Temporal characteristics and health effects related to NO2, O3, and SO2 in an urban area of Iran.

This study reports on temporal variations of NO2, O3, and SO2 pollutants and their related health effects in urban air of Khorramabad, Iran using AirQ 2.2.3 software. Based on data between 2015 and 2021, hourly NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations increase starting at 6:00 a.m. local time until 9:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. local time, respectively, before gradually decreasing. The highest monthly NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations are observed in October, August, and September, respectively. Annual median NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations range between 17 ppb and 38.8 ppb, 17.5 ppb-36.6 ppb, and ∼14 ppb-30.8 ppb, respectively. Two to 93 days and 17-156 days between 2015 and 2021 exhibit daily concentrations of NO2 and SO2 ≤ WHO AQGs, respectively, while 187-294 days have 8-h maximum O3 concentrations ≤ WHO AQGs. The mean excess mortality ascribed to respiratory mortality, cardiovascular mortality, hospital admissions for COPD, and acute myocardial infraction are 121, 603, 39, and 145 during 2015-2021, respectively. O3 is found to exert more significant health effects compared to SO2 and NO2, resulting in higher cardiovascular mortality. The gradual increase in NO2 and possibly O3 over the study period is suspected to be due to economic sanctions, while SO2 decreased due to regulatory activity. Sustainable control strategies such as improving fuel quality, promoting public transportation and vehicle retirement, applying subsidies for purchase of electric vehicles, and application of European emission standards on automobiles can help decrease target pollutant levels in ambient air of cities in developing countries.

Loaded paraquaton polymeric nanocapsules and evaluation for cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats.

Present work was conducted to prepare and evaluate, loaded paraquat nano-hydrogels using chitosan, sodium polytriphosphate, and xanthan via ionic gelification method. The fabricated L-PQ formulations were analyzed for surface morphology and functional groups using SEM and FTIR, respectively. The stability of the synthesized nanoparticle was, also, analyzed in terms of diameter size, zeta potential, dispersion index, and pH. Furthermore, the cardiotoxicity effects of the synthesized nanogels were investigated on Wistar rats in terms of enzymatic activity, echocardiographic, and histological analysis. The proper stability of the prepared formulation was also confirmed by diameter size, zeta potential, dispersion index, and pH. The efficiency of encapsulation was about 90±3.2% and the release of PQ in the loaded nanogel was about 90±2.3%. A decrease in ST (shortening time) segment by formulated PQ, either in peritoneal or gavage exposure pathway, indicates the effectiveness of the capsule layer against the penetration of toxin into the body.

A comparative study on antibacterial activity of carvacrol and glutaraldehyde on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus isolates: an in vitro study.

The resistance of hospital bacterial isolates against traditional germicides, which used frequently, is one of the important factors contributing to emerging nosocomial infections. Moreover, due to having the side effects of chemical substances, the development of novel low-risk natural compounds seems necessary for control the spread of resistant pathogens in hospital environments. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of carvacrol and glutaraldehyde against two common hospital acquired pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. In this study 365 samples were collected from different wards of hospitals of Khorramabad, Iran. One hundred and sixty samples were identified as P. aeruginosa and S. aureus by using standard microbiological methods. Then the antibacterial effects of four combinations including carvacrol+ethanol, carvacrol+dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glutaraldehyde 2%, and pure glutaraldehyde (50%) were evaluated and determined using dilution broth and disk diffusion methods. Our results showed that the carvacrol had more antibacterial effects against selected bacteria compared to glutaraldehyde. Moreover, the optimal time and concentration of carvacrol+ethanol against hospital isolates of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was determined after 1 h at concentration of 64 µl/ml and 8 µl/ml, respectively. In conclusion by comparing the results of carvacrol and glutaraldehyde, seem that carvacrol, as an herbal and natural agent, may be a suitable alternative to glutaraldehyde in hospital equipment's' sterilization.

Dose-response meta-analysis of arsenic exposure in drinking water and hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Based on the cross-sectional and cohort studies, exposure to As via drinking water can cause hypertension. METHODS: We searched PubMed, ISI WOS, and Scopus for relevant studies up to 1 January 2018 using related keywords. The meta-analysis was done on 10 studies (n = 28255) that report Odds Ratio for hypertension. The extracted ORs between As concentration and hypertension were pooled using random effect models. Study heterogeneity was analyzed using I 2. RESULTS: The estimated adjusted OR for association between As and hypertension was 1.44 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.84) with I 2 = 71%. Dose-Response analysis showed a linear relationship between As and hypertension (OR = 1.0008 95% CI: 1.0003, 1.001). In general, by increase of each unit in arsenic concentration, odds of the hypertension would increase as 0.08%. CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between As exposure and hypertension.

Preparation and characterization of loaded paraquat- polymeric chitosan/xantan/tripolyphosphate nanocapsules and evaluation for controlled release.

