Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science & Engineering

Many studies have suggested that cardiovascular and respiratory disease mortality may change with fluctuations in temperature. In this study the relation between temperature and mortality has been studied in a city with desert climate. Four years data on daily temperature, cardiovascular, respiratory mortality and air pollution was acquired for Kerman, Iran. Time series, regression and correlation analyses were performed. Results showed an inverse relationship between mortality and temperature in Kerman, in which decreases in temperature were associated with increases in mortality. This pattern is similar to some foreign studies which show acclimatization of people living in southern warmer climates and less negative effects of warm temperatures. Among the pollutants only dust (p=0.003) and SO2 (p<0.001) showed a positive correlation with respiratory mortality.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of dried activated sludge (DAS) and mixed dried activated sludge with rice husk silica (DAS & RHS) for removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Two laboratory-scale filter columns (packed one litter) were operated. Both systems were operated under different conditions of two parameters, namely different inlet gas concentrations and different inlet flow rates. The DAS & RHS packed filter showed more than 99.96% removal efficiency (RE) with empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 45 to 90 s and 300 mg/L inlet concentration of H2S. However, the RE decreased to 96.87% with the EBRT of 30 s. In the same condition, the DAS packed filter showed 99.37% RE. Nonetheless, the RE was shown to have dropped to 82.09% with the EBRT of 30 s. The maximum elimination capacity (EC) was obtained in the DAS & RHS packed filter up to 52.32 g/m3h, with the RE of 96.87% and H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. The maximum EC in the DAS packed filter was obtained up to 44.33 g/m3h with the RE of 82.09% and the H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. After 53 days of operating time and 54 g/m3h of loading rates, the maximum pressure drop reached to 3.0 and 8.0 (mm H2O) for the DAS & RHS packed and DAS packed filters, respectively. Based on the findings of this study, the DAS & RHS could be considered as a more suitable packing material to remove H2S.

Many organic hazardous pollutants, including 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), which are water soluble, toxic, and not easily biodegradable make concerns for environmental pollution worldwide. In the present study, degradation of nitrophenols-contained effluents by using laccase immobilized on the nano-porous silica beads was evaluated. 2,4-DNP was selected as the main constituent of industrial effluents containing nitrophenols. The performance of the system was characterized as a function of pH, contact time, temperature, pollutant, and mediator concentrations. The laccase-silica beads were employed in a mixed-batch reactor to determine the degradation efficiency after 12 h of enzyme treatment. The obtained data showed that the immobilized laccase degraded more than 90% of 2,4-DNP within 12 h treatment. The immobilization process improved the activity and sustainability of laccase for degradation of the pollutant. Temperatures more than 50°C reduced the enzyme activity to about 60%. However, pH and the mediator concentration could not affect the enzyme activity. The degradation kinetic was in accordance with a Michaelis–Menten equation with Vmax and Km obtained as 0.25–0.38 μmoles/min and 0.13–0.017 mM, respectively. The stability of the immobilized enzyme was maintained for more than 85% of its initial activity after 30 days. Based on the results, it can be concluded that high resistibility and reusability of immobilized laccase on CPC-silica beads make it considerable choice for wastewater treatment.

Road traffic noise affects a large number of people, especially in urban areas and is generally a major source of complaints. This paper refers to a study of the problem of traffic noise on roads which have been transformed into streets in the city of Erzurum. Noise levels are measured and the impacts suffered by the community are documented. Manual noise measurements were made along 12 streets exploring sources of maximum noise levels. Noise from different types of vehicles driven in a realistic way in inner city traffic was measured. The results from the measurements showed that, of 750 measured events, approximately 5% of the vehicles exceeded 70 dB(A) and less than 2% exceeded 80 dB(A) maximum noise level. In summary, the result showed that the most important vehicle component as regards the maximum noise level in inner city traffic was a medium-weight vehicle. Among the higher noise levels measured (>80 dB(A)) this type of vehicle was dominant.

Using treated wastewater in agriculture irrigation could be a realistic solution for the shortage of fresh water in Iran, however, it is associated with environmental and health threats; therefore, effluent quality assessment is quite necessary before use. The present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbial quality of Shiraz wastewater treatment plant effluent for being used in agricultural irrigation. In this study, 20 physicochemical and 3 microbial parameters were measured during warm (April to September) and cold months (October to march). Using the measured parameters and the Canadian Water Quality Index, the quality of the effluent was determined in both warm and cold seasons and in all the seasons together. The calculated index for the physicochemical parameters in the effluent was equal (87) in warm and cold months and it was obtained as 85 for the seasons all together. When the microbial parameters were used in order to calculate the index, it declined to 67 in warm and cold seasons and 64 in all the seasons together. Also, it was found that three physicochemical parameters (TDS, EC, and NO3) and three microbial parameters (Fecal coliform, Helminthes egg, and Total coliform) had the most contribution to the reduction of the index value. The results showed that the physicochemical quality of Shiraz Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent was good for irrigation in the warm, cold, and total of the two kinds of seasons. However, by applying the microbial parameter, the index value declined dramatically and the quality of the effluent was marginal.

The effects of pH and bromide ion concentration on the formation of nine haloacetic acids (HAAs) and total organic halogens (TOX) in chlorinated drinking water have been evaluated. In an extensive study, the relationships of nine HAAs with TOX have been investigated. Honesty Significant Differences test (HSD) and ANOVA tests were used for the statistical analyses. The study determined the concentration range of nine HAAs as of a percentage of TOX at varying experimental conditions. Statistical analyses showed that the parameters pH and Br had significant effects on the formation of nine HAAs and TOX. This study also showed that brominated and mixed species of HAAs would be dominant in the presence of high bromide ion concentration which contributes a high percentage of the TOX. The results of this study could be used to set up a maximum contaminant level of TOX as a water quality standard for chlorination by-products.

