Environmental arsenic exposure and reproductive system toxicity in male and female and mitigatory strategies: a review.

Environmental Arsenic (As) exposure is one of the main health challenges in different area of the world. As is a significant factor responsible to the reproductive system toxicity in both male and female. In this study, the most important effects mechanisms and biomarkers related to environmental exposure to As and the reproductive system toxicity, and infertility risk are reviewed in male and female. The results showed that the most important As-induced reproductive system toxicity in the male were alteration in the quantity and quality of semen, testicular toxicity, oxidative stress, testosterone reduction, and sperm apoptosis. For female were oxidative stress, spontaneous miscarriage, reproductive cycle disruption, decrease in the estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels and impair fecundity. The main mechanisms of reproductive system toxicity caused by As exposure in male were, genotoxic effects, reduction of glutathione, disruption of sex hormones, sperm flagellum formation impairment, inhibition of spermatogenesis, disruption of cell signaling pathways, and metabolites disruption. For female were abnormal signaling in gene expression, hormonal homeostasis, As-accumulation in placental tissue and creation of reactive oxygen, disruption in the neurotransmitters balance, and sex hormones disruption. The suitable biomarkers for As-induced reproductive toxicity in male were changes in testosterone, one-carbon and lipid metabolism, noncoding RNAs, and steroid hormone homeostasis, and for female was human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) changes. Finaly, taking selenium, zinc, silymarin, vitamins (C and E) and phytonutrients can be effective in reducing the As-induced reproductive system toxicity and infertility risk.

Soil pollution indices and health risk assessment of metal(loid)s in the agricultural soil of pistachio orchards.

Elevated levels of metal(loid)s in soil may pose potential threats to the ecosystem and can be harmful for human health. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni were determined in agricultural soil collected from 45 pistachio orchards around Feizabad city, Khorasan Razavi province, Iran using ICP-OES. Also, soil pollution indices including contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were evaluated. In addition, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices were estimated. The mean concentrations of metal(loid)s were in the order of Ni = 466.256 > Cr = 120.848 > Pb = 12.009 > As = 5.486 > Cd = 0.394 mg/kg. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the soil samples were within their respective permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). But concentrations of Cr and Ni in 84.4 and 100% of the samples, respectively exceeded the WHO allowable limits. The CF, PLI and Igeo showed that soil of some of the pistachio orchards was contaminated with some metals. The possible sources of the metals in the soil are application of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, manures as well as irrigation water. Hazard quotient (HQ) ad Hazard index (HI) values from soil of all the orchards were found to be well below the respective threshold limit (1), suggesting that there is no immediate non-cancer threat arising from the contamination at all the orchards with metal(loid)s for children and adults. The highest cancer risk values (1.13E-02 for children and 1.25E-03 for adults) were estimated for Ni in the soil. Collectively, this study provides valuable information to improve the soil in the pistachio orchards to reduce metal(loid)s contamination and minimize the associated health risks to the population in the area.

Health risk assessment of heavy metal toxicity in the aquatic environment of the Persian Gulf.

This study aims to explore the potential health risks linked to four heavy metals/metalloids (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) present in four commercially important fish species (Scombromorus commerson, Pseudorhombus elevatus, Thunnus tonggol and Otolithes ruber) in the Persian Gulf. Metals in fish muscle tissue were analyzed via ICP-MS. The analysis revealed that Scombromorus commerson (except for Pb) and Thunnus tonggol (except for As) exhibited the highest and lowest contamination levels, respectively. The Hazard Index findings highlighted arsenic and mercury as the most hazardous elements. However, the Target Hazard Quotient values for each metal and fish species remained within safe thresholds. The highest and lowest Total Carcinogenic Risk was concerning Pseudorhombus elevates (As: 7.41-E05), and Thunnus thonggol (Pb: 3.21-E07), respectively. TCR analysis suggests that the cancer risk of studied metals was below the negligible level (TCR < 10-6) or within the acceptable level (10-6 < TCR < 10-4), potentially not posing carcinogenic risks through extended consumption.

Trace elements in commercially available infant formulas in Iran: Determination and estimation of health risks.

