Isolation, characterization and tolerance survey of bacterial strains to cadmium in soils receiving Hamadan industrial parks wastewater treatment plant effluent

Background and Aims: Biosorption is a relatively new clean up method used for the removal of heavy metals from the environment. Entry of heavy metals into the environment may result in change in population structure and further alteration of resistance mechanism(s) in exposed microorganisms. The first question inthis study sought to determine the threshold of bacterial resistance to cadmium (Cd). The second question was to identify indigenous bacterial species capable of removing the Cd from the soil and consequently to achieve a more efficient biological treatment for industrial effluents.Materials and Methods: Natural topsoil samples were obtained from three industrial parks in Hamadan, Iran. The concentration of Cd in soil samples was measured and thence the bacterial cultures were prepared. Following the screening process, the minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] and minimum bactericidal concentration [MBC] were determined in order to find the threshold of bacterial tolerance. Indeed, theadsorption capacity of bacterial strains came down in favor of the identification of resistant bacteria.Results: Respectively, 42, 4 and 4 bacterial strains were identified for cultures having average cadmium concentrations of 0.78, 500 and 750 mg/L. This experiment did also detect that Tcd2 and Tcd4 showed the highest MIC with 1250 mg Cd/L. Moreover, TCd2, belonging to the family of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterobacter genus, demonstrated the maximum cadmium removal efficiency (30.2%).Conclusion: The test was successful as it was able to identify the indigenous cadmium tolerant bacteria with high adsorption capacity. This finding has important implications for developing special biological wastewater treatment such as a biofilter in the cadmium-releasing industries.Key words: Cadmium, Hamadan, Industrial park, Resistant bacteria, Soi

Consumers in Limbo: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Changed Local Food Consumption in Tehran

The present paper investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior related to local food products (LFPs). The study relies on the interpretation of in-depth interviews (N = 26) conducted through phone calls in Tehran, Iran, between September 23 to October 27, 2020. The results reveal substantial changes in buying behavior and food habits. Our findings present four behavioral categories with different underlying motivational factors: (1) ceased consumption, (2) reduced consumption, (3) unchanged consumption, and (4) increased consumption of LFPs. The results show that reduced accessibility during the lockdowns inhibited some respondents from acquiring the products they wanted. Moreover, health concerns due to distrust of food safety made some consumers hesitant about local food consumption. Our findings enhance understanding of how and why pandemics like COVID-19 may affect food habits and, consequently, attitudes and behaviors toward local food consumption. As consumption is constrained by time and place, the study contributes by bringing a localized perspective into consumers’ understanding of “local” products and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran.</p

Joint Action of Herbicides on Weeds and Their Risk Assessment on Earthworm (<em>Eisenia fetida</em> L.)

Frequent and intensive use of similar modes of action herbicides increases selection pressure resulting in nature adapt and a number of herbicide-resistant weeds. The most effective methods to prevent and delay herbicide-resistant weeds are herbicide tank mixture and adjuvant mixed herbicides. This chapter intends to explain the advantages of herbicide tank mixture and adjuvant mixed herbicides. In addition, the models of estimated herbicide mixture interaction response have been explained. Although herbicide mixtures have benefits, they may present risks leading to soil pollution and affecting soil fauna such as earthworms. Therefore, we discussed the negative effect of mixture herbicides on Eisenia fetida. On the other hand, various models to calculate mixture herbicide toxicity on earthworms will be present in this chapter

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

An empirical study on the impact of operating risk on structure capital and profitability in Iranian banking sector

La Déclaration des Nations Unies du 13 septembre 2007, en consacrant le droit à l’autodétermination des peuples autochtones, s’inscrit dans la lignée des grands textes internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’homme et dans une logique d’internationalisation progressive de ces droits. Des deux conceptions de l’autodétermination, interne et externe, laquelle est privilégiée par les rédacteurs de la convention onusienne ? A priori, il s’agirait de l’autodétermination interne des peuples autochtones. Cependant, il ne s’agit pas de leur dénier un droit à l’autodétermination externe. Cette Déclaration, en leur octroyant des droits nouveaux individuels et collectifs n’exclut pas l’expression d’un droit à l’autodétermination externe au profit de ces peuples, même si celle-ci peut sembler laborieuse dans sa mise en oeuvre.The United Nations Declaration of 13 September 2007, dedicating a right to self-determination for indigenous peoples, is in line with the major international instruments relating to human rights and with the progressive internationalization of these rights. Which one of the two conceptions of self-determination, internal and external, is preferred by the drafters of the UN convention? A priori, it would be internal self-determination of indigenous peoples. However, it is not a question of denying them the right to external self-determination. The Declaration by granting them new rights of individual and collective expression does not preclude a right to external self-determination in favor of these people, even if it may seem laborious in its implementation

The Effect of Reduced Doses of Trifluralin on Control of ‎Common Lamsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) and Redroot ‎Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) in Potato (Solanum ‎tuberosum L.) Fields

