Iranian Journal of Health and Environment
Year:2019 | Volume:11 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:12

Background and Objective: Traditional cheese has desirable organoleptic characteristics for Iranian consumers. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella are some of the most important microbial agents in food poisoning and gastrointestinal infections, which can contaminate this product and endanger the health of consumers. The aim of this study was to survey the contamination rate and determination of antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella strains isolated from traditional cheeses distributed in Mahabad, Iran. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 samples of traditional cheese from the production and distribution centers in Mahabad city were randomly selected in 2016 to determine the bacterial contamination in accordance to national standard guidelines for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella spp. Anti-biograms test was conducted using a standard disc diffusion method through the measurement of the inhibitory zone diameter on the Muller Hinton agar. Results: Among the 100 samples, 54, 45 and 0 samples were positive for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella, respectively. All E. coli (100%) were found to be resistant to Amoxicillin, while Staphylococcus aureus isolates (100%) were resistant to Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid and Amoxicillin. However, 66. 6% isolates of E. coli were susceptible to Ceftriaxone and 97. 7% isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were susceptible to Trimethoprim – Sulfamethoxazole. Conclusion: The microbial quality of traditional cheeses distributed in Mahabad city was not evaluated as appropriate and the values did not meet the national standards. Thus, further monitoring and control are needed.

Background and Objective: Radon is a radioactive, odorless gas. Radon gas with the emission of alpha radiation and sticking to aerosols in the air can cause lung cancer. This study evaluated the concentration of radon in residential houses and public places in Firuzkuh city and compared the values with the recommended international guidelines. Materials and Methods: Radon gas concentration was measured by passive measurements using CR-39 detectors. The detectors were placed in houses and schools of the city for three months. After this time, the detectors were located and placed in a 6. 25% normal solution at 85 ° C for 4 hours in a laboratory. After preparation, using an automatic scan and appropriate statistical method, the concentration of radon gas was determined. Results: The results indicated that the average concentrations of radon gas in homes and public places were 137. 74 and 110. 17 Bq/m3, respectively. Comparing the results with the WHO guideline showed that 76. 3% of the homes and 66. 7% of the sites had a concentration above the guideline (100 Bq/m3). Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to prepare the National Radon gas map in the country.

Background and Objective: Considering the toxicity, health and ecological hazards of heavy metals in the environment and the impact on organisms, it looks essential to measure and evaluate their concentrations at the various levels in indigineous ecological strctures. The present study evaluated the concentration of Lead, Nickel, Copper and Zinc and their ecological risk assessment in surface sediments of Sezar River in Lorestan province. Materials and Methods: 16 stations along the Sezar River were selected for sampling. After preparation and acid digestion of the samples, the concentrations of these metals were determined by Atomic absorbtion. Results: The average total concentration of the detected metals Ni, Zn, Cu and Pb in the sediment was 71. 84 > 40. 56> 7. 75 > 5. 61 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, the evaluation of the Potential acute toxicity, ecological risk, and Pollution Load Index represented a low pollution in the sediments. The environmental risk of the metals in the sediment was evaluated as: Ni> Pb> Cu> Zn. The findings showed that among metals, the contamination factor and modified hazard quotient (mHQ) for nickel was moderate and in the mediun to severe pollution level to the contamination, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that Potential acute toxicity, pollution and ecological risk in the region for investigated metals were low. However, a rapid expansion of various human activities in the area and the pollution of nickel in the river along with the probability of its biological effects require continuous monitoring of the river in order to assess the health risk and its ecological risk.

Background and Objective: Health expenditures and environmental pollution are indicators of development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of health per capita costs and the impact of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) as an indicator of environmental pollution on the growth of selected developed and developing countries. Materials and Methods: The effect of health expenditures and air pollution on economic growth was studied based on the data of two groups of developed and developing countries (2000-2015) and the use of econometric methods. Results: The fitting of the equations confirmed the significant effect of the health expenditure per capita and CO2 emission on the economic growth of both groups of countries. One percent change in these expenditures resulted in 0. 029 percent economic growth in the developed countries and 0. 054 percent in the developing. Also, the effect of CO2 release on the economic growth was-0. 011 and-0. 073. Conclusion: Health has a direct impact on economic growth. Health has a positive effect on the economic growth by reducing health costs (and spending these resources in other areas) and by increasing labor productivity through increasing life expectancy and useful work time. Also, increasing air pollution has a negative effect on the economic growth of these countries.

