Heavy metals contamination of drinking water supplies in southeastern villages of Rafsanjan plain: survey of arsenic, cadmium, lead and copper

Background and Aims: In view of water crisis, effective prevention of water resources contamination is increasingly important. The presence of heavy metals in drinking water at concentration greater than acceptable limits may result in various adverse health effects. The present study was therefore conducted to evaluate the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) in drinking water supplies of villages located in southeastern region of Rafsanjan plain and in Rafsanjan fault zone as well.Materials and Methods: Samples were taken from 62 rural drinking water supply resources (springs, wells, and canals). The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Cu was thence measured by atomic absorption following sample preparation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16).Results: Copper concentrations were less than both WHO guidelines and the official Iranian governmet standard No. 1053 for the chemical quality of water in all samples. The amounts of As, Pb and Cd, however, fail to meet basic standards of water quality in 31.7%, 25% and 58.1% of samples, respectively. The current study also found that about 10.4% of people in this study area were exposed to arsenic. Furthermore, the results of this study revealed that respectively 66.6% and 46.7% of the study area residents had been exposed to high levels of lead and cadmium.Conclusion: The heavy metals contamination of drinking water resources in Rafsanjan plain is linked to both naturally presence of sulfide veins in this area and manmade pollution due to the presence of main road as well as pesticides releases from agricultural activities. Further research should be done to investigate the exact source of contamination.Key words: Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Drinking water, Heavy metals, Lead, Rafsanja

A study on the Effect of Draught and Dust Amount on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Zabol City

Background & Objectives: Tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease that can be transmitted from the affected persons to others through air when the airway and lung drops of patients are released in the air and inhalled by healthy ones. This disease has a high prevalence in Zabol/ Iran due to the drought, rainfall status, high temperature, severe storms and dusty condition in this region. Methods: This descriptive-analytical research was conducted from June 2005 to June 2015 using weather data and the 10-year statistics of tuberculosis patients in Zabol city, of whom 62 patients had been treated. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to identify the factors affecting the disease. Data analysis was done through SPSS22 software and using Pearson correlation and regression analyses. Results: Climatological data showed increasing rate of wind speed over the past ten years. There was a negative correlation between the prevalence of tuberculosis and mean of annual rainfall during the ten years (P≤0.014). The results of regression test showed that wind speed had been very effective in the prevalence of tuberculosis (P = 0.711). Conclusion: To control tuberculosis, regular periodic screening, continuous education and more serious plans for providing specialized care and services are recommended. Meanwhile, appropriate measures including mulching and increasing plant coverage of the region should be taken to control dust. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Drought, Dust, Weather station, Zabol city Citation: Malakootian M, Mish MastNehi M. A study on the Effect of Draught and Dust Amount on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Zabol City. Journal of Health Based Research 2018; 4(1): 1-11

INVESTIGATING THE FREQUENCY OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE IN DENTISTRY STUDENTS OF AHVAZ JUNDISHAPUR UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN SOUTHWEST OF IRAN

 Objective: In spite of great developments in infection control during recent years, many problems are still seen at the level of faculties, private, and public hospitals. Therefore, this research was carried out to evaluate the frequency of occupational exposure in dentistry students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Southwest of Iran.Methods: This study was conducted using a descriptive and cross-sectional method in 2016. The population of the study included all the 124 dentistry students graduated from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), southwest of Iran, who started their clinical education. The data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS 22 software.Results: A total of 84 (67.7%) of the participants were male and 40 (23.3%) were female. Of all the participants, 54.8% of the students had no occupational exposure, 17.9% had needle stick experience, 17.9% of them had splash exposure, and 8.9% had a history of exposure to both needlestick acid and patient discharge. In the current research, no significant relationship was found between job exposure and age, gender, and marital status (p<0.05). However, a significant relationship was found between occupational exposure, year of admission to university, academic semester, and educational environment (p<0.05).Conclusion: Given the relatively high prevalence of occupational exposure in students, the development of prevention and exposure to occupational protocols and requiring students to comply with these protocols in clinical dentistry environments is recommended

Effect of cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ on the removal efficiency of humic acid by UV/TiO2