To evaluate the reduced concentration effect of Trifluralin (Treflan EC 33%) on common lamsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) in potato (cv. Agria) a field experiment based on randomized complete design with three replications was carried out at the Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Station of Ardabil during 2013. Treatments were concentration of Trifluralin (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 Lit a.i/ha) without weed control and weeding out (as control). Sampling of weeds were performed before and after flowering of potato. Statistical analysis showed significant differences of reduced concentrations of Trifluralin on reduction of both lamsquarters and pigweed in the field. The highest reduction in percentages of weed densities, before and after flowering (91.94 and 90.34 percent, respectively) were achieved by using 4 Lit a.i/ha of Trifluralin. Application 4 Lit a.i/ha of Trifluralin at before and after flowering reduced common lamsquarters density by 87.13 and 86.04 percentages, respectively. Application 4 Lit a.i/ ha Trifluralin at befor and after flowering reduced pigweed density by more than 90 percent. Experimental results also showed that different concentrations of Trifluralin had significant effect on mean tuber weight per plant, and potato tuber yield. The highest mean weight of tuber per plant, yield per plant and potato tuber yield was obtained at 2 Lit a.i/ha Trifluralin concentration, while it was not significantly different from that of 4 Lit a.i/ ha. Generally, application of 2 and 4 Lit a.i/ha Trifluralin incereased tuber yield by 51.85 and 50.74 percents respectively

Comparison of Granular Activated Carbon, Natural Clinoptilolite Zeolite, and Anthracite Packed Columns in Removing Mercury from Drinking Water

Development of effective methods for the removal of such pollutants as heavy metals (e.g., mercury) from surface and ground water resources introduced by municipal and industrial wastewaters seems to be inevitable, especially in the face of the importance of water reuse in combating water shortages, limited availability of water resources, and imminent risks of a water crisis in Iran. A number of methods are already available for the removal of mercury from water resources. However, these techniques must be investigated for their practicability and economy, in addition to their not only effectiveness. In this research, granular activated carbon, natural zeolite, and anthracite packed-columns were investigated as cheap and effective adsorbents for the removal of mercury. Moreover, the effects of changes in pH (6-8), influent mercury concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 ppm), contact time (0.5, 1, 2, 3 hr) were investigated. Mercury concentration in the samples was determined using a ditizon indicator and spectrophotometry at 492 nm. Results showed that decreasing influent mercury concentration from 1 ppm to 0.25 ppm (under constant conditions) increased the removal efficiencies of anthracite, granular activated carbon, and zeolite columns from22%, 63%, and 55% to 28%, 72%, and 64%, respectively. Increasing contact time from 0.5 hr to 3 hr caused the removal efficiencies of these columns to increase from 22%, 56%, and 54% to 42%, 86%, and 82%, respectively. Also, increasing pH level led to increased removal efficiencies of the studied columns. It was found that contact time played a more effective role in enhancing mercury removal efficiency in the granular activated carbon column than in the other two columns. The ranges of mercury removal efficiency obtained for the granular activated carbon, natural zeolite, and anthracite columns under various conditions were (51%-92%), (42%-88%), and (16%-52%), respectively. Based on these results, granular activated carbon could be recommended as an effective and cheap adsorbent for the removal of mercury from drinking water resources

Evaluation of Synthesized Fe3O4/MWCNTs Nanocomposite Used in the Heterogeneous Fenton Process for the Removal of Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic

Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic vastly administrered for the treatment of infections. A major paortion of the drug remains non-metabolized and is excreted to find its way ultimately into water environments through discharge into wastewater. Although carbon nanotubes have been widely employed for the removal of contaminants, ciprofloxacin still poses problems against its proper removal. It is the objective of the present study to synthesize magnetite Fe3O4/MWCNTs and to evaluate its performance in ciprofloxacin removal via the heterogeneous Fenton process. For this purpose, the performance of the synthesized nanocomposite was evaluated while the effects of the following parameters were also investigated on the heterogenous Fenton process under lab conditions: pH, 4‒10); adsorbent quantity, 1‒3 g/l; initial antibiotic concentration, 30‒200 mg/l; contact time, 15‒300 min; and H2O2 concentration, 5‒25 μmol/l. Moreover, the synthesized Fe3O4/MWCNTs  was morphologically and microstructurally characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the formation of carboxylic functional groups was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR). It was found that the efficiency of the heterogeneous Fenton process for the removal of ciprofloxacin at a concentration of 30 mg/l was 95% in approximately 180 minutes and a molar ratio of 1 ml H2O2/2g Fe. Based on the results obtained, the Fe3O4/MWCNTs magnetite nanocomposite is well capable of removing ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions in the heterogeneous Fenton process

Survey of water quality in Moradbeik river basis on WQI index by GIS

Background: Survey of pollution and evaluation of water quality in rivers with Oregon Water Quality Index (OWQI) and GIS are effective tools for management of the impact of environmental water resources. The information in calculating the WQI of Moradbeikriver allowed us to take our tests results and make a scientific conclusion about the quality of water. GIS can be a powerful tool for developing solutions for water resources problems for assessing water quality, determining water availability, preventing flooding, understanding the natural environment, and managing water resources on a local or regional scale. Methods: The WQI of Moradbeikriver consists of nine tests: Fecal Coliform (FC), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Nitrates (NO3), Total Phosphate (PO4), pH, temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), turbidity, and Total Solid (TS). Water quality of Moradbeikriver was investigated for 12 months. Concentrations of these nine variables were normalized on a scale from 0 to 100 and translated into statements of water quality (excellent, good, regular, fair, and poor). Also this data were analyzed with WQI index, and then river basis on water quality was zoning by GIS. Results: The average of WQI was 61.62, which corresponded to ‘‘medium’’ quality water at the sampling point 1 (best station) and decreased to around 26.41 (bad quality) at sampling point 6. The association between sampling points and water quality indexes was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on physical, chemical and biological agent monitoring and also with control of water quality indexes of these points, we observed wastewater and other river pollutants