IRANIAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Year:2008 | Volume:1 | Issue:1 (1)|Papers Count:8

Background and Objectives: Natural organic matters (NOMs) are abundant in natural water resources and in many ways may affect the unit processes in water treatment. Although NOMs are considered harmless but they have been recognized as disinfection by-products (DBPS) precursors during the chlorination process. Formation of DBPS highly depends on the composition and concentration of NOMs. The objective of this study was to determine natural organic matter and its fractions concentrations in the surface water sources of Tehran.Materials and Methods: Water sampling was conducted monthly between May to July in three rivers of Lar, Jajrood and Karaj, as the main drinking water supplying sources in Tehran. Quantitative parameters of pH, EC, UV254 and DOC were studied based on standard methods. The XAD-7 resin method was used for fractionation of NOMs.Results: Results showed that NOM concentrations in Lar, Jajrood and Karaj rivers were 8.53, 12.9 and 11.3 mg/L, respectively. The HPO (hydrophobic) fraction was predominant compared to the HPI (hydrophilic) fraction in water samples. The mean of total percent of HPO and HPI fractions were about 57% and 43%, respectively.Conclusion: Since the hydrophobic NOM fraction exhibits higher trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) than hydrophilic part, Tehran water chlorination exhibits higher THMFP than haloacetic acid formation potential (HAAFP). The information obtained from this study may be further employed in the design of the control techniques and management strategies for the water treatment plant, especially for DBPS reduction.

Background and Objectives: In the recent years Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been one of the most important environmental concerns to throughout regions of Iran. Sound MSW management for any area needs to the reliable data in which present the actual MSW condition in that area. The aim of this study is express of integrated view of MSW in Iran.Materials and Methods: In this study we collect the data from various municipal regions of Iran, to represent the roughly integrated view of MSW management situation in Iran. In this paper quantity, average generation rate, physical composition, and types of disposal methods in all of municipal regions of Iran also were investigated.Results: Results from this study has shown that the amount of MSW generated in all of the municipal regions of Iran was 10370798 tons per year, and the average generation rate of MSW was 0.64 kg/capita/day. Results showed that only 6% of MSW was recycled, 10% was treated at organic waste (composting) plants, and about 84% was disposed of in landfill.Conclusion: According to obtained results from this study and compare MSW composition of Iran to some countries, it’s found that MSW properties in Iran are near to MSW properties in Low-income countries. Since the most of MSW in Iran contain organic fraction, there is a high potential to develop of composting industry.

Background and Objectives: Conducted studies about arsenic have shown that consumption of water contaminated with arsenic can causes different adverse health effects in consumers. World Health Organization (WHO) has enacted 10mg/L arsenic in drinking water as a guideline value. Regarding some reports about arsenic presence in a village of Hashtrood county and related health effects and also considering this fact that determination of arsenic as a poisoning chemical is not included in routine monitoring of water by responsible organizations, in present study all of drinking water sources in Hashtrood County in East Azerbaijan province were studied for arsenic presence.Materials and Methods:Water supply and its sanitation situation were studied in all of cities and residential villages (200 villages) by field visiting. Arsenic content of water samples were determined using Ez arsenic test kit, a product of Hach Company. For assurance of the kit results, 20 water samples with different concentration of arsenic were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) method and then achieved results was compared together.Results: Arsenic was present in drinking water of 50 villages that in 9 villages its level was higher than Iranian standard (50mg/L). During the study totally 11087 persons (21.96% of rural areas population) in Hashtrood county were exposed to different levels of arsenic via drinking water. Correlation between kit and ICP results was significant (R2=0.9715).Conclusion: Studied region in present study is a polluted area to arsenic by geogenic sources. It is necessary to replace water source of villages with higher level than national standard with safe drinking water. Annually measurement of arsenic in drinking water of all villages spatially polluted villages should be considered by responsible organization e.g. Health Network and Rural Water and Wastewater Company. Used kit in our study is recommendable for this purpose.

Background and Objectives: Measurement of light intensity is a recommended practice for insuring the delivery of required germicidal dose in disinfection operations by UV lamps. Use of sensitive to light chemicals which is the base of actionometeric methods could be considered as a suitable manner for estimating the intensity of UV lamp in circumstances that special radiometers are not available.Materials and Methods: lodide-iodate mixture was used as an actinometer for this study. The light intensities of a UV lamp (LP 25W) were first determined by a special UVC radiometer at certain distances from the lamp. Then the test of determining the suitable period of time for irradiation of actinometer was accomplished. Finally, the color changes of iodide. iodate solutions at the predetermined distances were evaluated at the wavelength of 352 nm. The latter analysis can be done by a common (visible) spectrophotometer.Results: Results indicated that use of this actinometer is more suitable at the distances of 35 to 60 cm from the center of the lamp bulb, since iodode-iodate solution has a detectable color change at this range of distance in one minute irradiation which may be considered as a reasonable time for actionmeteric operations.Conclusion: Although all kinds of actinometers should not be regarded as precise as special radiometers and there would be need to use pure chemicals for actinometeric determination of light intensity, it can be claimed that the recommended procedure in this study which is the newest actinometeric method can be used in acceptable evaluation of UV intensity with least difficulty in providing necessary instruments.