Infants are significantly more vulnerable to trace elements from their foods. The objective of the present study was to ascertain the concentrations of some trace elements namely; arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and lead in infant formulas sold in Iran and to estimate the potential health risks to the infants through consumption of these products. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in infant formula samples were 0.006, 0.040, 0.3980, 2.014, 0.166 and 0.285 mg/kg, respectively. The mean levels of the trace elements were in the following order: Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd > As. For arsenic, cadmium and copper, calculated EWIs (estimated weekly intakes) were within the PTWIs (provisional tolerated weekly intakes) recommended by FAO/WHO. For chromium, nickel and lead, the calculated EWIs were higher than the PTWIs in 88.8 %, 75 %, and 61.1 % of the formulas. HQs of Pb, Cu, Cd and As were above the safe limits, indicating health concerns from the consumption of some infant formulas. Based on the CR classification, CR values of some elements including Cd, Cr and Ni were above 1 × 10-4 in some brands, indicating that exposure to these elements from infant formulas may cause health risks. Therefore, regular monitoring of all the raw materials, stages of production and storage of infant formulas is essential to limit the exposure of this vulnerable age group to toxic trace elements.

COVID-19 pandemic and socio-environmental inequality: A narrative review.

Background and Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided preliminary evidence of the existence of health, social, and environmental inequalities. This inequality encompasses inadequate access to safe water, clean air, and wastewater management, as well as limited socioeconomic and educational opportunities. These issues have not received sufficient attention during the pandemic. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of the existing literature on a specific topic, ultimately leading to a conclusion based on the evidence presented. Methods: The search methodology for this study involved conducting comprehensive searches of scientific databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, LILACS, and Google Scholar, from 2019 to 2023. The study focused on a specific theme and its relevant aspects related to global environmental health and society. Keywords such as COVID-19, inequities, and environmental health were used for searching. Additionally, the Boolean operator "AND" was used to combine these descriptors. Results: Unequal exposure to air pollution has been reported in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia and Latin America, according to the data that has been obtained. The pandemic has also resulted in a surge in healthcare waste generation, exacerbating the environmental impact of solid waste. Furthermore, there is evidence indicating significant disparities in the severe lack of access to sanitation services between developing nations and low-income regions. The issues related to water availability, accessibility, and quality are subject to debate. It has been reported that SARS-CoV-2 is present not only in untreated/raw water, but also in water bodies that act as reservoirs. Moreover, insufficient education, poverty, and low household income have been identified as the most significant risk factors for COVID-19 infection and mortality. Conclusion: It is evident that addressing socio-environmental inequality and striving to narrow the gap by prioritizing vulnerable populations are imperative.

Ecological risk assessment of trace elements (TEs) pollution and human health risk exposure in agricultural soils used for saffron cultivation.

Contamination of farmland soils by trace elements (TEs) has become an international issue concerning food safety and human health risks. In the present research, the concentrations of TEs including cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in soils of 16 farmlands were determined in Gonabad, Iran. In addition, the human health risks due to exposure to the TEs from the soils were assessed. Moreover, the soil contamination likelihood was evaluated based on various contamination indices including contamination factor [Formula: see text]), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and pollution load index (PLI) calculations. The soil mean concentrations for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe ranges as 0.102, 6.968, 22.550, 29.263, 475.281, 34.234, 13.617, 54.482 and 19,683.6 mg/kg in farmland soils. The mean concentrations of the TEs decreased in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cr > Pb > Co > As > Cd. Levels of all metals in this study were within the FAO/WHO and Iranian soil standards. The HQ values from investigated elements for adults and children in the studied farms were less than the limit of 1, indicating no health risks for the studied subpopulations. The results of the present research indicated no significant carcinogenic health hazards for both adults and children through ingestion, skin contact and inhalation exposure routes. [Formula: see text] values of Ni and Zn in 100% and 6.25% of farmlands were above 1, showing moderate contamination conditions. EF values of metals in farmlands were recorded as "no enrichment", "minimal enrichment" and "moderate enrichment" classes. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the all farms were uncontaminated except Ni (moderately contaminated) based on Igeo. This is an indication that the selected TEs in the agricultural soils have no appreciable threat to human health.

Covid-19 outbreak associated with demographic-meteorological factors in the arid and semi-arid region Iran: case study Gonabad city, 2020-2021.

