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Background and Aim: Today, environmental pollution, including water pollution, has become a global issue, and human life is dependent on the safe drinking water. This study aimed at spatial analysis of minerals and heavy metals in drinking water distribution network in Kurdistan Province’s villages. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study we assessed the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, total soluble solids, fluoride, arsenic, lead, and cadmium in drinking water of all villages connected to water distribution network (1524 villages) in Kurdistan Province from 2015 to 2017. To describe the concentrations of the studied chemicals, spatial distribution maps were plotted using Arc GIS V. 10.3 software. Other statistical analyses including the analysis of the mean difference of the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and total soluble solids in the studied cities were performed by one-way analysis of variance using SPSS V. 22 software. Results: According to the results of this study, tap water in 1485 villages of Kurdistan Province (97.44%) contained nitrate and the amount of this ion in the drinking water of 31 villages (2.03%) was above the national and WHO standards. The mean concentration of total soluble solids in Bijar City was significantly higher than that in other cities (P

Excessive internet usage can precipitate internet addiction (IA), negatively impacting lifestyle behaviors, especially during adolescence. These warrants investigating associations between IA and lifestyle factors. To examine the relationship between IA and health-promoting lifestyle dimensions among Iranian high school students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 407 students from Sanandaj, Iran selected via cluster sampling. IA was assessed using the Young IA Test. Lifestyle was measured via the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile questionnaire. Regression analyses evaluated associations while adjusting for covariates. Approximately 25% of participants were at risk of internet addiction. Prevalence variations across groups lacked significance. Non-addicted students had significantly higher overall healthy lifestyle scores (p

Social trust and spiritual health play an important role in social communication. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual health and social trust among Iranian students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Sanandaj, in the West of Iran, in 2018. 686 students from 5 universities were included in the study through simple random sampling. The data were collected using established, reliable instruments for the assessment of social trust and spiritual health. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between social trust and spiritual health. We reported estimated logits and Odds Ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The students with a literate father had substantially higher odds of social trust (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.19-3.28, p

Dyes are used extensively in textile industries. The wastewater of these industries contains high amounts of pollutants which can be toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic and needs to be treated before being discharged into the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of eggshell as a sorbent for the removal of Acid Orange 3 from synthetic wastewater. This study is applied experimental research which was performed on a laboratory scale. Eggshell as a sorbent was prepared at laboratory temperature and pulverized by standard ASTM sieves in two sizes (50 and 140). The concentration of dye in the synthetic wastewater was 25 mg/L. In this study, increasing adsorbent dose from 2 to 5 g/100 mL led to an increase in the adsorption efficiency from 36.6% to 55.36% and by decreasing the size of eggshell particles from 50 to 140 mesh, the adsorption efficiency increased. The maximum adsorption took place in the first 90 minutes of the reaction. By increasing pH from 5 to 9, the process efficiency increased from 78 to 82%; however, at pH higher than 9, the adsorption efficiency decreased. Additionally, the adsorption characteristics of this pollutant on eggshell fitted Freundlich isotherm (R2 >0.989). Due to the characteristics of textile wastewater such as alkaline pH, eggshells can be used as a natural adsorbent in textile wastewater treatment.

Background and Aim: One of the main resources of methane emissions is waste disposal buried in landfill sites. To control the negative effects of methane emission on Ozone layer known as greenhouse effect, the routine is to capture methane and use it as an energy resource. The objective of this study was to assess the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Saqqez municipal solid wastes and to estimate the potential methane gas emission from the city’s landfills using LandGEM software over 2015-2034. Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the amount of solid wastes, the population of Saqqez city, and the characteristics of municipal solid waste landfills were used to estimate the methane gas emission using LandGEM software. Initial population and the population growth of Saqqez were obtained from the last census of 2012. Results: The amount of annual waste was 62050 tons with methane emissions of 32m3/h in 2016. It is estimated that this amount to increase to 108805 tons with methane emissions of 2203m3/h in 2034. Conclusion: In summary, the results of this study can assist city managers to prepare the appropriate actions to control and manage methane emissions to reduce its negative effects especially on environment.

