منصوره دهقانی

The presence of heavy metals in urban sewage sludge limits its use as a soil modifier. The purpose of this study was to remove heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) from urban sewage sludge using Acidophilic Thiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria. In this experimental study, the sludge samples were collected from Shiraz wastewater treatment plant. Bioleaching tests were carried out in 250 ml flasks containing 100 ml fresh sludge, 15 ml Acidophilic Thiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria and 1-4 g/L Fe+2 at temperature of 28 °C and speed of 180 rpm for 9 consecutive days. Heavy metal removal was monitored by polarograph. The optimum condition for separation of heavy metals in this method was obtained at retention time of 5 days and iron concentration of 2gr/l. Under this condition, 80% of cadmium, 78% of lead, 87% of zinc and 69.9% of copper were removed from sludge. Also, sludge dewatering was increased up to 99%. The residual concentrations of zinc, cadmium, lead and copper in sludge after bioleaching were 783, 1, 18 and 607 mg/kg, respectively, which were within the EPA's standards for agriculture. The results showed that the bioleaching method by Thiobacillus bacterium could be used as a suitable method for removal of heavy metals and increasing sludge dewatering efficiency.

The aim of this study was the determination of formaldehyde dispersion pattern in Zarghan, Iran, through passive sampling and using geographic information system (GIS) software.
In this cross-sectional study, passive sampling method was used to measure the concentration of formaldehyde at 10 stations. Sampling was conducted in one season for the duration of 14 days. Formaldehyde concentration in other areas of the city was interpolated in ArcGIS software using nearest neighbor (NN), inverse distance weighting (IDW), and Kriging methods.
Findings: The results showed that formaldehyde concentration near Fars Chemical Industries Co. (FCICo.) and Sina Chemical Industries Co. (SCIC) was 38.1 μgm-3. Interpolation using GIS showed that the concentration of this pollutant, based on the direction of the wind, at a distance of 1400 m from the source was at the standard limit of 10 μgm-3.
NN interpolation was the most suitable method for determination of formaldehyde concentration. During morning inversion and when the weather is in stable conditions, the concentration of formaldehyde around the chemical industry was several times higher than the average limit. In spite of the mountains surrounding the city, formaldehyde concentration in residential areas of Zarghan and Dudag, Iran, was at the standard limit.

Introduction & Indoor air quality, particularly in health care facility, is important. One of the most important factors affect the air quality is aerosols due to carrying microorganisms and deposit in the respiratory tract. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of suspended particles in outdoor and indoor ‎of Dena hospital and determine the relationship between these parameters.‎ A cross-sectional study was done in Dena hospital in Shiraz in 2012. 315 samples were collected for analysis. Sampling was performed by using a sampler Aerosol Mass Monitor, Model GT-331, made in Japan to ‎measure the particle concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5. To compare the concentration of indoor suspended particles ‎in air in different wards and outdoor particle, t-test was used. Then the data ‎were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results showed that average PM10 in the air in hospital wards as well as all the outdoor air is significantly less than the standard 24-hour WHO and the standard 24-hour USEPA (p<0.001). The Significant relationships were seen for the average concentrations of PM2.5 in all the sampling sites ‎and the 24-hour standard of WHO and USEPA (p<0.001‎)‎. The concentration of particle matter in indoor air in Dena hospital was less than the outdoor air that indicate the proper functioning of air-conditioning systems inside the different department of the hospital.

