Assessment of workers' exposure to hand-arm and whole body vibration in one of the furniture industries in east of Tehran

Workers in wood industry are exposed to vibration and its damages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate exposure to hand-arm and whole body vibration in the wood industry. In this study, the parameters of whole body and hand-arm vibrations such as effective acceleration, overall equivalent acceleration, Vibration Dose Value and crest factor were studied on two Thicknessing planes, two sliding panel saw machines, two orbital sander, and three operators of perforate procedure. Assessments were done by the use of an oscillator and an analyzer of Svantak Co. Evaluating Hand-arm and whole body vibrations were conducted based on ISO 5349-1, ISO 5349-2 and ISO 2631-1 standards, respectively, and the findings/ the evaluated data were analyzed. The mean amount of daily exposure to hand-arm vibration (RMS) in Thicknessing plane, Orbital Sander and Sliding panel saw machine operators are respectively 5.56, 5.49 and 3.37 m/s2 . In addition, the average crest factor of the 3 jobs is higher than 6. Mean of daily Exposure to whole body vibration in 3 machine operators of Thicknessing plane, perforate procedure and Sliding panel saw is respectively, 0.28, 0.24 and 0.17 meters per square second. The crest factor for all the exposures was to be less than 6 and the mean of the calculated daily vibration dose equaled 5.83 with the standard deviation of 0.87( m)⁄s^1.75 . In further measured situations, exposure to hand-arm vibration is more than the standard level, so engineering and management measures are required to reduce the amount of exposure and support the health of the operators and the equipment

Relationship between occupational stress and cardiovascular diseases risk factors in drivers

Objectives: Of all work stressors, occupational stress is the leading cause of many disorders among workers. Drivers are classified as a high risk group for work related stress. This study set out to determine the relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress among drivers. Material and Methods: Two hundred and twenty two Ilam’s intercity drivers were selected for the study. For measuring work stress, the Osipow work stress questionnaire was used. After a 10-h fasting period, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was recorded. Intravenous blood samples were taken to determine cholesterol, triglyceride and blood glucose levels. The independent samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation test were used to assess the relationship between variables and occupational stress. Results: Seventy-one percent of the intercity drivers suffered from average to acute stress, and 3.1% of them suffered from acute stress. There was no significant relationship between occupational stress and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.254) among the drivers. Nevertheless, the Pearson’s correlation test demonstrated a strong relationship between work stress and blood glucose (p < 0.01), while no strong correlation was found for blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels. Conclusions: Based on the results, high rates of occupational stress were observed in the Ilam’s intercity drivers. Occupational stress may have effect on blood glucose levels but the results did not suggest a considerable relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress among intercity drivers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):895–90

Data on groundwater quality, scaling potential and corrosiveness of water samples in Torbat-e-Heydariyeh rural drinking water resources, Khorasan-e-Razavi province, Iran

According to World Health Organization guidelines, corrosion control is an important aspect of safe drinking-water supplies. The data presented is physical and chemical parameters of drinking water in the rural areas of Torbat-e-Heydariyeh city, also to determine corrosion indices. This cross-sectional study has carried out with 188 taken samples during 2014 with 13 parameters, which has been analyzed based on standard method. Also with regard to standard conditions, result of this paper is compared with Environmental Protection Agency and Iran national standards. Five indices, Langlier Saturation Index (LSI), Ryznar Stability Index (RSI), Puckorius Scaling Index (PSI), Larson-Skold Index (LS) and Aggressive Index (AI), programmed by using Microsoft Excel software. Owing to its simplicity, the program can easily be used by researchers and operators. Parameters included Sulfate, Sodium, Chloride, and Electrical Conductivity respectively was 13.5%, 28%, 10.5%, and 15% more than standard level. The amounts of Nitrate, in 98% of cases were in permissible limits and about 2% were more than standard level. Result of presented research indicate that water is corrosive at 10.6%, 89.4%, 87.2%, 59.6% and 14.9% of drinking water supply reservoirs, according to LSI, RSI, PSI, LS and AI, respectively. © 2018 The Author

