Carbendazim trace analysis in different samples by using nanostructured modified carbon paste electrode as voltametric sensor.

Carbendazim (CBZ) as a fungicide is widely used to control fungal diseases in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and forestry. In this study, molecularly imprinted nano-size polymer was synthesized and then combined with multiwalled carbon nanotubes to be used as modifiers for carbon paste electrode to detect carbendazim in water, fruit, agricultural wastewater, and urine samples by using the square-wave technique. Some common ions and pesticides were investigated as interferences in analyte, to study the sensitivity and selectivity of the modified carbon paste electrode for carbendazim. The combination of molecular imprinted polymer and multiwalled carbon nanotubes showed a significant increase in peak current in electrocatalytic activity on electrochemical detection of the carbendazim. The linear range of 1 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-8 molL-1 was investigated. The lower detection limit was determined to be 0.2 × 10-10 molL-1, and the relative standard deviation for the target molecule analysis was 2.07%. The result reveals that the modified carbon paste sensor with Multi walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Molecular Imprinted Polymer (MIPs) can be used easily, without preparation steps that have high selectivity and sensitivity to determine carbendazim in water, fruit, agricultural wastewater, and urine samples.

The association between blood, urine, respiratory, neurobehavioral parameters and occupational exposure to organophosphorus pesticides: a cross-sectional study among formulators.

Background: Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are one of the most extensively used chemical compounds all over the world. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether occupational exposure of the formulators to the OP pesticides, under normal working conditions, is associated with any hematotoxic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, neurotoxic, and respirotoxic responses among them. Methods: 28 OP formulation plant workers and 17 office workers participated in this cross-sectional study as the exposed and control groups, respectively. Blood and urine samples were collected to measure hematological, biochemical, and urinalysis parameters. American thoracic society questionnaire and spirometry tests were employed to assess the function of their respiratory system. Q16 questionnaire was also used to investigate the prevalence of neurobehavioral symptoms. The data were analyzed by SPSS v.22 software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, T-test, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, Fisher, Pearson, and Spearman tests. Results: No statistically significant difference was found in hematological, biochemical, urinalysis (except in specific gravity), spirometry parameters, as well as respiratory and neurobehavioral symptoms between the exposed and the control groups. For the exposed group, however, the means of spirometry parameters were significantly lower among the smokers. Conclusions: In this study, the expected adverse health effects due to exposure to OP pesticides were not observed among the formulators; however, the risk of developing respiratory dysfunction was found to be more considerable among smoker subjects than the non-smoker ones. Further investigations are required to determine whether formulators' occupational exposures to OP pesticides result in certain adverse health effects.

Removal of sulfur dioxide from air using a packed-bed DBD plasma reactor (PBR) and in-plasma catalysis (IPC) hybrid system.

Sulfur dioxide, a noxious air pollutant, can cause health and environmental effects, and its emissions should be controlled. Nonthermal plasma is one of the most effective technologies in this area. This study evaluated the efficiency of a packed-bed plasma reactor (PBR) and in-plasma catalysis (IPC) in SO2 removal process which were finally optimized and modeled by the use of the central composite design (CCD) approach. In this study, SO2 was diluted in zero air, and the NiCeMgAl catalyst was selected as the catalyst part of the IPC. The effect of three main factors and their interaction were studied. ANOVA results revealed that the best models for SO2 removal efficiency and energy yielding were the reduced cubic models. According to the results, both PBR and IPC reactors were significantly energy efficient compared with the nonpacked plasma reactor and had high SO2 removal efficiency which was at least twice larger than that of the nonpacked one. Based on the results, the efficiency of IPC was better than in PBR, but its performance decreased over time. However, the PBR had relatively high SO2 removal efficiency and energy efficiency compared to the nonpacked reactor, and its performance remained constant over the studied time. In optimization, the maximum SO2 removal efficiency and energy efficiency were 80.69% and 1.04 gr/kWh, respectively (at 1250 ppm, 2.5 L/min, and 18 kV as the optimum condition) obtained by the IPC system which were 1.5 and 1.24 times greater than PBR, respectively. Finally, the model's predictions showed good agreement with the experiments.

Identification of factors that influence occupational accidents in the petroleum industry: A qualitative approach.

BACKGROUND: Exploring experiences of individuals for barriers they confront relating to safety could help to design safety interventions with an emphasis on the most safety influencing factors. OBJECTIVE: This study strived to present an empirical exploration of individuals' experiences across the petroleum industry at different levels of the organizational structure for factors that influence occupational accidents. METHOD: Based on accidents history, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals who engaged in fatal activities, as well as authorities responsible for managing safety. The qualitative content analysis of 46 interview transcripts was conducted using MAXQDA software. RESULTS: A three-layer model comprising organizational, supervisory and operator level influencing factors with 16 categories were found influence factors of occupational safety. The results highlighted the role of organizational factors, including inappropriate contract management, inadequate procedures, and issues relating to competency management and the organizational climate. Moreover, defects relating to the monitoring and supervision system were identified as important causes of accidents. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated that the qualitative approach could reveal additional latent aspects of safety influencing factors, which require consideration for the appropriate management of occupational safety. This study can guide the planning of preventive strategies for occupational accidents in the petroleum industry.

Investigation on the lung function of general population in Ilam, west of Iran, as a city exposed to dust storm.

BACKGROUND: Dust storm is one of the most important natural sources of air pollution in the Middle East that has caused a major concern in recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the respiratory tract function of people living in Ilam city (Iran) during dust storm. METHODS: A sample size of 250 people was selected and the cluster sampling was randomly used from 13 health centers in Ilam city. Pulmonary function test (PFT) was determined via a standard spirometry apparatus. Vital capacity (VC), Forced Vital capacity (FVC), FVC in first second (FEV1), FEV1/VC, FEV1/FVC, peek expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%), forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%), forced expiratory flow (FEF75-85%), forced mid flow time (FMFT) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) were measured. RESULTS: Mean values of respiratory capacities measured in all participants excluding FEV1/VC and FMFT were less than predicted mean values by ECCS reference. 21.6% of the population suffered from obstructive lesions. This value among males (24.1%) was more than females (19.6%). This could be related to more exposure (outdoor jobs) of males with dust storms. CONCLUSION: The results also showed a negative significant relationship between duration of inhabitance in Ilam city and all respiratory capacities. Further studies are needed for confident confirmation of whether reduction of respiratory capacities among Ilamian people is only related to dust storms.

Impact of headway distance and car speed on drivers' decisions to answer an incoming call.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies on factors affecting drivers' decisions to use their mobile phones while driving are mostly focused on psychological and sociocultural contexts. Few investigations have been carried out on the role of traffic circumstances on drivers' decisions to use or not to use a mobile phone. METHODS: In this research, the effects of headway distance, speed, and the type of road as well as individual variables including age and driving experience are investigated. Forty-two subjects participated in observing 24 scenarios in a driving simulator. RESULTS: Logistic regression models showed that car speed, headway distance, and age can predict whether drivers' answer an incoming call while driving. The results indicated that traffic circumstances at the onset of phone calls are stronger predictors of drivers' decisions to answer a cell phone compared to driver-related variables. CONCLUSIONS: Headway distance and car speed can be used by in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) to warn drivers against using a mobile phone in certain traffic situations. Traffic safety campaigns for young drivers should focus on keeping safe headway distance and speed while driving.