As the most hazardous sewage، hospital wastewater contains various contaminants، and its uncontrolled discharge can seriously damage the environment. Bandar Abbas is located in an arid and semi-arid region; therefore، hospital wastewater should be treated through an appropriate and economic method. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of electrocoagulation with aluminum and iron electrodes in removal of COD from wastewater of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas. This analysis was performed in laboratory-scale through an incoherent method using a reactor which contained iron and aluminum binary and quaternary electrodes. A total of 55 samples of raw sewage of the hospital were examined and a total of 216 samples were analyzed to determine the parameters which were effective in the process. Samples (3 L) were immediately transferred to the laboratory after collection. COD removal was performed through electrocoagulation at pH 3، 7، and 11، voltages 10، 20، and 30، and reaction times of 30، 45، and 60 min. The results were analyzed using SPSS 16 through analysis of covariance. The data showed better performance of electrodes at 2 cm apart rather than 3 cm. The COD removal efficiency was increased by 6. 2% when pH was decreased from 11 to 3 at optimum voltage of 30 V and reaction time of 60 min. The results showed that by increasing the reaction time from 30 to 60 min at voltages 10، 20 and 30، the efficiency of COD removal increased from 32. 3% to 87. 1%. Therefore، the highest efficiency of COD removal (87. 1%) was obtained at optimal pH of 3، voltage of 30 V، and reaction time of 60 min with iron quaternary electrode. Given the high efficiency of electrocoagulation as well as its simplicity and relatively low cost، it can be used for removal of COD from hospital wastewater.

Excessive discharge of hazardous materials such as nitrogenous and organic compounds into the environment has negative impacts on the health of the aquatic environment. The main objective of this research was focused on evaluating the feasibility of using modified SBR reactor for the removal of nitrogenous compounds and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The experiments were performed using an up-flow continuous reactor with intermittent effluent. At first, four different cycles including aeration, settling, and decant (3, 4, 6, and 8 h) were designed for the performance of the reactor. Then, the efficiency of each cycle was determined for different concentrations of COD (250-1500 mg/L) and ammonia (40-100 mg/L). Data demonstrated that all cycles had very good performances for the removal of COD. The average COD removal efficiencies of phases 1 through 4 were 91.7, 91.5, 92, and 92.7% respectively. The average NH4+ removal efficiencies of phase 3 and 4 were 92.7 and 95.8% respectively. The performance of phase 4 (with the cycle of 8 h) for the removal of nitrogen compound and COD was particularly high. The combination of anoxic and aerobic cycles in the reactor and providing nitrate as an electron receptor had the best performance for the removal of nitrogen from wastewater. Therefore, the continuous up-flow reactor was a good alternative to batch reactor in removing nitrogen compound and COD simultaneously.

Due to the lack of proper rail road and air transportation, most commutes in Iran are carried out by buses. In most cases, the water in the busses is used for passengers for drinking usage. Although this kind of water source has provided convince for the travelers, it could be a great risk in disease outbreak. The aim of this study is to determine the water quality in commuting buses of Shiraz Karandish terminal in winter 2011. The study is of descriptive-cross-sectional type. 48 samples were collected through quota sampling. In this study, water microbial contamination (total and fecal coliform bacteria) was studied by method using nine-tube fermentation (MPN). The residual chlorine amount, Turbidity, pH and temperature were measured. SPSS software version 11.5 was used for statistical analysis. Results suggested that 18.75% of total coliform and 4.17 % of fecal coliform were positive. The turbidity in 8.3 % of the cases was at the standard level (0.1-1NTU). Comparing between the results of this research with other studies showed that fecal contamination in bus water fountain of Shiraz was less than fecal contamination in bus water fountain of Kermanshah, Bandar Abbas and Kerman but it was more than Isfahan.

Heavy metals widely used in the industrial and refining activities are frequently detected in sediments. The main objectives of this research were focused on determining the concentration of Cd and Pb in the sediments of Asaluyeh and compare with the standard. The concentration of Pb and Cd in the sediments of Nayband Bay area (contaminated area) and Lavar-e Saheli (control area) were measured. In the summer of 2013, the samples of sediment were collected from 40 stations. The samples were digested using the method Yap 2002 and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The median concentration of Pb and Cd in the sediments collected from Nayband ranged from 3.56 to 5.25 μg/gdw and 1.16 to 1.44 μg/gdw, respectively. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in most of the sediment samples in the study area were higher than the Persian Gulf standards. Therefore, it is essential to use abatement efforts to clean-up the polluted areas in the coastal area of the Asaluyeh Bay and prevent the discharging of the untreated or partially treated wastewater to the Persian Gulf as well.