Humic Acid Degradation via Solar Photo-Fenton Process in Aqueous Environment

Control of mutagenic and carcinogenic disinfection by-products, particularly Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Halo Acetic Acids (HAAs) in water treatment process is critical, due to their adverse effects on human health. Generally, reducing the toxicity of these by-products hinges on prior removal of the precursor materials, such as Humic Acid (HA) in drinking water. This study was conducted to investigate the role of some parameters that could affect the removal of HA, including HA (5 and 10 ppm) and H2O2 (20, 40, 60, and 80 ppm) initial concentrations, Iron (II), sulfate heptahydrate dosage (4, 8, 12, and 16 ppm), pH (2, 3, 4 and 5), Oxidation time (5, 10, 15 and 30 min), and Sunlight levels (322±13 kWm-2). To accelerate the process of HA removal, the Solar Photo-Fenton (SPF) process was employed by direct irradiation of converged sunlight in a Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTC), with 3m2 effective area. HA levels were measured via quantifying Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) concentrations by means of a TOC Analyzer method. The results showed that the SPF process is under control of the Fe & H2O2 ratio, the Fe2+ dosage and especially the pH quantity. In optimal condition, (pH: 4, oxidation time: 30min, initial HA levels: 50 ppm, H2O2 concentrations: 20 ppm Fe+2 levels: 4 ppm), the study found more than 98% DOC removal. In conclusion, the SPF, as an economically effective technique, could be applied for the removal of HA in aqueous environments

Sludge quality in wastewater treatment plant in Shokohieh industrial Park of Qom province in Iran

The general attitude of the wastewater treatment process in our country is focus on the effluent quality and unfortunately waste sludge quality is rarely considered. Since multiple natural hazards and routes the contact with sludge requires a comprehensive approach to protect public health and the environment. The aim of this study is an assessment of sludge management and finding out the potential use of sludge for land application. The study was conducted in January to December 2014. samples were gathered in four seasons, winter, spring, summer and autumn from wastewater treatment plant in industrial park of Shokohieh of Qom province according to the instructions in standard method. Sampling was moments and composite. Numbers of Samples were 24 that 2 samples were captured in every month. Samples measured base on standard method for water wastewater examination references and then data was analyzed by SPSS and t-test. The results show that the Physical Parameters qualities and nutrients qualities in sludge are good. The Phosphate quality is not suitable. Based on t-test, the results show that levels of fecal coliform and total coliform in cold and warm seasons are different (

Food Safety and Health from the Perspective of Islam

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: The relationship between food and the health of the soul and body is one of the issues mentioned in a monotheistic worldview including Islam. The verse "And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers" confirms the influence of religious teachings in this respect. This study examines the Qur'anic guidelines on food safety and hygiene.Methods: This review study investigates into the health system through library reviews of authentic sources, religious teachings, Quranic verses, authentic statements from the infallibles (Imams and the prophet), important Qur'anic commentaries, statements and books on nutrition on national and international databases. After categorization, the results were analyzed and integrated. The authors declared no conflict of interest.Results: About 250 Qur'anic verses and dozens of statements from the infallibles point to the importance of food and nutrition. The Holy Qur'an mentions the word “food” 48 times, the word “eating” 107 times, and the word “drink” 39 times. In the verses related to food, it has been mentioned six times that food should be Halal, and in various interpretations, the importance of nourishing the body is emphasized. Attitude to food as a sign in knowing God, believing in divine generosity, enjoying divine intent, asserting the rights of those in need, clean eating, having a balanced diet, adhering to halal food, and avoiding forbidden foods are the most important attitudinal and habitual strategies related to food safety. In addition, human dignity is one of the most important outcomes of adhering to Islamic food safety strategies.Conclusion: Since in revelatory doctrines, a healthy diet involves physical, mental, spiritual and social aspects of human life, it is essential that health policy makers consider the Islamic nutritional approach to achieve a true universal health.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Please cite this article as: Biglari H, Dargahi A, Vaziri Y, Ivanbagh R, Hami M, Poursadeqiyan M. Food Safety and Health from the Perspective of Islam. Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va salāmat. 2020;6(1):131-143.https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v6i1.1914

Humic Acid Removal from Aqueous Environments by Electrocoagulation Process Using Iron Electrodes

At present study the performance of electrocoagulation process using iron electrodes sacrificial anode has been investigated for removal of HA from artificial aqueous solution. The experiments were performed in a bipolar batch reactor with four iron electrode connected in parallel. Several working parameters, such as initial pH (3, 5, 7, and 9), electrical conductivity (50 V) and reaction time were studied in an attempt to achieve the highest removal capacity. Solutions of HA with concentration equal 20 mg L-1 were prepared. To follow the progress of the treatment, samples of 10 ml were taken at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min interval. Finally HA concentration was measured by UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) and TOC concentration was measured by TOC Analyser. The maximum efficiency of HA removal which was obtained in voltage of 50 V, reaction time of 75 min, initial concentration 20 mg L-1, conductivity 3000 µS/Cm and pH 5, is equal to 92.69%. But for natural water samples at the same optimum condition removal efficiency was low (68.8 %). It can be concluded that the electrocoagulation process has the potential to be utilized for cost-effective removal of HA from aqueous environments

