Iranian Journal of

Background and Objective: Natural antimicrobial compounds have a valuable capacity to be used in a variety of foods to inhibit growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. The aims of this study were to produce active biodegradable films by incorporation of different percentage of oregano essential oil (OEO) and ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) into poly-lactic acid (PLA) films, and to evaluate physical and antimicrobial properties of the resulting films. 
Materials and Methods: The active films were produced by solvent casting method, and their thickness and major color parameters were measured using a digital micrometer and a colorimeter instrument, respectively. Afterwards, antibacterial effects of the films were assessed against four common foodborne pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes, by means of disk diffusion test.
Results: Physical examinations showed that thickness of resultant films significantly was increased (p<0.05) by addition of different concentrations of active agents. Additionally, the presence of them in the structure of films decreased the lightness and increased the redness and yellowness, simultaneously.  While none of the neat PLA film or films with just EEP had no antibacterial effect, all films containing higher percentages of OEO (5 and 10%) were effective against all four tested bacterial strains, and these effects were more significant in case of the gram-positive bacteria. The maximum inhibition zone was recorded for the film containing 10% of OEO and 2% of EEP, which the relevant values were 56.66, 45.46, 17.91 and 17.65 mm for Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Escherichia coli, respectively.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the presence of just EEP in the initial formulation of poly-lactic acid films was not effective against the four tested foodborne pathogens, while the addition of this compound to the films containing OEO increased the effective antibacterial properties of the resulting films. As a result, the simultaneous use of these two compounds in the structure of hydrophobic films, such as poly-lactic acid film, can be used to produce active food packaging films.
 

Background and Objective: Bacterial exposure in hospitals due to the presence of pathogens in hospitals is one of important health problems for medical staff. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a global outbreak of hospital infections from 5.7% to 19.1% in the 2011 report. The aim of this study was to identify bacterial bioaerosols in nursing stations in a public hospital in Tehran to determine the occupational hazards of them.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted three times at fifteen nursing station in 15 different departments of a public hospital in Tehran. 45 samples were prepared on three culture media including Mackangi Agar, nutrient agar and Manitol Salt Agar.  Air samples were prepared according to NIOSH 0800 method by a bacterial sampler with a flow rate of 28.3 L/min for 5 min. Samples were analyzed by microbial screening test.
Results: Mean of the bacterial infection was 180.03±125.27 CFU/m³. The results showed that there were gram positive staphylococcus aureus in the all air samples of nursing stations. Moreover, in 26.7% of occupational exposure nursing stations with Acinetobacter Iwoffii was observed as the most common gram negative bacteria.. Maximum bacterial number was found in orthopedic nursing station (399.99 CFU/m³) and heart transplant nursing station had the minimum bacterial infection (43.73 CFU/m³).
Conclusion: Eighty percent of occupational exposure in the samples had higher exposure to bacterial pathogens than the standards set by ACGIH (75 CFU/m³). Due to the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Acinetobacter Iwoffii in nursing stations, there was a risk of hospital infections in health care workers. It seems unsuitable surface sterilization and lake of useful engineered controlling methods has led to bio aerosol scattering in the air of studied stations.
 

Background and Objective: Hospitals are the center of infection transmission due to their special conditions. In order to reduce microorganisms from the equipment and in the hospital environment, disinfection and sterilization methods are required. The aim of this study was to investigate the types of disinfectants used in Kashan hospitals.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, Kashan hospitals were selected in 2019 by simple random sampling and the relevant checklist was completed. The required information was collected and analyzed by interviewing an environmental health expert and observing different parts of the hospital and visiting the disinfectant warehouse.
Results: Due to the type of services provided and the possible resistance of the existing microorganisms, the studied hospitals use certain types of disinfectants. Bleach and sayasept- HP were the most widely used disinfectants.
Conclusion: The results showed that since the disinfection is performed by service personnel and help of health workers, informing them about the incidence and prevalence of nosocomial infections, loss of life and financial damage caused by these diseases is very important. In addition, the effective roles of these individuals in the optimal elimination of environmental pathogens and consequently the reduction of nosocomial infections are crucial.