ali akbar roudbari

Although healthcare waste is generated in small quantities, improper management can lead to significant health risks. This study aimed to develop a model for assessing the requirements for effective medical waste management on Qeshm Island.

In this descriptive-analytical study, data were initially collected on the number of centers generating medical waste and the current status of waste management practices at these facilities. Subsequently, the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of waste from various medical waste-producing centers on Qeshm Island were assessed. Finally, the study identified the requirements, equipment, facilities, and machinery needed for effective medical waste management on the island.

The study found that Qeshm Island generates 104 kg of medical waste daily, necessitating a 500-liter autoclave, a van for waste transport, a driver, and 100 square meters of land for operational use, including a storage shed. The study also revealed that the quantity of medical waste generated in different clinical environments was considerably greater than that produced by general doctor's offices. In particular, midwifery offices, non-surgical specialists, surgeons, orthopedics, laboratories, dental offices, and obstetrics specialists generated medical waste at rates 1.19, 1.3, 1.97, 2.81, 7.5, 2.75, and 2.56 times higher than that of a general doctor's office, respectively. Moreover, each medical office is required to pay a minimum of 7,725,706 rials monthly for effective waste management.

Based on this study, the condition for the success and continuity of the medical waste management in this island is the support of the Qeshm free zone organization and Hormozgan university of medical sciences from the activities of investor company.

Iran is one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of plastic consumption. This study aimed to solving the plastic waste crisis with the participation of people in Iran.

The study is a descriptive-analytical one that has been done from 2019 to 2022. The plastic waste produced in 9 provinces (out of 31 provinces) was sampled once a week for 12 months to determine the total weight and per capita per day. Also, the method of collecting and disposing of plastic waste was determined in different cities of the provinces. After that, a training program regarding the in-source separation of plastic and other municipal wastes was implemented in Semnan city to teach people how to reduce and separate their plastic wastes. Finally, a plastic recycling factory was designed and constructed in Semnan.

The study indicates that the plastic waste per capita per day is about 56gr in the studied provinces. Also, currently, only 5% of the total plastic waste is collected separately and more than 95% of it is disposed of as mixed with other wastes. By carrying out an in-source separation and reduction program, the amount of plastic waste produced in this province decreased by 10% in two years, and also a plastic recycling plant with a capacity of 30 tons per day was constructed in Semnan city (the capital of Semnan province) which prevents disposing of 1050 Ton of plastic annually, resulting in environmental pollution preventing.

Based on the results, the implementation of a training program to reduce plastic production and the construction of plastic recycling factories can greatly decrease the plastic crisis in developing countries such as Iran.

In recent years, an outbreak of a new coronavirus, scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, has led to a worldwide new infectious disease called Covid-19. Based on some reports, this virus stays after infection in the feces and consequently in the wastewater up to seven months, so examining its presence in the wastewater can be useful to understand how the disease is distributed in different parts of the city or region. This study aimed to investigate the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in different parts of the Shahroud city wastewater collection network and treatment plant.

The 35 wastewater samples were collected from different partsof the wastewater collection network and wastewater treatment plant of Shahroud city. The samples were immediately transferred to the SARS-CoV-2 reference laboratory and concentrated by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) method. After extraction of the virus genome, the viral genome was amplified to check the presence of this virus by PCR method.

The results showed that 11 of the 35 wastewater collected samples were positive. All samples taken from the influent of the municipal wastewater treatment plant were positive. Also, except for one, in all of the samples taken from the effluent of the municipal wastewater treatment plant and Imam Hossein (AS) Hospital wastewater plant, coronavirus was observed. However, only one sample taken from the wastewater collection network of Shahroud city was positive.

Due to the confirmation of the presence of Coronavirus in the wastewater collection network and treatment plant, regular monitoring of municipal wastewater is recommended to predict the spread of a new wave of disease in the community.

Excessive intake of nitrite and nitrate threatens human health. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of nitrite and nitrate in some summer vegetables cultivated in Bastam region of Shahroud.

the study was conducted in the summer. The study area was divided and a total of 25 summer vegetables, 15 soil samples, and three water samples were measured to determine the levels of nitrate and nitrite according to the Standard instruction (No. 4106).

The total average of nitrate in cucumber, tomato, potato, eggplant and onion was 850.1 ± 65.2, 642.1± 25.4, 48.6 ± 2.5, 14.8 ± 4.5, 791.3±52.1 mg/kg fresh weight, respectively and this level for nitrite was equal to 9.23 ± 0.1, 7.2 ± 0.8, 0.52 ± 0.04, 0.9± 0.05, 5.3±0.32 mg/kg fresh weight that all values were less than the standard level.The level of nitrate and nitrite in the soil was 1250.68 ±562.2 and 98.1 ± 15.2 mg/kg soil weight, respectively. The level of nitrate and nitrite in the water was 5.68±2.2 and 0.23±0.2 mg/l, respectively.

Due to the high consumption of vegetables and summer vegetables in summer and spring, which are also the fertilizing seasons for plantsand shrubs,it is recommended that managers and farmers pay more attention to the process of cultivation and fertilization of agricultural products, as well as frequent monitoring of the level of nitrite and nitrate in the country's vegetables.

Various challenges of aboveground waste bins including the overflow caused by the few numbers of reservoirs, visual pollution, incompatibility of the bins with the urban furniture, vulnerability of the bins to corrosion and fire, and the residents’ dissatisfaction led to creation of underground collection systems. This study aimed to determine the technical requirements and the implementation costs of underground systems for the collection of household wastes in Karaj.

The present research is a descriptive-analytical study investigating the waste collection systems of Karaj for six months. The research goal is to analyze and compare the current aboveground waste collection system of Chahrbandi Boulevard in Mehrshahr (Karaj) with the underground collection system in terms of the technical and economic aspects. The research stages include the following: referring to the urban service department of Karaj municipality to get the information of the bins located in Chahrbandi Boulevard, designing the underground waste collection system for Chahrbandi Boulevard, estimating the operational costs of the underground waste collection system, and comparing the current (aboveground) system with the underground system in terms of technical aspects.

According to the results, in the aboveground waste collection system, the total costs of the initial investment are equal to 1772298000 Tomans, and the total costs of the ten-year operation period are equal to 5156406506 Tomans. In the underground waste collection system, the total costs of the initial investment are equal to 1267236800 Tomans, and the total costs of the ten-year operation period are equal to 4095305226 Tomans.

The cost analysis suggests that both the initial investment cost and the ten-year operation cost of the underground waste collection system are lower than those of the aboveground system. Therefore, it is recommended to change the solid wastes collection system of Karaj city to underground one.