زمینه و هدف: اسید هیومیک (HA) از تجزیه عناصر گیاهی و حیوانی آزاد می شود. مواد هیومیکی به عنوان پیش ساز محصولات جانبی گندزدایی در فرآیند کلرزنی نقش دارند. هدف از مطالعه حاضر بررسی اثر کاتیون های Ca2+،Mg2+ بر کارآیی حذف اسید هیومیک توسط UV/TiO2 بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه نیمه تجربی تأثیر پارامترهای pH، زمان تماس، غلظت دی اکسید تیتانیوم (TiO2)، غلظت Ca2+و غلظت Mg2+بر میزان حذف اسید هیومیک با استفاده از روش UV/TiO2 بر روی آب سنتتیک و آب خام زاینده رود اصفهان بررسی شد. یافته ها: غلظت بهینه کاتالیست نانو ذره دی اکسید تیتانیوم جهت حذف اسید هیومیک g/L1 بدست آمد. تحت شرایط اسیدی (3pH=) در زمان تماس 60 دقیقه بالاترین راندمان حذف به دست آمد. کارآیی حذف HA به روش UV/TiO2 با افزایش زمان تماس کاهش یافت. در حضور یون های Ca2+ و Mg2+ میزان حذف HA به روش UV/TiO2 افزایش یافت. نتیجه گیری: فرآیند فتوکاتالیستی نانو ذره دی اکسید تیتانیوم منجر به کاهش قابل ملاحظه ای از مواد هیومیکی موجود در آب می شود. اگر آب یا فاضلاب حاوی میزان بالایی از ترکیبات مقاوم و سختی باشند، می توان با یک تصفیه فتوکاتالیتیکی مقدماتی این ترکیبات را شکسته و به محصولات جانبی قابل تجزیه تغییر شکل داد

Comparative Study of Internal Assessment in the Department of Environmental Health for the School of Public Health in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during 2008-2013

Background & Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the condition in the Department of Environmental Health Engineering from different viewpoints and determining its changes during the period under study, as well as reviewing their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats to enhance the level of quality. Methods: This was a descriptive study that was done for six years from 2008 untill 2013 by Environmental Health Department. Goals, faculty members, students, courses and curriculum, the teaching, learning and graduates groups were evaluated. Then criteria and indicators were developed. Results: Interviews, observation, questionnaires and check list for each evaluation criteria according to their importance in comparison with other markers were weighted. Finally, the overall results obtained at the minimum and maximum weight of each criterion was determined, based on scores according to Likert scale. Conclusion: Environmental Health Department has been earned 302 out of the total 361 points. State of Department of Environmental Health, a total of six years was satisfactory and has been growing. The only unfavorable case was the lack of credit given to groups that operate in the area of group decision making is not straight. Identifying the bottlenecks recommended to be taken in order to focus on improving the challenging situations. Keywords Internal evaluation Environmental Health Department Kerman University of Medical Sciences Ira

Removal of tetracycline antibiotic from aqueous solutions using natural and modified pumice with magnesium chloride

Background: Tetracycline is one of the most commonly used antibiotics that cause pollution of surface water, groundwater and soil when it enters the environment. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the modified pumice capacity with magnesium chloride in order to remove tetracycline antibiotics from aqueous solutions and compare the modified pumice with natural pumice. Materials and methods: The various and effective factors on adsorption were evaluated; these factors include pH, amount of adsorbent, tetracycline concentration, time and the impact of confounding factors. Thermal and chemical regeneration of the adsorbent was performed. Results: The highest amount of tetracycline adsorption in the synthetic solution that was reached at 180 min (adsorbent: 12 g/L, pH: 3) using modified pumice with magnesium chloride (50 mg/L) was 95%. The highest amount of tetracycline adsorption in the synthetic solution that was reached at 180 min (adsorbent: 8 g/L, pH: 3) using natural pumice (75 mg/L) was 93.3%. In the synthetic solution, interfering factors, such as nitrate, chloride, sulfate and water hardness increased the tetracycline adsorption for modified pumice. The adsorption efficiency was reduced by alkalinity. In the presence of all the interfering factors (except alkalinity) and thermal regeneration, the modified pumice showed better results when compared with the natural pumice. Conclusion: Natural and modified pumice have a relatively good efficiency in tetracycline adsorption from real solutions. Their availability, ease of use, and thermal regeneration capacity put forward their great potential to be used in the adsorption of tetracycline antibiotic from the wastewater of pharmaceutical industries

Spatial Distribution of Lead in the Soil of Urban Areas Under Different Land-Use Types

Awareness of lead (Pb) distribution and zoning in urban, agricultural, and industrial areas is of particular importance in environmental protection planning. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the distribution of Pb in different uses with different levels of industrial development and human activities in urban areas in Hamadan during 2018. For this purpose, 146 soil samples were collected from 0-20 cm depth and prepared for air-dried laboratory analyses. Then, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total Pb, and adsorbable Pb in the soil were measured. The results demonstrated that the mean concentration of total Pb is 88 mg/kg. In addition, the mean concentration of Pb in urban, industrial, and agricultural areas was 41 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, and 17 mg/kg, respectively. Further, the average concentration of adsorbable Pb with a standard deviation of 0.3 in industrial, urban, and agricultural areas was 0.38 mg/kg, 0.16 mg/kg, and 0.06 mg/kg. Land use was an important source of Pb change in the studied soils; however, Pb change did not depend only on land use. Factors such as weather conditions or proximity to roads, as well as previous land uses, could affect the role of existing land use and be effective in the distribution of soil Pb. Studies revealed that the amount of the soil’s adsorbable Pb is more important than that of total Pb in different uses, which should be considered in any soil-related research

