Iranian Journal of health, Safety and environment
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Spring 2015

The preparation of a new modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) to measure lead ion has been reported in this study. Lead is a highly toxic element which can have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, measurement of lead in aquatic environments is very important. Although several methods have been developed for determination of lead ion in aquatic environments, there is no a cheap, simple, accurate and rapid method to measure this ion. Aim of this study is to develop a new method to measure the lead based on using multi walls carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Paracetamol as an ionophore for modification of a CPE. The optimum composition of modified CPE was determined as 64% of graphite powder, 20% of paraffin oil, 12% of nanotube and 4% of ionophore. This optimum composition was shown high selectivity, with appropriate Nernestian slope (-29.73 mV/decade), linear range (from 1.0×10-1to 1.0×10-8M), low lead concentration detection limit (7.5×10-9M) and good response time (equal of 25 sec).The results of this study to introduce a cheap, accurate and simple method for determination of lead ion in aquatic environments.

Air pollution is currently the most serious environmental health threat worldwide. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are considered as the main effective factors in causing air pollution. Vehicles are among the major sources which emit these compounds, so it seems that automobiles’ microenvironment is one of the places where people are exposed to high concentration of VOC. Evaluating the exposure amount of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) can indeed be used as an indicator to estimate the amount of exposure to every individual VOC. This study was conducted on the concentration of TVOC inside Tehran taxies for a period of one year. For this purpose, a real time instrument equipped with photo-ionization detector (PID) was used. Consequently, the highest and the lowest measured TVOC in taxies equaled 3.33 ppm and 0.72 ppm, respectively. In addition, the arithmetic mean of TVOC concentration was 1.77±0.53 ppm inside the examined taxies. In this study, the parameters like measurement time, climate and vehicle conditions were found to have significant effect on the amount of exposure to TVOC.

Petrochemical industries have a high rate of accidents. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is a systematic method and thus is capable of analyzing the risks of systems from concept phase to system disposal, detecting the failures in design stage, and determining the control measures and corrective actions for failures to reduce their impacts. The objectives of this research were to perform FMEA to identify risks in an Iranian petrochemical industry and determine the decrease of the risk priority number (RPN) after implementation of intervention programs. This interventional study was performed at one petrochemical plant in Tehran, Iran in 2014. Relevant information about job categories and plant process was gathered using brainstorming techniques, fishbone diagram, and group decision making. The data were collected through interviews, observation, and documents investigations and was recorded in FMEA worksheets. The necessary corrective measures were performed on the basis of the results of initial FMEA. Forty eight failures were identified in welding unit by application of FMEA to assess risks. Welding processes especially working at height got the highest RPN. Obtained RPN for working at height before performing the corrective actions was 120 and the score was reduced to 96 after performing corrective measures. Calculated RPN for all processes was significantly reduced (p≤0.001) by implementing the corrective actions. Scores of RPN in all studied processes effectively decreased after performing corrective actions in a petrochemical industry. FMEA method is a useful tool for identifying risk intervention priorities and effectiveness in a studied petrochemical industry.

Uncontrolled exposure to X-band frequency leads to health damage. One of the principles of radiation protection is shielding. But, conventional shielding materials have disadvantages. Therefore, studies of novel materials, as an alternative to conventional shielding materials, are required to obtain new electromagnetic shielding material. Therefore, this study investigated the electromagnetic shielding of two component epoxy thermosetting resin for the X - band frequency with workplace approach. Two components of epoxy resin mixed according to manufacturing instruction with the weight ratio that was 100:10. Epoxy plates fabricated in three different thicknesses (2, 4 and 6mm) and shielding effectiveness measured by Vector Network Analyzer. Then, shielding effectiveness measured by the scattering parameters.The results showed that 6mm thickness of epoxy had the highest and 2mm had the lowest average of shielding effectiveness in X-band frequency that is 4.48 and 1.9 dB, respectively. Also, shielding effectiveness increased by increasing the thickness. But this increasing is useful up to 4mm. Percentage shielding effectiveness of attenuation for 6, 4 and 2mm thicknesses is 64.35%, 63.31% and 35.40%. Also, attenuation values for 4mm and 6mm thicknesses at 8.53 GHz and 8.52 GHz frequency are 77.15% and 82.95%, respectively, and can be used as favourite shields for the above frequency. 4mm-Epoxy is a suitable candidate for shielding application in X-band frequency range but, in the lower section, 6mm thickness is recommended. Finely, the shielding matrix can be used for selecting the proper thickness for electromagnetic shielding in X- Band frequency.

