gholam reza goudarzi

Metropolis of Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The present study aims to analyze the temporal-spatial behavior of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in Tehran city.

Thus, pollution- metric station data of Tehran Air Quality Control Company were used for evaluating the variations of air pollutants in temporal-spatial scales during 2013-2020. The results of statistical analysis of pollutant distribution in temporal-spatial scales were provided by using Arc GIS software and analytical function of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) as maps, tables and graphs was demonstrated.

Based on the results, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) reached the minimum (65 and 23 µg/m3) and maximum concentration (81 and 30 µg/m3) at 18 and 24 p.m., respectively. In addition, maximum (81 and 30 µg/m3) and minimum concentration (73 and 23 µg/m3) of these pollutants was respectively related to Wednesday and Friday. Maximum seasonal concentration of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) relates to summer (90 µg/m3) and winter (35 µg/m3) respectively and the minimum seasonal concentration (65 and 24 µg/m3) of both pollutants relate to spring. The results of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) indicated that west, south and central regions of Tehran in summer season involved with particulate matter (PM10) more than other regions. But in all seasons, except the western and southern regions, the central regions have a high concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5).

The particulate matter concentrations is more than its allowable limit in specific regions of Tehran in some yearly days and months. Therefore, city programmers and decision_ makers must have schedule table for particulate matter control management and air pollution reduction.

Metropolis of Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The present study aims to analyze the temporal-spatial behavior of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in Tehran city.
Material and

Thus, pollution- metric station data of Tehran Air Quality Control Company were used for evaluating the variations of air pollutants in temporal-spatial scales during 2013-2020. The results of statistical analysis of pollutant distribution in temporal-spatial scales were provided by using Arc GIS software and analytical function of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) as maps, tables and graphs was demonstrated.

Based on the results, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) reached the minimum (65 and 23 µg/m3) and maximum concentration (81 and 30 µg/m3) at 18 and 24 p.m., respectively. In addition, maximum (81 and 30 µg/m3) and minimum concentration (73 and 23 µg/m3) of these pollutants was respectively related to Wednesday and Friday. Maximum seasonal concentration of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) relates to summer (90 µg/m3) and winter (35 µg/m3) respectively and the minimum seasonal concentration (65 and 24 µg/m3) of both pollutants relate to spring. The results of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) indicated that west, south and central regions of Tehran in summer season involved with particulate matter (PM10) more than other regions. But in all seasons, except the western and southern regions, the central regions have a high concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5).
Discussion and

The particulate matter concentrations is more than its allowable limit in specific regions of Tehran in some yearly days and months. Therefore, city programmers and decision_ makers must have schedule table for particulate matter control management and air pollution reduction.

Environmental pollution has a profound impact on both human and animal life. Khuzestan province, which has been plagued by intense dust storms and pollution for decades, is the focus of this study. The research aims to investigate the protective effects of metformin against the toxicity of particulate matter in the livers of rats.

Male Wistar rats were selected for the study and divided into six groups: a control group, Metformin-treated groups, Iraqi dust-exposed group (Iraqi-D), Local dust-exposed group (Local-D), Iraqi dust-exposed with Metformin treatment group (Iraqi-D+Metformin), and Local dust-exposed with Metformin treatment group (Local-D+Metformin). The rats were exposed to local and Iraqi dust through a nebulizer and received oral metformin for a duration of 21 days. At the end of the intervention, liver biomarkers and oxidative stress factors were evaluated enzymatically.

The study revealed that rats exposed to Iraqi and local dust experienced a significant increase in liver biomarkers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALK) levels, alongside a decrease in glutathione (GSH) concentrations and an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. However, treatment with metformin was effective in preventing the increase in these biomarkers, restoring GSH levels, and averting the rise in MDA levels, as compared to the control group.

Exposure to particulate matter from Iraq and the local region can induce alterations in biomarkers and oxidative stress levels in the rat liver, and these effects can be mitigated through metformin treatment.

