Journal of Behdasht dar Arseh (i.e., Health in the Field)

Background and Aims: Municipal landfill leachate is toxic due to its complex organic and inorganic compounds,demonstrating a high potential for pollution. Estimating the leachate pollution index (LPI) is crucial for predicting the long-term effects of leachate on the environment and for proposing suitable management and treatment solutions. Therefore, this study investigates the leachate pollution index (LPI) of the municipal waste landfill in Sanandaj.
Materials and Methods: Six samples from the leachate storage pond situated downstream of Sanandaj municipal landfill were collected during the winter and spring seasons. Physicochemical analyses were conducted to determine the characteristics of the leachate. The leachate pollution index was calculated and evaluated based on 18 parameters, including pH, TDS, BOD, COD, TKN, NH4, Fe, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, As, phenolic compounds, chloride, cyanide, and total coliform bacteria. Ethical and research considerations were taken into account at all stages of the study.
Results: The findings of this study revealed elevated concentrations of pH, COD, BOD, TKN, and NH4 in the leachate from the landfill being studied. Furthermore, the leachate pollution index, calculated from the measured parameters, was determined to be 30.19.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the leachate pollution index of the investigated site was slightly higher as compared to the corresponding values in active landfills; however, it was significantly elevated in comparison to closed landfills and the guideline LPI values for discharge into the environment and surface water. The high LPI indicates that the leachate in question is hazardous and has a high pollution potential, necessitating treatment before being discharged into the environment.

Background and Aims: Hospital staff and in particular waste management personnel are continuously exposed to risks associated with waste. This study aimed to examine the health and safety of waste staff in hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences and to identify the key factors influencing their health.
Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted during 2022 and 2023. A questionnaire was utilized to assess the health and safety of waste staff, and the data were analyzed using SPSS16. The most important factor influencing the health of waste workers was examined using Structural Equation Modeling in SmartPLS v2. All stages of this research were conducted in accordance with ethical and research standards.
Results: The results indicated that 76% of waste staff experienced pain over the past year, and they primarily suffer from musculoskeletal problems (64.3%). To assess the validity and reliability of the structural equation model, two indices—average variance extracted and composite reliability—were utilized, both showed acceptable values for all components of the model. The structural equation model revealed that the type of hospital (P<0.001) is one of the most significant factors influencing the health of waste staff. Respiratory diseases among staff was the most significant difference among hospitals (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The high percentage of back pain and needlestick injuries among waste staff indicates the need for further research in this area. With increasing work experience, the likelihood of respiratory diseases among waste staff also increased; therefore, personal protective equipment, waste staff in hospitals under the supervision of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, especially in public hospitals, should be improved.

Background and Aims: Lack of adequate access to clean water has long been a challenge in the arid areas of Iran. The increased industrial activities accompanied with the consequences of climate change and drought have raised this concern throughout the country. Understanding the spatiotemporal variations in water quality is the first step towards sustainable management of both the quantity and quality of drinking water.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the quality of drinking water in the villages around Yazd city was investigated during 2014 to 2020. In addition to assessing the spatiotemporal trends, the drinking water quality index (DWQI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and heavy metal pollution index (HPI) were determined. Compliance with ethical considerations was maintained throughout all stages of the study implementation.
Results: Based on the results of the temporal trend analysis, turbidity, total dissolved solids, sulfate, and several heavy metals, including mercury, zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium, and manganese, had been increased during the study period. The highest and lowest DWQI indices were recorded in the villages of Shehneh (92.34), and Akramabad (67.48), respectively. Likewise, the villages of Khavidak, Akramabad, and Askarieh exhibited poor water quality in terms of HPI and HEI.
Conclusion: Examining the spatiotemporal changes in drinking water quality revealed that the main source of groundwater pollution in the villages was industrial activities, as the villages near industrial centers had poorer water quality. This finding highlights the necessity for sustainable management of drinking water quality based on a water safety plan in this region.

Background and Aims: Animal bites are a public health problem with economic, social, and psychological consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological and geographical status of animal bites in Kermanshah province.
Materials and Methods: The existing animal bite registration documents of health care centers and the disease prevention department of the University of Medical Sciences during the years 2011-2022 were studied in a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional manner. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (mean, variance, and standard deviation), chi-square, and the Arc GIS software for mapping the geographical distribution. Ethical considerations were taken into account at all stages of the study implementation.
Results: A total of 52,816 animal bites were reported across the province. An increasing trend of animal bite cases was noticed over the studied 12 years. There were no reports of fatalities. Dogs were reported as the most common chasing animal, accounting for 87% of cases, and anatomically, the highest prevalence of injuries had been occurred in the lower limbs (50.42%). Rural residents and those living on the margins were the most affected groups, representing 33.53%. Males constituted 68.75% and females 31.25%. The age group with the highest incidence of injuries in the overall studied population was between 7 and 30 years old, making up 27%. The highest number of bites were reported in summer and spring, while the lowest were in autumn and winter.
Conclusion: Considering the relative prevalence of animal bites in Kermanshah province, examining the spatiotemporal patterns of animal bites and identifying endemic areas, providing targeted educational plans, andintervention programs are necessary to prevent and reduce animal bites, especially in summer and spring, with emphasis on increasing people's awareness and immunizing dogs.

