Showing 28 results for Rahimi
F Mohammadi, S Rahimi, Z Yavari,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (3-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In this work, biosorption of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution with excess municipal sludge was studied. Moreover, the performance of neural networks to predict the biosorption rate was investigated.
Materials and Methods: The effect of operational parameters including initial metal concentration, initial pH, agitation speed, adsorbent dosage, and agitation time on the biosorption of chromium was assessed in a batch system. A part of the experimental results was modeled using Feed-Forward Back propagation Neural Network (FFBP-ANN). Another part of the test results was simulated to assess the model accuracy. Transfer function in the hidden layers and output layers and the number of neurons in the hidden layers were optimized.
Results: The maximum removal of chromium obtained from batch studies was more than 96% in 90 mg/L initial concentration, pH 2, agitation speed 200 rpm and adsorbent dosage 4 g/L. Maximum biosorption capacity was 41.69 mg/g. Biosorption data of Cr(VI) are described well by Freundlich isotherm model and adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second order model. Tangent sigmoid function determined was the most appropriate transfer function in the hidden and output layer. The optimal number of neurons in hidden layers was 13. Predictions of model showed excellent correlation (R=0.984) with the target vector. Simulations performed by the developed neural network model showed good agreement with experimental results.
Conclusion: Overall, it can be concluded that excess municipal sludge performs well for the removal of Cr ions from aqueous solution as a biological and low cost biosorbent. FFBP-ANN is an appropriate technique for modeling, estimating, and prediction of biosorption process If the Levenberg-Marquardt training function, tangent sigmoid transfer function in the hidden and output layers and the number of neurons is between 1.6 to 1.8 times the input data, proper predication results could be achieved.
B Nadalian, M Shahriari Mogadam, G.h Ebrahimipour, B Nadalian,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (3-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Organophosphate pesticides are used most commonly for domestic, commercial, and agricultural purposes and have been found to be highly toxic. In essence, bioremediation has become one of the most important tools for removing these compounds in the environment, considering its higher efficiency when compared with the physicochemical methods.
Materials and Methods: The biodegradation efficiency of two bacterial strains (i.e. Serratia marcescens BNA1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa BNA2) were assessed. In order to evaluate Malathion biodegradation, each sample was cultured on mineral salts medium containing Malathion as a sole carbon source. Malathion biodegradation efficiency of the strains was monitored in different culture media. The ability of bacterial isolates to degrade Malathion was studied using gas chromatography.
Results: Serratia marcescens BNA1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa BNA2 were able to degrade Malathion. Biodegradation percentage in different treatments recorded were: BNA1+Ma (33.88%), BNA2+MA (26.45%), BNA1+BNA2+Ma (46/96%), BNA1+Ma+Tween (61.05%), BNA2+Ma+Tween (40.17%), and BNA1+BNA2+Ma+ Tween (67.79%).
Conclusion: It could be speculated that the best degradation efficiency can be yielded using mixture of strains plus a surfactant. The results of this study can be used in the bioremediation of Malathion contaminate soil after doing the pilot experiments.
A Ebrahimi, M.h Ehrampoush, H Hashemi, M Dehvari,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (6-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Predicting municipal solid waste generation has an important role in solid waste management. The aim of this study was to predict municipal solid waste generation in Isfahan through time series method and system dynamics modeling.
Materials and Methods: Verified data of solid waste generation was collected from Waste Management Organization and population information was collected from the National Statistics Center, Iran for the period 1996-2011. Next, the effect of factors on solid waste generation such as population, urbanization, gross domestic product was investigated. Moreover, the relationship between each of these factors was identified using generalized estimating equation model. Finally, the quantity of the solid waste generated in Isfahan city was predicted using system dynamics modeling by Vensim software and time series method by ARMA technique.
Results: It was found that population and gross domestic product have a significant relationship with the amount of solid waste with P value 0.026 and 0 respectively. The annual average of municipal solid waste generation would be 1501.4 ton/day in 2021 estimated by the time series method and 1436 ton/day estimated by the system dynamics modeling. In addition, average annual growth rate achieved was 3.44%.
