Trend analysis of Air Quality Index criteria pollutants (CO, NO2, SO2, PM10 and O3) concentration changes in Tehran metropolis and its relationship with meteorological data, 2001-2009

Background and Aims: Air pollution is a serious threat to public health and environment. Factors contributing to air pollution have to be identified in order to reduce the corresponding effects. Meteorological data are among the noteworthy factors in determining the severity of air pollution. This study was conducted to investigate the trend of five criteria pollutants in air quality index and to find their correlation with meteorological data in Tehran metropolis during 2001- 2009. Materials and Methods: During this descriptive-analytical study, the required data were obtained from Air Quality Department of Tehran’s Municipality, the Environmental Protection Agency and also from the synoptic stations of Meteorological Organization. SPSS software was used for data analysis. The trends in concentration of studied pollutants including: CO, PM10, SO2, NO2 and O3, as well as meteorological data and their correlation were indeed considered. Results: The current study found that during the studied period, the concentration of O3 shows an increasing trend. Therefore, this pollutant could be a major factor, if not the only one, raising the index of air pollution in recent years. Another important result of this study can be cited to decrease in concentrations of CO, NO2, and SO2 during the years of present study. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that although the air quality in Tehran has improved in term of particulate matter, SO2 and NO2 during the period of study, however the concentration of ozone has increased beyond the standard. It was also possible to draw a meaningful conclusion relating to the impact of some meteorological parameters in airpollution. Keywords: Air pollution, Criteria pollutants, Meteorological data, Tehran metropoli

تحليل روند تغييرات غلظت پنج آلاينده شاخص كيفيت هوا

Background and Aims: Air pollution is a serious threat to public health and environment. Factors contributing to air pollution have to be identified in order to reduce the corresponding effects. Meteorological data are among the noteworthy factors in determining the severity of air pollution. This study was conducted to investigate the trend of five criteria pollutants in air quality index and to find their correlation with meteorological data in Tehran metropolis during 2001- 2009.Materials and Methods: During this descriptive-analytical study, the required data were obtained from Air Quality Department of Tehran’s Municipality, the Environmental Protection Agency and also from the synoptic stations of Meteorological Organization. SPSS software was used for data analysis. The trends in concentration of studied pollutants including: CO, PM10, SO2, NO2 and O3, as well as meteorological data and their correlation were indeed considered.Results: The current study found that during the studied period, the concentration of O3 shows an increasing trend. Therefore, this pollutant could be a major factor, if not the only one, raising the index of air pollution in recent years. Another important result of this study can be cited to decrease in concentrations of CO, NO2, and SO2 during the years of present study.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that although the air quality in Tehran has improved in term of particulate matter, SO2 and NO2 during the period of study, however the concentration of ozone has increased beyond the standard. It was also possible to draw a meaningful conclusion relating to the impact of some meteorological parameters in airpollution.زمينه و هدف: آلودگي هوا، تهديدي جدي براي سلامت عمومي و محيط زيست است. جهت كاهش اثرات ناشي از آلودگي هوا بايد پارامترهاي موثر در آلودگي هوا را به خوبي بشناسيم، از جمله پارامترهاي مهم در تعيين ميزان آلودگي هوا داده‌هاي هواشناسي است. هدف از اين تحقيق، مطالعه بررسي روند تغييرات پنج آلاينده شاخص آلودگي هوا و ارتباط آن با داده‌هاي هواشناسي در تهران طي سال‌هاي 88-1380 است. مواد و روش‌ها: اين مطالعه از نوع توصيفي‌ تحليلي است. داده‌ها از ايستگاه سينوپتيك سازمان هواشناسي و ايستگاه‌هاي شركت کنترل کيفيت هواي شهرداري و سازمان حفاظت محيط زيست گردآوري شده و چگونگي روند تغييرات غلظت آلاينده‌ها و داده‌هاي هواشناسي و ارتباط آن‌ها با نرم افزار آماريSPSS مورد تحليل قرارگرفت. يافته‌ها: در اين مطالعه مشخص شد که در طي سال‌هاي مورد مطالعه بر مقادير غلظت آلاينده O3 افزوده شده و مي‌توان آلاينده مذکور را آلاينده مسئول افزايش شاخص استاندارد آلودگي هوا در طي سال‌هاي اخير دانست. همچنين از ديگر نتايج مهم اين تحقيق مي‌توان به روند کاهشي آلاينده (CO، NO2، SO2 و PM10) در طي سنوات مورد مطالعه اشاره نمود. نتيجه گيري: طي سال‌هاي فوق کيفيت هواي تهران از نظر آلاينده‌هاي CO، NO2، PM10 و SO2 بهبود يافته، در حالي‌كه غلظت آلاينده O3  رو به افزايش بوده و از وضعيت استاندارد فاصله داشته است. با توجه به ارتباط معني دار بين برخي از پارامترهاي هواشناسي و آلاينده‌ها، مشخص گرديد كه متغيرهاي هواشناسي مي‌توانند در ميزان آلايندگي هواي شهر تهران موثر واقع شوند

Efficiency in phenol removal from aqueous solutions of pomegranate peel ash as a natural adsorbent

Background: Phenol is an organic pollutant found in industrial effluents that is very toxic to humans and the environment. This study used pomegranate peel ash as a natural absorbent to remove phenol from aqueous solutions. Methods: In this study, pomegranate peel ash in different doses was used as a new adsorbent for the removal of phenol. The effects of contact time, pH, adsorbent dose and initial phenol concentration were recorded. Then, the adsorption data was described with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms; Excel software was used for data analysis. Results: The highest percentage of phenol adsorption was observed at pH = 7. The optimum amount of adsorbent was 0.6 g/l, and after 120 minutes, the process reached an equilibrium state. The adsorption of phenol decreased following an increase in the pH of the solution. It was also observed that contact time significantly affected the rate of phenol adsorption. The experimental data fit much better in the Freundlich (R2 = 0.9056) model than in the Langmuir (R2 = 0.8674) model. Conclusion: Pomegranate peel ash has the potential to be utilized for the cost-effective removal of phenol from aqueous solutions

10 Persian herbal medicines used for brain health

Brain conditions including neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders are becoming more prevalent and have emerged as major health concerns worldwide. Currently available pharmaceuticals may be of limited efficacy and are associated with a range of adverse side effects. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) including Persian herbal medicine has been used for various brain disorders over centuries that can offer alternative viable options. In addition, Persian herbs can serve as a potential source for identifying novel pharmacological interventions. In this chapter, some of the most commonly used herbal medicines in TPM ancient literatures including Canon of Medicine are discussed and the evidences of their effectiveness from preclinical and clinical studies are summarized. Based on the current findings, TPM herbs have demonstrated therapeutic potential for the treatment of brains disorders; however, more research is needed to confirm their clinical effectiveness and to determine the underlying mechanisms of action