An integrated of fuzzy-WASPAS and E-FMEA methods for environmental risk assessment: a case study of petrochemical industry, Iran.

Due to the scope and volume of activities, the petrochemical industry has a high potential for risk to humans and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental risks caused by the ammonia and urea production process. To screen the risks identified in the follow-up phase, the process hazard analysis (PHA) was used. The environmental aspects were also assessed using environmental failure mode and effects analysis (EFMEA). The most significant environmental aspect with a Risk Priority Number (RPN) of 100 was related to CO2 emissions from the disposal tower. To rank the final aspects, the criteria "severity," "probability of occurrence," "probability of detection," and the "extent of contamination" were first weighed by the fuzzy Shannon entropy method. Then, each aspect was prioritized based on the mentioned criteria and using fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). According to this technique, among the 24 environmental aspects, the highest score (with a value of 0.702) was given to CO2 emissions from the disposal tower. Finally, suggestions were made to mitigate the risks.

Mutation and new polymorphisms insight in introns 11 to 14a of CFTR gene of northern Iranian cystic fibrosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disease in Caucasians, caused by mutation in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The type and distribution of mutations vary widely between different countries and ethnic groups. We therefore aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of the CFTR gene in northern Iranian CF patients. METHODS: Forty northern Iranian CF patients were analyzed for mutations in introns 11 to 14a of their CFTR genes, using sequencing and reverse dot blot methods. Five normal subjects were also analyzed as normal control. RESULTS: One mutation and seven polymorphisms were identified. Of the eighty alleles studied, c.2043delG in exon 13 represented 12.5% of mutant alleles and was associated with two distinct haplotypes. rs1042077T>G, rs4148712delAT, rs4148711T>A and rs3808183 T>C with frequencies varying between 29.2% and 6.9% for the least common allele, as well as three new polymorphisms c.1680-224C>A (11.1%), c.2491-275T>G (14.1%) and c.2491-274C>G (35.9%) were detected. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a founder effect for c.2043delG in the Middle East and will assist in genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and future screening of CF in Iran.