Iranian Journal of

Background and Objective: Chahnimeh water reservoirs in Sistan and Baluchestan Province are the most important sources for drinking water and irrigation purposes. Many factors such as precipitation, the geography of the watershed, atmosphere, geology and Human activities affect on the chemical, physical, and biological compositions of Chahnimeh water reservoirs. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to monitor and assess water quality in four Chahnimeh reservoirs during two sampling periods.
Materials and Methods: 84 water samples were taken based on the standard methods (in September 2017 and April 2018) for measurement of the most important physicochemical parameters including major anions, total coliform, BOD, EC, TDS, pH and nitrate. Water quality index (WQI) was used to evaluate the overall water quality status in the Chahnimeh reservoirs.
Results:  The results of hydro-geochemical analysis indicated that the water type changed from sodic bicarbonate and sulfur dioxide to radicle chloride during sampling periods. The Gibbs chart showed that weathering of rocks mainly controlled the chemistry of the main water ions. The results of statistical analyses revealed that there was a high correlation between parameters such as chlorophyll, nitrate, sulfate and chlorine with water quality index. Water quality zoning results based on the WQI index indicated a decrease in the water quality of the wells by 3, 2, 1, and 4, respectively.
Conclusion: In this study, the use of WQI was helpful for fast data interpretation for drinking water purposes in the area. Based on the WQI classification, majority of the samples are falling under good to poor water category.
 

Background and Objective: Increasing the level of health awareness of food preparation and distribution staff can have a direct impact on improving the level of public health in the community. Education can change people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Health education courses that provide integrated education as well as to other education systems, include educational inputs, processes, and outputs. The objective of this research is to evaluate these elements of the educational system of health education courses in Shiraz.
Materials and Methods: The current study evaluated the educational input, process, and output of 7 current health education institutions in Shiraz. Factors that influence the input of educational courses were evaluated using an inspection checklist of health education courses, the educational process was measured employing a satisfaction survey, and the educational output was assessed through a checklist of inspection of Article 13 of the Regulations. The health performance of 160 guild health certified units and 160 uncertified education units was analyzed as a criterion for effectiveness. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS21 software. Data related to the assessment of the input and educational process were analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric statistical tests were also used for cross-group comparisons of output evaluation data.
Results: The findings of the educational input evaluation showed a strong correlation and a significant relationship between the overall evaluation score of the educational courses and the "observation" (0.96) "educational course principal" (0.94). Also, in the process evaluation, the "educational environment" and "general educational programs" with correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.84 had the most correlation with the overall process evaluation score. In all the health fields studied, there was a significant difference (p = 0.001) between the average score obtained for educational courses with and without certificates. There was a significant difference (p <0.0001) between the mean score obtained by public health with and without health certification. The average score obtained by the certified public and non-public places was 91.81 and 70.71, respectively.
Conclusion: Health education can have a major impact on people's health performance. Some of the elements that make up the educational output have a greater impact on achieving the desired educational output. For example, the revision and updating of the educational content and the development of the educational program according to all groups of learners can improve the performance of the learning process and the satisfaction of learners.
 

Background and Objective: The rapid development of technology in recent decades has led to a significant increase in the consumption of electronic products, with global e-waste generation reaching approximately 2.5 million tons per year. However, there is limited local data on the amount of e-waste produced. This study aims to estimate the quantity and composition of valuable and hazardous components in e-waste generated by households and government offices in Abadeh Tashk.
Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was used to determine the number of 27 types of electrical and electronic equipment present in 200 households and 40 government offices in Abadeh Tashk city in 2022. The production of e-waste was then estimated using the consumption-and-use method, based on the average weight and lifespan of the equipment. Valuable components such as iron, copper, aluminum, plastic, silver, gold, tin, and zinc, along with hazardous components including cobalt, barium, arsenic, antimony, chromium, nickel, lead, and mercury, were identified and quantified.
Results: It was estimated that households generated 25 kg/year of e-waste per household, equivalent to 7.9 kg/year per capita. Government offices produced a total of 3.53 tons/year of e-waste. The total weight of valuable components was 574.85 kg for households and 24.41 kg for government offices, while the total weight of hazardous components was estimated at 25.99 kg and 1.07 kg, respectively. Iron and plastic accounted for more than 70% of the valuable components, while arsenic and lead constituted over 60% of the hazardous components in these wastes.
Conclusion: Considering the significant presence of valuable components in the e-waste of Abadeh Tashk city and the potential for their recycling, as well as the environmental and health risks posed by hazardous components, effective planning for e-waste management is essential. Such efforts could mitigate adverse effects on human health and the environment while promoting resource recovery.
 

Background and Objective: Microplastic pollution is recognized as a major environmental threat, and individuals’ Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors play a crucial role in its prevention. This study aimed to assess the levels of Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviors of students at Khoy University of Medical Sciences toward microplastic pollution.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among students of Khoy University of Medical Sciences. All enrolled students (n = 550) were invited to participate using a voluntary census-based approach, of whom 400 completed the questionnaire. After excluding incomplete responses, data from 372 participants were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire comprising demographic characteristics and a researcher-developed instrument assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the prevention of microplastic pollution. Content validity was confirmed using the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI), and reliability was established through test–retest analysis (ICC = 0.78) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83–0.95). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and ordinal logistic regression in STATA version 15.
Results: The findings indicated that students’ levels of knowledge and preventive behaviors were predominantly moderate, while their attitudes toward preventing microplastic pollution were mostly positive. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of knowledge (OR = 3.98, 95% CI = 1.91–8.28)and positive attitudes (OR = 14.96, 95% CI = 7.26–30.83) significantly increased the likelihood of engaging in preventive behaviors. In addition, younger age (OR = 9.41, 95% CI = 1.26–7.29), being married (OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 3.33–26.52), higher maternal educational level (OR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.24–7.17), and father's employment status (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.02–2.73) were identified as demographic factors effective in promoting preventive behaviors.
Conclusion: The results suggest that enhancing Knowledge and fostering positive attitudes considerably improve preventive behaviors against microplastic pollution among students. Therefore, implementing targeted educational programs focusing on increasing knowledge and strengthening positive attitudes is essential for promoting preventive practices and mitigating the environmental impacts of microplastics.