It is highly economical to extract keratin from the waste chicken feathers due to their high keratin content, plentiful availability, and sustainable resources. Various methods of keratin extraction have been reported in the last few decades. In addition, sodium sulfide (Na2S) treatment has received more attention due to its simplicity and ability to produce on an industrial scale. Although several studies have been conducted on improving keratin extraction yield through Na2S treatment, there need to be more systematic studies to evaluate and optimize the effect of different extraction parameters and their interactions to maximize extraction efficiency. In this research, the response surface method (RSM) established on the central composite practical design (CCPD) was employed satisfactorily to understand the influence of experimental parameters and their interactions to determine the optimal conditions for keratin extraction. Na2S concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature were chosen as the most critical parameters for investigation. Experimentally, the extraction yield of 94±0.5% was obtained under the RSM-optimized conditions (i.e. 80 °C, 6.3 hr., and 32.0 g l-1 Na2S concentration), which is in close agreement with the model-predicted value (95%). The optimized keratin extraction yield in this study is relatively high. Physicochemical properties of the extracted powder were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the extracted material contains both β-keratins and α-keratins, which have great potential for advanced healthcare and medical applications.

Atriplex canescens James is one of the successful non-native species in improving and rehabilitating the desert rangelands of Markazi province, which has been cultivated in a large area of saline habitats along the Meyghan playa (about 12,000 ha) since 1981. This species after a few years of growth becomes woody and the density of green aerial organs, survival and forage production decrease. Increasing forage production, vitality and viability of this plant are the requirements for the management of these habitats and pruning is one of the necessities to achieve this. In this study, pruning and census operations have been carried out in three study sites with an average area of one hectare located in the Meyghan playa for four years to determine the appropriate level or height of pruning. At each site, four levels of pruning, including pruning from the ground and pruning from heights of 20, 40, 60 cm and control (without pruning) have been applied. Each treatment was performed on 16 A.canescens stands with an average diameter of canopy and height of 160 and 115 cm, an average production of 530 g per stand and an average of 34 years of age. Pruning was done in March of the first year of study and vitality, forage yield, height, canopy diameter and survival rate factors were inventory in three years later. Data collected and analysed using two way ANOVA (Sits and treatments) based on completely randomized design. Based on the results, in two sites located in the northern and western regions of Meyghan playa with an approximate number of 400 stands per hectare and an age of 38 years of rangeland planting, pruning treatments from heights of 60, 40, 20 cm and pruning from the ground from A.canescens had more favorable effects in terms of increasing vitality and forage production. On the site located in the southern part of the Meyghan playa, with an approximate number of 350 stands per hectare and an age of 30 years of rangeland planting, pruning from ground surface and pruning treatments from heights of 20, 40, 60 cm respectively have been useful in terms of vitality and forage production. In total, after three years used of pruning from ground surface and pruning treatments from heights of 20, 40 and 60 cm, the average yield of A.canescens respectively were 690, 679, 658 and 818 g per plant rootstock. To improve the characteristics of A.canescens species in terms of positive plant factors such as vitality, survival and forage yield, in Atriplex cultivation areas of the northern and western margins of Meyghan playa with an age of 38 years of rangeland planting, pruning operations from a height of 60 cm and for southern areas of Meyghan playa with an age of 30 years of rangeland planting, pruning from the ground is determined and proposed.

Fine dust includes dust and particles suspended in the air, which reduce visibility and have different origins. The present study aimed to investigate the abundance of air bacteria during micro dust storms in Lorestan province using classical methods.

In this study, sampling was performed in three cities of Lorestan province. Air bacteria were isolated by classical methods, and data analysis was carried out using the Chi-square test. The relationship between the abundance of bacteria and meteorological parameters was investigated and analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficient test.