Since the (Covid-19) pandemic outbreak, questioning regarding climate and incident of Covid-19 infection rates has been debated, while there is no clear research evidence until now in Iran. This study has focused on investigating the association between Covid-19 cases and demographic -meteorological factors in arid and semi-arid zones of Iran (from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022) by analyzing with Via Poisson and negative binomial regression. As a result, the incidence rate of both Covid-19 hospitalization and mortality cases reached peaks in the summer followed by the autumn. Interestingly, Covid-19 hospitalization cases are associated with humidity, temperature, and wind factors seasonally and monthly, but mortality cases are just associated with wind. In conclusion, the result demonstrated that demographicand meteorological factorsare positively and negatively associated with Covid-19 cases. Therefore, identifying the environmental factors contributing to the excess Covid-19 can help to prevent future pandemic waves in Iranian arid and semi-arid zone.

Evaluation of a novel integrated membrane biological aerated filter for water reclamation: A practical experience.

The use of treated wastewater in addition to solving the problem of water shortage, can increase soil fertility and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. We aim to provide a high-quality effluent to feed membrane system, reduce treatment costs and enhance the efficiency of wastewater recycling. All experiments were conducted on a novel integrated membrane biological aerated filter (IMBAF) consisting of a down flow cylindrical biological aerated filter (BAF) filled by silica and a novel sand-coated polystyrene granules (SCP), followed by ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. IMBAF reactor, with 73.6 L volume, was operated for 270 days (in three 90-day stages) with different conditions of returning backwash water. Accordingly, BAF generated high quality water for feeding UF membrane with 94.2%, 68%, 54.4%, 91.2%, and 99.95% of turbidity, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease (O&G), fecal coliform (FC) removal, respectively. At the end of stage 3, 99.88% of influent was recycled by UF and only 0.12% was disposed of as sludge. The BAF and UF module efficiently promote the quality of water entering RO system. After 75 days of continuous operation, the increase in trans-membrane pressure (TMP) and also decrease in RO membrane permeability were about 14% and 9.4%, respectively, indicating low clogging of the membrane. The use of BAF structure designed in this study increases the wastewater recycling rate, decreases membrane clogging and thereby reduces the costs of concentrate disposal and chemical cleaning.

Capability of copper-nickel ferrite nanoparticles loaded onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes to degrade acid blue 113 dye in the sonophotocatalytic treatment process.

In this study, copper-nickel ferrite (CuNiFe2O4) nanoparticles were successfully loaded onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using the coprecipitation method and used as new catalysts (MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4) in the sonophotocatalytic degradation process of the acid blue 113 (AB113) dye. The success of the MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4 synthesis and its properties were determined by analyzing it using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A high efficiency of dye removal (100%), total organic carbon (93%), and chemical oxygen demand (95%) were achieved with the following conditions: pH of dye solution = 5, MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4 dosage = 0.6 g/L, AB113 dye concentration = 50 mg/L, UV light intensity = 36 W, ultrasonic wave frequency = 35 kHz, and treatment time = 30 min. The kinetic results revealed that the efficiency of the sonophotocatalytic process using MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4 was higher than that of the sonolysis, photolysis, photocatalysis, and sonocatalysis processes. Scavenging studies demonstrated that the holes (h+) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) were the main reactive species for the AB113 dye degradation. The stability and recyclability of MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4 were confirmed with eight consecutive cycles for a maximum efficiency of more than 92%. The high rate of BOD5/COD indicated that the sonophotocatalytic process had the potential to degrade the dye into degradable compounds. The toxicity study with an Escherichia coli growth inhibition rate emphasized that MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4 in the sonophotocatalytic degradation process of the AB113 dye had a significant effect on reducing toxicity, when compared to processes of photolysis and photocatalysis. During the sonophotocatalytic process using MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4, the AB113 dye was mineralized into CO2, H2O, NH4+, NO3-, and SO42-. The results of the present study proved that the MWCNT-CuNiFe2O4-based sonophotocatalytic process was a promising dye degradation technology to protect the aquatic environment.

Activated carbon derived from Azolla filiculoides fern: a high-adsorption-capacity adsorbent for residual ampicillin in pharmaceutical wastewater.

