Iranian Journal of

Background and Objective: By accurately identifying environmental issues, individuals can acquire skills to better solve environmental problems. To this end, the most appropriate method is to assess the educational needs of individuals to pave the way for the promotion of environmental knowledge. The present study aims to assess the need for training courses to empower professionals to increase their knowledge of environmental issues and educate others to take an important step in improving environmental health in society.
Materials and Methods: The present study was a descriptive needs assessment study using Delphi technique. In the first stage, the designed questionnaire was given to 150 people (faculty members, experts and students) to express their opinions in the proposed areas. In the second stage, a supplementary questionnaire entitled General needs for faculty members, specialized needs for experts and general and specialized needs for students were provided to individuals and the importance of the issues from their point of view was examined. Finally, the most important issues were prioritized by experts. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 software.
Results: The total number of educational needs extracted from the first stage of Delphi was 120 items, of which 31 items related to general needs (11 teaching and evaluation areas, 10 research areas and 10 communication and personal development items) and 89 items related to specialized needs. (27 cases of air pollution, 23 cases of waste management, 17 cases of wastewater treatment and reuse of wastewater, 10 cases of water treatment and pollution and 12 cases of soil pollution and its removal methods). In the second and third rounds, the importance of these items was determined by the target groups by scoring, and at the end, the first five priorities of each item were identified.
Conclusion: The results of this study, considering the comprehensive review of three target groups and determining and prioritizing the needs for each group, can increase the level of environmental awareness and empowerment of experts, which ultimately enhance the efficiency of the system and is an important step for environmental educational planning.

Background and Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of potentially toxic elements (arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium and mercury) in black tea imported to southern Iran and to assess the risk of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic exposure to consumers.
Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 94 samples of black tea from 15 brands imported from India in 2021 were selected. Heavy metals concentrations were measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer (GBC model SAVANTAA). After determining the concentration of heavy metals in black tea samples, health risk assessment was determined using Montocarlo simulation technique.
Results: According to the results, the average concentrations of heavy metals namely arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium and mercury were 0.03±0.02, 0.02±0.16, 15.67±7.69, 0.02±0.01 and 0.006±0.005 mg/kg, respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) of the heavy metals arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium and mercury were 1.07×10^-2, 6.37×10^-3, 3.45×10^-5, 2.05×10^-2 and 7.19×10^-4, respectively.
Conclusion: Therefore, according to the findings, it can be concluded that the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (arsenic, lead, copper, mercury and cadmium) in black tea were consistent with the standard level of Iran and World Health Organization. Additionally, the average carcinogenic risk index for arsenic metal was 4.49×10^-6, which is much lower than the acceptable level of carcinogenic risk (10^-6). Therefore, the concentrations of five potentially toxic elements in the studied black tea did not show any significant risk for consumers.
 

Background and Objective: This study aimed to provide an effective electro-catalytic system for the simultaneous reduction of nitrate and disinfection of contaminated water by the electro-catalytic performance of Ni-Fe/Fe₃O₄ cathode.
Materials and Methods: At first, the Ni-Fe electrode was synthesized by the electro-deposition process. Then its physical properties were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and photoelectron X-ray spectroscopy (XPS). Simultaneous disinfection and reduction of nitrate were performed under the following conditions: 15 mg Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, pH 6.5, NaCl 10 mM, 50 mg/L nitrate, 10⁵ CFU/mL and current density 4 mA/cm².
Results: According to the results obtained in the absence of nitrate, 100 % of Escherichia coli bacteria were disinfected after 12 minutes. In the presence of nitrate, the time of complete disinfection increased to 120 minutes. In the absence of bacteria, 83% of nitrate was removed in 240 minutes, and in the presence of bacteria, the nitrate reduction efficiency increased slightly to 88%. In the nitrate reduction process, nitrite (0.22 mg/L) and ammonium (3.6 mg/L) were produced. In the presence of bacteria, the amounts of nitrite and ammonium produced increased to 0.42 mg/L and 7.3 mg/L.
Conclusion: The results show the outstanding ability of Ni-Fe/Fe₃O₄ electrode in electro-catalytic reduction of nitrate and disinfection of contaminated water separately and simultaneously with high efficiency and high selectivity to nitrogen.

Background and Objective: Today, cigarette butts have become one of the most significant forms of waste. This study aims to assess the level of cigarette butts pollution along the Guilan coasts and explore the factors influencing their distribution. Additionally, this study discusses experiences and management options related to this issue.
Materials and Methods: In this study, we implemented a standard sampling method adapted from the "NOAA Marine Debris Program" to collect samples from eight beaches. Each station yielded 18 square quadrant measuring 1 × 1 m². We estimated the severity of cigarette butt pollution along the Iranian coastline and conducted a review of published articles on the harmful effects of cigarette butts.
Results: The density of cigarette butts ranged from 0.22 to 2.11 items/m². Bojagh National Park showed the lowest contamination of cigarette butts, while Bandar Anzali exhibited the highest. The results indicate an increase in cigarette butt pollution on beaches in densely populated cities compared to less developed coastal areas. Moreover, stations corresponding to tourist beaches and coasts with gentle slopes have a higher potential for cigarette butt accumulation. The level of cigarette butts pollution along the coasts of Bandar Anzali may be attributed to the extensive tourism activities on these beaches.
Conclusion: Given the high level of cigarette butt pollution on crowded coasts, it is imperative to identify beaches with a higher potential for waste accumulation and implement plans for coastal waste cleanup. Furthermore, effective management programs should be developed to promote cultural awareness and reduce cigarette butt contamination.