The results of the present study demonstrated that 96 colonies grew on the TSA medium. Moreover, %55.2 of these colonies were bacteria, and %44.8 were yeast. Poldakhtar and Khorramabad stations showed the highest (%25) and lowest (%8.33) frequencies. On the R2A medium, 184 colonies grew. In addition, %69 of these colonies were bacteria, and %31 were yeast. Kohdasht and Khorramabad stations had the highest (%34.8) and lowest (%4.3) frequencies. In TSA and R2A environments, the most and least frequently observed isolates were Bacillus and Actinomycetes, and the highest microbial frequency was related to Kohdasht and Poldakhter. According to Spearman's correlation test, there was a direct relationship between the amount of fine dust and the abundance of bacteria (P=0.637, r=0.026), and a significance inverse linear relationship was observed between wind speed and the number of colonies (P=0.048, r = -0.569).

Bacterial abundance was higher in the R2A medium. The dominant bacteria in the TSA environment were Bacillus and Micrococcus, and in the R2A environment, Bacillus and Corynebacterium. The results pointed out that the amount of fine dust and wind speed have an effect on the abundance and diversity of air bacteria.

Studies show that chronic injuries like air pollution or acute damage such as hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) cause various cellular pathologies such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation in hepatocytes. p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) is known as an antioxidant with many therapeutic impacts on inflammatory-related pathologies. In this experiment, we aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of p-CA on liver damage induced by dust and IR injury in adult male rats. 

Forty-eight adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups; Control (CTRL); sham; DMSO+Dust+Laparotomy (LPT); DMSO+Dust+Ischemia-reperfusion (IR); p-CA+Dust+LPT; and p-CA+Dust+IR. Clean air, DMSO, p-CA, and dust were administrated 3 days a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Animals were sacrificed, the blood samples were aspirated and the liver sections were prepared for biochemical and histopathological assessments. 

Significantly (P<0.05), the results represented that dust and IR can potentially increase the levels of ALT, AST, direct and total bilirubin, triglyceride, and cholesterol in serum. Also, MDA, TNF-α, NF-κB, HMGB-1, and ATG-7 levels were increased in hepatocytes. Gene expression of Nrf2, HOX-1, IL-6, HOTAIR, and miR-34a showed an incremental trend in the liver tissue. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in hepatocytes was decreased following dust exposure and IR induction. Also, miR-20b-5p, MEG3, and SIRT1 in the liver were decreased in dust and dust+IR groups. 

p-CA alleviated pathological changes caused by dust exposure and IR injury. p-CA protected hepatic injury induced by dust and IR by inhibition of oxidative injury, inflammation, and autophagy.

This research study discussed the factors of the progress of martial arts teachers and trainers. The qualitative method was used in the research method and according to the qualitative method in the first stage of data collection. The qualitative section's sampling method was purposeful and judgmental, and then snowball sampling was used to collect information. In this research, theoretical saturation was reached by interviewing 21 people from the target samples. The data collection tools were interviews and documents, and after coding and identifying the themes, the Demitel method was used to design and validate the model. Data analysis has been done using related theme analysis methods. Then, the data obtained from twenty-one interviews were coded and analyzed using the theorizing method of a theme analysis. The results of the theme analysis showed that the grouping of codes is fifteen components. Success in coaching is one of the critical factors in combat sports and has three parts: capacity building in coaches and previous learning and analysis of the situation. The results of this research can be used as a basis for advancing martial arts teachers and trainers. In combat sports, the coach is considered one of the primary and central figures. Thus, identifying the influential factors in the progress of teachers and coaches was extracted and confirmed, the research framework was drawn, and its suitability was confirmed.

Recently, the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased among workers of meat processing plants (MPPs) around the world. This study reviewed the possible routes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and useful actions against it in slaughterhouses. The results revealed that the main factors for the spread of the virus included low indoor temperature, crowded area, wrong standing along production lines, contamination of high-touch surfaces, difficult education of workers with diverse native languages, low financial income, large MPPs with over 10 million Ib of packed meat per month, higher speed of production lines with 175 birds/minute, temporary contract of the workers, and weak approach of some meat processing companies against COVID-19 infection such as National Beef. COVID-19 transmission rate was 24 times higher among the workers of MPPs than among the population of the US. The practical actions against the spread of the virus were mainly marker using for remembering the previous location, mandatory mask use, especially FFP2/3 masks, and decentralization of large MPPs. By using the results of this study, slaughterhouse managers would be able to significantly control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and future bio-threats to workers of MPPs and even to society.