PURPOSE: Paraquat is an effective, non-selective, and fast-acting contact herbicide that is widely used. Its high solubility in water and adsorption in soil can easily poison the non-target organs. In this study, paraquat nano-hydrogels was synthesized using chitosan. METHODS: Sodium tripolyphosphate and xanthan via iononic gellification method. After preparation the loaded paraquat formulations, to verify the morphology and analysis the functional groups on the formulation, SEM and FTIR analysis were used, respectively. In this work, stability of the formulation was measured in terms of size distribution, surface charge, and pH values. To determine the release kinetics, a dialysis bag was used. In addition, herbicidal activity of the prepared formulation was tested on corn bushes and wild mustard. RESULTS: From the analysis, FT-IR spectra confirmed the hydrogel formation, and SEM images showed a dense structure in the synthesized hydrogel. According to the results of size distribution, surface charge, dispersion index and pH, it was proved that the prepared hydrogel was stable. The optimal values of chitosan, SPP, xanthan, and PQ were 0.3, 0.1, 0.15, and 20 mg, respectively. Based on the peppas equation, about 89.82% of the paraquat was released from the formulation with a paraquat loading of 89.1 ± 4.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of loaded paraquat formulations on mustard and corn plants showed that the herbicidal properties of the encapsulated paraquat were preserved. This study reveal that the loaded paraquat L-PQ is a stable formulation with less toxicity effects.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of municipal solid waste in Iran for implementation of best waste management practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

With the rapid growth of population, development of different industries, and production of several ranges of products, the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been growing significantly in the recent years. However, if MSW is not managed properly, it can greatly contribute to an environmental crisis. In the present study, we aimed to examine the characteristics and quantity of MSW generated in Iran through a meta-analysis and systematic review. The major international and Iranian national databases including Science direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar, and SID and Magiran were searched completely using appropriate keywords to identify the articles that have been published from 2003 up to November 2019 on the topic on interest. Based on the inclusion criteria, a number of 13 papers were found eligible to be reviewed in this study. The results showed that the amount of generated waste per capita in Iran is 839 g/capita/day. Moreover, organic matters, paper and cardboard, plastics, glasses, textiles, rubber, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), wood materials, and other wastes were found to be contributed to 65.85%, 8.79%, 8.39%, 2.73%, 2.74%, 1.18%, 1.07%, 2.83%, 1.20%, and 5.22% of total MSW in Iran, respectively. Due to the high level of organic waste in MSW stream in Iran, composting program is recommended as a practical and beneficial approach. Of note, the recyclable materials include plastic, PET, glass, metals, and paper and cardboard have accounted for 24.05% of total MSW in Iran.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in cosmetic products sold in Iran: the Monte Carlo simulation.

Cosmetics can contain harmful compounds such as heavy metals. Several metals have a cumulative effect on the body, especially fatty tissues, and may have different health effects on the human body over the long term. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the health risks of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. Also, in this study, Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate uncertainties. In this study, heavy metals data of cosmetics were extracted from studies carried out at intervals 2010-2018. International and Iranian databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Irandoc, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Information Institute for Scientific (ISC) were searched for this purpose. In this study, the index of the Margin of Safety was calculated to determine the risk of human contact with metallic impurities in cosmetic products used by humans. In the selected period, 11 studies were conducted on the measurement of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. In these studies, cosmetics such as eye shadow, eye pencil, powder, cream, and lipstick were studied. The Margin of Safety (MoS) values calculated for different metals were higher than the established safe standard by WHO. The highest and lowest amount of systemic exposure dosage in all types of cosmetic investigated (lipstick, cream, eye pencil, face powder, and eye shadow) was related to Fe and Hg. The mean hazardous quotient (HQ) for Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Hg was 1.05E-03, 1.03E-01, 7.95E-03, 2.59E-03, 1.05E-03, 4.98E-03, 7.22E-04, 1.85E-01, and 1.35E-05, respectively. The highest HQ (6.10E-01) was found for Pb, which was observed in the cream.

Assessing biomimetic aquaporin membrane for forward osmosis desalination process: A dataset.

This paper presents the performance of aquaporin forward osmosis membrane using chemical fertilizers as a draw solution. The comprehensive evaluation conducted for five conventional fertilizers ((CO (NH2)2, KCl, CaCl2, (NH4)2SO4) and (NH4)2HPO4) as draw solutions. The diluted fertilizer can be used directly for farming as fertigation. In this process, DSs do not need to be recovered and it is a single step desalination process. The data include the characterization of the intrinsic properties of the membrane samples and their performance under FO and PRO modes of operations. In addition, the data for various draw solution concentration under feed solution with deferent total dissolved solids (TDS) were evaluated. For example, a water flux of 17.5 L m- 2 h- 1 and 23.92 g m-2 h-1 reverse solute flux (RSF) was achieved under the FO operation mode for 3 M KCl.