Background and Objective: Hydrocarbon processing industries are considered as potential sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to their specific nature. These compounds can directly or indirectly through producing secondary pollutants have adverse effects on the health of individuals. Therefore, identification of them is an important step in the formulation of control programs. This study aimed to identify the type and amount of the most important volatile organic compounds in the South Pars region. Materials and Methods: In this study, industrial processes located in the region were investigated and information was gathered for estimation of VOCs emissions. The emission was estimated over a one-year period and was ranked according to three criteria including emission, health hazards and ozone production potential. Results: The results showed that the greatest emission was due to equipment leakage and storage tanks (64%), cooling towers (21%) and flaring (11%). The 171 VOCs were determined in Plum of these processes and propylene had the greatest contribution (21%). The alkenes had the highest share in total mass (41%) and ozone production (78%). By weighting the list based on the three criteria mentioned above, formaldehyde is the most important emitted VOC and the main sources of it were olefins and aromatic units. Conclusion: This method can be a useful tool for identifying effective organic compounds in such areas. Here, the optimum control strategy is mitigating of emission of formaldehyde from the aromatic and olefins processes. The next priority is to control propylene, ethylene and butylene emission sources.

Background and Objective: Iodized salt is one of the most important sources iodine in Iran. Former studies show that the iodine levels were insufficient both in distribution and consumption levels. The aim of this descriptiveanalytical sectional study was to investigate the iodine content in table salts used by families covered by health services of Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2017. Materials and Methods: 315 families from SIB (Integrated Health System) with random sampling method were studied. A questionnaire was filled out through interviews and salt samples were taken for analysis. The iodine in all samples was measured by iodine-meter kits and one third of the samples were also measured by titration. Results: The average iodized salt consumed by the families was 18. 53 μ g/g iodine, which is less than the national standard. Iodine amount in %12 of the samples was not in compliance with WHO standards. In %59 of the samples, there was less iodine amount than the previous standard level set by the Iranian Ministry of Health (20-55 μ g/g iodine). None of the samples were compatible with the new standards set by the Iranian Ministry of Health (30-60 μ g/g iodine). Conclusion: it was found that there is no meaningful relation between the variables such as Material, type of salt container and the amounts of iodine (p>0. 05). Families are not aware of the effects of iodine deficiency.

Background and Objective: Today pollutants related to refineries and base oil products have caused many concerns about environment. Among these, the share of lubricants as one of the oil products is undeniable for causing environmental problems, harmful pollutants for men and global warming. Recently LCA as a beneficial tool is provided for finding solution to the environmental problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare environmental impacts of lubricants and its ingredients (oil based and additives). Additionally, it was attempted to identify the pollutants caused by the lubricants in order to replace them by environmentally friendly components. Materials and Methods: In this study, the system boundary was first identified and then the life cycle assessment steps were carried out for vehicle lubricants. Finally, the results were analyzed using SimaPro software based on the Eco Indicator 95. Results: Results showed that although additives made up about 20 percent of the lubricants, more than 80 percent of the environmental pollutants were related to them. These materials have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emission and global warming as 91% of CO2 emission (7. 81kg) of lubricants is related to the additives. Also, these materials emit 0. 00913 kg C2H4 and 0. 0368 kg SPM, which can make summer and winter smog. The car lubricants cause heavy metals (3. 95×10-5 kg Pb) to be released into water and release of carcinogenic substances (4. 2×10-6 kg B(a)P), which a very low percentage of it is allocated to base oil. Conclusion: The most important environmental pollution of vehicle lubricants was caused by the additives. Since the percentage of each additive to lubricants includes antioxidant (40%), antiwear (23%), detergents (20%) and viscosity modifier (17%), thus, the company must seek to change these types of additives and replace them with the components with lower environmental impact in their production cycles.

Background and Objective: This study conducted to assess ecological risk of an important group of pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in offshore sediment of the Persian Gulf deposits in Bushehr province. The aim of this study was to model the toxicity of PAHs for aquatic organisms in the study area. Materials and Methods: In the first step of the applied risk assessment model in this study, the unit of toxicity for each PAH and solubility were calculated by Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) model. In the second step, the pore water concentration of all compounds in sediment was calculated as an available fraction. Finally, the proposed model was used to evaluate the offshore sediments of the Persian Gulf. Sediments in 19 stations and 7 transects were studied to assess the ecological risk of 21 PAHs. The extraction and clean up method was based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with packed clean up cell. Compounds were analyzed by GC-MS. Results: The toxicity and solubility of PAHs were modeled. The Pearson correlation for the predicted and measured data was more than 0. 93. The amount of total toxicity was introduced as a risk index. The maximum and minimum total toxicity values for the sediments were found as 0. 018 and 0. 147, respectively. The results from this study indicated that although the concentration of PAHs in the sediments may not cause significant concern in the study area, they may affect benthic organism at the sub-lethal levels. According to the applied risk assessment model for 21 unsubstituted PAHs, the offshore sediments of Bushehr are in low-risk range. Conclusion: The result of this study indicated a low risk of the sediments. The hazard index decreased as the distance from coastal and oil and gas industry increased, indicating the high impact of anthropogenic activities on the contamination of the study area.