Nghiên cứu này đã điều tra và so sánh khả năng loại bỏ arsenic, As (V) của đá nhẹ phủ nhôm và zeolit. Kính hiển vi điện tử quét (SEM), Phân tích tia X (XRD) và Quang phổ phát xạ tia X (XRF) đã được thực hiện để xác định tính chất của vật liệu hấp phụ. Nhiều thông số bao gồm liều lượng vật liệu hấp phụ, pH, thời gian tiếp xúc và nồng độ As(V) ban đầu đã được nghiên cứu. pH tối ưu đạt được cho cả hai vật liệu hấp phụ là pH = 7. Quá trình hấp phụ As(V) của cả hai vật liệu hấp phụ theo đồng lượng Freundlich (đối với đá nhẹ phủ nhôm và zeolit lần lượt với R2 > 0,98 và R2 > 0,99). Dữ liệu thu được từ động học cho thấy mô hình giả bậc hai có thể giải thích tốt hơn quá trình hấp phụ As(V) cho cả đá nhẹ phủ nhôm và zeolit (R2 > 0,98 và R2 > 0,99 lần lượt). Do chi phí thấp, cả hai vật liệu hấp phụ có thể được sử dụng một cách kinh tế, nhưng zeolit phủ nhôm cho thấy hiệu quả cao hơn, nhờ vào độ xốp và diện tích bề mặt của nó. Hơn 96% As(V) với nồng độ ban đầu là 250 μg/L đã được loại bỏ bởi 10 g/L zeolit phủ nhôm tại pH = 7 và trong 60 phút để đạt được nồng độ As(V) là 10 μg/L, trong khi chỉ có 71% As(V) có thể được loại bỏ bởi đá nhẹ phủ nhôm.

This review discusses the characterization, production and implications of soluble microbial products (SMPs) in biological wastewater treatment. The precise definition of SMPs is open to talk about, but is currently regarded as “the pool of organic compounds that are released into solution from substrate metabolism and biomass decay”'. Some of the SMPs have been identified as humic acids, polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, antibiotics, extracellular enzymes and structural components of cells and products of energy metabolism. They adversely affect the kinetic activity, flocculating and settling properties of sludge. This review outlines some important findings with regard to biodegradability and treatability of SMPs and also the effect of process parameters on their production. As SMPs are produced during biological treatment process, their trace amounts normally remain in the effluent that defines the highest COD removal efficiency. Their presence in effluent represents a high potential risk of toxic by-product formation during chlorine disinfection. Studies have indicated that among all wastewater post-treatment processes, the adsorption by granular activated carbon combined with biologically induced degradation is the most effective method for removal of SMPs. However, it may be concludes that the knowledge regarding SMPs is still under progress and more work is required to fully understand their contribution to the treatment process.

Advanced oxidation processes like Fenton and photo-Fenton have been effectively applied to oxidize the persistent organic compounds in solid waste leachate and convert them to unharmful materials and products. However, there are limited data about application of Fenton-like process in leachate treatment. Therefore, this study was designed with the objective of treating municipal landfill leachate by Fenton, Fenton-like and photo–Fenton processes to determine the effect of different variables, by setting up a pilot system. The used leachate was collected from a municipal unsanitary landfill in Qaem-Shahr in the north of Iran. Fenton and Fenton-like processes were conducted by Jar-test method. Photo-Fenton process was performed in a glass photo-reactor. In all processes, H2O2 was used as the oxidant. FeSO4.7H2O and FeCl3.6H2O were used as reagents. All parameters were measured based on standard methods. The results showed that the optimum concentration of H2O2 was equal to 5 g/L for the Fenton-like process and 3 g/L for the Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. The optimum ratio of H2O2: Fe+2/Fe+3 were equal to 8:1 in all processes. At optimum conditions, the amount of COD removal was 69.6%, 65.9% and 83.2% in Fenton, Fenton-like and photo–Fenton processes, respectively. In addition, optimum pH were 3, 5 and 3 and the optimum contact time were 150, 90 and 120 minutes, for Fenton, Fenton-like and photo–Fenton processes, respectively. After all processes, the biodegradability (BOD5/COD ratio) of the treated leachate was increased compared to that of the raw leachate and the highest increase in BOD5/COD ratio was observed in the photo-Fenton process. The efficiency of the Fenton-like process was overally less than Fenton and photo-Fenton processes, meanwhile the Fenton-like process was at higher pH and did not show problems.

In this study, powder activated carbon (PAC) and magnetic nanoparticles of iron (III) oxide were used for synthesis of Fe3O4-activated carbon magnetic nanoparticles (AC-Fe3O4 MNPs) as an adsorbent for the removal of aniline. The characteristics of adsorbent were evaluated by SEM, TEM, XRD and BET. Also, the impact of different parameters such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, aniline initials concentration and solution temperature were studied. The experimental data investigated by Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms and two models kinetically of pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order. The results indicated that the adsorption followed Langmuir and pseudo second-order models with correlation r2 > 0.98 and r2 > 0.99, respectively. The equilibrium time was obtained after 5 h. According to Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity was 90.91 mg/g at pH = 6, and 20°C. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that adsorption of aniline on magnetic activated carbon was exothermic and spontaneous. This synthesized AC-Fe3O4 MNPs due to have advantages such as easy and rapid separation from solution could be applied as an adsorbent effective for removal of pollutants such as aniline from water and wastewater.