Conclusion: According to the results obtained, population and gross domestic product have a significant effect on MSW generation. Municipal solid waste generation will increase in future. Increasing solid waste is not the same in different areas and methods. The prediction of the time series method by ARMA technique gives precise results compared with other methods.
M Jalili, M Mokhtari, Aa Ebrahimi, F Boghri,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (12-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objective: About 1.35×105 tons of pistachio waste are produced in annually Iran that can result in environmental problems if managed improperly. . The purpose of this study was to investigate in-vessel composting of pistachio residuals with addition of cow manure and dewatered sludge as a recycling alternative.
Materials and Methods: Pistachios wastes were combined with weight ratio of 5.5:10 (dewatered sludge: pistachio waste) and weight ratio of 1:10 (Cow manure: pistachio waste) to achieve the carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25:1. The parameters measured were pH, EC, percentage of moisture, total and volatile solids, ash, organic carbon, temperature, and phenol. The 20th edition of SPSS software was used for t-test statistical analysis and comparing the results with standards and Microsoft Excel 2007 was used for drawing the plots.
Results: During the 60-days process of in-vessel composting of pistachio residuals with addition of cow manure, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen reduced from 25:1 to 13:1, dewatered sludge from 25:1 to 14:1; phenol amount in cow maneuver decreased from 4980 to 254 ppm and in dewatered sewage sludge from 6100 to 254 ppm. The maximum temperature in cow manure and dewatered sewage sludge treatments in the composting process reached to 51.9 and 48.9 ˚C respectively.
Conclusion: Results showed that the produced compost with cow manure has a higher fertilizing value compared with the dewatered sewage sludge due to its better organic degradation.
M Ahmadi-Pirlou, M Ebrahimi-Nik, M Khojastehpour, Sh Ebrahimi,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (3-2017)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Solid waste management has always been one of the major challenges of large cities. Conversion of waste to energy in the form of biogas is known to be an appropriate solution. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of total solids (TS) content and alkaline pretreatment on biogas production from municipal solid waste (MSW).
Materials and Methods: Experiments were done in 1 L glass bottles at 37 °C with different TS contents (5, 10, and 15%), each in 3 replications based on a completely randomized design. Comparison of means was used for interpretations of the result. The volume of the produced biogas, the amount of methane, and changes in pH were measured on a daily basis. In order for better mixing, the digesters were manually shaken for 30 seconds every day. TS, volatile solids (VS), carbon and nitrogen of the feedstock were determined according to APHA standard methods.
Results: The highest methane yield and VS reduction was observed in 5% TS. Therefore, this TS was chosen for alkaline pre-treatment. The results showed that pre-treatment with NaOH significantly improved biodegradability of MSW. In 25 days, the production of biogas was 30.38% higher than that of the untreated digester. The highest methane yield was 83.35 mL/g TS and 132 mL/g TS from the control and the pretreated digesters, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of the lab experiments showed that the TS of 5 % and the alkaline pre-treatment, significantly improved biodegradability of MSW and consequently increased biogas and methane yield.
H Adab, A Atabati, R Esmaili, Gh Zolfaghari, M Ebrahimi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Optimum number of air quality monitoring stations in Mashhad is an essential task for management of the urban environment. However, real monitoring and accurate information on the status of air quality require proper spatial distribution of air quality monitoring stations in the city of Mashhad. The aim of the present study was to determine optimum site locations for air quality monitoring, including Downtown Pedestrain Exposure Station, Downtown Background Exposure Station, and Residential Population Exposure Station by three Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques.
Materials and Methods: In the precent study, sites for new air quality monitoring stations t in Mashhad were determined based on a proposed protocol in the United States. Accordingly, the criteria effective for site selection such as population density, distance from existing stations, vicinity to vegitation, vehicle density and other factors were used by applying Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Fuzzy set, and Probability Density Function (PDF).
Results: Location similarity of the sites proposed by decision making methods was evaluated to know its reliability. The compactness of distribution of the proposed sites were compared by applying spatial statistic methods auch as Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) and Standard. The results from ANN indicated that fuzzy set mapped the suggested sites was fully scattered within the entire city of Mashhad and was statistically significant at 99% confidence level. The PDF method also offered the same spatial pattern as fuzzy set. Overall results of this study indicated spatial optimization of suggested sites location for fuzzy set and PDF.