Background and Aim: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), and potential EDCs are mostly man-made, found in various materials such as pesticides, metals, additives or contaminants in food, and personal care products. Phthalates are a group of these compounds that are carcinogenic to animals and can cause fetal death and congenital anomalies. The aim of this study was to investigate the photocatalytic process using GO/ZnO nanocomposites under LED irradiation for removal of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) from aqueous solutions. Materials and Methods: In this study, GO/ZnO nanorods were characterized by, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. A Central Composite Design was used to optimize the reaction parameters for the removal of DEP by GO/ZnO. The four main reaction parameters optimized in this study were the following: the LED radiation time, pH, and the initial concentration of phthalates and the concentration of ZnO and graphene-oxide. The interaction between the four parameters was studied and modeled using the Design Expert 10 software. Phthalate detected by HPLC apparatus equipped with a UV detector at 225 nm wavelength with methanol (90%) and Acetonitrile (10%) phases. Results: The results of FE-SEM and TEM showed that the ZnO is composed of a bar and separate face. Based on the peak obtained, the diameter and length of the nanorods are 20-60 and 200 nm respectively. A maximum reduction of 90% of DEP was achieved at pH 5 and 120 minutes. The results represent the prediction of a model fitted from the Quadratic model (p-value

BACKGROUND: Religion affects all aspects of the life. One of the most important aspects of human health is its mental health, and how it gets affected by stress, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there was any relationship between religiosity with stress, anxiety, and depression among the students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in 2017. The total number of 282 students were selected using a two-stage stratified sampling method to fulfill univariate religiosity questionnaire and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 22.34 ± 3.05 years. 70.9% of participants were women, and 92.2% were single. Out of four dimensions of religiosity, only ritual dimension was found to have a significant correlation with stress (P = 0.030). The correlation between other dimensions of religiosity (belief, emotional, and consequential (and aspects of mental health found to be not statistically significant (P > 0.050). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, religious activities can reduce the stress of individuals. Designing non-syllabus interventions is recommended in order to increase religious activities in order to improve students’ mental health.

BACKGROUND: Fast food consumption is one of the risk factors for human health. The present study was conducted with the objective to investigate how students’ characteristics (attitude, control beliefs, and normative beliefs) motivate the consumption of fast food. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total number of 401 students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran, were randomly selected and studied in 2015. A questionnaire was administered to collect information about student’s demographic characteristics as well as their attitudes and beliefs towards using fast food. Correlation analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by univariate ANOVA were used to interpret the results. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 21.20 ± 2.80 years and 254 (67.20%) of them were female. Furthermore, 60.54% of the students were found with tendency to use fast food. The MANOVA analysis showed that the effect of gender on students’ characteristics was significant (P = 0.005), however the effect of grade was marginally insignificant (P = 0.053). Post-hoc univariate ANOVA showed that the gender was highly associated with control beliefs (P = 0.030) and normative beliefs (P = 0.004). No significant association was found between gender and student’s attitude (P = 0.610). CONCLUSION: A training program for medical students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences is recommended to encourage students to reduce the consumption of fast food.

The present study aimed to assess the surface contamination of indoor swimming pools in Sanandaj city, Iran and the influential factors in this regard. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on nine active swimming pools in Sanandaj, which were selected via simple random sampling. Sampling was performed in the spring and summer of 2017 twice per season using the sterile carpet measurement method. In total, 180 samples were assessed in the study, including nine swimming pools, five surfaces, and two seasons (data collection performed twice per season in spring and summer). According to the findings, 96.7% of the samples were infected with one or more fungi. The isolated fungi were saprophytic, and no dermatophyte contamination was observed. The highest and lowest incidence of saprophytic contamination belonged to yeast species (100 positive samples) and Ulocladium (four positive samples), respectively. Furthermore, the number of the fungi isolated from the surface water of the swimming pools in summer was higher compared to spring. However, no significant correlations were observed between temperature, humidity, remaining chlorine, and pH with the presence of the isolated fungi. Due to the presence of various saprophytic species in swimming pool surfaces, it is strongly recommended that proper sanitary measures be taken in these environments (e.g., disinfection and complete washing of the body with water and soap by swimmers) in order for the effective monitoring and control of health.