Background and Objective: Chahnimeh water reservoirs in Sistan and Baluchestan Province are the most important sources for drinking water and irrigation purposes. Many factors such as precipitation, the geography of the watershed, atmosphere, geology and Human activities affect on the chemical, physical, and biological compositions of Chahnimeh water reservoirs. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to monitor and assess water quality in four Chahnimeh reservoirs during two sampling periods. Materials and Methods: 84 water samples were taken based on the standard methods (in September 2017 and April 2018) for measurement of the most important physicochemical parameters including major anions, total coliform, BOD, EC, TDS, pH and nitrate. Water quality index (WQI) was used to evaluate the overall water quality status in the Chahnimeh reservoirs. Results: The results of hydro-geochemical analysis indicated that the water type changed from sodic bicarbonate and sulfur dioxide to radicle chloride during sampling periods. The Gibbs chart showed that weathering of rocks mainly controlled the chemistry of the main water ions. The results of statistical analyses revealed that there was a high correlation between parameters such as chlorophyll, nitrate, sulfate and chlorine with water quality index. Water quality zoning results based on the WQI index indicated a decrease in the water quality of the wells by 3, 2, 1, and 4, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the use of WQI was helpful for fast data interpretation for drinking water purposes in the area. Based on the WQI classifi cation, majority of the samples are falling under good to poor water category.

Background and Objective: Radon gas is one of the environmental risk factors which can increase the risk of lung cancer and it is well known as the secondleading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The aim of the present study was to investigate indoor radon gas concentration in residential and public environments of Nourabad Mammasani city and to estimate the effective dose due to radon exposure. Materials and Methods: In this study, 52 homes and 8 public places were investigated to measure the concentration of indoor radon gas. Indoor radon concentrations were measured using passive sampling approach, alpha-track detectors (CR-39) for three months, and after that, detectors were sent to the laboratory to count the number of tracks. Results: The results of this research showed that the average radon concentration (± SD) in the homes and public places was 42. 4(± 14. 7) and 32. 9(± 20. 1) Bq/m3, respectively. All radon concentration values were lower than the US Environmental Protection Agency standard and WHO guideline. The average of annual effective dose due to the radon exposure in homes was estimated to be 1. 07 mSv. The evaluation of the results showed that there was a significant relationship between the room type and the number of floors with radon concentration in the residential buildings. Conclusion: The results indicated that the indoor radon concentration as an environmental risk factor in the studied places was lower than the WHO guideline levels. Consequently, the indoor radon is not likely a major environmental risk factor in the studied environments.

Background and Objective: Rural wastewater management is recognized as one of the pillars of sustainable development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess needs and prioritization of establishment of rural wastewater management facilities in order to supply a safe and alternative water source in the provinces of Iran experiencing severe water stress. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study which was carried out in rural areas of the provinces with severe water stress (South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, Isfahan, Yazd, Semnan, Qom, Sistan and Baluchistan) in 2017-2018. In this study, the number of sample rural areas was calculated by Cochran method and the determination of the sample rural area was done by stratified sampling. The data related to the sample rural area was collected using a validated constructor questionnaire. Results: The results of this study showed that the difference among all the studied provinces in terms of their priority in establishing rural waste water management facilities to provide a safe and alternative water source was very low. The provinces of Isfahan, Semnan and Fars were rated at 76 out of 100, while the provinces of South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan scored 71 points. Conclusion: With emphasis on comprehensive decision making criteria based on sustainable development, the results of this study showed that the provinces with severe water stress have a high priority regarding the establishment of rural sewage management projects in order to provide a safe and alternative water sources.

Background and Objective: Nowadays, swimming pools as a sport and entertainment center have found more popularity. Violation of health based standards in terms of physicochemical, microbial and environmental health indices can turn pools into a potential source of disease transmission and spread. Due to the importance of maintaining swimmers’ comfort, health, and safety, the present study was aimed to consider environmental health status and physicochemical and microbial quality of swimming pools water in Tabriz. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the official checklists of swimming pools (consisting 10 public and 22 private swimming pools) were obtained from Tabriz Health Center. According to the inspections conducted in February 2017 and August 2017, the related information was extracted from the checklist. Data were analyzed using Excel software, SPSS version 23 and Chi-Square test. Results: The average accordance of the physicochemical parameters with the standards for public and private pools was 67. 5% and 65%, respectively. Among the physicochemical parameters, the residual free chlorine showed less accordance with the standards. On average, in the summer 49. 5% and in the winter 28% of the pools showed microbial contamination. Conclusion: The residual free chlorine values in the pool, Jacuzzi and chiller indicated a weak management of pools and a high potential for pathogenicity. Therefore, continual surveillance of the environmental health status and planning for an objective inspection program by the local authorities, especially in private sector, is suggested.