Many countries are considered tourism industry as the source of income. This study aimed to determine environmental health indicators of accommodating centers of Shiraz and the role of health advisor and degree of hotel management in raising the amount of health indicators of the accommodating centers in Shiraz, 2011. This study was descriptive and case study. For determining indicators of environmental health places with regard to the law of food, drinking water, cosmetics according to the ministry of Health and Medical Education. The list included 52 questions for motels and 83 questions for hotels and hotel apartments. Then the list was completed via interview and visiting of all accommodating places of Shiraz included 141 places, in 2011. After evaluating the questioner (the scores over 80 are categorized as healthy, scores in the range of 40-79 is categorized as sanitation and the scores under the 40 are considered as unhealthy) the accommodating places are categorized. Data analysis was done be K square and Fisher tests. The results of this study showed that 58.2 percent of the accommodation places in Shiraz are categorized as healthy, 31.9 percent of the places are in sanitation condition and 9.9 percent are in healthy condition. The environment health of Shiraz hotels that have health advisor are in an ideal heath situation of health. So by making the hotels having health advisor, the indicators of environmental health at the hotel are upgraded. In addition having the certificate for hotel management might also increase the environmental health indices.

BTEX is a group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. Benzene is released to the atmosphere by both natural and anthropogenic activities. Benzene is emitted to the atmosphere mainly through the petroleum and petrochemical industries. The chronic exposure to benzene may cause damage to kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, and nerves and also degrade DNA. Benzene is a group (I) carcinogen. Toluene is used in many industries as a solvent. The exposure to low-tomoderate levels of toluene can cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea and hearing loss. The exposure to high levels of toluene can cause permanent brain and speech damage, unconsciousness and even death. Ethylbenzene is used in the petrochemical industries. It is also used in industries including gas, oil, solvents, pesticides and dyes. Short-term exposure to high level of ethylbenzene can cause symptoms such as respiratory irritation and neurologic effects. The long-term exposure to ethylbenzene affects the blood, liver and kidney. It is classified as a possible human carcinogen (2B) by IARC. Xylene is an aromatic hydrocarbon which is usedw ith benzene and toluene as a catalytic reform er in extraction and oil refineries. Xylene is a major component of BTEX and is used as a fuel reformer. The inhalation of xylene affects the nervous system. Active sampling needs an air sampling pump to actively collect the air through a filter. However, passive sampling does not require a pump and the gases in the air are collected by diffusion. Passive diffusive air sampling is simple with high precision method widely used to monitor large-scales air pollution. Geographic Information System (GIS) is a powerful tool to assess the contribution levels of BTEX sources. Haddad et al. (2005) used passive sampling to measure BTEX around gas stations in Shiraz. Since the industrial area of Zarghan is affected by numerous air pollution sources, the rapid and precise monitoring systems are absolutely essential to detect and quantify polluting sources. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to (i) determine the dispersion level of BTEX using passive diffusive air sampling and GIS techniques and (ii) assess the contribution level of generating sources of BTEX in the urban areas. Zarghan is located 25 Km northeast of Shiraz, nearby Shiraz -Tehran highway. The town is also surrounded by many different air pollution sources. Industrial complexes are located about 10 Km from Zarghan. In addition, the mountain in the east side of the town blocked the air flow through the town. We used a diffusive sampler to adsorb BTEX in the air by a tube consisting of adsorbent material. BTEX entered into the adsorbent tube by molecular diffusion. The adsorbent samplers were installed at the elevation of 3 to 4 meters from the ground for the period of 17 days (March 2012). After the adsorption period, the sampler tubes were sealed and returned to the laboratory for further analysis. After collecti ng the specimens, they were sent to Pasam Company in Switzerland for determination of BTEX. The extraction was done by carbon disulfide (CS2). Ion chromatography was used to analyze BTEX. Since many sources of air pollution are located in the Zarghan residential area, the boundary condition sampling points were selected by mesh. Due to the small size of the study area, 10 points were selected and one