Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering最新文献

{"title":"The Impact of Greenhouse Density on Cognitive Function in Primary School Children Using the WISC Method","authors":"Elham Mahdavian, M. Ehrampoush, S. Jambarsang, F. Teimouri, M. Zare, Mohamad Nadi Sakhvidi","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.4251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.4251","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43308994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meta-Analysis of COVID-19 Spread in Meat Processing Plants and Recommended Practical Actions","authors":"A. Neisi, G. Goudarzi, A. Babaei, Vafa Hamid, Seyede Kosar Mousavi, Parnia Kanani, Niloufar Lajmorak, H. Maleki","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.5270","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.5270","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased among workers of meat processing plants (MPPs) around the world. This study reviewed the possible routes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and useful actions against it in slaughterhouses. The results revealed that the main factors for the spread of the virus included low indoor temperature, crowded area, wrong standing along production lines, contamination of high-touch surfaces, difficult education of workers with diverse native languages, low financial income, large MPPs with over 10 million Ib of packed meat per month, higher speed of production lines with 175 birds/minute, temporary contract of the workers, and weak approach of some meat processing companies against COVID-19 infection such as National Beef. COVID-19 transmission rate was 24 times higher among the workers of MPPs than among the population of the US. The practical actions against the spread of the virus were mainly marker using for remembering the previous location, mandatory mask use, especially FFP2/3 masks, and decentralization of large MPPs. By using the results of this study, slaughterhouse managers would be able to significantly control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and future bio-threats to workers of MPPs and even to society.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43063774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy Metals and Microorganisms in Borehole Water Around the Olusosun Dumpsite in Lagos, Nigeria: Occurrence and Health Risk Assessment","authors":"T. Yahaya, Y. Abdulganiyu, B. Gulumbe, E. Oladele, D. Anyebe, U. Shemishere","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.4213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.4213","url":null,"abstract":"Dumpsites are the most cost-effective and widely used method of waste disposal. However, studies have linked dumpsites to groundwater contamination, necessitating a safety assessment of groundwater sources near dumpsites. The safety of borehole water near the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, Lagos, Nigeria, was investigated in this study. Water samples were collected at distances of 100, 200, and 300 m from the dumpsite and subjected to conventional heavy metal analysis and microbiological tests. The average daily intake (ADI) and hazard quotient (HQ) of heavy metals were also estimated. The heavy metal analysis revealed that copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) levels exceeded permissible limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the three locations, while manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations were within non-permissible levels only at the distances of 100 and 200 m. The concentrations of other heavy metals tested, such as zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr), were within tolerable limits. The ADI of heavy metals at the three locations was within acceptable levels. However, the HQ of Cd in all the locations, as well as Pb at the distance of 100 m and Cr at distances of 100 and 200 m, was greater than the threshold of 1. The microbiological analysis revealed that all the water samples had non-permissible bacteria and coliform counts. The results obtained suggest that the borehole water around the dumpsite is grossly contaminated, with contamination levels increasing significantly (P≤0.05) with closeness to the dumpsite (100>200>300 m). Therefore, there is a need for heavy metal remediation and disinfection of the dumpsite.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47424386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigation Methods of Sick Building Syndrome With an Emphasis on Indoor Height Setting","authors":"H. Samudro, G. Samudro, Sarwoko Mangkoedihardjo","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.4253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.4253","url":null,"abstract":"The condition of the space environment as a result of the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors, in a complex way, can have acute and chronic effects on the physical and psychological health of the occupants. This was the incidence of sick building syndrome, and efforts to reduce and eliminate the syndrome were presented in this case study. The aim was to produce healthy indoor quality and sustainable use by its occupants. The methods used minimum Indonesian standards regarding procedures for planning the housing environment in urban areas. The analysis of changes in the indoor volume employed indoor height variables for a particular floor area to apply flexibility to various building layouts. The variability of changes in the pollutant exposure area and indoor air volume was expressed as a relative change. Setting indoor height was a significant determinant for maintaining healthy indoor air quality through diluting air against pollutants. An additional 0.5 m of room height could increase the air volume by 15%-20% greater than the increase in the pollutant area. It was an effective method both at the design and building renovation stages. The physical and thermal mitigation was generally performed at the building use stage. Some of the conducted approaches included air conditioning (AC), electric or manual ventilation, and chemical-phytotechnological mitigation indoors by adding chemicals to space. The methods of indoor depollution during the use of buildings are still necessary using physical and chemical-phytotechnological methods by placing decorative plants.