In this study, the effectiveness of activated carbon prepared from the Azolla filiculoides fern (ACAF) in order to remove ampicillin from aqueous solution was examined. The preparation of the ACAF was performed through chemical and physical activation processes with the presence of ZnCl2 and at a temperature of 450 °C. The ACAF yield was 44.7% of the fresh Azolla filiculoides. The results obtained from the characterization study indicate that the prepared ACAF has excellent surface and internal properties to be used as an adsorbent. The surface area, porosity, and pore volume were estimated to be 716.4 m2/g, 51.2%, and 0.621 cm3/g, respectively. The functional groups in ACAF that were responsible for the adsorption of ampicillin molecules were detected using FTIR analyses. The maximum efficiency (96.84%) and uptake (114.3 mg/g) of ACAF to remove ampicillin were achieved under the following conditions: ACAF dose = 0.8 g/L, pH = 7, concentration of ampicillin = 100 mg/L, contact time = 60 min, and temperature = 45 °C. It was found that the kinetic and isotherm data matched the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models with high precision values, respectively. Considering the thermodynamics of the adsorption, the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the ampicillin adsorption onto ACAF was approved. The ampicillin adsorption capacity by ACAF was not significantly affected by the presence of different concentrations of NaNO3 competitor ion. The considerably higher adsorption capacity of the ACAF for ampicillin (114.3 mg/g) than other previously used adsorbents with excellent regeneration level (five cycles) depicts the superior performance of ACAF in the adsorption systems. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13399-021-01962-4.

Investigation of feedstuff contaminated with aflatoxigenic fungi species in the semi-arid region in northeast of Iran.

There is a close relationship between human health and the quality of the ration used by domestic animals. Also, molds, like genus of Aspergillus, infect animal and human food products with dangerous toxic substances, i.e., aflatoxins that are causing primary and secondary mycotoxicosis in animals and human. The aim of this study was to compare fungal species that contaminated and produced aflatoxin in livestock and poultry feed in Gonabad that is a semi-arid city in northeast of Iran. Sampling was randomly performed three times from two livestock feed mills and two poultry feed mills during summer and autumn. Samples were cultured in two forms of solid and suspension in Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol medium (SC) for 5 days in 28 °C. Microscopic diagnostic test and also molecular diagnostic test were used to determine fungal species in culture based on ß-tubulin gene sequencing. A total of 27.25% and 31.7% of two livestock feed and two poultry feed samples were contaminated with Aspergillus, respectively. Aspergillus flavus (n = 4), Aspergillus Fumigatus (n = 2), Aspergillus versicolor (n = 2), Aspergillus niger (n = 2), Aspergillus parasiticus (n = 1), Aspergillus ochraceus (n = 1), and Aspergillus terreus (n = 1) were detected by molecular PCR test. The rate of contamination to genus of Aspergillus in autumn was higher than summer (P value = 0.008). Poultry feed sample showed more contamination to Aspergillus species compared with livestock feed.

Exposure to heavy metal contamination and probabilistic health risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation: a study in the Southeast Iran.

The rice contamination to heavy metals and its associated health risks have been less addressed in the southeast of Iran. In the present study, in the mentioned region, we assessed the concentration of nine elements in rice, and the health risk related to the measured elements was determined using the data which were gathered by a questionnaire. For this purpose, 36 samples of the 12 most widely consumed rice brands were collected. Using ICP-MS, the concentrations of Ni, Cr, Hg, Sr, Mn, Fe, Se, Ba, and Zn were measured in the studied samples as 0.599 ± 0.124, 0.483 ± 0.28, 0.0157 ± 0.005, 0.85 ± 1.307, 11.5 ± 1.97, 178.46 ± 67.27, 0.212 ± 0.083, 0.845 ± 0.62, and 8.416 ± 1.611 mg/kg, respectively. We found that, regarding the other studies, the levels of Ni, Cr, Hg, Fe, and Ba were higher. Besides, using 258 distributed questionnaires among citizens, the daily rice consumption was determined to be 295.66 ± 171.005 g/person/ day. Based on this consumption rate and Monto Carlo uncertainty simulation, Fe (0.741 ± 0.54 mg/kg/day) and Se (8.95E-04 ± 6.33E-04 mg/kg/day) showed the highest and lowest daily intake, respectively. Also, using Hazard Quotient (HQ), the non-carcinogenic risk effects of the surveyed elements were estimated. The obtained results of HQ revealed that Fe (2.48) and Mn (1.06) could pose non-carcinogenic health risks to consumers. Moreover, the calculated hazard Index showed that the overall health risk of the surveyed elements is in an unsafe range.