sample was collected at each point. An image of the coverage area was obtained by Google Earth software. Geographical coordinates of 4 points of suitable dispersion were determined by the software and used in an Excel file as the ground reference. Using ArcGIS techniqus, the image was processed as the georeferenced map and the result saved in TIFF format with a pixel size of 5 m. The data obtained from sampling of BTEX were interpolated using the passive sampling method with different methods such as Inverse Weighted Distance to the exponent of 2 (IWD)2, natural nearest neighbor. File Format (TIFF) is a raster image format with a pixel size of 5 m for each specimen (with at least 10 sample points). All interpolated layersw ere then extracted by the border of sam ple point’s area to perform interpolation for all layers in the same extent. The geographic coverage area of BTEX concentration has been studied using different methods of Nearest Neighbor (NN), Inverse Distance Weighted (IWD), and Kringing. BTEX pollution maps were prepared using passive sample interpolation. Discussion and The ambient air quality guidelines for the annual concentrations of benzene in 2005 and 2010 are 10 􀈝gm-3 and 3.6 􀈝gm-3, respectively. In most of the sampling stations, benzene concentration was in the standard limit (2.3 􀈝gm-3 to 4.8 􀈝gm-3), but the concentrations in the following four stations were considerably high. 1. Shiraz oil refinery sampling station with benzene concentration of 21.5 􀂗gm-3 2. Central old square with benzene concentration of 7.2 􀂗gm-3 3. Dudej with benzene concentration of 5 􀂗gm-3 Data showed that Shiraz oil refinery sampling station with the maximum toluene concentration of 30 􀂗gm-3 is much lower than the 24-hour EPA standard limit. In the rest of the sampling stations, toluene concentrations were lower. The average concentrations of toluene in residential areas of Canada were ranged from 11.5 to 34.4􀈝gm-3 which is same as the range of concentration observed in Zarghan. The current study showed that the concentration of xylene and ethylbenzene in all of the stations were much lower than the harmful levels. The odor of xylene can be recognized in the air at the concentration of 0.008 ppm. Therefore, during the maximum hourly pollution (inversion condition), the concentration of xylene is twice the average and those who live near the mountain areas are able to detect its odor. The GIS interpolation showed that Shiraz oil refinery is the most important sources of benzene dispersion in the study area. The relatively high concentration of benzene (21.5 􀂗gm-3) is dispersed in an area where is confined in a radius of 1.5 Km from the refinery. Fortunately, Zarghan residential areas are not located within the affected zone, but according to Kringing and IDW interpolation, the concentration of benzene reached to the amount of 7.2 􀂗gm-3 in the old central square which is located in the center of the city. As seen in the Kringing interpolation, Shiraz-Tehran highway is not a major source of benzene pollution, but it is expected to have a high concentration of benzene near the mountain area. The four red stripes represents the high concentration of toluene belong to Shiraz oil refinery, Zarghan, industrial Park and the highway. The nearest neighbor (NN) interpolation method showed the effects of Shiraz-Tehran highway more clearly. The pollution due to ethylbenzene produced by the refinery is extended to a radius of 4.5 Km from the refinery. In addition, this is evident in the red zone of the industrial park and also in the old part of the city near the m ountain. Generally, data show exactly the same dispersion for all 3 isomers of xylenes. Comparing the various interpolation methods used in the study, the IDW method shows the pronounced role of industrial zones while the Nearest Neighbor interpolation method indicates that the role of the highway is of a greater importance in Zarghan xylenes pollution. The highest concentration of air pollutants expected to occur in the area surrounded by the mountain. Therefore, the wind direction influences the general movements of the pollutants. According to the GIS maps, the main source of air pollution produced by Shiraz oil refinery is significantly concentrated in the old central square station near the mountain area. Since there is no other air pollution sources in the area, the reason for increasing air pollution might be due to the trapping of contaminants near the mountain area and blocked the air flow. The analysis of regression demonstrated that there is a linear relationship between the concentration of pollutant at Old Central Square and the concentration in the oil refinery with the regression coefficient of 0.98.

and cause health and environmental effects. This study investigates the optimization of the parameters affecting the advanced oxidation process Fenton for improving TOC removal from aqueous solution includes amoxicillin antibiotic by using Taguchi experimental design.