Cooking oils are among the most important dietary components. Some of the influential factors in the combustion pattern of cooking oils include the mode of cooking, knowledge of the diseases caused by cooking oils, and price of cooking oils. This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in the winter of 2018. The research units were selected via simple random sampling. The sample size was calculated to be 460 cases using the formula for the estimation of the sample size in cross-sectional studies at the confidence level of 95%, error rate of 5%, and prevalence of 50%, considering the samples loss of 15%. The variables were measured via interviews and recorded in questionnaires. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20. In total, 400 households were surveyed. Mean age of the mothers was 34.01±5.85 years (age range: 19-58 years). Among the households, 19.5% used solid oils, 16.25% consumed liquid oils, 52% used both solid and liquid oils, 10.5% consumed vegetable oils (e.g., olive oil and sesame oil), and 1.75% used animal oils. The mean oil consumption per household was 149.2925 g/day, and the mean daily consumption per person was 39.6927 g. Moreover, 77.75% of the households discarded the used cooking oil and did not store/reuse the oil. On the other hand, 34.5% of the households consumed fast food twice per week. Market solid and liquid oils accounted for the highest consumption rate in the investigated households, while plant and animal oils constituted the lowest consumption rate.

Drinkability of water is determined based on its physical, chemical, and microbial properties. Undesirable changes in these parameters could threaten the health of consumers. The present study aimed to assess the physical, chemical, and microbial parameters of the drinking water sources in Sanandaj, Iran and compare them with the national standard values. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted for 24 months. Samples were collected via simple random sampling from 116 stations in accordance with the principles of water sampling, including 51 stations of Sanandaj water distribution system, 15 reservoir stations, 25 stations for the outlet of the water treatment plant, and 25 stations for raw water. In total, 2,784 samples were obtained from the stations and transferred to the laboratory in standard conditions. Residual chlorine, pH parameters, turbidity, total coliforms, thermophilic coliforms, and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) were measured. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 18 using t-test and ANOVA. According to the results, the mean values for the physical parameters of turbidity and pH in the water distribution system were 0.9522 NTU and 7.9644, respectively. With regard to the chemical parameters, the mean residual chlorine in the water distribution system was 0.5548 mg/L, and the microbial parameters of total coliforms, thermophilic coliforms, and HPC were 0 MPN/100 mL, 0 MPN/100 mL, and 107.6533 CFU/ml, respectively. Our findings indicated that the mean concentrations of the measured parameters in the water distribution system of Sanandaj were within the national standard limits.

Background: Nausea and vomiting is a common complication after gynecological surgeries, especially laparoscopy, which can lead to discomfort and restlessness in the patients. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of ondansetron–dexamethasone and metoclopramide–dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting following gynecological laparoscopy. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 68 females scheduled for gynecological laparoscopy and age range of 18–40 years were randomly divided into two groups. Group OD received ondansetron 4 mg plus dexamethasone 8 mg and group MD received metoclopramide 10 mg plus dexamethasone 8 mg, 15 min before the end of surgery. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and need for rescue medication was assessed during the recovery period, as well as at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. The data were analyzed using STATA software version 12 and a significance level of 0.05). The highest incidence of nausea and vomiting in patients belonged to the metoclopramide group inside 4–6 h after surgery. Conclusion: Our study showed that no significant difference was observed in the incidence of nausea and vomiting between ondansetron–dexamethasone and metoclopramide–dexamethasone groups following laparoscopic gynecological surgery; however, the number of patients with nausea and vomiting was lower in the ondansetron–dexamethasone group.

Although breastfeeding is the main nutrition source of infants, it could also be a source of exposure to toxic metals. The present study aimed to evaluate the levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in breast milk, investigate the effects of some sociodemographic parameters on these concentrations, and assess the correlations between these metals and infant growth. Breast milk samples (20-30 ml) were obtained from 100 women in the second month postpartum. Pb and Cd levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Mean concentration of Pb in the samples was 6.8 µg/l, and the concentration of Cd in the collected breast milk was lower than the limit of detection (0.1 µg/l). In 74% of the samples, Pb level was higher than the recommended limit by the World Health Organization (2-5 µg/l). In addition, mean weekly intake of Pb (6.65 µg/kg/week) and Cd (0.098 µg/kg/week) was lower than the tolerable weekly intake for infants. No correlations were observed between the Pb concentration in breast milk and the weight, length, and head circumference of infants at birth and after two months. According to the results, exposure to Pb exceeded the standard limit in the infants in the present study. Therefore, it is recommended that breast milk monitoring programs be conducted on larger sample sizes longitudinally.