T Exposure of normal subjects to dust storm (DS) with different doses of ambient air-born dusty particulate matter (PM) causes memory and locomotion impairment, anxiety and depression-like behaviors. This study was designed to investigate the effect of sub-chronic exposure to DS with inhalation of ambient PM in a designed special chamber on cognition, anxiety, depression, locomotion behaviors, brain tissue inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant indices in healthy adult rats. Adult male Wistar rats (250-300 g) were divided randomly into the 4 groups: Sham (clean air, contains the least dusty PM < 150 μg/m3), DS1 (200-500 μg/m3 PM), DS2 (500-2000 μg/m3 PM) and DS3 (2000- 8000 μg/m3 PM). Rats were exposed to the clean air or different sizes and concentrations of PM in DS during the first 4 consecutive days of each week in an experimental actual-ambient dust exposure chamber. Sub-chronic exposing to dust storm PM impaired avoidance memory and locomotion, increased anxiety and depression like behaviors. These disturbances were in line with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in brain tissue and suppressing the antioxidant indexes. Current findings indicated that exposure to ambient PM due to DS caused cognitive, anxiety, depression-like and locomotion behaviors impairment by increasing the neuroinflammatory responses and suppressing the antioxidant indexes in the brain.

Background & Aims:

Atmospheric phenomena can directly influence the occurrence of dust events. The western and southwestern parts of Iran are considered dust hotspots. This study aimed to examine and determine the origin of dust particles in Ilam province and its relationship with climatic components in the period 2012-2018.

In this descriptive-applied study, satellite images were obtained from the data transmitted from the Landsat TM satellite. In addition, HYSPLIT model was used to search for dust sources at an altitude of 1500 m or less (dust occurrence altitude class). Using SPSS 18 and OriginPro 2018, time series of data and linear regression equations were analyzed to determine the relationship between particulate matter and climate indicators.

The results for the origin of particulate matter in Ilam province indicated that out of a total of 165 daily dust events that occurred in this province from 2012 to 2017, 69 (daily) dust events (42%) originated from Iraq, 36 (22%) from Syria, 29 (17%) from Saudi Arabia, 16 (10%) from the Persian Gulf, and 15 (9%) from Jordan. The results of multiple regression analysis based on the influence coefficient of the absolute value of the standardized coefficients indicated that temperature with an influence coefficient of 0.370 was identified as a significant factor related to the particulate matter. In the correlation analysis, the variables of temperature, humidity, dew point, and cloudiness showed a significant correlation with particulate matter at the level of 0.03.

Considering the relationships between dust phenomena and climatic factors, they can be used to predict dust phenomenon.

Background & Aims:

About 40 000 people in Iran annually die due to exposure to a concentration of airborne particulate matter less than PM2.5. This study aimed to zone the concentration of particulate matter PM2.5 and predict the total number of deaths of people over 30 due to all causes of these particles in Ahvaz during 2008-2017.

This analytical-descriptive study was based on estimation modeling. The data relating to the concentration of PM2.5 during 2008-2017 were obtained from the Environmental Protection Organization of Khuzestan province, and the 10-year mortality data were obtained from the Deputy of Health of Khuzestan province. The normality of data distribution was checked in SPSS by the Kolmogorov-Smirnoff normality test methods. Finally, the central tendency, indices of dispersion, distribution, and relative dispersion were examined as well. For the spatial analysis of PM2.5 using ArcGIS 8.10 through the IDW method, relative to the amount of changes in the PM2.5 concentration in Ahvaz in terms of pollution, after normalizing the data, the deaths attributed to PM2.5 were estimated by AirQ + .