Removal of Reactive Black 5 dye from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption onto Activated Carbon of Grape Seed

Background and purpose: The control of environmental pollution especially the pollution of water resources is one of the main challenges of researchers throughout the world. So, this study aimed to investigate the efficiency of reactive black 5 dye removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto activated carbon of grape seed. Materials and Methods: At first, the grape seed adsorbents were prepared in three forms of raw, treated by concentrated phosphoric acid, and calcined at 400, 600, and 800 &deg;C. Then, the efficiency of adsorbents to the removal of the Black 5 dye was studied in the concentrations of 100 to 700 mg/Lat pH 2- 10 and 1- 10 g/L of adsorbent during 120 min. The change of concentration was studied via the spectrophotometry procedure at the wavelength of 597 nm. Finally, the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm was determined. Results: The results showed that the dye removal efficiency decreased by increasing pH, and increased by raising the contact time and the amount of adsorbent. So, in this process, the highest percentage of Black 5 dye removal (83.08%) was obtained at pH 2 and t 120 min using the raw adsorbent, 200 mg/L initial concentration of dye, and 10 g/L of carbon. The process considerably followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2 0.999). Conclusion: The grape seed was found to have the highest level of efficiency in dye removal, and according to the availability of adsorbent and its low price, this method could be used as an applicable procedure for the removal of Black 5 dye from aqueous solutions

Direct Blue 71 Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption on Pistachio Hull Waste: Equilibrium, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies

Background and Purpose: Azo dyes including Direct Blue 71 (DB71) are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic contaminants in effluents of industries. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption of DB71 from aqueous solution onto pistachio hull waste (PHW) as a low-cost adsorbent. Materials and Methods: A series of experiments were performed via batch adsorption technique to examine the effect of the process variables such as contact time 0-210 minutes, initial dye concentration 10-100 mg/l, pH 2-12, adsorbent 0.05-1 g/l, and the processing temperature of 25, 40, and 50&deg; C. The concentration changes of DB71 were measured using the colorimetric method by the spectrophotometer T80 ultraviolet/visible at the 587 nm wavelength. Moreover, The PHW was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm model, pHpzc and Brunauer&ndash;Emmett&ndash;Teller (BET) surface area analysis. Results: Maximum adsorption capacity was 90.48 mg DB71 per 1 g adsorbent at pH 2, DB71 100 mg/l, temperature 50&deg; C, and time 210 minutes. In general, by increasing the adsorbent dosage, time, and processing temperature, the removal efficiency was increased; however, incrementing pH and dye concentration had a reverse effect. Maximum BET specific surface and total pore volume on the adsorbent were 1.04 m2/g and 0.0002 cm3/g, respectively. The Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.9912) model fits the equilibrium data better than the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9024) model. The adsorption kinetic was found to be well described by the pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process is a spontaneous and endothermic process. Conclusion: PHW can be used well as a low-cost surface adsorbent in the treatment of DB71 from aquatic environments

Identifying and Determining Dispersion Boundary Bio-aerosols of Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens from Municipal Waste Collection Containers

Background & Aims of the Study: Identifying and determining the dispersion boundary bio-aerosols of bacterial and fungal pathogens for locating containers of municipal waste in accurate management to prevent from health damage and enhance society health is essential. The aim of this research is to identify and assess the radius of bacterial and fungal bio-aerosol emissions from municipal waste collection containers. Materials and methods: This was a cross- sectional study in Gonabad city in which air sample prepared from around the containers from July to October 2015. Sampling was carried out by active Zefon A6 Impactor samplers at a distance of 1.5 m from surface of earth and in several horizontal distances up to 2 m from containers. Totally, 360 samples were gathered and the bacteria and fungi were identified by microbiology tests. Also, temperature, humidity and wind speed was measured. Results: Aspergillus, yeast and Alternaria were the most dominant species of fungi in around of containers. Among bacteria, gram-positive bacilli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were dominant. Most of bio-aerosols in a distance of 25 cm from the containers (228.00&plusmn;167.12&nbsp; CFU/m3) and the lowest were observed at a distance of 2 m of the containers (223.86&plusmn;204.72 CFU/m3). Conclusion: The findings indicated that municipal waste collection containers released the hazardous biological agents as Aspergillus and Staphylococcus aureus that are very pathogenic for human in environment. So the position of the garbage containers for decline the environment health effect, it should not be less than 2 m from human exposure