Conclusion: The overall results of the decision-making methods used in this study indicated that it is necessary to increase number of air quality monitoring stations at Northwest of Mashhad due to the urban growth in the city. The results also showd the possibility of using Probability Density Function (PDF) as a method of decision-making in GIS for locating and ranking of new air quality monitoring stations.
Ma Ebrahimi-Nik, S Ghanbari Azad Pashaki, M Khojastehpour, A Rohani,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Background and Objective: In recent years, management and disposal of municipal solid waste has become a global problem and the most important environmental concern. Anaerobic digestion is a cost-effective solution for treatment of both solid waste and wastewater. The aim of this study was to investigate the positive or negative effects of calcium chloride content in anaerobic digestion process of municipal solid waste and leachate on biogas production.
Materials and Methods: Experiments with 8 levels of calcium chloride on co-digestion of municipal solid waste and leachate were investigated in 500 ml digesters under mesophilic conditions in a completely randomized design with three replications. Reactors with a ratio of substrate to inoculum of 2 (on VS basis) were operated and the volume of the biogas was measured daily. Volatile and total solids, carbon/nitrogen of waste, COD, BOD and heavy metals were measured by following APHA.
Results: The results of the experiment showed that the pH was decreased with increasing calcium chloride concentration. The highest amount of cumulative biogas production was obtained in CaCl2 of 2 g/L with the highest VS and TS reduction. Higher concentrations of CaCl2 (≥3 g/L) caused a reduction in the degradability of volatile and total solids and, as a result, a decreased performance of the digester.
Conclusion: The results clearly confirmed that the addition of calcium chloride was an effective solution to improve biodegradability in co-digestion of the MSW and leachate and consequently to reduce the total and volatile solids and to increase the amount of biogas.
R Salmasi, A Behbahaninia, Ar Ostadrahimi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (9-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Heavy metals fixation in-situ by using inorganic amendments is a method for immobilization of polluted soils. The goal of this research was to determine efficiency of five amendments for heavy metals fixation of waste-water-irrigated soils around Tabriz city.
Materials and Methods: Cadmium, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn- containing solutions were added to 0.5 gram of five amendments including calcite, hematite, zeolite, illite, and bentonite. 10 soil samples from around of Tabriz city were taken. After shaking the samples, the concentrations of the five elements were determined in the filtered solution by using atomic absorption instrument. Retention capacity percentages of these elements were calculated, and the best amendments were determined by using Dunkan method.
Results: There were differences of heavy metals retention between amendments. Calcite had the highest retention of Cd (91%), Ni (78%), and Zn (94.7%); hematite had the highest Cu (90.5%) and Pb (94.3%); and illite showed the lowest retention of the 5 elements. Calcite, zeolite, bentonite, and hematite had significant higher retention capacities of Cd, Ni, and Zn in compared to 10 the soil samples.
Conclusion: Among the studied amendments, retention capacities of calcite and hematite for the five elements were higher than the remaining ones for addition to the soil. These two amendments can cause low uptake and low accumulation of the elements in agricultural crops in polluted soils.
R Dehghan, S Abdolahi, M Rahimi, F Nejad Koorki, M Amini,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (12-2019)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Due to the increasing growth of urbanization, vehicles are one of the most important environmental causes of air pollution in today's world.. With the increasing problems of air pollution and its environmental consequences due to lack of compliance with standards in manufacturing cars and their fuel consumption, awareness of the exhaust of cars and its comparison with environmental protection standards and technical examination is essential for controlling and reducing air pollution. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim of studying and comparing the amount of CO, CO2 and HC emissions from light vehicle exhausts in the period of 1383-1389 based on technical and environmental inspection standards in Shiraz. Also, the relationship between the year of construction of the car and the amount of output of these pollutants was discussed.