The results showed that the highest and lowest daily PM2.5 concentrations during a ten-year period in Ahvaz were 234.19 μg/m3 and 18.15 μg/m3 in 2009 and 2017, respectively. The comparison of relative risk indices and the number of cases attributed to PM2.5 for death from all causes in the basic incidence of 55.806 people in the population over 30 demonstrated that the highest and lowest relative risk was 1.44 in 2010 and 1.23 in 2014, respectively. Further, the highest and lowest total number of deaths due to all causes attributed to PM2.5 were 1344 in 2010 and 811 in 2014, respectively. Based on the results of the correlation test between PM2.5 and the total mortality of people over 30 for all causes, there was a significant correlation at a 99% confidence level.

The results revealed the presence of pollution round the clock and the high impact of PM2.5 on public health in Ahvaz. Based on these results, during ten years of the study, 10,201 cases corresponding to 64.22% of all deaths from all causes were attributed to PM2.5, which is a warning for the public and officials to look at this problem, not as a temporary, but as a pervasive problem that affects every member of the society and stops the process of air pollution by taking effective measures.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most important compounds that cause adverse health outcomes in humans, such as poor lung function, bronchitis, asthma, shortness of breath, circulatory disorders, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality.

This review aims to investigate the effects of PAHs on the occurrence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A narrative review of the literature was done from 1979 to 2021 in various databases: Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, and Google Scholar. We found 76 and 14 articles by searching the databases and other sources, respectively. Twelve articles were included after screening. The literature indicates the significant adverse effect of PAHs on the occurrence of COPD.

Heavy industries (oil, steel, gas, and petroleum) are the primary sources of PAHs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induce respiratory diseases, as they are destructive to the lung, leading to COPD. Sex, age, nutritional status, health, duration of exposure to PAHs, and body response to the pollutants affect the complications.

High PAH levels can increase the risk of COPD, respiratory diseases, and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR).

Limited knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 transmission mechanism and the affecting factors is a global challenge. Due to the high prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic, airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is more important than other modes of transmission. To investigate the airborne transmission of this virus, indoor air sampling was performed in COVID-19 ward of Sina Hospital in Ahvaz.

Airsampleswere collected from two sampling points with a distance of less than or equal to 1 meter from the patient bed (in the patient's room) and more than 3 meters from the patient bed (in the corridor and the nurse station) Sampling was conducted throughboth active and passivemethods.The collected samples were then transferred to the laboratory in the cold chain, wherethey were tested for the presence or absence of virus by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Ethical considerations were observed in all stages of the study.

Of the totalair samples collected in our study, (21 samples), 9.52 % of the samples (2 samples) were positivefor SARS-CoV-2, both of which were positive in the patient's room and were obtainedby active air sampling method.Also, multivariateanalysis showed that among the studied parameters, the highest correlation was found between the presence of virus in air samples and temperature, relative humidity, and concentration of particles in the air.

The results indicate the presenceof SARS-CoV-2 bioaerosols in the air inside the hospital.

Air pollution is an important environmental issue due to its proven serious impacts on human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10) and its relationship with the rate of death due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Susangard during 2014-2016.

This study was performed cross -sectional to assess health impacts of PM2.5 and PM10 by using Air Q software.

The results showed that the highest annual average concentration was of PM2.5 and PM10 in 2016, which consisted of 58.07 and 356.89 μg/m3, respectively. The highest and lowest average concentration of PM2.5 was observed in April and December, respectively, and the highest and lowest average concentration of PM10 in July and November. Daily analysis showed that there was 178 dusty out of three years of the study, the most severe dust day occurred in 2016. Percentage of overall mortality attributed to PM2.5 in people over 30 years of age according to the estimate of the average relative risk in 2014-16 equal to 25.23%, 20.6% and 24.21%, The mortality attributed to ischemic heart disease was 62.87%, 60.74% and 43.62%, respectively.

The results indicate that the health effects attributed to PM2.5 included mortality for all-causes, cardiovascular and respiratory deaths in the city of Susangerd, which requires more attention from officials and specialists to control air pollution.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia that results from inadequacies in secreting insulin and/or the action of insulin. Increased exposure to particulate matter at high concentrations is associated with increased mortality in heart diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of insulin and crocin on cardiac electrophysiological parameters, blood pressure, and oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats exposed to the total suspended particulate (TSP). 