In this study for evaluation the effect of factors and determination optimal conditions to removal TOC by Fenton process, 5 parameters such as TOC, Hydrogen peroxide, Fe2+ initial concentrations, PH and reaction time each of in 4 levels was investigated. Optimization experiments were repeated 2 times each and the optimal conditions were obtained after analysis with Taguchi method.

TOC removal efficiency by Fenton process from aqueous solution via TOC initial concentrations 6, 40, 87 and 193 mg/L was 37.165%, 38.285%, 35.116% and 17.24% respectively. Optimization of the process by Taguchi method showed initial TOC concentration 40 mg/L, H2O2 500mg/L, Fe2+ 50mg/L, PH 3.5 and reaction time 10 min with importance priority of 2.357%, 73.58%, 11.837%, 4.137% and 8.089% were determined as optimum conditions of operational parameters of the Fenton process in TOC degradation respectively.

In this study, Maximum removal efficiency of amoxicillin and TOC were obtained 99.6% and 38.285% respectively. This study indicated that Fenton process can be used for pretreatment of amoxicillin for biological treatment. Unlike complete amoxicillin degradation, TOC removal (mineralization) was not complete in Fenton oxidation due to formation of refractory intermediates.

The phenomenonof air pollution is a major environmental problemwhich threatens people’s health. Urbanization and industrialactivities increaseair pollution، which cause cardiopulmonary diseases. The aim ofthis study was to investigate the correlation ofShiraz air Pollutants with the referring patients due to the cardiopulmonarydisease in Shiraz educational hospitals. This is an analytical-descriptivestudy. In our study the correlation between major air pollutants includingcarbon monoxide (CO)، sulfur dioxide (SO2)، ozone (O3)، and particle matter with diameter less than 10 micron (PM10) and hospitaladmission to the hospitals due to the cardiopulmonary disease overa period of six months in 2012. Then we used SPSS statisticalversion 16 methods using Poissonregression and t-testto analyze the relationship betweenthe impacts of air pollutants on the hospital admission in Shiraz selectiveeducational hospitals. Significance level is equalto 95% confidence and =α0. 05 The findings show that the mean concentrations of CO،SO2 and O3emissions were lowers than standard، while the mean PM10 concentration was more than standard limit. In addition،uni-variate analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between carbon monoxide and thenumber of referral patients to thehospitals (p>0. 05) but therelationship between the other air pollutants and referral patients were not significant (p>0. 05). The studyrevealed that PM10is one of the most important air pollutants in Shiraz. The significantrelationship between hospital admissions and the cardiopulmonary disease is related to CO. There was a significantrelationship between air pollutantssuch as SO2 and NO2 concentrations with asthma attacks inTehran. In Australiathe main reason for admission to hospitalfor respiratory problemsis related to particulate matterPM10 and ozone، but in Americaand Europe، ozone is the most important pollutant in referring patients tothe hospital.