Materials and Methods: In this research, the amount of exhaust emissions (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and uncured hydrocarbons) from the exhaust of 858 vehicles included models Peugeot 206, GLX and Pars that were referred to the technical examination center during 5 months in Shiraz between the years 1383-1389 was investigated. Also, the relationship between the year of production and the amount of output of these pollutants was studied. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and Microsoft Excel software was used for drawing graphs.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant and negative correlation between the year of manufacture of the vehicle and the reduction of CO and HC. As the year of construction increases, the amount of pollutants is decreasing. Also, this relationship was positive and significant between the year of manufacture and CO2. Also, the exhaust pollutants (CO and CO2) from the Peugeot GLX exhaust system were lower than Peugeot Pars and 206, and the lowest amount of HC was observed in Peugeot 206.
Conclusion: In general, the exhaust emissions of all three cars were at the standard Euro 2 and technical examination.
Faezeh Kamal, Reza Fouladi Fard, Azam Sabahi Hoveida, Zabihollah Gharlipour, Nayereh Rezaie Rahimi,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (9-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objective: The most important first step in promoting environmental performance is identifying and evaluating environmental behavior. In this regard the measuring tool is considered an environmental behavior questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire before its application is essential. Thus this research was conducted with the aim of assessing the validity and reliability of questionnaires.
Materials and Methods: The environmental behavior questionnaire containing 36 questions was designed using the literature review and expert panel opinions. Then, the validity of the questionnaire was assessed by content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) and its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient by 14 experts and 40 target groups. Finally, data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software.
Results: The results showed that the questionnaire with 36 items had CVI and CVR of 0.896 and 0.726, respectively, and 4 items should be excluded from the questionnaire due to non-compliance with content validity indices. The questionnaire exhibited high internal consistency and hence was acceptable owing to the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.85.
Conclusion: The questionnaire was designed to evaluate environmental performance of citizens and can be cited in future studies.
Moslem Rahimi, Maryam Mohammadi Rouzbahani, Khoshnaz Payandeh, Ahad Nazarpour, Ebrahim Panahpour,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (9-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Due to the spread of dusty air and the transfer of these particles to the cities of Khuzestan province, it is very important to study the status of these particles in terms of heavy metal pollution and their pollution status.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Mn, Mg and Fe in the air of 4 cities of Khuzestan province (Ahvaz, Dezful, Mahshahr and Abadan) in dusty and dust-free conditions over a period of 9 months (autumn, winter and spring) were measured in 2018-2019. Due to the spread of dusty air and the transfer of these particles to the cities of Khuzestan province, it is very important to study the status of these particles in terms of heavy metal pollution and their pollution status.
Results: 48 samples in contaminated conditions and 48 samples in non-contaminated conditions were collected at the specific points and exact times using a High Volume sampling pump with a flow rate of 110 L/min for 6 hours. Metal concentrations were measured using ICP. Except for Ni, Mn and Mg, the mean concentration of other studied metals were higher at dusty conditions as compared with their values in non-dusty conditions (p < 0.05). In dusty and non-dusty air conditions the order of heavy metals based on their concentrations were obtained as following: Zn> Mg> Mn> Ni> Cr> Pb> Fe> Cu and Mg> Mn> Ni> Pb> Fe> Cr, respectively. This result shows that the origin of zinc and copper metals and the increase in chromium concentration in polluted air are due to the entering of dust and pollution transfer from the outside area into cities. The cities of Ahvaz, Dezful, Mahshahr and Abadan were highly enriched in terms of heavy metals pollution either in dusty or non-dusty conditions.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that despite low concentration of heavy metals in airborne dust particles in clear and dusty air, high health risks of metals such as zinc in cities of Khuzestan province, especially Mahshahr are probable. Further investigation showed that particles are generally derived from intra-city or provincial activities, which call for more attention due to the drought conditions that attributes to more dust formation.
Alireza Rahimi, Nabi Shariatifar, Ali Heshmati,
Volume 14, Issue 3 (12-2021)
Abstract
Background and Objective: The Pesticides used in agriculture have caused great concern due to their adverse effects on human health. In this study, the effect of rinsing, crushing, filtering, clarifying with bentonite and pasteurization on the reduction of diazinon, ethion and phosalone during Asari grape juice was investigated.