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69814314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Systematic Review on the Climate and Ecosystem Change Associated With the COVID-19 Epidemic: Global Challenges","authors":"Mehran Maleki Roveshti, F. Khajehnasiri, Elham Akhlaghi Pirposhteh, N. Amanat, A. salehi sahlabadi, Javad Vatani, Mohsen Poursadeqiyan","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.4209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.4209","url":null,"abstract":"The most serious current challenge in the world is COVID-19 disease incidence. With the spread of COVID-19, in addition to widespread human and economic damages, concerns have increased about the world’s climate and ecosystem change. This change alters the genetic structure of viruses, leading to newer strains. This study addressed global challenges regarding the COVID-19 epidemic effects and possible two-way changes in climate and ecosystems. Studies conducted from 2019 to 2022 were reviewed in this systematic review. Articles on climate and ecosystem change related to the COVID-19 epidemic were searched in the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases in accordance with the MeSH search strategy using keywords such as \"Climate Change\" and \"Ecosystem\" or \"COVID-19\". In this research, the coding method based on the PRISMA chart was used, and 13 related articles were included in the study after qualitative evaluation. The COVID-19 epidemic is likely to have significant implications for progress in climate and ecosystem change. The phenomenon of climate change and its interaction with the COVID-19 epidemic is not limited to natural issues. One of the most important consequences is its impact on the social and economic issues of human societies, the most important of which are air pollution and environmental degradation. An increase in normal and special wastes, water consumption and wastewater production, air pollution after the start of the global economy, damage to forests and animals, and tendencies to use fossil fuels are only a part of the direct and indirect negative effects of COVID-19 on climate and ecosystem change. Epidemics directly threaten people and the health system, while climate and ecosystem change more broadly weakens natural and human systems. The COVID-19 crisis requires solutions within weeks and months, whereas responses to the climate and ecosystem change crisis seem less acute. However, the effects of climate and ecosystem change worsen with further procrastination. Thus, such crises with overlapping conditions and interactions require more attention and immediate public mobilization. Thus, the necessary planning should be implemented to moderate and reduce its effects.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46176217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of the Metal Bioremediation Ability of Two Populations of Peganum Harmala","authors":"K. Mahdavian","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.03","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc exposure (0, 1, 5, 15, 30 mg/L zinc) on the biochemical and physiological parameters of Peganum harmala seedlings. Two populations (metallicolous and non-metallicolous) were compared in Zn tolerance, Zn accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, and enzymatic antioxidant activities. Plants were treated with Zn at concentrations of 0, 1, 5, 15, and 30 mg/L for 14 days. The study results showed that the increase of Zn concentration in the nutrient solution reduced shoot length, root length, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid in both populations; however, the accumulation was more pronounced in metallicolous populations (M) than in non-metallicolous (NM) ones. In response, the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as guaiacol peroxidase, lipoxygenase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were enhanced Zn exposure in both populations. Moreover, it was found that the metallicolous population of P. harmala had a greater capacity to adapt to oxidative stress caused by Zn than the non-metallicolous population, and antioxidative defense in the metallicolous population of P. harmala might have played an essential role in Zn tolerance. Therefore, P. harmala seemed to be a suitable candidate for accumulation; however, it was recommended that further investigations be carried out to explore its metal remediation ability. It is concluded that P. harmala can be a potential candidate for bioremediation of Zn contaminated soils.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44044429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Removal of Microorganisms by UVC Radiation From the Air of Hospital","authors":"M. Dashti, A. Dargahi, H. Sadeghi, M. Vosoughi, S. A. Mokhtari","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.05","url":null,"abstract":"Currently, UVC radiation is used in hospitals to eliminate microorganisms and reduce adverse health effects in operating rooms (ORs) and protective environment rooms (PERs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of UVC irradiation on bioaerosols in ORs and PERs. This experimental study was performed in ORs and PERs in a hospital. Bioaerosols were evaluated according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standard (No. 0800). The samples were collected from indoor air of rooms before irradiation and after UVC(254 nm) irradiation for 20 and 480 minutes. The sample size of the study was determined to be 432 (216 fungi and 216 bacteria). The difference between the mean concentration of bioaerosols in the UVC radiation at two intervals (20 and 480 minutes) was significant, which indicates a decrease in the concentration of bioaerosols by increasing the duration of UVC radiation. Some bacteria, such as group B Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and Listeria, were entirely killed after 20 minutes of irradiation; however, complete removal of the bacteria such as Staphylococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus saprophyticus was observed after 480 minutes of UVC irradiation. Fungi, such as Alternaria, Stofelim, and Mucor had a 100% reduction after 20 minutes of UVC irradiation, and Rhizopus and Aspergillus fumigatus showed a 100% decrease after 480 minutes of UVC irradiation. Other isolated fungi such as Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus niger, Rhodotorula, and Alternaria showed a decrease of 75%-98.78%. The ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity of bacterial and fungal bioaerosols depends strongly on their type. The results from this study may offer an important understanding of the control of indoor bioaerosols using UVC irradiation and help abate the environmental impacts of airborne microbes.