Iranian Journal of

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Backgound and Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate water consumption, domestic wastewater generation and organic matter concentration, based on both, economical income and meteorological temperature.
Materials and Methods: The method of this study is descriptive and analytical. A checklist was used to collect data on economical income. Water consumption was obtained based on water bills. Wastewater generation and organic matter such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) per capita/ day were measured every four hours, during a day in three regions of Kermanshah city: Kasra, Ellaheiah and Taavon.
Results: Comparing water consumption in winter and summer showed significant difference in three regions, mentioned above. The water consumption was (398 ± 75, 291 ± 48 and 188 ± 50) for warm climate and (200 ± 25, 188 ± 35 and 140 ± 41) for three regions respectively in cold weather. In spite of an apparent difference in BOD in three regions, it was not significant statistically. Water consumption has strongly considerable relationship with economical income (r =0.988, P_value <0.001), while the generated wastewater in these regions were not different, statistically for warmclimate (220 ± 60, 204 ± 15 and 170 ±34), and in cold weather (170 ± 21, 158 ± 31 and 112 ±29), also the generated wastewater did not have considerable difference in cold climate. This study confirms that, the effects of these two parameters, i.e.monthly economical income and environmental temperature on water consumption, generated wastewater and biodegradable organic loading per capita/day is considerable. It was concluded that water consumption and wastewater generations were much more in warm climate than in cold weather.
Conclusion: Finally through this study the estimation of water consumption, wastewater generation and BOD concentration becomes possible, which is beneficial for establishment of water consumption.

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Backgrounds and Objectives:The food handling employee education program improves food safety. Determining knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) level of workers who prepare, distribute and sale the food products make easy to control food safety. This study aimed to evaluate effects of intensive food safety education course on KAP of food handlers. in Kermanshah.
Materials andMethods: Knowledge, attitude and practice of 370workers of variety of food handling fields were studied before and after educational intervention course.Avalidated questionnaire about knowledge, attitude based on instruction from Ministry of Health and Medical Sciences for food handling was used for data collection. Paired t-test and Χ² were applied for statistical analysis.
Results: The results showed positive effects of education program on KAP of food handlers. There was significant increase in knowledge marks before and after intervention, 20.5+ 4.03 vs. 23.73 + 3.75 (p<0.001).Attitude and practice of participants were increased significantly before 107.2+14.6 43.93+7.6 compared to after 112.23+14.5 46.11+8 intervention respectively (p<0.001). The most increased mark of KAP was belonged to 21-30 years age group.
Conclusion: Our findings confirm that educational intervention improved KAP of food handlers. To increase food safety, running periodical educational courses for the same filed workers with final exam and providing certificate highly recommended.

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Background and Objectives: Linear alkyl benzene sulfonates are widely used as surfactants in formulated detergent products. Because of their use in household and industrial detergents, LAS is discharged into wastewater collection systems and subsequently entered to wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, it is important to determine the concentration of LAS with accuracy. They are usually determined by standard method which is time-consuming,tedious and requires great quantities of chloroform. IN 2006 E.Jurado et al proposed a simplified method for measurement of LAS. In the present work the standard method and E.Jurado simplified method was compared economically.
Material and Methods: In this work NPV method was used for accounting the cost of initial investment, consumable material, non-consumable equipment and annual cost of staff and finally Net Present Value was calculated for them separately. The rate of interest was considered 15%.
Results: calculation showed initial investment, annual cost of staff and materials for standard method 13351981, 499968 and 1710981 RLS, respectively. And these costs for simplified method were 12048202, 83328 and 58202 RLS, respectively. Finally NPV for standard method and simplified method were equal to 30360709 and 14681848 RLS.
Conclusion: The method proposed by E.Jurdo et al is simple, time consuming and more economical than standard method .This technique can be suggested applying to the routine measurement of LAS in wastewater treatment plants.

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Background and Objectives: Microbial quality, particularly parasitic characteristics in terms of effluent reuse in agriculture is one of the most important indices. The aim of this study is determination of removal efficiency of Kermanshah wastewater treatment(conventional activated sludge) and Gilangharb wastewater treatment plants (stabilization ponds) for cyst and parasitic eggs.
Material and Methods: In this study research samples were taken once in five days from both inlet and outlet of wastewater Plants within a period of five months. The identification and counting of cyst and parasitic eggs were carried out by Mac master slide according to Bailenger method.
Results: The findings shows that mean of parasitic eggs and protozoan cysts in effluent of Kermanshah wastewater treatment plant were 0.99±0.42 and 0.90±0.25 per liter respectively, indeed removal efficiency for parasitic eggs and cysts are %98.42±3 and %97.5±4.5 respectively, but, any parasitic eggs and protozoan cysts in Gilangharb wastewater treatment plant was not observed and removal efficiency of these tow parameters was %100. Ascaris lumbricoides eggs had most number in influent and effluent of both plants.
Conclusion: As results show, removal efficiency for cysts and parasitic eggs in both above mentioned are desirable, and the quality of effluent treatment plant of both the rate of nematode eggs Anglbrg index (number of nematode eggs: 1 " number per liter) is consistent.