Backgrounds and Ambient particulate matter (PM) is considered to be an important indicator of outdoor air quality. Many adverse health effects are associated with high concentration of particulate matter in ambient air. Exposure to pollution due to bioaerosols is an almost inescapable feature of urban living throughout the world. Exposure to ambient air microorganisms is associated with wide range of adverse health effects. The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of particulate matter and airborne bacteria in Ahvaz ambient air and investigation of the environmental parameters effects on airborne bacteria concentration. Air sampling for presence of bacteria was conducted using a microbial air sampler (Quick Take-30، SKC، USA). Tryptic Soy Agar which is a specific media for bacterial culture was used as a media. The number of cultivable bacteria on TSA media was counted using colony counter apparatus and was expressed as colony forming units per cubic meter (CFU m-3). The mean concentration of PM10، PM2. 5، PM1 and airborne bacteria at four sampling sites were 149. 35، 46. 58، 25. 6 µg/m3 and 446. 67 CFU /m3، respectively. The highest concentration was observed in the Day month (21 December to 21 June). The lowest concentration was detected in Bahman (21 June to 21 February) month. It was found that the more the human activities، the denser the urban environment، the lower vegetations، the higher the bacterial concentration، which bacterial concentrations have reverse relation with temperature and UV index.

One of the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Dental Federation (WDF) is declining the decay، missing or filled teeth (DMFT) index in people under 12 years down to the level of 1. The present study aimed to determine the DMFT index in 7 to 11-year-old students and its association with the amount of fluoride in drinking water in Shiraz، Iran. This was a cross-sectional، descriptive study. It has been performed over 760 students in order to measuring the DMFT index in the four educational districts of Shiraz in 2010. 75 water samples were taken to determine the amount of fluoride. The water samples were taken from water networks supply including the four different educational districts. Fluoride in the water was determined by SPADNS method. Schools and students were selected by cluster and random sampling methods، respectively. Then examination of students was performed by the dental hygienist. The average concentration of the fluoride in Shiraz was 0. 69 mg/l and DMFT index was 0. 935. The maximum rate of DMFT was in the average of 1. 35 which was in the 4th district and the minimum amount was in the 1st district with the average of 0. 47. The rate of DMFT in girl and boys has been equal with the average of 0. 93. There was no statistically significant association between the amount of DMFT and age of different groups (P > 0. 05). The most amount of missing teeth (pulled out tooth) has been related to the age group 8 with the average DMFT 2. 42. The average DMFT in the 3rd and 4th district were 1. 26 and 1. 35، respectively، showing a statistically significant difference with the amount of DMFT in the 1st and 2nd district averaged 0. 47 and 0. 65 (P < 0. 001). Average DMFT index in the present study was 0. 935 which was much lower than before. Although the average amount of fluorine in Shiraz drinking water is lower than the standard، it is still less than one by improving oral hygiene the average DMFT index of students in Shiraz

Desalination plants have an important role in providing community drinking water. The increasing trend of water consumption and decrease of natural resources of fresh water make this role even more important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of inlet and outlet water of desalination plants by reverse osmosis (RO) process in Qeshm، Iran and also to compare the quality of outlet water from this process with National and International standards of drinking water. This study was performed by obtaining samples of inlet and outlet water of desalination plants working by reverse osmosis (RO) process in Qeshm for 7 months. Total hardness، electrical conductivity (EC)، total dissolved solids (TDS)، turbidity، temperature، pH، fluoride، nitrate، nitrite، chloride، sulfate and microbiological parameters were investigated. Data analysis was performed by SPSS16. Total hardness and fluoride in the treated water from this process were lower than desirable limits and chloride concentration was higher than the permitted limit. The rest of the chemical and physical parameters were in acceptable range. Most qualitative parameters of the outlet water of the RO process decreased by 99% compared to the inlet water and outlet levels were in the standard range. Desalination plants by reverse osmosis (RO) process have a high efficiency in providing healthy drinking water based on qualitative standards.