The aim of this study was to determine the density of benzene and toluene in barbershops of Sanandaj and also to determine effective factors for this pollution. A descriptive, analytical study was conducted to measure the volatile organic compound density and determine the effective factors. In this study, five hair salons and five barber shops were randomly selected from Sanandaj city. The volatile organic compound density was measured by using Phocheck device, Tiger model, made in England, equipped with a PID lamp (Photoionisation detector lamp). Also, the other effective variables that affect the density of these compounds including temperature, humidity, type of service provided, and the type of conditioner were measured in summer and autumn. Statistical analysis using t-test and ANOVA was performed using SPSS software version 18. In the makeup salons, toluene had the highest density (with an average concentration of 0.821200 ppm), and ethylbenzene had the least density (with an average concentration of 0.015532 ppm). Between the density of volatile organic compounds, it was one of effective factors of them. Based on the impact of natural ventilation, it is recommended to reduce contaminants in beauty salons. Environmental health inspectors should consider this variable in their surveys.

BACKGROUND: Smoking has been a public health problem in the world. In fact, it has been mentioned as a preventable factor of death and diseases. So, the goal of doing this research was to determine the frequency of smoking tendency and its correlate factors among the girl students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using simple random sampling method. Data collection instruments were confirmed questionnaires. The statistical population included all the girl students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking cigarette among the girl students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences was 1.8%, as well as 2.2% for hookah consumption. Considering the relationship between smoking and residence situation, 22.1% of native students and 24.8% of alien students had experienced smoking. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed a low prevalence of smoking (1.8%) among the girl students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.

Background: Modeling the dispersion of pollutants from factory stacks addresses the problem of matching emissions of a cement plant with the capacity of the environment to avoid affecting the environment and society. The main objective of this study was to simulate the dispersion of carbon monoxide (CO) from the main stack of a cement plant in Doroud, Iran using SCREEN3 software developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Methods: Four samplings were conducted to measure the concentration of CO in the three-stack flow of a cement factory. The input parameters were those affecting gas dispersion and included CO rate, meteorological parameters, factors associated with the stack, and various factors related to the receptor. All factors were incorporated in the model, and dispersion was modeled by SCREEN3. Results: Southwesterly winds have been dominant in the past 5 years. According to the results of this study, the highest and the lowest CO levels were estimated by the model in spring and autumn as having maximum amounts of 842.06 and 88.31 μg/m3, respectively, within distances of 526 and 960 m from the cement plant, respectively, at a downwind southwesterly direction from the plant. Conclusion: Although the maximum predicted CO levels in each of the four seasons were lower than the NAAQS criteria, the simulation results can be used as a base for reducing CO emissions to prevent the potentially significant health and environmental impacts imposed by long-term contact to such emissions.

Background: Synthetic dyes have several harmful effects on human health as well as aquatic life. In this study, activated carbon (AV-AC), based on Aloe vera leaf shells, was used as a novel agricultural adsorbent, one that is low-cost and available for the removal of Congo red (CR) as a carcinogenic dye from aqueous solutions. Methods: In the batch system, the influence of different parameters like contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial CR concentration were examined on the dye removal from liquid medium. The experimental data were fitted by pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics, and also Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models. Results: The optimum contact time and pH for the uptake of CR were obtained at 20 minutes and acidic pH of 2. The maximum uptake capacity of CR dye by AV-AC was 1850 mg/g. The results showed that the experimental data were well-fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.99) and Freundlich isotherm model (R2 > 0.99). Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the AV-AC is a low-cost, non-toxic, and effective adsorbent for the uptake of CR dye from aqueous media.

The use of biodegradation methods by microorganisms in the removal of industrial dyes are widely considered owing to their high efficiency and compatibility to the environment. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the biodegradation of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution by bacteria isolated from contaminated soil. This study was performed in laboratory scale on bacteria isolated and purified from contaminated soil with methylene blue. Initially, the bacteria was isolated from contaminated soil. Thereafter, medium containing 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000 mg/l of methylene blue, 50 ml of salt medium with glucose and 2.5 ml of Brain-heart infusion (BHI) medium containing bacteria were prepared. The results of dye removal were analyzed using UV/Vis spectrophotometer at 665 nm. The results of purification and identification of the bacterial species which degrade methylene blue indicated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the dominant bacteria. In this study, the removal efficiency of bacteria was attained from 82.25 to 97.82% with an increase in initial MB concentration from 50 to 200 mg/l. Nevertheless, with increase in MB oncentration from 200 to 1000 mg/l, removal efficiency was reduced to 43.08%. The optimum concentration of MB removal was 200 mg/l. It is evident from the results that the bacteria had used methylene blue as an auxiliary source of carbon apart from glucose. Finally, it can be concluded that P. aeruginosa is an appropriate candidate for the removal of methylene blue from the environment.

