet formaldehyde concentration of 1000 mg/L, an improvement in the removal efficiency of formaldehyde and COD (4% and 22%, respectively) was observed. Accordingly, SBRB stimulation with hydrogen peroxide could be considered as a high-performance process for the removal of formaldehyde and corresponding COD at a short HRT

The effect of Flipped Classroom through Near Peer Education (FC through NPE) on patient safety knowledge retention in nursing and midwifery students: a solomon four-group design

Introduction: Selecting an appropriate teaching methodology is one of the key stages in education. This study is an attempt to delve into the effect of FC through NPE on patient safety knowledge retention in nursing and midwifery students. Methods: A randomized controlled trial, using the Solomon design, was conducted in 2019 on 82 nursing and midwifery students enrolled from Bushehr nursing and midwifery school. The Subjects were then allocated to four groups via block randomization. The Subjects in both intervention groups studied the educational content online for 2 weeks and subsequently attended the FC through NPE. Both control groups merely received education based on conventional method. The post-test was once administered to the four study groups immediately after completing the program and once again 2 months after it. Results: The posttest mean scores of knowledge retention in both intervention groups remained the same (P = 0.1), while they were higher in the control groups (P < 0.05). The changes in the mean scores of the post-test in the inter- vention and follow-up groups did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the four study groups (P = 0.130, F = 1.941). Conclusion: The use of the FC through NPE increased the knowledge mean scores; however, it failed to affect knowl- edge retention. Given the infancy of this pedagogical approach, further studies are needed to investigate its effects on various learning outcomes. Keywords: Flipped Classroom, Near-Peer Education, Patient Safety, Nursing, Midwifery, Students, Knowledg

Investigating the Role of Environmental Factors on the Survival, Stability, and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and Their Contribution to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Review

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Environmental sustainability in hospitals: Dual analysis of electrical consumption and pollutant emissions

The emission of pollutants following electricity consumption is significant, and hospitals are major contributors to energy consumption. Hence, the aim of this study was a survey of electrical consumption rate and environmental pollutants emissions in selected hospitals. This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted over three years and based on electricity bills and bed indicators in selected hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Emissions Calculator software was used to calculate the emission of pollutants caused by electricity consumption. Kolmogorov Smirnov, Least Significant Difference (LSD), and one-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. Results showed that the total average electricity consumption for each active day bed and occupied day bed was 9.6 and 13.6 times higher than the recommended standards. The average electricity consumption for each active day bed in hospitals A, B, and C was 13.7, 10.2, and 5 times higher than the standard value, respectively, while for occupied day beds, the consumption was 17.3, 15.1, and 8.5 times higher than the standard value, respectively. Additionally, the total electricity consumption in these hospitals resulted in the emission of 41837100 kg of CO2, 124815 kg of SO2, 103699 kg of NOx, 9769 kg of CO, 4885 kg of PM10, and 757 kg of VOCs into the environment. Based on the monthly active bed index and occupied day bed, there was a significant difference in the average electrical consumption among A, B, and C hospitals (p = 0.0001). Electricity consumption in the studied hospitals exceeds standards. Implementing optimal designs for lighting, heating, and cooling, along with energy optimization training, technical audits, and inspections are essential for both economic benefits and reducing environmental pollutants

Removal of Amoxicillin from Aqueous Media by Fenton-like Sonolysis/H2O2 Process Using Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles

High concentrations of antibiotics have been identified in aqueous media, which has diminished the quality of water resources. These compounds are usually highly toxic and have low biodegradability, and there have been reports about their mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. The aim of this study was to apply zero-valent iron-oxide nanoparticles in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and the sonolysis process for the removal of the amoxicillin antibiotic from aqueous media. In this study, zero-valent iron nanoparticles were prepared by an iron chloride reduction method in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4), and the obtained nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM). Then, using a Fenton-like process, synthetic wastewater containing 100 to 500 mg/L amoxicillin antibiotic was investigated, and the effects of different parameters, such as the frequency (1 and 2 kHz), contact time (15 to 120 min), the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (0.3%, 0.5%, and 6%), the dose of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (0.05, 0.1, 0.5 g/L), and pH (3, 5, 10) were thoroughly studied. A pH of 3, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 3%, ultrasonic-wave frequency of 130 kHz, zero-valent iron nanoparticles of 0.5 g/L, and contaminant concentration of 100 mg/L were obtained as the optimal conditions of the combined US/H2O2/nZVI process. Under the optimal conditions of the combined process of zero-valent iron nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of ultrasonic waves, a 99.7% removal efficiency of amoxicillin was achieved in 120 min. The results show that the combined US/H2O2/nZVI process could be successfully used to remove environmental contaminants, including antibiotics such as amoxicillin, with a high removal percentage

Nitrate in Groundwater Resources of Hormozgan Province, Southern Iran: Concentration Estimation, Distribution and Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment Using Monte Carlo Simulation

