Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Spatial distribution of fluoride in groundwater resources in selected parts of Kurdistan Province, Iran, using the geographical information system71774018810.22102/jaehr.2015.40188ENPegah BahmaniEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0003-0911-5376Afshin MalekiEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0001-8261-8717Amir Hossein MahviCenter for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research AND School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranHiua DaraeiEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, IranEsmaeil GhahremaniEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0003-4976-1233Dariush Naghipour-KhalkhalianiSchool of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IranJournal Article20150228Fluoride in drinking water has a profound effect on teeth. Since drinking water is an important source of fluoride, the evaluation of the fluoride content of water resources is necessary. Temporal variations and spatial distribution of fluoride in drinking water of some selected parts of Kurdistan Province, Iran, have been studied using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Thus, 40 villages were selected and 80 samples taken in two wet and dry seasons in 2013. Fluoride concentration was measured via ion chromatography (IC) method. Geospatial analysis of the data was performed using the ArcGIS software developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri). The results showed that the average fluoride concentration in drinking water ranged from 0.096 to 1.102 mg/l with the concentration being less than 0.50 mg F/l in 57 samples (71.25%), between 0.51 and 1.0 mg F/l in 21 samples (26.25 %), and greater than 1.0 mg F/l in 2 samples (2.5%). No difference was observed between the concentrations of fluoride in the two-stage sampling with the nonparametric Wilcoxon test (P > 0.01). Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Macroinvertebrate diversity indices: A quantitative bioassessment of ecological health status of an oxbow lake in Eastern India78904019010.22102/jaehr.2015.40190ENDipankar GhoshDepartment of Ecological Engineering and Environmental Management, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, IndiaJayanta Kumar BiswasDepartment of Ecological Engineering and Environmental Management, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, IndiaJournal Article20150423Aquatic macroinvertebrates, which play a significant role in the food chain of an ecosystem, are used in fresh water quality assessment to identify the environmental stress resulting from a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Seasonal surveys of macroinvertebrate communities were conducted from April 2013 to March 2014 in Chhariganga oxbow lake of Nadia District of West Bengal, an eastern state of India. In order to bioassess water quality and aquatic health analysis using diversity indices, viz. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s diversity index, species richness and evenness, and total abundance with composition trends were carried out. Taxon richness values of 14, 14, and 18, evenness values of 0.80, 0.71, and 0.73, Shannon-Wiener Index values of 2.10, 1.88, and 2.12, and Simpson’s index values of 0.15, 0.22, and 0.20 were determined for macroinvertebrates found during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon period, respectively. In the present study, low diversity indices, like the Shannon-Wiener Index, demonstrated clearly that the selected lake is polluted and has high anthropogenic activity which has rendered the lake bad to poor health status especially during monsoon season. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate and prevent the jute retting process, and its intensity and density during the monsoon to enhance biodiversity in order to ensure sustainable management and conservation of aquatic environment of the oxbow lake. Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Experimental design and response surface modeling for optimization of humic substances removal by activated carbon: A kinetic and isotherm study911014019110.22102/jaehr.2015.40191ENAhmad Reza YazdanbakhshDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranYalda HashempourStudents Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranJournal Article20150624The presence of humic acid (HA) in water treatment processes is very harmful and the cause of undesirable color, taste, and smell. Drinking water containing high concentrations of humic substances can be the cause of many health problems. Therefore, the removal of these compounds from water resources is a very important topic. In this research, response surface methodology (RSM) has been used to optimize the effect of main operational variables responsible for higher HA removal by activated carbon (AC). A three-level Box–Behnken factorial design (BBD) was used to optimize initial concentration of HA, time, pH, and AC dose for humic substances removal. The characterization of AC was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. A coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.98, model F-value of 82.32 and its low P-value (F < 0.0001), and low value of coefficient of variation (9.94%) indicated the fitness of the response surface quadratic model during the present study. At initial optimum concentration (5.25 mg HA/L), pH (5.85), contact time (36.01 minutes), and dose (1.38 g AC/L), the model predicted 1.90 mg HA/L. Equilibrium adsorption of HA onto AC had best fitness with the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Photocatalytic removal of Acid Red 88 dye using zinc oxide nanoparticles fixed on glass plates1021104019210.22102/jaehr.2015.40192ENYahya ZandsalimiEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0002-5193-5442Pari TaymoriEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, IranReza Darvishi Cheshmeh SoltaniDepartment of Environmental Health, School of Health, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, IranReza RezaeeEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0003-2314-6697Narmin AbdullahiEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, IranMahdi SafariEnvironmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran0000-0003-0347-9283Journal Article20150815In this study, ZnO nanoparticles fixed on glass plates were employed as photocatalysts for the degradation of Acid Red 88 (AR88) dye in aquatic solution. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through coprecipitation method and fixed on glass plates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for characterization of nanoparticle samples. A batch reactor equipped to UV lamps was used for photocatalytic experiments. The effect of pH, initial concentrations of AR88, radical scavengers, and enhancers were studied on photocatalytic removal efficiency of AR88. The results showed an increase in AR88 removal at the neutral pH of 7 (79%), but a decreased in acidic and alkaline pH values. It was also found that at lower initial concentration of dye the removal efficiency increases. Among different radical scavengers and enhancers, addition of CH4O as radical scavenger and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as enhancer had the greatest effect on degradation efficiency. The photocatalysis process using fixed ZnO nanoparticles was shown to have good efficiency for removal of AR88 from aqueous solution. Therefore, it can be concluded that the photocatalysis process using fixed catalyst could be a promising method for treating wastewater of dye industries. Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Acute toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in Daphnia magna and Pontogammarus maeoticus1111194019310.22102/jaehr.2015.40193ENSeyed Ali JohariDepartment of Fisheries, School of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, IranSaba AsghariDepartment of Fisheries, School of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, IranJournal Article20150622Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) are the world's second most widely consumed nanomaterial and large quantities of this material enters the aquatic ecosystem annually. Therefore, understanding the effects of nTiO2 on aquatic organisms is very important. The present study used Daphnia magna as a model freshwater organism and Pontogammarus maeoticus as a brackish water organism to evaluate short term toxicity of a well characterized nTiO2 suspension. According to the results, acute exposure of D. magna and P. maeoticus to nTiO2 concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 200 mg/l did not cause any mortality; therefore, lethal concentrations could not be calculated (LC > 200 mg/l). Observations showed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were trapped on the surface of the body, under the carapace, and in the gut of the D. magna. Although the results of the present acute toxicity experiment did not show nTiO2 to be toxic to the tested aquatic organisms in an environmentally relevant concentration, further studies are needed on the chronic effects of lower concentrations of this nanomaterial in simulated natural ecosystems. Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Adsorption of 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solution using activated carbon synthesized from aloe vera green wastes1201294019410.22102/jaehr.2015.40194ENYusef Omidi-KhaniabadiDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, IranAli JafariDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran0000-0001-8761-6323Heshmatollah NourmoradiDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, IranFatemeh TaheriDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, IranSeddigheh SaeediDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, IranJournal Article20150812In this study, activated carbon synthesized from Aloe vera green wastes was used as a sorbent to remove 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) from aqueous solutions. The influence of contact time (0-100 minutes), pH (2-8), adsorbent dosage (1-9 g/l), and initial 4-CP concentration (10-60 mg/l) in batch system was investigated on the sorption. The sorbent was specified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Equilibrium for 4-CP sorption was reached at contact time of 40 minutes. The pH of 2 was also found to be the optimum pH in the sorption process. Fitting the experimental data to different kinetic and isotherm models illustrated that the experimental data was well fitted by pseudo-second order kinetic (R2 > 0.98) and Freundlich isotherm (R2 > 0.99) models. According to the results, activated carbon prepared from Aloe vera green wastes is a low-cost effective option for the sorption of 4-CP from aqueous solutions.Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Optimization of ammonia removal in an integrated fix-film activated sludge using response surface methodology1301384019510.22102/jaehr.2015.40195ENHoshyar HossiniDepartment of Environmental Health, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranAbbas RezaeeDepartment of Environmental Health, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranReza Barati-RoshvanloDepartment of Environmental Health, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranJournal Article20150414In this work, removal of ammonia from synthetic wastewater using integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The main operating parameters such as ammonia concentration rate (ALR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were optimized to acquire the maximum removal efficiency. The linear, 2FI, quadratic, mean, and cubic models were utilized for modeling of the parameters. Residual nitrate and nitrite were determined as the byproducts. The results showed that the actual data fitted well with the predicted results. The maximum ammonia removal achieved using mean, linear, 2FI, quadratic, and cubic models were 59.88, 79.05, 79.32, 77.11, and 78.65%, respectively. Nitrate and nitrite were determined in ammonia concentrations of higher than 100 mg/l. The obtained results showed that RSM is a suitable technique for the optimization of conditions for the maximum removal of ammonia.Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesJournal of Advances in Environmental Health Research2676-34783220150701Potential human health risk assessment of heavy metals in the flesh of mallard and pochard in the South Eastern Caspian Sea region of Iran1391454018910.22102/jaehr.2015.40189ENMohammad Hosein SinkakarimiDepartment of Environmental Science, School of Natural Resources, Birjand University, Birjand, IranAli Reza PourkhabbazDepartment of Environmental Science, School of Natural Resources, Birjand University, Birjand, IranMehdi HassanpourDepartment of Environment, Provincial Directorate of Environment Protection, Gorgan, IranJeffrey MLevengoodIllinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USASeyed Mahmoud GhasempouriDepartment of Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Resources and Marine Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, IranJournal Article20150420Every year, migratory waterfowl are hunted and consumed by people in Golestan Province of Iran. Due to the heavy metal contamination of wintering habitats, an estimation of the human health risks associated with the consumption of these ducks is necessary. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the health risks of exposure to cadmium (Cd), total chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) due to the consumption of pectoral muscle of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and pochard (Aythya ferina) harvested and hunted in the South-Eastern Caspian Sea region of Iran. The mean values of these metals in the pectoral muscle of mallards and pochards were used to calculate estimated daily intake (EDI), estimated weekly intake (EWI), and target hazard quotients (THQ). The EDI (µg/day/70 kg body weight) for Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb, and Zn in mallard were 0.2, 0.04, 58, 1.1, and 12.8, respectively. The EDI (µg/day/70 kg body weight) for Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb, and Zn in pochard were 0.8, 0.1, 69, 0.8, and 13.4, respectively. The estimated total THQ (higher than 1) indicated that heavy metal levels in pochard flesh were unsafe for consumption. The EDI and EWI of the metals examined were below those recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and oral doses suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). There appears to be little risk of exposure to metals associated with the consumption of mallard and pochard in this region.