Adult male Wistar rats (n=60) with bodyweight between 200 and 250 g were divided into 10 experimental groups (6 animals per group): control, crocin, diabetic, TSP (5 mg/kg TSP, intratracheal instillation), diabetic-crocin, diabetic-insulin, diabetic-TSP, crocin-TSP, diabetic-TSP-insulin, and diabetic-TSP-crocin. The effects of chronotropic (heart rate), inotropic (QRS voltage), and dromotropic (P-R intervals and QTc intervals) were evaluated with standard bipolar limb lead II. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were recorded with the tail cuff. Antioxidant and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes were also measured. 

The diabetic groups and groups exposed to TSP experienced a deleterious effect on cardiac electrophysiological parameters and blood pressure, with a significant decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. These changes were improved with crocin and insulin. 

In this work, the protective role of crocin and insulin alone was observed in diabetic groups and groups exposed to TSP by improving the electrophysiological parameters of the heart, blood pressure, and oxidative stress. 

Particulate matter (PM) increases the risk of heart disorders. Gallic acid (GA) with strong antioxidant properties has shown an effective role in reducing the complications of various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of Gallic acid in preventing cardiac arrhythmias due to exposure to particulate matter.

In this study, 40 rats were placed in 4 groups including: control, Particulate matter (5 mg/kg), Gallic acid (30 mg/kg) and particulate matter + Gallic acid. The rats were anesthetized, blood pressure was measured with a tail cuff, and the lead Π of electrocardiogram was examined to record the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias. Oxidative stress factors were evaluated in blood samples of all groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 and ANOVA statistical test.

The results showed the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia in rats exposed to particulate matter compared to the control group. Gallic acid significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias ventricular tachycardia (P=0.006), ventricular fibrillation (P=0.0005) and premature ventricular contraction (P=0.0041) in the particulate matter group. The Malondialdehyde levels in the particulate matter group showed a significant increase (P=0.0049) that this increase caused oxidative stress and reduced the levels of superoxide dismutase (P=0.00031) and catalase (P=0.0019) in the particulate matter group compared to the control group. The Gallic acid administration improved the levels of antioxidant enzymes.

The results of this study show that Gallic acid as a natural antioxidant agent could prevent cardiac complications caused by exposure to particulate matter.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally and the third leading cause of death in Iran. Particulate matter is one of the leading air pollutants in urban areas that can pass through the nose and throat, penetrate deep into the lungs, and cause serious health outcomes. Our primary purpose was to estimate the rate of lung cancer deaths in people over 30 years of age in the long-term exposure to PM2.5 in ten years in Ahvaz.

Data related to deaths (including population and incidence of health outcomes) and PM2.5 were obtained from the Deputy of Health, Environmental Protection, and Meteorological Organizations of Ahvaz. After validating the data according to Aphekom’s instructions, they entered the AirQ+ software. Also, 24-hour particle concentrations during the year, total population, at-risk population, the baseline incidence rate of desired health outcomes, and particle threshold of 10μg /m3 were prepared and entered into the software.

The highest concentration of PM2.5 was in 2010 (70.72 µg /m3 ), and the lowest concentration was in 2014 (41.97 µg /m3 ), and in all years of measurement, the amount of PM2.5 was higher than the WHO standard (10 µg /m3 ). The results showed a significant relationship between lung cancer and PM2.5 concentration. Thus, with the increase of air pollution in Ahvaz due to PM2.5 pollutants, mortality and the risk of these diseases increased. The results obtained for mortality due to lung cancer is one of the most deadly types, had the highest attributable 28.57% (2010) and the lowest 20.63% (2014). Also, the highest and lowest total attributable individuals were 24 (2010) and 18 (2014), respectively. Thus, PM2.5 pollutants can be effective in people with lung cancer.