The objective of our study was to simulation of carbon monoxide (CO) dispersion exited from the stacks of a cement industry of Doroud, Iran by Gaussian Model (GM). Four sampling period was conducted to measurement of CO from the factory's three-stack flow during one year. The input parameters for were the rate of CO emission, meteorological data, factors of related to the stack, and factors of related to the receptor. Parameters were corporate and the dispersion of CO during four season was modeled. The southwesterly winds were dominated during recently five years. The highest and the lowest CO levels were estimated at spring and fall seasons with maximum amounts of 842.06 and 88.31 µg/m3 within distances of 526 and 960 m away from the cement plant, respectively. Although, the maximum predicted CO concentration at four seasons were lower than the NAAQS standard, the simulation results can be used as a base for reduction of CO emissions rate, because the long-term exposure to emissions of cement plant imposes potentially significant health and environmental impacts.

Background: Shoulder pain is the third most common type of musculoskeletal disorder and rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy is the most frequent diagnosis. Ultrasound is the most preferable guidance tool for diagnostic and interventional purposes. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the prolotherapy injection with corticosteroid injection in patients with RC dysfunction. Materials and Methods: Thirty to sixty-five-year-old patients with chronic RC disease were divided into two groups. Ultrasound-guided dextrose prolotherapy of supraspinatus tendon was done for one group and ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection in the subacromial bursa was done for the other groups. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) were evaluated for both groups at baseline, 3 and 12 weeks after injections. Results: Thirty-three patients were included in the result. Both the groups showed significant improvement in VAS and SPADI scores in 3 and 12 weeks after injections compared with preinjection times with no difference between two groups neither in 3 weeks nor in 12 weeks after injections.Conclusion: Both ultrasound-guided dextrose prolotherapy and CS injections are effective in the management of RC-related shoulder pain in both short-term and long-term with neither being superior to the other. Therefore, prolotherapy may be a safe alternative therapy instead of corticosteroid injection due to lack of its side effects.

Previous studies have shown that the presence of nitrate in drinking water can cause several diseases especially in the infants, such as cancer and blue baby. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since adopted the 50 mg/l standard as the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate for regulated public water systems. This study aimed to evaluate the concentration of nitrate in the drinking water wells of Birjand, Iran, using inverse distance weighting (IDW) model and also using remote sensing (ENVI software) for studying the vegetation area. In this study, the average annual nitrate level in 2015 was measured from 19 wells around Birjand that were used as rural water supplies. For the zoning of nitrate concentration in the groundwater of Birjand, we used Arc GIS software by using IDW interpolation methods, and for studying the vegetation area and its effect on the groundwater quality we used Landsat Archive image (L4-5 TM sensor) and ENVI 4.7 software. The mean concentration of nitrate was 25.89 ± 12.33 mg/l in the groundwater. Nitrate concentration was more than the standard range (50 mg/l) according to the National Standard of Iran (No. 1053) in one well in the studied zone. Based on the information obtained from remote sensing, agricultural activities were an effective factor in increasing the concentrations of nitrate in the groundwater of the studied area.

In this batch study, montmorillonite was modified by a cationic surfactant [hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-MMT)] and used as sorbent to remove bromocresol green (BCG) from aqueous solutions. The effect of several factors such as surfactant loading rate onto the clay, contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, dye concentration, and ion strength were investigated on the sorption. The equilibrium time for BCG sorption was reached at contact time of 20 minutes. Fitting the experimental data to different kinetic and isotherm models showed that the experimental data are well described by pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2 > 0.99) and Freundlich isotherm (R2 > 0.99) models. According to the results of this study, HDTMA-MMT can be considered as a low-cost, eco-friendly, and highly effective option for the sorption of BCG from aqueous solutions.