An updated min-review on environmental route of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

The risk of newly emerging diseases is constantly present in a world where changes occur significantly in climatic, commercial, and ecological conditions, in addition to the development of biomedical investigations in new situations. An epidemic respiratory disease instigated by a new coronavirus was initially identified in and has resulted in the current global dissemination. This viral strain and its related disease has been termed "SARS-CoV-2" and "coronavirus disease 2019" (abbreviated "COVID-19" or "2019-nCoV"), respectively, which is transmitted simply between individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the COVID-19 outburst as a pandemic on March 11, which necessitates a cooperative endeavour globally for mitigating the spread of COVID-19. The absence of previous, and minimum present-day information, particularly concerning the path of contagion have precluded the control of this disease. The present article, therefore, describes the SARS-CoV-2 paths of contagion such as drinking water, solid waste, sewer water, ambient air, and the rest of emerging likely paths.

Degradation of furfural in aqueous solution using activated persulfate and peroxymonosulfate by ultrasound irradiation.

Furfural is a toxic compound that can cause many problems for human health and the environment. In this study, we addressed the degradation of furfural in aqueous solution using the activated persulfate (SPS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) through the ultrasonic (US) wave. Besides, the effect of various parameters (pH, oxidizing dose, initial furfural concentration, US frequency, Inorganic anions concentration, and scavenger) on SPS + US (SPS/US) and PMS + US (PMS/US) processes were examined. The results showed, in order to furfural removal, the US had excellent efficiency in activating SPS and PMS, as in SPS/US and PMS/US processes, 95.3% and 58.4% of furfural (at 25 mg/L concentration) was decomposed in 90 min, respectively. The furfural degradation rate increased with increasing oxidizing dose and US frequency in both SPS/US and PMS/US processes. Considering the synergistic effect, the best removal rate has occurred in the SPS/US process. In the SPS/US and PMS/US processes, furfural removal increased at natural pH (pH 7), and the presence of inorganic anions such as NO3- and Cl- had negative effects on furfural removal efficiency. Also CO32- and HCO3- acted as a radical scavenger in the SPS/US process but these anions in the PMS/US process produced more SO4-° radicals, and subsequently, they increased the furfural degradation rate. The results also showed that the predominant radical in the oxidation reactions is the sulfate radical. This study showed that the SPS/US and PMS/US processes are promising methods for degrading organic pollutants in the environment.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution and Human Health Risks Assessment in Soils Around an Industrial Zone in Neyshabur, Iran.

Heavy metal pollution of soils in industrial zones continues to attract attention because of its potential human health risks. The present research is an attempt to assess the pollution status of heavy metals including As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb using various indices like contamination factor (CF), pollution index (IPOLL), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). In total, 60 surface soil samples were collected from four area (north, south, east, and west) in Khayyam industrial zone from depths of 10-20 cm. The results indicated that average metal concentration ranges (in mg/kg) observed in study soils were 8.84, 1.9, 37.66, 15.77, and 57.33 for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals As, Cr, Ni, and Pb with the exception of Cd in soils of southern areas of the industrial zone were higher. Cd concentration vary negligibly in sampling sites of north, south, east, and west. Based on the CF, IPOLL, and Igeo indices, the pollution of soil in regard to concentration of heavy metals was in the following order: Cd > As > Pb > Ni > Zn. Industrial activities have therefore resulted in elevated concentrations of so in the soil environments in the Khayyam industrial zone. Based on the results of human health risk assessments, the soil metals pose negligible carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to the adults and children living in this area. The need for the monitoring of the soil around the industrial zone, especially for Cd and As, is needed to reduce potential environmental issues.

Ecological and health risk assessment of exposure to atmospheric heavy metals.