Materials and Methods: Vineyard was sprayed during three growth stages before flowering, sour grape (ghooreh) and during grape ripening with phosalone, diazinon, ethion and in doses of 525, 600, 750 g of active substance per hectare, respectively. Twenty-four hours after the last spraying step, the grape sample was harvested and exposed to the process of rinsing (20-30 s), crushing, filtering, clarifying and pasteurizing. Then, the pesticides residue concentration was determined after each step by GC-MS/MS.
Results: The initial concentrations of diazinon, ethion and phosalone in unprocessed grape samples were 0.640, 0.716 and 0.550 mg/kg, respectively. The reduction values of diazinon during the juicing processes of rinsing, crushing, filtering, clarifying with bentonite and pasteurization, in comparison with the concentration of unprocessed grapes, were 25.72, 41.96, 74.54, 90.21 and 100% (not found), respectively; while these values were 9.78, 28.50, 69.45, 89.38 and 96.74% for ethion and 17.32, 28.47, 46.40, 80.25, 93.28% for phosalone, respectively. All processes significantly reduced insecticides residue.
Conclusion: Findings showed that the processes of grape juice production could significantly decrease the diazinon, ethion and phosalone residues.
Mohammad Ali Zazouli, Fathollah Gholami Boroujeni, Ali Asghar Nadi, Azam Ebrahimi,
Volume 15, Issue 1 (4-2022)
Abstract
Background and Objective: With increasing population growth and water pollution, fresh water supply sources are declining and can not meet today's human needs. Thus, energy conversion systems with high efficiency and low pollution such as desalination microbial cell have been considered. Therefore the aim of this research was to investigation the efficiency of microbial desalination cell (MDC) for desalination and treatment of salt wastewater.
Materials and Methods: To address this issue, the decision was taken to use saline synthetic wastewater with different initial salt concentrations (2, 5, 7 and 10 g/L NaCl) and, different hydraulic retention times (1, 2, 3 and 72 h) in open circuit voltage (OCV) and closed circuit voltage (CCV) continuous mode.
Results: The results showed that highest EC removal was 11.2% and 14.3% with 10 g/L NaCl in open and closed circuit mode, respectively. Maximum COD removal of 68.7% was achieved in CCV mode that was obtained at 10 g/L NaCl. Additionally, Escherichia coli, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas and Citrobacter were diagnose as effective bacteria in decomposing wastewater.
Conclusion: The obtained results proved that MDC desalination microbial cell technology is Emerging technology that has many unknown aspects; however, it is expected to be an appropriate technique for wastewater treatment and desalination.
Fariba Ebrahimi Fini, Farzam Babaei Semiromi, Mohammad Reza Tabesh, Mahdi Jalili Ghazizade, Amir Hushang Heidari,
Volume 15, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Background and Objective: The critical step of policymaking and planning for the local governments to select appropriate waste management methods, is comprehensive information on solid waste generation. Waste generation rate and composition may vary from year to year because many factors influence it. This research identified the most important factors influencing the future of household waste generation and composition in Tehran, and how these factors affect each other.
Materials and Methods: This research is based on future studies methods which are carried out using a combination of quantitative and qualitative models. Due to the nature of this research, structural analysis, Micmac software and Delphi survey were used.
Results: In this regard, after holding many meetings with 22 of the experts as the statistical population of the research, 14 effective factors were identified. The influential factors were then analyzed in the framework of the Cross-impact matrix in the Micmac software. The results showed that what can be understood from the state of the dispersion page of the variables indicated the system instability, with most of the variables dispersed around the diagonal axis of the screen.
Conclusion: Finally, considering the high scores received by direct and indirect influences, 10 key factors were identified. “Economic Growth”, “Digital Transformation and Technological Advances”, “Amendment of Existing laws, Enactment and Implementation of New and Specialized Laws”, and “Increased Awareness about waste and Attraction of Citizen Participation through Education and Provision of Information” were identified among these 10 factors as the driving forces influencing generation and composition, of household waste in Tehran in the Next Twenty Years.