Use of metal-organic framework to remove chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions.

Chromium is one of the heavy metals found in industrial wastewaters, which have highly toxic to human beings and the environment. Exposure with it may cause some hazard diseases including stomach ulcers, liver, vomiting, kidney and nerve tissue damage, cancer in the lungs, and eventually death. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of Uio-66 and ZIF-8 in removing chromium from aqueous solutions. For the synthesis of Uio-66 and ZIF-8, hydrothermal and sol-gel methods were used, respectively. The prepared Uio-66 and ZIF-8 were identified by FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and BET. All experiments were done in batch conditions. Uio-66 and ZIF-8 efficiency for chromium adsorption from aqueous solutions were investigated by variables like initial concentration (10-200 mg/l), pH (3 to 11), Uio-66 and ZIF-8 dosage (0.2 to 1 g/l) and contact time (45 min). The FE-SEM image showed that the sizes of Uio-66 crystals were between 140 and 280 nm. The specific surface area and total pore volume of the prepared Uio-66 and ZIF-8 were 800 m2/g, 0.45 m3/g, 1050 m2/g, and 0.57 m3/g, respectively. The results show chromium adsorption has increased in acid conditions. Equilibrium dosage for Uio-66 and ZIF-8 was 0.4 g/l and 0.6 g/l, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium was performed after 60 min and after this time, chromium adsorption did not significantly change. The study results showed that the experimental data obtained fitted with kinetic model pseudo-order- reaction and isotherm model of Langmuir.

Data on the bisphenol A adsorption from aqueous solutions on PAC and MgO~PAC crystals.

The compounds of endocrine disrupting are one of the important pollutants in the environment. These pollutants, even at extremely low concentrations, have significant effects on humans, animals and the environment. The main goal of this work was to study the performance activated carbon coated with MgO in the bisphenol A adsorption from aqueous solutions. The leading variables investigated were initial concentration of bisphenol A (20-100 mg/L), PAC and MgO~PAC (2-6 g), contact time (10-60 min), and pH (3-11). The residue concentration of bisphenol A was measured by temperature High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The maximum adsorption of bisphenol A over PAC and MgO~PAC crystals was 9.2 mg/g and 22.28 mg/g, respectively. Based on BET, the surface area of PAC and MgO~PAC crystals were found to be 450.3 m2/g and 378.21 m2/g, respectively. By increasing initial concentration of bisphenol A, the adsorption decreased. The study findings showed that the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model were a fit model to the experimental data, respectively.

Data on the fluoride adsorption from aqueous solutions by metal-organic frameworks (ZIF-8 and Uio-66).

The variables examined were initial fluoride concentration, ZIF-8 and Uio-66 dosage, pH, and contact time. The residual concentration of fluoride was measured by a spectrophotometer. According to BET, the specific surface area of the ZIF-8 and Uio-66 was 1050 m2/g and 800 m2/g, respectively. Total pore volume and average pore diameter of the ZIF-8 and Uio-66 were 0.57 cm3/g, 0.45 cm3/g and 4.5 nm, 3.2 nm, respectively. The best pH for fluoride adsorption was neutral conditions. By increasing the ZIF-8 and Uio-66 dose, the fluoride uptake increased at first, but then decreased. Also, the maximum adsorption for ZIF-8 and Uio-66 was observed in adsorbent dose 0.2 and 0.6 g/L, respectively. The best model for describing kinetic and isotherms of fluoride adsorption were the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. Based on the Langmuir model, the adsorption capacity of fluoride by ZIF-8 and Uio-66 was reported to be 25 mg/g and 20 mg/g, respectively.

Data on biosurfactant assisted removal of TNT from contaminated soil.

Contamination of environment, especially soil, is in great concern and can cause health problems. Thus, remediation of these pollutants through environmentally friendly methods should be considered. The aim of this data was bioremediation of TNT from contaminated soil. Two plastic pans were used as bioreactor. In each pan, 3 kg of soil was used. Concentration of TNT in contaminated soil was 1000 mg/kg. Rhamnolipid in concentration of 60 mg/l was added to intended pan. Sampling was done in each two weeks. In order to assessment of TNT degradation, samples were analyzed with HPLC. The data showed that after 154 days of experiment, TNT removal in soil that amended with rhamnolipid was 73% and in experiment with no addition of rhamnolipid was 58%. Based on the obtained data rhamnolipid was effective in remediation of TNT contaminated soil.

Zoning of air quality index (PM10 and PM2.5) by Arc-GIS for Khorramabad city, Iran.