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MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background and Objectives: Phenol is one of the aromatic compounds, which due to its high toxicity and its presence in the industrial effluents, should be removed and prevented it, to the receiving water resources. The natural biological plant has been accepted as one of the most feasible, eco-friendly and cost-effective options for the treatment of pollutants such as Phenol. The aim of this study is efficiency evaluation of the anaerobic stabilization pond performance in removing phenol and other organic compounds from Kermanshah oil refinery wastewater.
Materials and Methods: The method of study was experimental and analytical, a laboratory scale anaerobic stabilization pond, with dimensions of 1 × 1 × 0/2 m, using fiberglass sheet with a thickness of 6 mm was designed and built up. In this study The hydraulic retention time and hydraulic loading rate were expected 2 days and 95 liters per day respectively. Organic loading rate for anaerobic pond was 100 g/m³. After starting, seeding and biological stability, samples were taken. Initial phenol concentration was added about of 100 mg/l to pilot input, then the parameters such as NH₃, PO₄ and Phenol were measured by Varian spectrophotometer model UV-120-02 in the wavelength 425, 690, 500 nm respectively.  TCOD, SCOD, TBOD, SBOD, pH and ORP were measured according to the standard methods of water and wastewater.
Results: The results showed that the removal efficiency of NH₃, PO₄, phenol, TCOD, SCOD, TBOD, SBOD in the anaerobic pond were obtained 91.51%, 64.34%, 89.82% 74.99 % 73.34% 71.75%, 68.9% respectively.
Conclusion: The results showed that the ability for phenol and other organic compounds removal in anaerobic pond using petroleum refinery wastewater is higher than the other systems which are expensive and complex.

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A MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background and Objectives: Biological effects of non-ionizing radiation on the body of living organisms have been studied by researchers in recent years. High Voltage medical equipments are one of the sources generating electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic field intensity of the medical equipment installed at Hamadan hospitals and the potential hazards were investigated. The main purpose of this study was to determine the intensity of the electromagnetic field around high voltage power supplies in radiology ward of the Hamadan hospitals.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and we investigated the electromagnetic fields intensity around high voltage power supplies at Hamadan hospital wards. All measurements were performed using a calibrated Tesla-meter (HI-3603). The measurements were conducted at a range of distances varying from 25 cm to 3 m around the supporting high voltage power supply.
Results: We found that the maximum intensity of the magnetic and electric fields at a distance of less than 1 m around the high voltage power supply was 29.625±5.738 mGauss and 25.17±0.92 V/m respectively, which is less than the safe amounts recommended by the ICNIRP for occupational exposure (5000 mG and 10000 V/m) and even for public exposure (1000 mG and and 5000 V/m). The minimum intensity of EM fields for a less than 3 m distance was found to be 0.1±0.005 mGauss, which relates to a CT-scanner system installed at Farshchian hospital. Among the whole equipments evaluated in the current survey, the most intense magnetic and electric field was found to be for imaging technician office, which was 3.050±0.004 mGauss and 128.88±0.05 V/m respectively it is lower than the tolerances recommended by the ICNIRP.
Conclusion: According to our results, it seems that the EM field occupational exposure for radiation workers working at Hamadan hospitals does not exceed the tolerances recommended by the ICNIRP. Therefore, we did not find any issue related to the over-irradiation of non-ionizing among the radiologists studied. It is recommended that different brands of generators to be used in order to conduct a detailed and comprehensive study to compare the intensity of the electrical and magnetic fields.

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Background and objectives: Nitrate and nitrite threaten the human health. According to recent research works, one of the great sources of exposure to nitrate and nitrite in human diet is vegetables. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of drying and frying processes on nitrate and nitrite levels in abundant vegetables. Materials and methods: In this descriptive – analytical study, 180 vegetable samples were taken randomly from Kermanshah markets. Nitrite and nitrate concentration was determined by Greece- Ilosoay method. Then, freezing and boiling processes were carried out on samples and again, nitrite and nitrate levels were measured. The mean differences were analyzed using ANOVA and SPSS program. Results: the concentrations of nitrate and nitrite were significantly different (p<0.5) in terms of vegetable type, storage process, or consumption. As average, frying and drying process led to increase nitrite and nitrate levels in the vegetables except Garlic chives. Frying process and drying process decreased the nitrite levels by 13 and 52% respectively, while in the case of nitrate, it was 29 and 25% respectively. Conclusion: Reducing nitrite and nitrate levels does not occur in frying and drying processing in vegetables. Therefore, it is essential to study other methods of processing or control of nitrate and nitrite levels in the vegetables. It is crucial to monitor and control the quality of this product and studying other food processing because of the daily intake of vegetables and potential risks of nitrate and nitrite accumulation and its association with some illnesses and gastrointestinal tract cancers. .

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Background and Objectives: Phenol is a toxic and persistent substance in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of silica aerogel synthesized using sodium silicate in the adsorption of phenol from aqueous solutions.

Material and Method: Silica aerogel was prepared by Sol-Gel process. The influence of effective variables such contact time, initial pH of the solution, adsorbent dose, and initial phenol concentration on the adsorption efficiency was investigated. The characterization of prepared silica aerogel and confirmation of phenol adsorption was determined through SEM, XRD analysis and NMR, FTIR spectra respectively. The adsorption data was evaluated via Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetics.

Results: This research found that the phenol adsorption efficiency increased by increasing pH from 3 to 11, so that after 60 min, the absorption efficiency at the 100 mg/L initial phenol concentration and 0.5 g adsorbent obtained 84 and 96.4 % at pH 3 and 11, respectively. The SEM image and XRD patternof synthesized silica aerogel confirmed the creation of porous and amorphous structure. After the phenol absorption, the NMR and FTIR spectra of silica aerogel, confirmed the creation of new bands because of phenol molecule at the adsorbent structure. The absorption of phenol was compatible with Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic. The maximum absorption capacity (q_m) obtained was 47.39 mg/g.

Conclusion: Silica aerogel as an adsorbent, due to special characteristics in the structure and usage, can be a promising treatment process for adsorption of toxic and persistent substances.

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