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48888229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Bottled Water: A New Automated Solid Phase Extraction Method and Simulation of Cancer Risk","authors":"Fatemeh Mahdavi Doost, Mohammad-Mehdi Emamjome, H. Jamali, H. Karyab","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.08","url":null,"abstract":"Considering the adverse effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on human health and the complexity of their detection in water resources, this study was developed to assess the performance of a new automated device for the identification of PAHs in water based on the solid-phase extraction and to simulate the cancer risk of 16 priority PAHs by Monte Carlo technique. All operational modes of extraction were automatically performed using the proprietary software program. Three spiked aliquots of PAHs including 100, 500, and 1000 ng/L were used to evaluate the performance of the automated-solid phase extraction (SPE) apparatus. The time of extraction in the automatic-SPE apparatus was 50±4 minutes for simultaneous extraction of 4 water samples, which was four times faster than that of manual-SPE apparatus. The mean recoveries of PAHs were 89.22±4.94, 91.70±4.45, and 94.61±6.28% in spiked samples, with a mean of 91.84±5.22%. Except for naphthalene, all obtained recoveries were in an acceptable range (85-115%). The results of Monte Carlo simulation showed that the cancer risk attributable to eight detected PAHs including naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene (Phe), benzoanthracene, chrysene, benzo(k) fluoranthene, indeno(cd)pyrene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene ranged from 0.05E-6 to 0.11E-6, with the cancer risk of 0.012E-6 having the highest probability (P=0.82). Additionally, this simulation showed that 99% of the probability density of cancer risk was located within the range lower than 0.05E-6. Our results showed that the novel automated-SPE apparatus could be utilized for the extraction of PAHs from water resources with a good recovery (85%-115%), high operational speed, and potential for separation of solvents from the air in the drying step. Therefore, this device can be used for the extraction of trace PAHs and similar organic compounds from water resources.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42272365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of the Municipal Solid Waste Landfill on the Quality of Water Resources in Khalkhal: A Case Study","authors":"Z. Javanmardi, M. Alighadri, S. Parastar, Tayebe Sadeghi","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.04","url":null,"abstract":"Transmission of leachate from municipal solid waste landfills can potentially threaten ecosystems and human societies when the landfill has no system for collecting and treating leachate. Leachate produced from landfills finds its way through the soil to groundwater and surrounding surface waters, leading to pollution of water resources. This study aimed to investigate the effects of leachate from Khalkhal landfill (a city in Ardabil province, northwestern Iran) on the quality of groundwater and surrounding surface water. During 2019-2020, 4 wells (one control well located upstream of the landfill and three wells located downstream of the landfill) and two stations of the surface water resource of the Herochai river were spots for sampling. First, we did sampling during high and low rainfall seasons in accordance with the standards. Second, we analyzed the values of some physical, chemical, and biological quality parameters according to standard methods. The sampling of the soil texture was conducted following ASTM D 422 standards. Then, the soil was analyzed at Reference Laboratory of Water, Soil, and Plant in Ardabil province. The value of most parameters measured in the water of downstream wells was lower than the limit recommended by the Iranian and World Health Organization, indicating no limitation for drinking and agricultural uses. The quality of the Herochai river water was also relatively undesirable in terms of turbidity and total coliform in some samples. Additionally, consistent with the study results, no difference was observed between high and low rainfall seasons. According to the results obtained from different parameters, Schuler and Wilcox diagrams, and landfill water pollution index (LWPI), the quality of upstream and downstream water resources of Khalkhal municipal solid waste landfill was not much different. In other words, the landfill did not affect water.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42334690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk Assessment of Drinking Water Supply System of Talesh Based on World Health Organization Water Safety Plan in 2021: A Case Study","authors":"R. Aali, Amin Kishipour","doi":"10.34172/ajehe.2022.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/ajehe.2022.07","url":null,"abstract":"Water safety plan (WSP) is a new way to ensure the safety of drinking water by risk assessment and systematic prevention approach. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk and identify hazards from the production source to the point of use and plan to reduce or eliminate these hazards to provide safe drinking water. This study was conducted on the water supply system of Talesh city in 2021. The WSP has 12 stages and the third stage is risk assessment and hazard identification. This stage scored 69 points out of a total of 100 raw points, which indicates 69% coordination with the WSP. Based on the analysis, 47 hazards were identified in production sources, transmission lines, distribution network, and point of use. The presence of domestic sewage wells near the source of supply, undesirable chlorine concentration, and old pipes in the distribution network, as well as the failure of the check valve at the point of consumption are the most important risks. With the implementation of different phases of WSP, especially the stage of identification and assessment of microbial contamination risk in the distribution network, has been decreased to 0% and the desired residual chlorine concentration has been increased to 100%. Currently, water supply system of Talesh has a moderate level of safety.","PeriodicalId":8672,"journal":{"name":"Avicenna Journal of Environmental Health Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41660584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}