As we know, this pollutant has caused many destructive effects and mortality to the residents of Ahvaz. For this purpose, the authorities in this field must provide preventive and applicable solutions to reduce the concentration of particulate matter and investigate the impacts. It can be concluded that appropriate measures and policies should be adopted to reduce air pollution in controlling PM2.5 sources of pollution to reduce the health effects of this pollutant in urban residents. Accordingly, it has been proven that reducing air pollution can reduce the burden of lung cancer and acute and chronic respiratory diseases. According to studies, a decrease of 10 m3 in the concentration of particulate matter PM2.5 increases life expectancy by about 0.61 years.

Nowadays, the air of most of Iran cities especially high population metropolises hasn’t an optimal quality. This adverse quality is due to various pollutant resources such as automobiles, industries, heating devices, construction, and commercial activities during recent decades and there are more concerns about it. Therefore, monitoring air pollutants and studying their seasonal and spatial variations are specifically important. The present study aimed to evaluate air quality and seasonal and spatial variations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in Tehran city. In this research, the AQI index has been used to determine the air quality of Tehran and to introduce the responsible pollutant. To investigate the variations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) in seasonal and spatial scales, the data of air pollution monitoring stations (18 stations) of Air Quality Control Company used during 2018 and 2019. Data were analyzed using Excel and SPSS software and results of statistical analysis of pollutants distribution in Temporal – spatial scales are provided and they are drawn using Arc GIS software and analytical function of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) as maps, tables, and graphs. Based on the results, favorable and unfavorable air quality were respectively observed in 83.8 and 16.2% of days in 2018, as well as 76.4 and 23.6% of days in 2019, which can be related to the changes in rainfall rate and wind speed in the years. The maximum seasonal concentration of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) relates to summer and winter respectively and the minimum seasonal concentration of both pollutants relates to spring. Results of inverse Distance Weighting interpolation (IDW) also showed that the west, south, central regions of Tehran got involved with particulate matter more than other regions.

Exposures to particulate matter (PM) have been related to increased risk for cardiovascular health effects and can promote cardiac ischemia and oxidative stress. Crocin has strong antioxidant properties and stress-reducing effects. Therefore, this study considered the effect of crocin on cardiovascular parameters in rats exposed to PM10. Forty Wistar rats (male, 250–300 g) were grouped as control, receiving normal saline and crocin, receiving PM10, receiving PM10+Crocin. Instillation of PM10 into the trachea was done. Forty-eight hours after exposure to the normal saline or PM, the heart was separated. Hemodynamic and electrophysiological factors were measured. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase activity (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), xanthine oxidase, were evaluated by kits. The voltage of the QRS complex was significantly reduced and PR and QTc intervals increased in PM10 groups. Hemodynamic parameters before ischemia and in the ischemic-reperfusion stage, in the PM10 group, showed a significant decrease. In the ischemic hearts of the PM10 group, a significant decline in the activity of CAT, SOD, and GPx, and a significant increase in MDA and XOX enzymes activity were observed, and crocin improved all of these factors.  Cardiac ischemia causes abnormal hemodynamic factors of the heart, which are exacerbated by PM10 and further reduce the heart’s contractile strength. Increased oxidative stress due to PM10 is probably one of the important reasons for these changes. This study suggests that the use of antioxidants such as crocin improves the cardiovascular adverse effects of myocardial ischemia and PM10 exposure.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical pattern of thunderstorm asthma (TA) and the possible environmental hypotheses involved in the escalation of these epidemics.
This retrospective descriptive study examined patients with respiratory problems referred to the clinics and emergency departments in Ahvaz, Iran during 2013-2016 periods following the first episodes of rainfall in autumn. The seasonal profile of airborne pollens and fungal spores in Ahvaz were characterized and clinical and spirometry findings of 443 patients were evaluated.
Of 56,000 people referred to the emergency department due to respiratory problems associated with the first rainfall in Khuzestan province, 91.4% displayed asthma-like symptoms and 71.3% had a history of allergic rhinitis. According to the results of spirometry test 38%, 52.9%, and 9.1% of patients had normal, obstructive, and restrictive patterns, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of allergic rhinitis as risk factors of TA epidemics. In terms of pollen, seasonal pollen integral was much higher in autumn than in winter.
Our results highlight the importance of seasonal allergy and rhinitis as risk factors for thunderstorm asthma epidemics.