Background and Aims: Hazardous chlorophenol compounds are present in wastewater generated from refineries, pesticide production, and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, the removal of 2, 4-dichlorophenol using a combined method was investigated.
Materials and Methods: In this study, a chemical process, as a pre-treatment, was used to remove pollutants from synthetic wastewater at concentrations of 5–15 mg/L. This was followed by a biological process for further treatment of wastewater. In the chemical process, alum and ferric chloride were used at concentrations of 150–250 mg/L and 150–350 mg/L, respectively. In the biological process, the activated sludge method with suspended and attached growth using the plant Luffa cylindrica was employed as the attached growth. Ethical considerations were taken into account at all stages of the study.
Results: The optimum pH for alum in the chemical process was found to be 3. Similarly, ferric chloride performed well at pH 5 and 7. Also, the optimum concentrations for alum and ferric chloride were 1000 mg/L and 350 mg/L, respectively. The highest removal efficiencies obtained by alum and ferric chloride were respectively 30% and 35% at a concentration of 15 mg 2,4-dichlorophenol per liter. In the biological process, COD removal efficiency was 91% for the combined reactor and 74%, 81% and 86.5% for the reactors containing 5, 10, and 15 mg/L pollutants, respectively. The COD removal efficiency of the combined reactor was 89%, while in the activated sludge with attached growth using Luffa and without chemical treatment, it was 67%.
Conclusion: The activated sludge reactor with attached growth using Luffa cylindrica outperformed the conventional activated sludge in the removal of 2, 4-dichlorophenol.

Background and Aims: Identifying unsafe practices among nurses plays a significant role in preventing accidents. The present study thus aimed to determine the types of unsafe practices, as well as to identify the influencing factors, causes of occurrence, and their relationship with several demographic characteristics of nurses working in the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, the unsafe practices of nurses in the CCU of a hospital were assessed using the unsafe acts sampling method and a checklist of unsafe practices, along with a review of past recorded incidents in the hospital being studied and relevant literature. Ultimately, the percentage of unsafe practices and their relationship with certain demographic variables were evaluated using statistical analyses, including the chi-square test. All stages of this research were conducted in accordance with ethical and research standards.
Results: There observed a significant relationship between the variables of age, work experience, education level, job position, and marital status with unsafe practices (p-value < 0.001). However, no significant association between the type of employment and unsafe practices was noticed. The percentage of unsafe practices was 24.4%, with the lowest percentage (0.3%) related to not administering medications to patients on time, and the highest percentage (8.78%) related to the lack of checking vital signs on the monitor.
Conclusion: Some of the main reasons for unsafe practices among nurses include loose of concentration, forgetfulness, and fatigue due to heavy workloads and a shortage of staff. Given the irreversible risks to the health and safety of both patients and nurses, it is crucial to ensure adequate staffing, provide flexible work schedules, and offer recreational and welfare services.

Background and Aims: Given the high amounts of metals in the paint sludge, the recovery of metals can be seen as an effective and economic method for reducing its pollution. The combination of mechanochemical process and acid digestion may enhance the recovery yield of metals. In this process, milling parameters play a pivotal role in determining the chemical structure of the final products.
Materials and Methods: Paint sludge samples were milled at three speeds of 150, 250, and 350 rpm for 2, 4 and 6 hours. Two weight ratios of ball-to-sample, i.e., 10 and 20 also was worked out. The milled samples were then subjected to acid digestion under the same conditions, and the amount of titanium was measured. The data were analyzed using the Taguchi method with Minitab software. Ethical considerations were taken into account at all stages of the study implementation.
Results: Among the milling parameters, ball milling speed showed the greatest impact on increasing titanium recovery, with a contribution of 49%, followed by time and ball-to-sample ratio, with contributions of 34% and 17%, respectively. The optimal milling conditions for achieving the highest recovery were determined to be a speed of 350 rpm, a time of 4 hours, and a ball-to-sample ratio of 20.
Conclusion: Generally, the recovery yield of metals built up by increasing the amount and intensity of milling parameters. However, excessive increases in these parameters may result in the opposite effect and lead to the loss of cost, time, and energy. Therefore, the operating parameters of milling should be optimized, so that the optimal values of speed, time, and the weight ratio of ball-to-sample were obtained here.

Background and Aims: The quality of indoor and outdoor air and its impact on the health of employees and visitors at urban comprehensive health service centers are of great importance in public health studies. This research was conducted with the aim of examining the bioaerosol counts in the indoor and outdoor air of these centers.
Materials and Methods: This study followed a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical approach. The study was conducted in five urban comprehensive health service centers in the metropolis of Tehran over a period of four months, during both the dry and wet seasons. Bioaerosols collection, as well as measurement of suspended particles, UV radiation, ozone, wind speed, temperature, and humidity were carried out using specialized equipment following 120 minutes sampling, which was conducted at a height of 1.5 meters above ground level in both the waiting rooms and the outdoor environment. The counts of biological aerosols were reported in terms of CFU/m³. Ethical considerations were taken into account throughout all stages of the study.
Results: The average colony counts of airborne bacteria and fungi in the waiting rooms of the centers were higher than those in the outdoor air. The average colony counts of airborne bacteria and fungi in the waiting rooms were 86.4 and 1062.1, respectively; while the counts were 89.6 and 1060.1 in the outdoor air, respectively. The presence of microorganisms such as Aspergillus and Penicillium was higher in the waiting rooms compared to other fungi.
Conclusion: The count of bio-aerosols in the centers were different based on the seasonal variables, the density of staff, the number of clients, and the floor area of the waiting room. Proper management of environmental health and attention to the microbial air pollution in the waiting room of health care centers leads to the improved health status of employees and visitors and thus reduces the associated costs.