In the present study, we assessed the concentration of airborne HMs (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) and their probable sources using the bark of Pinus eldarica as a bio-indicator. Hence, 47 tree bark samples were harvested according to the land uses and biomonitoring techniques in the city of Yazd, Iran. The potential health risks in 13 age groups, ecological risk, as well as the possible relationship between HM concentrations and traffic indicators, were evaluated. The order of average HM concentrations in the P. eldarica bark samples was as Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The mean values of non-carcinogenic risks of all HMs in entire age groups were within secure range (HQ < 1); however, the carcinogenic risk of Cd was higher than the allowed level (TCR > 1 × 10-6). About Pb, it was in the safe level. The main element causing potential ecological risks was Cd, indicating moderate to very high ecological risk in most of the study areas. There was an inverse significant association between distance from major roads and Pb concentration (ß = -0.011 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.022, -0.0001). All HMs in bark samples render the negative Moran's index, representing a random spatial distribution pattern. Besides, according to principal component analysis (PCA), the first component accounted for 36.55% of the total variance, dominated by Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn, respectively, and characterized by vehicle and industrial emissions. Our results infer that industrial activities and traffic are the main sources of HMs pollution in urban environments that should be considered by decision-makers.

Concentration and Prevalence of Aflatoxin M1 in Human Breast Milk in Iran: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Carcinogenic Risk Assessment: A Review.

This meta-analysis was designed to review the published reports regarding the concentration and/or prevalence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in human breast milk in Iran. The carcinogenic risk for Iranian infants consuming this milk was estimated with the hazard index. The PubMed and Scopus databases and the Scientific Information Database were screened for relevant studies between 1995 and 2017, and 11 of the 112 collected studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The mean (95% confidence interval) concentration of AFM1 was 5.85 ng/L (4.54 to 7.15 ng/L), which was lower than the European Union standard (25 ng/L). The mean prevalence of AFM1 in breast milk in Iran was 42% (11 to 77%). The estimated daily intakes for male and female infants were 0.02 to 5.57 ng/kg and 0.02 to 3.68 ng/kg of body weight per day, respectively. The rank order of estimated daily intake for both male and female infants according to age was 1 week > 1 month > 6 months > 12 months. The hazard index for all age groups of infants in all provinces in Iran was less than 1. Therefore, infants in Iran were not considered at carcinogenic risk from AFM1 in human breast milk.

Assessment of scaling and corrosion potential of drinking water resources of Iranshahr.

The aim of this study was to evaluate corrosion and scaling potential of drinking water resources Iranshahr in order to considering necessary solutions to solve possible problems including internal corrosion of pipes, deterioration of water quality and reduce of water transfer capacity of distribution network system. The data showed that Langelier index ranged between -1.53 to -0.96, Ryznar index between 9.63-10.54, Aggressive index between 12.04 and 12.91, and Puckorius index between 9.05-10.68 for drinking water resources Iranshahr. Studied indices indicated that the drinking water in Iranshahr can be considered as corrosive.

Probabilistic risk assessment of occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds in the rendering plant of a poultry slaughterhouse.

In this study, occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the rendering plant of poultry slaughterhouse was determined and subsequently, carcinogen and non-carcinogenic risks were assessed using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) methods of 1501 and 1600 were used to measure VOCs in the breathing zone of the workers. Samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks and sensitivity analysis were carried out using Monte Carlo simulations technique. The concentration of benzene and CS2 was higher than the occupational exposure limits (OEL). The hazard quotient (HQ) values for all measured compounds was more than 1, which indicating the high potential for non-carcinogenic risks. Furthermore, the calculated Lifetime Cancer Risks (LCR) for carcinogenic compounds revealed that cancer risk due to benzene is higher than the maximum acceptable level provided by USEPA (10-6). Based on the sensitivity analysis, the concentration and exposure frequency are the most important variable influencing both carcinogen and non-carcinogenic risks. Therefore, the concentration levels of the VOCs and exposure frequency should be controlled using engineering control measures.

Data on heavy metal concentration in common carp fish consumed in Shiraz, Iran.

Food contamination by heavy metals can lead to the accumulation of these elements in the body of consumers and the contraction of diseases. Accordingly, heavy metal concentration in common carp fishes consumed in Shiraz, Iran was determined in the present study. The mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu were 0.23, 0.07, 0.47, and 0.59 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively. The average concentration of heavy metals in the muscle of common carps consumed in Shiraz was less than the permissible standard of the WHO and FAO. The estimated weekly intake (EWI) of the studied metals was below the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). The maximum and minimum relative risk (RR) equaled 48.93 and 0.55% of the total risk for Cd and Zn, respectively.