High nitrate concentration in drinking water has the potential to cause a series of harmful effects on human health. This study aims to evaluate the health risk of nitrate in groundwater resources of Hormozgan province in four age groups, including infants, children, teenagers, and adults, based on the US EPA methodology and Monte Carlo technique to assess uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to investigate the spatial distribution of nitrate levels in the study area. The nitrate concentration ranged from 0.3 to 30 mg/L, with an average of 7.37 &plusmn; 5.61 mg/L. There was no significant difference between the average concentration of nitrate in all study areas (p &gt; 0.05). The hazard quotient (HQ) was less than 1 for all age groups and counties, indicating a low-risk level. The HQ95 for infants and children in the Monte Carlo simulation was 1.34 and 1.22, respectively. The sensitivity analysis findings showed that the parameter with the most significant influence on the risk of toxicity in all age groups was the nitrate content. Therefore, implementing a water resources management program in the study area can reduce nitrate concentration and enhance water quality

Nitrate in Groundwater Resources of Hormozgan Province, Southern Iran: Concentration Estimation, Distribution and Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment Using Monte Carlo Simulation

High nitrate concentration in drinking water has the potential to cause a series of harmful effects on human health. This study aims to evaluate the health risk of nitrate in groundwater resources of Hormozgan province in four age groups, including infants, children, teenagers, and adults, based on the US EPA methodology and Monte Carlo technique to assess uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to investigate the spatial distribution of nitrate levels in the study area. The nitrate concentration ranged from 0.3 to 30 mg/L, with an average of 7.37 ± 5.61 mg/L. There was no significant difference between the average concentration of nitrate in all study areas (p > 0.05). The hazard quotient (HQ) was less than 1 for all age groups and counties, indicating a low-risk level. The HQ95 for infants and children in the Monte Carlo simulation was 1.34 and 1.22, respectively. The sensitivity analysis findings showed that the parameter with the most significant influence on the risk of toxicity in all age groups was the nitrate content. Therefore, implementing a water resources management program in the study area can reduce nitrate concentration and enhance water quality

Radon 222 in drinking water resources of Iran: A systematic review, meta-analysis and probabilistic risk assessment (Monte Carlo simulation)

The current study was performed to review the conducted studies regarding the concentration of radon 222 in the tap drinking water; furthermore, by estimation of ingestion and inhalation effective dose, the health risk assessment in the adults and children using MCS technique was assessed. All related studies published among January 1990 to October 2016; were screened in the available databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, SID, and Irandoc. The total effective dose was estimated by calculating Eing (Effective dose of ingestion) and Einh (Effective dose of inhalation) by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The range of ND ─ 40.9 Bq/L for radon 222 in water resources was proposed after evaluation of data collected from 13 studies with 1079 samples. The overall concentration of radon 222 in drinking water in Iran was 3.98: 95CI (3.79 ─ 4.17 Bq/L). Also, the effective ingestion dose of radon 222 in adults age groups was 1.35 times higher than children. The rank order of drinking water resources based on the concentration of radon 222 was Spring &gt; Spring and Well &gt; Well &gt; Spring and Qanat &gt; Tap water. The overall concentration of radon 222 in drinking water in Iran was lower than WHO and EPA standard limits. Also, the rank order regarding area studied based on the concentration of radon 222 was Gillan &gt; Mashhad &gt; Mazandaran &gt; Kerman &gt; Yazd &gt; Tehran &gt; Kermanshah &gt; Golestan &gt; Hormozgan. The effective ingestion dose of radon 222 to consumers in the Gillan, Mashhad, Mazandaran, and Kerman were higher than WHO guidance (0.1 mSv/y). Also except consumers in the Hormozgan, inhalation effective dose radon 222, in the other investigated areas were higher than WHO guidance (0.1 mSv/y). Therefore, it is recommended to conduct the required programs regarding control and elimination of radon 222 concentration in Iranian drinking water supply. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

Investigating the Role of Environmental Factors on the Survival, Stability, and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and Their Contribution to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Review

Studies conducted in the last four years show conflicting findings on the role of the environment in the survival, stability, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Based on the current evidence, the factors that affect the severity of COVID-19 include host interaction, environmental stability, virus volume, stability, transmission, social interactions, and restriction measures. Moreover, the persistence of the virus depends on different environmental conditions, videlicet temperature, humidity, pH, salinity, and solar radiation. The outbreak of respiratory viruses is related mainly to temperature and humidity, and geographical locations (latitude). In SARS-CoV-2, mainly temperature and humidity seem to play a fundamental role. Moreover, studies have indicated that social health factors such as equitable health systems, hygiene, and underlying diseases have played a pivotal role in the incidence and outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, addressing health issues associated with reducing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks plays an essential role in global health. In contrast, the environmental stimuli of the COVID-19 outbreak are mainly unknown. Given the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the stimuli to respond quickly to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants while implementing long-term and sustainable control strategies. This review discusses the role of environmental factors and health conditions in the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2

Investigating the Role of Environmental Factors on the Survival, Stability, and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and Their Contribution to COVID-19 Outbreak : A Review

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