Evaluation of bacterial and fungal contamination in equipments used in ladies and gentleman barbers in Shahrekord, 2009

زمینه و هدف: عفونت های قارچی و باکتریایی از جمله بیماری های واگیردار و شایعی هستند که در همه جا یافت می شوند و آرایشگاه ها به لحاظ عمومی بودن در این میان اهمیت خاصی دارند. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی آرایشگاه های شهرکرد از نظر آلودگی های میکروبی استافیلوکوک آرئوس و قارچ های درماتوفیت انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این تحقیق توصیفی– تحلیلی داده ها از طریق تکمیل چک لیست، نمونه گیری میکروبی و قارچی و انجام تجربیات آزمایشگاهی جمع آوری و به کمک آزمون آماری کای دو تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: استافیلوکوک آرئوس عامل 4/12 آلودگی میکروبی بود. در بین آلودگی های قارچی کمتر از 1 قارچ درماتوفیت (میکروسپوروم نانوم)، 2/8 کاندیدا آلبیکانس، 11 پنی سیلیوم، 3/3 رایزوپوس و کمتر از 1 اسکوپولاریوپسیس مشاهده گردید. بین نتایج میکروبی و نوع آرایشگاه و همچنین بین نتایج میکروبی و موقعیت محلی آرایشگاه ارتباط معنی داری وجود نداشت. نتیجه گیری: سطح آلودگی به استافیلوکوک آرئوس و قارچ های درماتوفیت در آرایشگاه های شهرکرد در مقایسه با تحقیق های انجام شده در سایر اماکن عمومی نظیر بیمارستان ها، استخرهای شنا، مجموعه های ورزشی و اتاق عمل کمتر است

Fe2+/Persulfate / Clinoptilolite, catalytic oxidative treatment, as a cost effective process for Isocyanate and Meta Toluene Diamine Petrochemical unit wastewater

Background: Petrochemical wastewater from isocyanate units contains aromatic and hazardous compounds such as Diaminotoluenes, Mononitrotoluene, Dinitro-toluene, Nitro-phenol, Nitro-cresol. Persulfate and ferrous sulfate can produce sulfate radicals with strong standard oxidation potential. Clinoptilolite, a natural adsorbent; plus sulfate radicals can result in catalytic oxidation of these chemicals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the catalytic oxidation efficiency Fe2+/Persulfate/ Clinoptilolite and cost effectiveness of this process for treatment of petrochemical wastewater containing aromatics.Materials and methods: The effect of study variables including persulfate and ferrous sulfate concentrations, zeolite dosages, pH and oxidation time were investigated. The type and amount of aromatic compounds as well as COD and TSS removal efficiencies were determined. All procedures in study were conducted ethicallyResults: The COD and TSS removal efficiencies using catalytic oxidative treatment processes by Fe,Persulfate, Clinoptilolite were 96% and 95%, respectively. The corresponding COD and TSS removal efficiencies using Fe and Persulfate, without zeolite were 85% and 80%, respectively.Conclusion: The catalytic processes utilizing Fe2+/Persulfate/ Clinoptilolite demonstrates an excellent COD and TSS removal efficiency. Due to its natural nature, low cost compared to chemical oxidants, as well as improvements in the efficiency of advanced oxidation processes, Zeolite can be considered as anefficient and cost-effective alternative to upgrade the catalytic oxidative treatment

The Impact of Greenhouse Density on Cognitive Function in Primary School Children Using the WISC Method

Exposure to pesticides is associated with various health concerns and may also be related to impaired cognitive function. This study investigated the relationship between greenhouse density and cognitive function in primary school children using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and environmental sampling. This study was conducted on 128 children (6–9 years old) in Ebrahimabad village, Ashkezar, Yazd, Iran in 2019, and 10 students were excluded from the study after filling consent form. The WISC-IV measured children’s cognitive function, and a flame ionization detector for gas chromatography (GC-FID) instrument was used to detect environmental exposure to pesticides. There was a significant inverse relationship between greenhouse density in children’s homes and cognitive function scores with verbal thinking scores (P value=0.003) and the total scale (P value=0.0001) on the WISC. Further, the results showed that the obtained verbal thinking scores are significantly related to their fathers’ education (P value=0.008) and occupation (P value=0.014). Moreover, the results of environmental exposure measurement confirmed the presence of malathion, ethion, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, and oxadiazine with a maximum concentration of 183 µg/m3 in response to malathion. The present study indicated that increasing the density of the greenhouse reduces children’s cognitive functions. The results of ambient air analysis confirmed the environmental exposure to pesticides as well. Due to long-term chemical effects, management measures such as public education, substituting crop types, and the use of eco-friendly methods are unavoidable

Bioremediation of Soils Polluted with Phenanthrene and Anthracene Using Ground Treatment Method and Chicken Manure as a Cosubstrate

Introduction: Bioremediation convertssoils pollutants to safe and non-toxic substance through metabolic activities of microorganisms. This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of bacteria on removal of phenanthrene and anthracene from polluted soils using chicken manure as an auxiliary substrate. Materials and Methods: First, uniformly-graded soils were transferred to the pilots, then activated sludge and chicken manure were added and mixed with the soilin specific ratios of 2:1 and 1: 1. Thereafter, phenanthrene and anthracene were manually added to the soil of each pilotat a rate of 12 mg/kg of soil. Anthracene and phenanthrene were measured using HPLC. Results: The results showed that in control pilots (without chicken manure and sludge), the removal percentage of pollutants (phenanthrene + anthracene) was 15%. Nevertheless, when chicken manure and chicken manure + sludge were used, the removal percentageincreased to 80 and 84%, respectively. Control pilots showed the lowest percentage of COD removal and varied from approximately 7 to 10%. Although the percentage of COD removal was approximately 80%, with the addition of chicken manure + sludge, COD removal rate reached 90% (the highest removal percentage). Conclusion: The use of chicken manure as a cosubstratecanbe considered as an appropriate alternative for increasing the efficiency of bioremediation of oil compounds in soil