Background and Objectives: Silica is an inorganic material that found in the nature in various forms. The hazard of crystal of silica or a-quartz (free silica) is greater than other forms. Exposure to dust that contains free silica result to pulmonary injury and result to silicosis and death finally. The present research was conducted in order to evaluate the level of workers exposure to free silica in air of Khaf Iron stone quarries.Materials and methods: The exposure level to total and respiratory dust measured based on personal and environmental sampling methods and concentration of dust determined based on gravimetric method. For determination of amounts of free silica, dust samples analyses based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) method, and results compared with standard levels.Results: The maximum amount of total dust and free silica measured in stone breaking station (800±155mg/m3 and 26.11±6.7 mg/m3) and minimum of them measured in official and safeguarding station (8.28±2.2 mg/m3 and 0.012±0.0019 mg/m3). The maximum amount of respiratory dust and free silica measured in red mound digging number 1 (66.14±13.45 mg/m3 and 1.48±0.39 mg/m3) and minimum of them measured in air hammer machine station (5.26±2.62 mg/m3 and 0.01±0.005 mg/m3).Conclusion: Amount of total dust only in official and safeguarding station was lower than standard levels of Iran. Amount of respiratory dust in all stations was greater than Iran standard levels. Furthermore the level of respiratory free silica only in airy hammer machine station was lower than standard level of Iran. Regarding to this amounts it is so essential to that with applying different methods generation and emission of dust protected.

Background and Objectives: Bottled water is a main beverage at many developed and developing countries. It can be polluted with chemical agents. One of these agents is nitrate which affects the safety of bottled and mineral water and cause healthy effects on consumer health. Today.s consumption of bottled water get a great develop, thus infer of the quality of this matter is compulsive for each consumer.Materials and Methods: A descriptive-analytical and cross- sectional study was done with the aim of determination of nitrate in bottled water available in market of Tehran City in 2007. In this study, 18 samples of six various manufacturers of product were examined.Results: Results showed that the mean of nitrate is 9.02 mg/L and all samples have nitrate bellow 50 mg/L and they are at the standard level. Also, the results of the examinations have good correspondence with the concentration of nitrate on bottled water labels and according to statistic meaningful relation, was considered.Conclusion: The nitrate content of these bottled water available in market of Tehran city is located at the level of national and global standards and it cannot be a serious problem for health of consumer.

Background and Objectives: Heavy metals processing industry has always been a major cause of concern which affects soils, surface waters, ground waters and river sediments contaminations.Thus, the Zanjan Zinc and Lead Smelting Plant have been considered as a potential source of contamination.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study has been conducted in February 2008 in the site region .The concentrations of Lead, Zinc and Cadmium has been assessed. The samples have been taken from 17 wells and atomic absorption spectrophotometeric method has been used to assess the samples. In order to find out and locate the exact situation of the wells under study, Global Positioning System instrument has been used. The correlation between the concentration of each metal and the distance of studied well from the plant has been assessed too.Results: The findings of this study showed that lead and cadmium concentrations were 53% and 59% respectively out of the guideline values of World Health Organization.Conclusion: The concentration of Zinc was lower than both national and international values in all samples. As the heavy metal concentration is very important for human health status, the other fields of study like heavy metal air pollution effects and related diseases and conditions should be studied and assessed.

Background and Objectives: Heavy Metals in Water resources is one of the most important environmental problems of countries. Up to now various methods of removing of these metals is considered, which is including using of low prices materials. In this study the potential of banana shells was assessed for adsorption of heavy metal ions such as Pb2+ and Cd2+ from aqueous solution.Materials and Methods: Banana shells were pretreated separately with 0.4 mol/L NaOH, 0.4 mol/L HNO3 and distilled water and their adsorption ability were compared. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of the initial ion concentration, pH and adsorbent dosage. Adsorption isotherms of metal ions on adsorbents were determined and correlated with common isotherm equations such as Lungmuir, Freundlich and BET models.Results: The maximum adsorption capacities were achieved by alkali modified banana shells (36 mg/g) for Pb2+ and by acidic modified banana shells (16 mg/g) for Cd2+. Experimental results showed that the best pH for adsorption was 6 and the adsorption values decreased with lowering pH.Isotherm models indicated best fit for Freundlich model for modified banana shells.Conclusion: In comparing the parameters of models, it was observed that the capacity of banana shells for adsorption of lead is higher than for adsorption of cadmium, but the adsorption of cadmium is stronger than the adsorption of lead.