The concentration of aerosols in the atmosphere has increased in recent years. These particles can adversely affect human health. Studies show that indoor air quality is affected by outdoor air. Moreover، people spend a significant portion of their time indoors، and few studies have been done in this area. Therefore، the purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of outdoor and indoor suspended particles in Hafez Hospital، Shiraz، Iran، and determine the relationship between these parameters. A cross-sectional study was done in Hafez Educational Hospital in Shiraz from October to November 2011. Sampling was done twice a week. The outdoor and indoor air sampling was conducted in each ward of the hospital. 144 samples were collected for analysis; including 24 samples for each ward of the hospital and also for outdoor air. Sampling was performed by using a sampler Aerosol Mass Monitor (Model GT-331، Japan) to measure the particle concentrations of PM10 and PM2. 5. To compare the concentration of indoor suspended particles in different wards of the hospital with outdoor particles، one-way ANOVA was used. Then، the data were analyzed using SPSS version 11. 5. The results obtained were compared with 24-hour particulate matter concentrations of EPA and WHO guidelines. Results showed that indoor and outdoor air quality of the hospital in terms of air quality index for PM2. 5 is in a good condition. The air quality index for PM10 for the indoor air showed that 95. 2% of wards were in good condition، and two obstetric wards were in average condition. Status of outdoor air quality for PM10 is unhealthy for sensitive groups in 75% of samples. To assess the relationship between suspended particles in outdoor and indoor air of hospital wards، Pearson correlation was used. Accordingly a significant relationship was observed in PM10 and PM2. 5 of outdoor and indoor air of a number of hospital wards (P > 0. 05). The average ratio of PM10 and PM2. 5 of indoor to outdoor air (I/O) were، respectively، 1. 41 and 6. 10، which indicated the low ventilation and air exchange within the wards. The results also showed that there is a significant relationship between the concentration of suspended particles in the indoor air and outdoor air. This represented a penetration of outdoor particles into the indoor air of hospital wards. Thus، for hospitals that are located in high traffic areas، utilizing appropriate ventilation systems within the hospital is effective in reducing air pollution.

One of the most important components of community’s health is providing clean drinking water. The aim of this study is evaluation of the quality of inlet and outlet water from desalination plants in Qeshm obtained by reverse osmosis (RO) and Multistage flash (MSF) processes and to compare the outlet water quality with National and International standards of drinking water.

The cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out during 7 months from November 2011 to May 2012. Sampling was carried out once every two months from inlet and outlet water of desalination plants in Qeshm. Parameters studied included total hardness, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), turbidity, temperature, pH, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, sulfate and biological parameters (total coliform, fecal coliform). Finally, analytical analysis was performed by SPSS (version 16) using paired T- test.

The results of this study showed that total hardness and fluoride concentration in the effluent of the both of the processes (RO and MSF) were lower than desirable concentration and chloride concentration in RO process was higher than allowable concentration limit, the rest of parameters (chemical and physical) in both processes were in the acceptable range. No coliform contamination was observed in the effluent from both processes (RO and MSF).

The low fluoride and hardness concentration in the effluent of both processes (RO and MSF), should be compensated by adding fluoride and calcium or magnesium compounds. More importantly, both processes have high capability in providing safe drinking water. 

According to the literature, a large number of people working in industries and service providing personnel, such as firefighters, physicians, and nurses, are shift workers. The spread of shift working in industrial societies and the incidence of the problems resulting from shift working have caused the researchers to conduct studies on this issue. The present study also aimed to investigate melatonin and cortisol circadian rhythms in the security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The present study was conducted among 20 security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In order to collect the required data, blood samples were taken from the participants in different times of the day (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and 22) and cortisol and melatonin levels were determined using radioimmunoassay and enzyme immunoassay techniques, respectively. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software (v. 16.0) and analyzed using One-Way ANOVA. The results showed that as the intensity of light increased during night time, the level of plasma cortisol increased, as well. Besides, no statistically significant difference was found between the plasma cortisol levels in natural light and 4500-lux light. On the other hand, a significant difference was observed between the level of plasma cortisol in natural light and 9000-lux light as well as 4500- and 9000-lux lights. The study findings also showed that as the intensity of light increased at night, the level of plasma melatonin decreased. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between the plasma melatonin levels in natural light and 4500-lux light. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between the plasma melatonin levels in natural light and 9000-lux light as well as 4500- and 9000-lux lights. The present study aimed to investigate the subsequences of shift working in the security guards of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and showed that occupational exposure to bright light could affect some biological markers, such as melatonin and cortisol secretion.