Biological Treatment of Polychlorinate Biphenyls Using Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor

Polychlorinated Biphenyls are xenobiotic pollutants, commonly known as PCBs. PCBs could enter the food chain of biological organisms and accumulate in their fatty tissues. Thus, before the discharge of PCBs compounds in the environment, it is necessary to focus on processes and techniques for its removal at their sources. The objective of this research was to investigate the biodegradability of PCBs compounds by Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactors (SBBR). Acetone and acetic acid were used as solvent in two separate reactors. Organic loading rates (OLRs) were from 0.04 to 0.75 g COD/l-d (maximum concentration of PCBs =0.7 mg/L). The SBBR was operated with four phases including fill, react (aeration), settle (sedimentation/clarification), and draw( decant) during different loading rates. The efficiency of COD and PCBs removal were evaluated. Maximum removal efficiencies of COD was 85% occurred in 0.2- 0.4 g /l-d in the reactor 1(solvent acetone). Also, in reactor 2 (solvent acetic acid) maximum removal rates were recorded as% in OLR of 0.56g COD/ld. The maximum removal efficiency of PCBs was observed at 240 days after start-up of both reactors and was 99%. The results of this research showed that the concentration of priority organic pollutants can be decreased by using biological processes such as SBBR. This study can also indicated that biodegradation of high weight compounds by aerobic bioreactors is a time consuming processes

The Impact of Ambient Air Pollutants on Birth Outcomes Using ARMA Model: Yazd Mother and Birth Cohort Study

Introduction: The present study examines the association between ambient air pollution and harmful consequences at birth in Yazd, Iran during 2017-2020. Materials and Methods: This time series study by the autoregressive (AR) and moving average (MA) or ARMA model was conducted in Yazd, Iran. Birth information including fetal sex, birth weight, birth height, and head circumference as well as preterm birth (PTB) and abortion was collected from mother and birth cohort databases. Data on air pollutants concentrations in the corresponding gestational period were obtained from fixed air monitors of Yazd Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center. The time series model statistical test was performed to find the relation between ambient air pollution and harmful consequences at birth. Results: 2131 singleton live births were monitored for 3 years. In ARMA models, the ratio of girl births to total births (Coef: 7.943, 95% CI: 2.797, 13.089), preterm delivery (Coef: 2.915, 95% CI: 0.224, 5.606), and spontaneous abortion (Coef: 44.751, 95% CI: 26.872, 62.629) was associated with NO2 exposure. Distributed mismatch models also suggested associations between the Air Quality Index (AQI) in pregnant women with a sex-premature birth relationship (Coef: 0.001, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.001). Conclusion: Exposure to air pollution, even at low levels, may increase the risk of sex ratio in singletons, premature birth, and spontaneous abortion. However, the results of the present study could not definitively show the relationship between air quality and other birth problems. More research studies are required to investigate the present findings

Kinetic parameters and nitrate, nitrite changes in bioremediation of Toxic Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) contaminated soil

Background: Cleanup of areas contaminated by explosives is a public health concern. Some explosives can be carcinogenic in humans. Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN), a powerful explosive with very low water solubility, can be easily transported to ground waters. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the removal efficiencies of PETN from soil by bioremediation, and obtain kinetic parameters of biological process. Methods: This experimental study was conducted at the Environmental Health Engineering Lab (Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran) in 2015-2016. In the present work, bioremediation of the explosive-polluted soils by PETN in anaerobic-aerobic landfarming method was performed. The influence of seeding and biosurfactant addition on bioremediation was also evaluated. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Results: The results show that, as the initial concentration of PETN increased, the lag phase was increased and the specific growth rate was increased up to 0.1/day in concentration of 50 mg/kg, and then it was decreased to 0.04/day. Subsequent decreases in specific growth rate can cause substrate inhibition. Seeding causes decrease in lag phase significantly. Biosurfactant addition had little to no impact on the length of lag phase, but biosurfactant plus seeding can increase the growth rate to 0.2/day, however, inhibitory effect of the initial concentration was started in very high concentration of PETN (150 mg/kg). Conclusion: Biosurfactant addition and seeding together have an impressive effect on biodegradation of PETN, furthermore seeding can enhance active microbial consortium and biosurfactant can improve the poor aqueous solubility of PETN, therefore making the substrate more accessible

Data on biosurfactant assisted removal of TNT from contaminated soil

Contamination of environment, especially soil, is in great concern and can cause health problems. Thus, remediation of these pollutants through environmentally friendly methods should be considered. The aim of this data was bioremediation of TNT from contaminated soil. Two plastic pans were used as bioreactor. In each pan, 3 kg of soil was used. Concentration of TNT in contaminated soil was 1000 mg/kg. Rhamnolipid in concentration of 60 mg/l was added to intended pan. Sampling was done in each two weeks. In order to assessment of TNT degradation, samples were analyzed with HPLC. The data showed that after 154 days of experiment, TNT removal in soil that amended with rhamnolipid was 73% and in experiment with no addition of rhamnolipid was 58%. Based on the obtained data rhamnolipid was effective in remediation of TNT contaminated soil. Keywords: TNT, Soil contamination, Rhamnolipid, Bioremediation, Soi