Tahereh Ebrahimi, Khosro Piri, Asghar Abdoli, Masoud Tohidfar,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (6-2023)
Abstract
Background and Objective: The presence of toxic compounds, including phenol, due to industrial development, poses a threat to the environment. Utilizing hairy roots has emerged as a potential method to remove these toxins. This review aims to explore the efficacy of hairy roots in absorbing phenol pollutants and the influencing parameters.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a descriptive-review method based on existing literature gathered from databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The focus of the study was on the purification of phenol using hairy roots. Keywords such as Phytoremediation, Hairy root, Phenol, and Transgenic roots were used for data collection.
Results: Results show successful phenol removal by hairy roots, potentially attributed to abundant production of peroxidase enzymes. Various factors, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), incubation time, pH, plant species, and pollutant concentration, impact phenol removal efficiency. Notably, plants like Brassica napus, rich in peroxidase enzymes, exhibit high efficiency in removing phenol pollution up to 500 mg/L, with H2O2 and within a pH range of 4-9.
Conclusion: In conclusion, hair roots possess significant adsorption capacity for phenol. However, phenol concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature influence their performance. Therefore, further research is required to explore optimal conditions for phenol removal.
Ebrahim Rahimi, Mohammad Amin Heidarzadi, Najmeh Vahad Dehkordi,
Volume 16, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi, which can have very dangerous consequences for human health in addition to spoiling food and changing organoleptic properties. Aflatoxin entering the body and targeting the liver as the main organ involved can cause liver and blood cancer. Hence, the aim of the present study is to measure aflatoxin B1 in corn flour and wheat flour supplied in Shahrekord using ELISA method in 2022.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 samples of flour, including 20 samples of corn flour and 20 samples of wheat flour, were randomly sampled from the supply centers and sent to the food hygiene laboratory to track and determine the amount of aflatoxin B1.
Results: The results showed that all samples of wheat flour and corn flour contained aflatoxin 1B. The average of aflatoxin B1 in wheat flour and corn flour was calculated as 2.58 ± 0.95 and 3.47 ± 2.07 (µg/kg) of the sample, respectively; Among the 20 examined samples of corn flour, the concentration of aflatoxin B1 ranged from 3.4 (µg/kg) to 1.9 (µg/kg) and in 20 samples of wheat flour (µg/kg) from 7.90 to (µg/kg) was 1.4; Therefore, the concentration of none of the samples was higher than the Iranian standard.
Conclusion: The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in all the samples examined in the current study is lower than the risk range determined by the Iranian standard, so in this case, its aasociated high risk does not threaten the health of consumers.
Razieh Rahimi, Gholamhossein Abdollahzadeh, Mohammad Sharif Sharifzadeh,
Volume 16, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Background and Objective: many countries have currently put waste management as a priority on the agenda and are seeking to enhance its effectiveness by encouraging public participation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the willingness of rural residents to participate in waste management processes in Jajarm County, North Khorasan Province.
Materials and Methods: The survey research method was used. The target population consisted of 4031 households from 37 villages in Jajarm County. The dependent variable of willingness to participate in waste management was measured with 5 variables, including willingness to pay for waste disposal, willingness to use special containers, eagerness to separate waste at source, eagerness to deliver separated waste, and tendency to cooperate with rural development. The impact of independent variables on the five dependent variables was evaluated by running five logit functions.
Results: The results of the models showed that age, education, regular waste collection by village councils, cooperation with rural cooperatives and organizations, payment for waste collection, familiarity with waste management methods, health effects of waste, familiarity with the harmful effects of waste, communication with extension agents and rural health liaisons, participation in waste management training classes, and satisfaction with the village council have a positive and significant (p≤0.05) impact on the willingness to participate in waste management.
Conclusion: Providing educational programs and introducing the consequences of non-separation of waste on human health and the environment is effective in attracting the participation of people in waste management plans and should be prioritized in waste management programs.