Background: One of the critical unit in each hospital is intensive care unit (ICU). The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends to control the noise level of this unit in order to not exceed 45 decibels (dBA) during the day and 35 dBA at night. In this study, our goal was to evaluate the noise level at adult and neonatal ICUs at some Sanandaj’s hospitals, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 4th to June 4th 2012 in adult and neonatal intensive care units at three major hospitals in Sanandaj (Besat, Tohid and Tamin-Ejtemaei). In order to assess the noise level properly, measurements obtained during the days and nights. At a given day, a unit was selected randomly and measurement of sound levels obtained successively within two-hour periods. The noise levels were measured in decibels using a sound level meter (SLM). This process took four weeks to be completed (one week per unit). In the end of study, the total of 336 records of noise levels were obtained. Descriptive analysis as well as fitting a mixed effect models were used to interpret collected observations. All statistical analysis performed using R developed by R core team. Results: The preliminary analysis of observations showed that mean level of noise varied from 65 to 71 dBA among ICUs under study. Noise levels during the day were slightly higher than that of were observed during the night. Descriptive analysis of observations showed no major differences between the noise levels over the time and between the days/nights. Fitting a mixed-effects model showed significant differences of the noise levels between ICUs (P< 0.001). Conclusion: We found the noise levels were always above the EPA thresholds at all three hospitals both during the day and night. It is recommended to train hospital officials and staffs for keeping noise levels to an acceptable level.

Background: Wastewater produced by a dairy in Sanandaj is a major source of environmental pollution threatening the city. The dairy uses activated sludge treatment to remove organic pollution from the wastewater. The present study evaluated the performance of this process and its compliance with national requirements for chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS) remaining in the plant effluent. Methods: A total of 48 samples were obtained from the dairy inflow and outflow. The COD, BOD, and TSS were measured for each sample. The statistical sign test was used to assess the standards. Results: The results showed that the average BOD, COD and TSS in the input wastewater was 292.25, 422.92, and 198.33 mg/l, respectively. The ratio of BOD/COD was 0.69, which indicates the capacity of biological treatment was high. The BOD decreased to 64.22 mg/l (92% removal), COD to 33.74 mg/l (92% removal), and TSS to 43.11 mg/l (94% removal) in the effluent, indicating significant removal of water contaminants. The statistical sign test showed that TSS (P < 0.0001) and BOD (P = 0.031) were incompliance with national standards, but COD exceeded standard threshold (P = 0.076). Conclusion: Activated sludge treatment showed a good performance for TSS removal, but was not reliable for removal of BOD and COD pollutants.

Background: Health of swimming pools is important to maintain health of swimmers that in case of failure to comply of health standards, can be lead to health problems and the transmission of infectious diseases to swimmers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the water quality of swimming pools in Sanandaj city and compare of their results with the national standards. Methods: In this cross – sectional study, 108 water samples were collected from 9 swimming pools of Sanandaj city. Some parameters including residual chlorine, pH, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, temperature and also microbial parameters such as heterotrophic bacteria, staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, fecal streptococcus, total coliform, and fecal coliform were evaluated. Results: The results of the study showed that residual chlorine, pH, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, and temperature in 80.5%, 72.2%, 60.1%, 52.7%, 30.5%, and 100% of samples, respectively, which were in desirable limit. Also the population of total coliform, fecal coliform, and Staphylococcus aureus in 32.4%, 45.3%, and 96.3% of samples, respectively, were in desirable ranges. Conclusion: Based on the results, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, and also population of total coliform and fecal coliform of some samples didn’t have conformity with standards that indicates the need for continuous monitoring of swimming pools water quality.

Background: Dyes have complex molecular structures that are often toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, nonbiodegradable, and stable. Activated sludge is an adsorbents that basically in the biosorption process is an attractive technology for the separation and recycling of pollutants. Using sludge producing from wastewater treatment plants due to having low cost, availability, and reusability is growing. Methods: In this study, the dried activated sludge used for removal of Acid Cyanine 5R with concentrations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/L. Effect of adsorbent concentration in weight of 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 g/L, contact time, and pH were studied. Results: The results of the experiments showed that by increasing contact time up to 180 min increases dye removal efficiency and then remains constant. Also by increasing adsorbent dose, removal efficiency increased whilst by increasing pH, dye removal decreased. The results also show that the adsorption process follow pseodo second-order kinetic model with R2=0.9988. Conclusions: Due to the low cost and availability of dried activated sludge, it can be used as adsorbent in removal of dye from aqueas solutions.