The Effect of Draught and Dust Amount on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Zabol City

Background & Objectives: Tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease that can be transmitted from the affected persons to others through air when the airway and lung drops of patients are released in the air and inhalled by healthy ones. This disease has a high prevalence in Zabol/ Iran due to the drought, rainfall status, high temperature, severe storms and dusty condition in this region. Methods: This descriptive-analytical research was conducted from June 2005 to June 2015 using weather data and the 10-year statistics of tuberculosis patients in Zabol city, of whom 62 patients had been treated. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to identify the factors affecting the disease. Data analysis was done through SPSS22 software and using Pearson correlation and regression analyses. Results: Climatological data showed increasing rate of wind speed over the past ten years. There was a negative correlation between the prevalence of tuberculosis and mean of annual rainfall during the ten years (P≤0.014). The results of regression test showed that wind speed had been very effective in the prevalence of tuberculosis (P = 0.711). Conclusion: To control tuberculosis, regular periodic screening, continuous education and more serious plans for providing specialized care and services are recommended. Meanwhile, appropriate measures including mulching and increasing plant coverage of the region should be taken to control dust. Key¬words: Tuberculosis, Drought, Dust, Weather station, Zabol city Citation: Malakootian M, Mish MastNehi M. The Effect of Draught and Dust Amount on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Zabol City. Journal of Health Based Research 2018; 4(1): 1-11

Heavy metals bioaccumulation in fish of southern Iran and risk assessment of fish consumption

Background: This study purposed to assess the health risks of heavy metals including nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in three widely-consumed fish from the coast of Bandar Abbas (Persian Gulf) and to determine the maximum amounts allowed for consumption according to the degree of contamination. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the summer and fall of 2013. Thunnus tonggol and Liza klunzingeri were selected from the Bandar Abbas market, and Pleuronectiformes were caught from the sea. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption. Risk assessment and allowable consumption levels were determined according to methods provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Results: The highest average levels of Ni and Cr in Thunnus tonggol were 0.059 and 0.234 (μg/g dry weight), respectively. The highest average level of Hg in Pleuronectiformes was 0.095 (μg/g dry weight), and the highest average level of Pb in Liza klunzingeri was 0.006 (μg/g dry weight). The target hazard quotient (THQ) for all analyses of metals in the studied species and the hazard index (HI) were less than 1 for all three species. Conclusion: The results showed that despite Ni, Cr, Hg, and Pb pollution, the consumption of up to 4 (kg/d) of Thunnus tonggol by adults and up to 2.2 (kg/d) by children does not cause health problems in terms of the tested heavy metals. For Liza klunzingeri, these levels are 7.32 and 4.02 (kg/d), respectively

Removal of reactive dyes from aqueous solutions by a non-conventional and low cost agricultural waste: adsorption on ash of Aloe Vera plant

Dyes are an important class of pollutants and disposal of them in precious water resources must be avoided. Among various methods adsorption occupies a prominent place in dye removal. The aim of this study is to evaluate adsorption of dye Reactive Red 198 and Blue 19 (RR-198 & RB-19 (on to Aloe Vera plant ash from aqueous solutions. In this research Aloe Vera ash was prepared at laboratory conditions and then after shredding, screened by ASTM standard sieve with 60 -200 mesh sizes and the effects of pH (3-12), adsorbent dose (0.1-1 g/L), contact time (10-60 min), initial dye concentration (10-160 mg/L) and temperature were investigated in the experiment. In different samples Dye concentration was measured by spectrophotometer at 592 nm and 520 nm wavelength for RR198 and RB19 respectively. Also the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were determined in order to describe the relations between the colored solutions and the adsorbent. The results of this study showed that acidic conditions were more conducive to enhance the hydrolysis rate than basic ones as the decomposition was optimum at pH 3. The adsorption rate of RR-198 and RB-19 dyes was increased by increasing of initial dye concentration, increasing of adsorbent dose in 0.1 to 0.4 mg/L. Dye solution was decolorized in a relatively short time (20 min). The efficiencies for RR-198 and RB- 19 reactive dyes were 82.68% and 90.42% respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) has been found to be 80.152 mg/g for RR-198 reactive dye and 88.452 mg/g for Blue 19 reactive dye. Adsorption isotherms were examined by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm that finally showed the Freundlich multilayer isotherm has better accordance with dates. The results indicate that Aloe Vera ash plant as a natural and inexpensive adsorbent is a suitable adsorbent for the adsorption of textile dyes