Bohlul Parsafar, Mohammad Ahmadi, Gholamreza Jahed Khaniki, , Abbass Rahimi Foroushani,
Volume 16, Issue 4 (3-2024)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Compliance with the principles of food safety and hygiene is very important in the entire chain of production, storage, transportation and supply of food to ensure the safety and suitability of food to ensure the health of consumers. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the status of indicators and prerequisite programs for health and food safety in the fruit and vegetable fields of Tehran in 2022.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive-analytical study on 67 fruit and vegetable centers in Tehran city regarding the status of indicators and prerequisite programs for food safety and hygiene, such as the condition of buildings and facilities, employee training, employee health, food quality control, control of environmental pests, waste disposal and work environment hygiene were done. First, a questionnaire was prepared and its validity was confirmed by the opinion of five experts, as well as its reliability tool with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.87, then the questionnaire was completed and the necessary data was recorded. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: The results showed that the favorable condition of buildings and facilities, employee education, employee health, food quality control, environmental pest control, waste disposal and workplace hygiene were 67.16%, 26.85%, 50.20%,67.91%, 43.65%, 58.39% and 63.11%, respectively. So the indicators of building and facilities, food quality control, food consumption and work environment with an average of more than a percentage are acceptable. However, the indicators of care education and combating environmental chastity have been evaluated as unfavorable
Conclusion: Knowing the status of indicators and prerequisite programs for food safety and hygiene in the fruit and vegetable fields of Tehran city can help to improve food safety and health. Also, the desirability of indicators of buildings and facilities, food quality control, waste disposal and workplace hygiene affect the supply and distribution of healthy food. It is also recommended to pay more attention to raising the level of education in the care and methods of environmental pest control in fruit and vegetable fields.
Saeed Karimi, Bahareh Rahimipour,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (6-2024)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Waste management is a crucial aspect of sustainable city development due to the increasing population, urbanization expansion, and changes in consumption patterns. The purpose of this study is to identify the waste landfill in Bushehr city by considering the relationships between various criteria using the DANP (DEMATEL-ANP) method.
Materials and Methods: 17 criteria were identified to identify the suitable landfill. The weighting of these criteria was done by DANP integrated multi-criteria decision-making technique. The internal relationships of the criteria and the causal relationships between the criteria were also determined. Then, these weights were multiplied in the spatial layer of each of the criteria in the environment of geographic information systems.
Results: The most crucial criterion for selecting a suitable location for urban landfill is land use, followed by the criteria of distance from residential areas, tourist places, and the road. The study identified and evaluated five locations in Bushehr city as potential landfills based on these criteria. The eastern and southeastern parts of Bushehr city emerged as the most suitable locations for landfill among the evaluated sites.
Conclusion: The DANP model proves highly effective in identifying landfills and offers a framework for addressing issues related to waste landfill selection. This research can serve as a valuable guide for planning and locating waste landfills, providing a basis for addressing both theoretical and practical challenges associated with landfill management.
Farzaneh Borzabadi Farahani, Mahmood Alimohammadi, Jamshid Rahimi, Sanaz Khoramipour, Emad Dehghanifard,
Volume 18, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
Background and Objective: People spend over 90% of their time indoors, where air pollutant concentrations—including volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—are significantly higher than outdoors. Among these VOCs, benzene is particularly critical due to its carcinogenic properties. Phytoremediation offers a sustainable solution for removing such pollutants from indoor environments. This study evaluates the benzene-reduction efficiency of two ornamental plant species, Aglaonema ‘Silver’ and Chlorophytum comosum, under controlled temperature and humidity conditions.
Materials and Methods: The plants were exposed to two temperature levels (18°C and 24°C) and two relative humidity conditions (35% and 50%). Benzene was introduced into sealed chambers at concentrations of 1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 µL/mL. After 12 hours of exposure, benzene reduction was quantified using gas chromatography.
Results: At 20°C and 35% RH, Aglaonema 'Silver' removed 96% of benzene, outperforming Chlorophytum comosum (38%). Removal efficiency depended on species, environmental conditions, and initial concentration. Predictive models (Eq. 2–3) correlated strongly with experimental data (R² > 0.9).
Conclusion: Aglaonema 'Silver' demonstrated superior benzene removal compared to Chlorophytum comosum under lower temperature and humidity conditions. Our findings highlight that selecting plant species adapted to specific environmental parameters can significantly improve phytoremediation effectiveness. Furthermore, the proposed model indicates that elevated temperature and humidity levels may enhance benzene removal efficiency by indoor plants.