Textile dyeing is considered to be one of the major industrial sources of high rates of organic and aromatic compounds. Conversely, these compounds have become a significant environmental problem. Many methods have been investigated for color removal from dye-containing wastewater. In this research, the efficiency of the electrocoagulation (EC) process with aluminum electrodes in the removal of Reactive Green 19 (RG-19) dye from synthetic solutions was studied. The experiments were conducted in a batch reactor equipped with 4 aluminum electrodes with a volume of 2 l. Dye concentrations were measured (λmax = 630 nm). The effects of operating parameters, such as voltage, reaction time, initial dye concentration, energy consumption, pH, KCl concentration, and inter-electrode distance, on removal efficiency were investigated. The highest removal efficiency of RG-19 was found to be 33.49, 60.32, 72.43, 93.63, and 94.91 percent for initial voltage of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 v, respectively, in optimum conditions (pH = 11, KCL concentration = 0.005 M, and distance = 1 cm). The removal was effectively reduced to less than 99.88% when the initial dye concentration increased from 25 to 150 mg/l. In addition, by increasing KCl concentration and decreasing electrode distance, removal efficiency increased considerably. Based on the results, EC process by aluminum electrodes is an efficient and suitable method for reactive dye removal from wastewater.

Background: Survey of pollution and evaluation of water quality in rivers with Oregon Water Quality Index (OWQI) and GIS are effective tools for management of the impact of environmental water resources. The information in calculating the WQI of Moradbeikriver allowed us to take our tests results and make a scientific conclusion about the quality of water. GIS can be a powerful tool for developing solutions for water resources problems for assessing water quality, determining water availability, preventing flooding, understanding the natural environment, and managing water resources on a local or regional scale. Methods: The WQI of Moradbeikriver consists of nine tests: Fecal Coliform (FC), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Nitrates (NO3), Total Phosphate (PO4), pH, temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), turbidity, and Total Solid (TS). Water quality of Moradbeikriver was investigated for 12 months. Concentrations of these nine variables were normalized on a scale from 0 to 100 and translated into statements of water quality (excellent, good, regular, fair, and poor). Also this data were analyzed with WQI index, and then river basis on water quality was zoning by GIS. Results: The average of WQI was 61.62, which corresponded to ‘‘medium’’ quality water at the sampling point 1 (best station) and decreased to around 26.41 (bad quality) at sampling point 6. The association between sampling points and water quality indexes was statistically significant (P

Background: Investigating the performance of naturally operated treatment plants may be due to the fact that they cannot be operated as desired, or that they should be modified to achieve good performance e.g. for nutrients removal. The advantage of kinetic coefficient determination is that the model can be adjusted to fit data and then used for analyzing alternatives to improve the process. This study investigates the efficiency of subsurface artificial wetland and determines its kinetic coefficients for nutrient removal. Methods: The present study investigated the kinetics of biological reactions that occurred in subsurface wetland to remove wastewater nutrient. Samples were taken from 3 locations of wetlands for 6 months. The nutrient content was determined through measuring Total Kjehldahl Nitrogen (TKN), ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate values. Results: Average levels for TKN, ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate in effluent of control wetland were 41.15, 23.59, 1.735, and 6.43 mg/L, and in wetland with reeds were 28.91, 19.99, 1.49 and 5.63 mg/L, respectively. First-order, second-order, and Stover-Kincannon models were applied and analyzed using statistical parameters obtained from the models (Umax, KB). Conclusion: The nutrients removal at Yazd wastewater treatment plant was remarkable, and the presence of reeds in wetland beds was not very efficient in improving system performance. Other more efficient plants are suggested to be evaluated in the system. Stover-Kincannon kinetic model provided predictions having the closest relationship with actual data obtained from the field.