The marine coral has a porous outer surface and it has served in the processes such as water treatment systems, removal of carbon dioxide and adsorption of arsenic. Based on the need for cheap and efficient adsorbents, in sampling, the aim of this study, comparison of the efficiency of marine coral powder and activated charcoal in adsorption of volatile organic hydrocarbons was considered. In this experimental research, a certain concentrations of 8 volatile organic hydrocarbons: (para-Xylene, Chloroform, Carbon tetrachloride, tert-Butanol, Pyridine, Acetone, Ethyl acetate and Diethyl ether) was injected into dynamic atmospheric chamber in the NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure) conditions. Air sampling was performed with the tube containing marine coral powder as well as the tube of activated charcoal, based on the standard method of NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) and in the same laboratory conditions. Then samples were injected into the gas Chromatograph apparatus and analytical comparison has been done between the amount of adsorption of hydrocarbons by activated charcoal and coral powder-test and Mann-Whitney were done with SPSS V.20.Findings showed that there was a significant difference between the amount of adsorption of Para-Xylene, carbon tetrachloride, tert-Butanol, Pyridine, acetone and Ethyl acetate hydrocarbons by activated charcoal and coral powder (P<0.05(. The amount of hydrocarbons adsorption by activated charcoal was, more than coral powder significantly (P<0.001). Based on the present research, in sampling of used hydrocarbons, the marine coral powder was less efficient than the activated charcoal, and it is recommended that more works be designed about other techniques such as coating of the marine coral powder in order to the improvement of adsorption capacity for volatile organic hydrocarbons.

Assessment of community consciousness of environmental problems in Nigeria is at best incoherent, and incomplete. Two views, however, seem to predominate. First, there are those who speculatively believe that the vast majority of people are unaware of the magnitude of environmental problems confronting them and that only the better – educated and high income groups seem to be able to make a connection between the health of their family and environment in which they live. Second, there are those who through direct research surveys have come to some form of conclusion that ordinary people possess a substantial knowledge of the complexities of environmental problems besetting them and indeed make efforts to articulate and adjust favorably to them. In order to investigate this problem, one hundred copies of questionnaires were distributed to selected Government ministries, departments and agencies(MDAs), non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and community-based associations(CBAs) in two geo-political zones of south-south and south- east Nigeria. Respondents unanimously selected four of the six policy alternatives suggested for a solution to the environmental problems. These included: institutional policy and legal framework, capacity building and institutional strengthening, private initiatives and collaboration with international organizations. Whatever conclusion may be reached from these opposing views, one thing is certain and that is consciousness of environmental issues, especially pollution, is low and least understood in Nigeria.

Mycotoxins continue to pose a health concern via human exposure to contaminated food. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), may be found in the milk of dairy cattle and other mammals. In humans, AFM1 is excreted through the feces, urine, and in the case of lactating mothers, also in breast milk after consumption of aflatoxin contaminated food. Concentration of AFM1 in milk is a function of several factors, namely: animal type, milking day, milk yield, season, feeding regime, geographic, and climatic conditions. A linear relationship has been established between the amount of AFM1 in milk and the amount of AFB1 in feed consumed by animals, emphasized at first on the reduction or removal of AFB1 from feedstuffs and then elimination of AFM1 from milk. This review aims to bring up to date the current global status of AFM1 contamination of liquid milk destined for human consumption and the effects of processing and reduction methods on the elimination of aflatoxins from liquid milk.