Comparison of modeling, optimization, and prediction of important parameters in the adsorption of cefixime onto sol-gel derived carbon aerogel and modified with nickel using ANN, RSM, GA, and SOLVER methods.

Today, the main goal of many researchers is the use of high-performance, economically and industrially justified materials, as well as recyclable materials in removing organic and dangerous pollutants. For this purpose, sol-gel derived carbon aerogel modified with nickel (SGCAN) was used to remove Cefixime from aqueous solutions. The influence of important parameters in the cefixime adsorption onto SGCAN was modeled and optimized using artificial neural network (ANN), response surface methodology (RSM), genetic algorithm (GA), and SOLVER methods. R software was applied for this purpose. The design range of the runs for a time was in the range of 5 min-70 min, concentration in the range of 5 mg L-1 to 40 mg L-1, amount of adsorbent in the range of 0.05 g L-1 to 0.15 g L-1, and pH in the range of 2.0-11. The results showed that the ANN model due to lower Mean Squared Error (MSE), Sum of Squared Errors (SSE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) values and also higher R2 is a superior model than RSM. Also, due to the superiority of ANN over the RSM model, the optimum results were calculated based on GA. Based on GA, the highest Cefixime adsorption onto SGCAN was obtained in pH, 5.98; reaction time, 58.15 min; initial Cefixime concentration, 15.26 mg L-1; and adsorbent dosage, 0.11 g L-1. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cefixime onto SGCAN was determined to be 52 mg g-1. It was found the pseudo-second-order model has a better fit with the presented data.

Concentration of Potentially Harmful Elements (PHEs) in Trout Fillet (Rainbow and Brown) Fish: a Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis and Health Risk Assessment.

In this work, articles regarding the concentration on potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in fillet trout (rainbow and brown) fishes were retrieved from Cochrane, Scopus, and PubMed databases between 1 January 1983 and 30 April 2020. The pooled concentration of PHEs in fillet trout fishes was meta-analyzed using a random-effect model (REM) and following the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks was calculated using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The meta-analysis of 42 articles (43 data report) revealed that a sort of PHEs in fillet trout was 19,996.64 µg/kg ww for Fe; 1834.75 µg/kg ww for Co; 772.21 µg/kg ww for Cu; 335.78 µg/kg ww for Ni; 290.46 µg/kg ww for Se; 226.20for Cr; 178.11 µg/kg ww for Pb; 77.40 µg/kg ww for Hg; 19.40 µg/kg ww for Cd; and 3.66 µg/kg ww for inorganic As. The non-carcinogenic risk assessment indicated that the lowest and highest hazard index (HI) in the adults was Pakistan (0.0012) and Turkey (0.2388), respectively, and in children was Pakistan (0.0057) and Turkey (1.114), respectively. The non-carcinogenic risk was acceptable for adult consumers in all countries (HI > 1 value) but non-carcinogenic risk for children was not acceptable in Turkey. The sort of countries based on carcinogenic risk in the adults due to inorganic As was China (1.44E-06) > Iran (9.14E-08) > Turkey (4.45E-08) > Portugal (9.04E-10). The carcinogenic risk was threshold for adult consumers in China (CR < 10-6). Consumption of fillet trout (rainbow and brown) content of PHEs in many countries cannot endanger the health of consumers.

An overview report on the application of heteropoly acids on supporting materials in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants from aqueous solutions.

Organic pollutants contaminate water resources and the environment when discharged into water streams. Also, the presence of these materials in incompletely treated or untreated wastewater leads to serious environmental hazards. The hydroxyl radicals and holes are regarded as the most oxidant species in the degradation of organic pollutants using the studied composites. The results of this review show that heteropoly acids on supporting materials could be considered as appropriate photocatalysts in the removal of organic pollutant from aqueous solutions.

