CYP1A1 and GSTs common gene variations and presbycusis risk: a genetic association analysis and a bioinformatics approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are involved in the metabolism and detoxification of...     

A mathematical model to predict the composition and generation of hospital wastes in Iran

The aim of this study is to investigate the quality and quantity of hospital wastes in Iran. The generated hospital wastes have been estimated by the number of hospitals and the number of active beds in each province of Iran in 2001. All data and information have been gathered from: (i) Iran Statistics Center, (ii) literature review, and (iii) hospital waste investigations for an average hospital. Physical analyses have been conducted in terms of various materials (plastic, textile, paper, metal, and others) and components (biological, infectious, medical, and regular wastes). Based on the above-mentioned investigation and information, a mathematical model has been developed to calculate the generation of (infectious) hospital wastes for any desired year. Utilizing the model, generated infectious hospital wastes has been estimated as 698,937 tones for 2008 (short-term) and 3,494,387 tones for 2028 (long-term period). If the real infectious wastes are collected separately, then the generated infectious wastes will be reduced by 15.1% of the above-mentioned amount (139,787 tones for 2008, and 698,877 tones for 2028). Results of physical analysis show the components of the hospital waste as: (a) infectious, 67.3%; (b) medical, 8.8%; (c) biological, 1.8%; and (d) common municipal wastes, 22.1%. An appropriate collection method requires training the staff at hospitals along with preparation of the required facilities. Of course, both of these requirements are cost intensive.     

Fluoride removal by a continuous flow electrocoagulation reactor

Long-term consumption of water containing excessive fluoride can lead to fluorosis of the teeth and bones. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an electrochemical technique, in which a variety of unwanted dissolved particles and suspended matter can be effectively removed from an aqueous solution by electrolysis. Continuous flow experiments with monopolar aluminium electrodes for fluoride removal were undertaken to investigate the effects of the different parameters such as: current density (12.5-50A/m(2)), flow rate (150-400 mL/min), initial pH (4-8), and initial fluoride concentration (5-25mg/L). The highest treatment efficiency was obtained for the largest current and the removal efficiency was found to be dependent on the current density, the flow rate and the initial fluoride concentration when the final pH ranged between 6 and 8. The composition of the sludge produced was analysed using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum. The strong presence of the aluminium hydroxide [Al(OH)(3)] in the above pH range, which maximizes the formation of aluminium fluoride hydroxide complex [Al(n)F(m)(OH)(3n-m)], is the main reason for defluoridation by electrocoagulation. The results obtained showed that the continuous flow electrocoagulation technology is an effective process for defluoridation of potable water supplies and could also be utilized for the defluoridation of industrial wastewater.     

On-line production of ferrate with an electrochemical method and its potential application for wastewater treatment – A review

A number of studies on the oxidation of various organic/inorganic contaminants by ferrate(VI) were reported in the 1980s and 1990s. The exploration of the use of ferrate(VI) for water and wastewater treatment has been well addressed recently. However, challenges have existed for the implementation of ferrate(VI) technology in practice due to the instability of a ferrate solution or high production cost of solid ferrate products. The research has been carried out aiming at the generation and application of ferrate(VI) in situ. This paper thus reviews ferrate chemistry and its overall performance as a water treatment chemical, discusses the factors affecting the ferrate yield efficiency using the electrochemical method, and finally, summarises the work on the production and use of ferrate in situ which is currently under study.     

The Effect of Water Harvesting Techniques on Runoff,Sedimentation, and Soil Properties

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65–85% and sedimentation by 58–69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.     

Determining the robust optimal set of BMPs for urban runoff management in data-poor catchments

Mismanagement of urban runoff can result in inundation which causes serious problems in providing urban services. Best management practices (BMPs) are used for urban runoff management. In this study, a method is proposed to determine the robust optimal set of BMPs for runoff management in data-poor catchments in urban areas. This method includes five main steps: (1) Sensitivity analysis to determine effective parameters in rainfall-runoff simulation model, (2) Calibration of the rainfall-runoff model based on selected effective parameters, (3) Developing a multi-objective optimization model to obtain the optimal sets of BMPs, (4) Selecting the final solutions using the Nash approach for ranking, (5) Evaluation of the robustness of the selected solution using the Management Option Rank Equivalence method. The proposed method is examined in an urban basin located in the north of Tehran, Iran. The results show that the proposed approach provides reliable results for urban runoff management in data-poor areas.     

IMPLICATIONS OF ON‐GROUND NITROGEN LOADING AND SOIL TRANSFORMATIONS ON GROUND WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a modeling approach based on a geographic information system (GIS) to estimate the variability of on‐ground nitrogen loading and the corresponding nitrate leaching to ground water. The methodology integrates all point and nonpoint sources of nitrogen, the national land cover database, soil nitrogen transformations, and the uncertainty of key soil and land use‐related parameters to predict the nitrate mass leaching to ground water. The analysis considered 21 different land use classes with information derived from nitrogen sources such as fertilizer and dairy manure applications, dairy lagoons, septic systems, and dry and wet depositions. Simulations were performed at a temporal resolution of one month to capture seasonal trends. The model was applied to a large aquifer of 376 square miles in Washington State that serves more than 100,000 residents with drinking water. The results showed that dairy manure is the main source of nitrogen in the area followed by fertilizers. It was also seen that nitrate leaching is controlled by the recharge rate, and there can be a substantial buildup of soil nitrogen over long periods of time. Uncertainty analysis showed that denitrification rate is the most influential parameter on nitrate leaching. The results showed that combining management alternatives is a successful strategy, especially with the use of nitrification inhibitors. Also, change in the land use pattern has a noticeable impact on nitrate leaching.     

A LARGE ELECTRONIC WEIGHING LYSIMETER SYSTEM: DESIGN AND INSTALLATION1

ABSTRACT: To measure crop evapotranspiration, a large double tank, electronic weighting lysimeter system was designed and installed at the Shahid Bahonar University farm, Kerman, Iran. The system was installed in a 50 m² underground building. It includes two tanks of 3.00 m in diameter and 1.75 m deep. The weighing mechanism for each tank is a set of three compression strain gage load cells, which are fixed on 1.20 m height column above the floor. According to the specification of the load cells, the maximum possible weighing error may be about 0.01 percent of total mass, which is equivalent to 0.28 mm of water, but the measured error was equal to 1 kg mass, which is equivalent to 0.14 mm of water. The load cell data from each tank and the on‐site environmental data (temperature, humidity, and wind velocity and direction) are automatically recorded and saved in a personal computer hard disk for further use and analysis.     

Application of magnetic field and iron in order to change medicinal products of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ocimum basilicum</Emphasis>

In the present research, the effects of static magnetic field, with or without iron on the growth, the activity of certain enzymes (like polyphenol oxidase and phenyle alanine ammonialyase), the content of phenolic compounds and the essential oil composition of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) were studied. Treatment of plants with static magnetic field with or without iron led to decrease of the growth of plants as well as decrease in the activity of phenyle alanine ammonialyase and of phenolic compounds content. In addition in those plants exposed to magnetic field the amount of essential oils, notably of methyl chavicol, was increased. Exposure of plants to the magnetic field decreased the activity of polyphenol oxidase, whereas treatment of plants with iron when exposed to magnetic field increased polyphenol oxidase activity. In this group the content of essential oil was reduced.