In agriculture, people are exposed to numerous risks including exposure to various chemicals and physical agents like noise in this section. In this paper a model is proposed to identify the dominant noise source in the agricultural sector of sugarcane industry. We desired to recommend an index that can help us identify the sources deserving attention for sound control measures in the agricultural sector of sugarcane industry in southern Iran. For this purpose, the parameters considered to be the most important on the potential damage of noise were sound level, duration of exposure and the number of people exposed to noise. For measuring the sound pressure level in the ear area of operators, first a list of all machinery used in farming operations of the sugar cane industry was obtained from the relevant management. Then they were categorized into different groups based on the model and, the year made. A properly functioning machine was selected in each group. ISO5131:1996 was used to measure the operator exposure for this group of equipment. They were placed in the fixed state before measuring. There was not any obstacle and reflective vertical surfaces within 20 meters around them, and they were placed on a flat surface (ISO, 1996).When measuring noise, the cabin door and windows of machines that have a cab were closed completely and if there was a ventilation system, it was operated with maximum power and motor rotation. Using the basic acoustic knowledge, a formula has been proposed as an index of dominant noise source in the model. DSI is single-number quantity, higher the index indicates higher occupational noise risk. Index valuesfor harvester(case IH7000), tractor(Ferguson8160),tractor (Ferguson 399), bulldozer(Caterpillar D8N), tractor (Ferguson 285), grader (Caterpillar G14), scraper(V 300PH), loader(Caterpillar 90L) was 132.7, 122.7, 126, 105.6, 129.8,, 101.7, 99.1 and 118.4 respectively. Results show that harvester is the major noise source within various types of farm machinery in agriculture part of sugar cane industry in Khuzestan. Using this model is easy and fast. It is applicable on similar parts of agriculture industry and also offers valuable information for prioritizing noise control measures. For preparing the model, we tried to identify and select the important factors of main sound risk correctly. The Index presents the practical, scientific, simple and fast solution for occupational hygienists and other relevant specialists. The results will be unreliable if not all of the important influential factors involved in selecting the main source are considered.

Security personnel of hospitals in Iran are one of shift worker groups that are affected more than of other shift workers.

This study was performed in 3 hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and 130 workers of security personnel were evaluated. Data of shift workers were collected with Survey of Shift workers (SOS) questionnaire and at the same time, the stature, weight and blood pressure were also measured.. Further, 130 people of unexposed group were evaluated by this questionnaire.

Comparison between two groups (shift workers and non-shift workers) has shown significant difference between the prevalence of high blood pressure, sleep disorders, satisfaction of individual life, satisfaction in family life, satisfaction in social life, psychological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, digestive disorders, musculoskeletal disorders in two groups and this significant difference in shift workers are more than of unexposed group.

Investigation of these disorders has identified the importance of paying attention to shift workers requirements and contribution of workers in work schedules, problem solving and improvement of work conditions.

Background and aimsIn the industrial world, almost everyone is unavoidably exposed to ambient magnetic field (ELF) generated by various technical and household appliances. According to the studies carried out in a power station in Shiraz, psychological disorders caused by jobs are among the most important problems of the workers.MethodsThis study is performed to determine the presence or absence of psychological disorders. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is used in this study to recognize psychosomatic disorders.ResultsMeasurements indicate that range of magnetic field varies from 0.087) micro Tesla(in the phone homes to 30)micro Tesla(in power stations. The results of this study has shown that a significant number of staff which were exposed to magnetic fields and noise)78.2%) were suspected to have a kind of mental disorders.ConclusionThe results obtained from this study which shows the prevalence of mental disorders among the suspected case is higher than the results of Noorbala and colleagues study in 2006. Therefore, there are necessities to do more research in order to find the relationship between electric and magnetic fields and psychological disorders.