Probabilistic risk assessment of exposure to fluoride in most consumed brands of tea in the Middle East.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fluoride concentration in seven most consumed brands of tea in the Middle East which was imported to Iran through Zabol County. In the present study, the health risk of exposure to fluoride was estimated using a probabilistic approach. Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis were applied to quantify uncertainties in risk estimation. The highest mean and 95th percentile of chronic daily intake (CDI) was observed for children group. Iranian tea and Kenya tea had maximum CDI and target hazard quotient (THQ) values among studied brands of tea which followed by Green tea, Taksetare tea, Ceylan tea, Red tea, and White tea. These result indicated that there were significant risks of exposure to fluoride in most of studied brands of tea for children (THQ>1). Sensitivity analysis showed that fluoride concentration and daily intake were the most influential variables in three exposed populations. In conclusion, the fluoride concentration in some studied brands of tea is high and it put children at risk risks of exposure to fluoride.

Concentrations of arsenic and lead in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Iran: A systematic review and carcinogenic risk assessment.

Exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in either the short or the long term can cause cancers in humans. Dietary intake and consumption of rice (Oryza sativa L.) is increasing in Iran, and several studies on the concentration of heavy metals in rice have been carried out in this country in recent years. In this perspective, the main objective of the present study was to investigate, even via a meta-analysis of the existing literature, the presence of As and Pb in rice from many geographical areas in Iran, as well as to estimate the carcinogenic risk of these heavy metals in rice consumers. The results of the present ten years-spanning systematic review indicate that 21 reports, collecting a total of 2088 samples, were performed between 2008 and October 2017. The minimum and maximum concentration of As was observed in the Golestan area (0.01 ±â€¯0.01 mg/kg d.w) and the Gillan region (3 mg/kg d.w); and Pb in the Shahrekord (0.07 ±â€¯0.02 mg/kg d.w) and Mazandaran (35 mg/kg d.w). The meta-analysis of data showed that pooled concentration of As in the rice was 0.04 (95%CI: 0.02-0.06 mg/kg d.w), which resulted lower than the National Standard (NS) limits. However, the pooled concentration of Pb in the rice was 0.38 (95%CI: 0.25-0.5 mg/kg d.w), i.e., higher than NS limits. The heterogeneity was significant between As (I2 = 63%, P value = .003) and Pb (I2 = 96%, P value < .001) studies. The carcinogenic risk assessment showed that minimum and maximum incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of As was in the 45-54 (4.53 × 10-2) and 15-24 (5.50 × 10-2) year age groups consumers; and Pb, 45-54 (2.442 × 10-3) and 15-24 (2.96 × 10-3), respectively. The overall carcinogenesis risk of As (4.864 × 10-2) was 18.5 times higher than Pb (2.623 × 10-3). All age groups consumers of rice content of As and Pb are at considerable carcinogenesis risk (ILCR > 10-3). Therefore a decreased level of heavy metals in rice cultivation should be encouraged and performed in next planning.

Review on the Implementation of the Islamic Republic of Iran about Tobacco Control, Based on MPOWER, in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control by the World Health Organization.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death in the world, killing nearly 6 million people annually. This article is an investigation of measures implemented laws in the Iran to study the proposed strategy of control and reduce tobacco use based on the monitor, protect, offer, warn, enforce and raise (MPOWER) policy. METHODS: All laws approved by the Parliament along with the instructions on tobacco control prepared by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade were collected and studied. Moreover, practical steps of Ministry of Health and other organizations were examined in this regard. FINDINGS: Iranian Parliament after the adoption of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) acts to create a comprehensive and systematic program for tobacco control legislation as a first step towards comprehensive national tobacco control and combat. In this law and its implementing guidelines and based on the strategy of MPOWER, specific implement is done to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, offer help to quit tobacco use, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and raise taxes on tobacco. However, the full objectives of the legislation have not achieved yet. CONCLUSION: According to Iran's membership in the FCTC and executive producer of tobacco control laws and regulations, necessary infrastructure is ready for a serious fight with tobacco use. In Iran, in comparison with developed countries, there is a huge gap between ratified laws and performing of laws.