Nowadays in many countries, air pollution is one of the major issues affecting human health. Among the various air pollutants particulate matters are mainly present in ambient air pollution. The purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of particulate matter (PM) (namely PM2.5 and PM10) and to conduct zoning via GIS software in Khorramabad city (Summer - 2017). According to the findings, the average concentrations of PM2.5 in July, August and September were 100.1, 116.3, and 199.8 µg/m3, respectively. Furthermore, the average concentrations of PM10 in July, August and September were 199.8, 215.7, and 190.8 µg/m3, respectively. The findings of this study also indicated that due to continuous dust storms,particularly in recent years, the air pollution status in Khorramabad was not suitable that can adversely affect public health.

Data on the alizarin red S adsorption from aqueous solutions on PAC, treated PAC, and PAC/γ≈Fe2O3.

Three types of adsorbents of powdered activated carbon (PAC), treated PAC, and PAC/γ ≈ Fe2O3 nanocomposite were used. The adsorption experiments were performed in batch conditions. pHZPC of PAC/γ ≈ Fe2O3 was 6.7. As a result, at lower than pHZPC, acidic pH, the adsorption of alizarin red S on PAC/γ ≈ Fe2O3 was favourable. The maximum of alizarin red S adsorption of PAC, treated PAC, and PAC/γ ≈ Fe2O3 was 24.5 mg/g, 57.8 mg/g, and 112.56 mg/g, respectively. The models of Langmuir and pseudo-first-order were a fit model to describe the adsorption isotherm and the Kinetic, respectively. The PAC/γ ≈ Fe2O3 is a promising class of the adsorbents in the adsorption of various dyes from textile effluents.

Data on physicochemical quality of drinking water in the rural area in Divandarreh county, Kurdistan, Iran.

Good quality of drinking water is very important in the maintenance of human health. The gathered data from the present work was used to evaluate the quality of drinking water resources in the rural villages of Divandarreh, Iran. Physicochemical quality of water was determined by a collection of 35 random samples during dry and rainy seasons in 2015. The APHA approach was used to determine the physicochemical parameters of the samples. The results showed that the average concentration of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, TDS and TH during dry season was 85.64 mg/l, 13.41 mg/l, 34.11 mg/l, 2.8 mg/l, 9.9 mg/l, 45.7 mg/l, 326.06 mg/l and 269.61 mg/l, respectively. Also, the average concentration of the parameters during rainy season was 77.3 mg/l, 18.27 mg/l, 30.3 mg/l, 1.9 mg/l, 12.54 mg/l, 39 mg/l, 269.1 mg/l and 316.17 mg/l, respectively.

Experimental data of electric coagulation and photo-electro-phenton process efficiency in the removal of metronidazole antibiotic from aqueous solution.

Pharmaceutical products, particularly antibiotics, due to their cumulative characteristics, undesirable effects and creating drug resistances, as inevitably pollutants, poses a major concern in environmental issues. In recent years, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have been considerably used for degradation of new and emerging pollutants such as residual medications and resistant compounds in water and wastewater. Present investigation evaluates the removal of metronidazole from aqueous solution by electro coagulation and photoelectrophenton processes. The data will be informative for environmental agencies, pharmaceutical companies and wastewater treatment companies for choosing it as a practical oxidation advance process for treatment of water polluted by resistant material (drugs and pesticides).

Heavy metals analysis and quality assessment in drinking water - Khorramabad city, Iran.

Continuous monitoring of drinking water quality is essential in terms of heavy metals and toxic substances. The general objective of this study were to determine the concentration of heavy metals in drinking water of Khorramabad city and to determine the water quality indices (The heavy metal pollution index and heavy metal evaluation index). According to the city map, 45 points were selected for drinking water sampling through the city distribution system. The results of this study showed that the average concentration of heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu were 47.01 µg/l, 3.2 µg/l, 0.42 µg/l, 5.08 µg/l, and 6.79 µg/l, respectively. The HPI and HEI (water quality indices) for Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu were 46.58, 46.58, respectively. According to the indices, the city drinking water quality is good in terms of heavy metals.

The concentration data of heavy metals in Iranian grown and imported rice and human health hazard assessment.

The aim of this study was to review the prevalence of rice contamination to heavy metals in Iranian grown and imported rice brands by conducting a systematic review and assess the related human health risk. Multiple keywords such as "rice, heavy metals, and Iran" were used to search in related databases. The average concentration of Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and Co for Iranian grown/imported rice were calculated as 0.16±0.08/0.13±0.05, 0.196±0.16/0.55±0.56, 0.046±0.002/0.057±0.0035,0.29±0.05/0.61±0.31, 26.13±10.3/3.46±2.49, 0.22±0.04/0.76±0.101, 16±7.3/2.08±0.34 and 0.29±0.047/0.29±0.07 mg kg-1, respectively. Except Co, there were significant differences between Iranian and imported rice brands. Estimated weekly intake for none of the metals exceeds the provisional tolerable weekly intake value. Accordingly, the rice types consumed in Iran have no health hazard for consumers.