The removing of hexavalent chromium from wastewater or decreasing its chromium (VI) content up to the permitted levels is important due to its non-biodegradation, bioaccumulation, and cancer-causing and toxic effects. In the present study, biosorption of Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions using canola was investigated. The various physicochemical parameters such as pH, initial Cr (VI) ion concentration, adsorbent dose, and equilibrium contact time were optimized in batch adsorption system. The results showed that the optimum amount of each parameter was as follows: initial concentration = 10 mg/l, pH = 3, contact time = 75 minutes, and adsorbent dosage = 5 g/l. The maximum adsorption efficiency was about 99.1%. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated and was about 10.67 mg/g of adsorbent. Moreover, the sorption data was best fitted on the Langmuir isotherm model and adsorption kinetic is adopted with the pseudo-second-order model. The results of the present study suggest that canola can be used beneficially in treating aqueous solutions containing heavy metal ions.

Background: Yazd waste stabilization pond facilities consist of three stabilization pond systems, module 1, module 2 and module 3 that AWSP module 1 has started its operation. The existing facilities have had several problems in their operation. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the performance of stabilization ponds in wastewater treatment of the city of Yazd, due to several problems in their operation, and to prepare a scheme of its upgrading, if necessary. Methods: During the period from December to June 2010, data analysis were carried out for both raw and treated wastewater. Results: Results of these investigations showed that the average effluent concentrations of Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5 (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Suspended Solid (SS) taken from anaerobic pond and secondary facultative ponds of module 1 were 306.9, 135.18, 139.75 and 136.75, 69.025, 136.5 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: These results indicated that the effluent of the anaerobic pond of module 1 was complied with the Iranian treated wastewater standards for agricultural reuse in terms of BOD5 and COD concentrations; hence the secondary facultative ponds could be changed to other primary facultative ponds in order to increase the capacity of wastewater treatment plant.

Background: Intestinal parasites are still a serious public health problem in the world, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal protozoa infections and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in Sanandaj City, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study involving 400 schoolchildren was carried out in 2015. Each student was selected using systematic random sampling method. Questionnaire and observation were used to identify possible risk factors. Fresh stool samples were observed using formal-ether concentration method. Results: Five species of intestinal protozoa were identified with an overall prevalence of 42.3%. No cases of helminthes infection were detected. The predominant protozoa were Blastocys hominis (21.3%) and Entamoeba coli (4.5%). Overall, 143 (35.9%) had single infections and 26 (6.4%) were infected with more than one intestinal protozoa, in which 23 (5.9%) had double intestinal protozoa infections and 3 (0.5%) had triple infections. A significant relationship was observed between intestinal protozoa infection with economic status, water resources for drinking uses, and the methods of washing vegetables (P

Objectives. To determine the effect of weighted kypho-orthosis (WKO) on improving balance in women with osteoporosis. In this nonrandomized controlled clinical trial, 31 patients with osteoporosis were included. The patients were assigned to two groups: (1) control group who received 4-week home-based daily exercise program including weight bearing, back strengthening, and balance exercises and (2) intervention group (WKO) who performed aforementioned exercises and wore WKO for one hour twice a day. Patients were assessed using clinical balance tests (timed up and go test, functional reach test, and unilateral balance test) before and 4 weeks after start of treatment. Results. Functional reach and timed up and go test were improved significantly in both groups compared to baseline. The improvement in intervention group was more significant in comparison to control group (P

Background & Objective: Cattle Slaughterhouses are one of the main centers of wastewater producing facilities with high pollution load, which in the absence of proper treatment can cause a lot of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Industrial slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant in the city of Sanandaj in 2012. Method: This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted in the laboratory of faculty of health, university of medical sciences in Sanandaj in the year 2012 for three months. Weekly tests of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) and in total 24 times sampling of input and output for the treatment plant was performed instantly. The experiments were based on the latest proposed method in the book of standard method (the Examination of Water and Wastewater) and at the end, Microsoft EXCEL software was used for data analysis. Results: The average COD, BOD and TSS entering the plant were 2036.69 ± 61, 1216.5 ± 220 and 791.12 ± 147 milligrams per liter and their average output from the plant were 747.71 ± 17, 517.5 ± 8 and 306.51 ± 8 milligrams per liter and the total average of removal efficiency for each of these parameters were 63.29 ± 3 percent, 57.45 ± 2 percent and 61.25 ± 5 percentage respectively. Conclusion: The quality of output effluent from treatment plant of cattle slaughterhouse in Sanandaj, in almost all months was not according to effluent disposal standards and generally, the efficiency of this treatment plant is not desirable in removal of contaminants. Therefore, its efficiency should be improved by using appropriate methods.