Many bioremediation strategies have been developed to help improve soil clearance from oil and its derivatives. The use of native bacteria to decompose crude oil-contaminated soils has been studied by many researchers. Along with this line of research, in the present study, a consortium of bacteria isolated from three different soil types in the Khuzestan region was used after identification. Finally, the optimal conditions for bioremediation of each soil type were determined. The results showed that the isolated strains were five unique strains, including Cupriavidus metal lidurans, Bacillus pacificus, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Brevibacillus borstelensis, and Ralstonia metallidurans. These had good growth potential in contaminated soils and could effectively reduce TPH. Among the factors examined, the amount of moisture and nitrogen were two essential factors that reduce the amount of TPH. In optimal conditions, the moisture percentage was 135, 147, and 142, and the input nitrogen was 512 ppm, 513 ppm, and 617 ppm, for three types of soil, in Andimeshk, Ahvaz, and Abadan, respectively. NH4NO3, as the best source of nitrogen, had the best performance. In confirmatory experiments with 2.5% crude oil in optimal conditions, the rate of TPH reduction after 56 days was 48.4%, 53.4% and 56.4% for Abadan, Ahvaz, and Andimeshk soils, respectively. This study confirms the efficiency of native bacteria isolated from the soils of Khuzestan province for biodegradation of crude oil and introduces Bacillus pacificus bacteria as a new species that can bioremediation.

Optimal physical space and mental environment are the most important factorsin achieving the good level of educational quality. A healthy environment and a safety education play animportant role to prevent diseases and accidents. The aim of this study was to determine the safety andenvironmental health condition of Andika city schools and its comparison with national standards.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 40 schools from all Andika cityschools. In this study, first Raw data processing by the use of Excel software (instruction set correction oftemperature and pressure, averaging, coding). In final stage estimated of the safety and environmentalhealth condition of Andika city schools with used data processed.

Based on result, 77.8% of urban and 80.6% of rural schools had access to safe drinking water. In55.6% of urban schools and 22.6% of standard rural schools the number of abutments was observed. Theminimum required area per student is met in 100% of urban schools and 83.9% of rural areas. According toresult this study, in 77.8% of urban schools and 35.5% of standard rural schools the number of toilets wasobserved. The standard of toilets was observed in 44.4% of urban and 29% of rural schools. In 44.4% of urbanschools and 35.5% of rural schools, wastewater disposal methods were used according to health standards.Resul of study showed that 44.4% of urban schools and 74.2% of rural schools had health conditions.

Findings showed that the safety and environmental health condition of schools has an effectiverole in efficiency and raising the level of education.

Inadequate air quality is one of the environmental hazards factors imposing a significant number of deaths and complications of diseases on society. Therefore, it is highly important to determine the extent of its effects on health in communities. This study sought to assessment the concentration and additional short- and long-term mortality attributed to Particulate Matter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Ozone (O3) were observed in Ahwaz from 2012 to 2018 using AirQ+.

Daily and hourly concentrations of PM2.5, ozone and NO2 were obtained from Department of Environment in Ahvaz. Then, the mean concentration of 2.5 PM2.5 for 24 h, the mean concentration of NO2 for 1 h and the maximum concentration of O3 for 8 h daily were calculated using Excel 2010. Finally, to calculate the annual sum of maximum daily 8-h ozone means over 35 ppb (SOMO35) index, concentrations above 35 were collected and entered into the software.

The mean seven-year concentrations of PM2.5, NO2 and O3 were 68.21 (±135.86%), 24.46 (±22.79%) µg/m3 and 24.48 (±13.77%) ppb, respectively. The death rates of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer and Acute Lower Respiratory tract Infections (ALRI) and stroke related to PM2.5 were 2023, 128, 110, 23, 802, respectively. The number of respiratory deaths attributed
to ozone was 68.

The results show a high number of deaths due to bad weather in Ahvaz. It can be concluded that by designing and implementing appropriate and correct solutions and decisions, both health and economic losses are prevented.