Rapid urbanization, population growth, agricultural practices, and industrial activities have led to widespread groundwater contamination. This study evaluated heavy metal contamination in ...residential drinking water in Shiraz, Iran (2021). The analysis involved 80 groundwater samples collected across wet and dry seasons. Water quality was comprehensively assessed using several indices, including the heavy metals evaluation index (HEI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), contamination degree (CD), and metal index (MI). Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessments were conducted using deterministic and probabilistic approaches for exposed populations. In the non-carcinogenic risk assessment, the chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) are employed. The precision of risk assessment was bolstered through the utilization of Monte Carlo simulation, executed using the R software platform. Based on the results, in both wet and dry seasons, Zinc (Zn) consistently demonstrates the highest mean concentration, followed by Manganese (Mn) and Chromium (Cr). During the wet and dry seasons, 25% and 40% of the regions exhibited high CD, respectively. According to non-carcinogenic risk assessment, Cr presents the highest CDI and HQ in children and adults, followed by Mn, As and HI values, indicating elevated risk for children. The highest carcinogenic risk was for Cr in adults, while the lowest was for Cd in children. The sensitivity analysis found that heavy metal concentration and ingestion rate significantly impact both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks. These findings provide critical insights for shaping policy and allocating resources towards effectively managing heavy metal contamination in residential drinking water.
Aim of study
This research aimed to estimate PAHs exposure in primary school students and determine its association with other PAHs-related factors.
Materials and methods
In total, 120 male primary ...school students (9–12 years old) were randomly selected from urban and suburban areas in Shiraz. The parents were required to complete a questionnaire including information about second-hand smoke exposure, residential traffic density, daily diet, and walking or being driven to school. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector was also used to analyze urinary 1-OHP.
t
test, ANOVA (with Ducan’s post hoc test), and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between quantitative and qualitative variables and urinary 1-OHP concentration.
Results
The range and geometric mean of the creatinine-corrected 1-OHP levels were 120–6950 and 1460 ng/g creatinine, respectively. Besides, 1-OHP levels were higher among the children with smoker parents compared to those having non-smoker parents. The results also revealed a correlation between the duration of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke and 1-OHP concentration. This correlation was also observed for daily uptake of smoked or grilled foods. However, traffic congestion did not have any significant effects on 1-OHP levels. PAHs are commonly present in Iranian diet. As a result, the weekly intake of dietary PAHs was the most effective predictor of PAHs exposure in the study population.
Conclusion
Due to adverse health effects of PAHs on humans, especially children, more extensive studies are required to identify the sources that contribute to environmental PAHs exposure.
To assess the excess lifetime cancer risk and lung cancer risk due to exposure to 222Rn at homes, stone cutting and processing plants, and stone mines.
222Rn concentration was measured in 74 sample ...sites. Sampling was conducted using Alpha Track, comprising CR-39 polymer film. The detectors were placed at the height of 1.00–1.50 m from the floor and away from windows and sunlight per the US. EPA guidelines. The detectors were retrieved after being exposed to 222Rn for the period of three months and then etched in a 6.25 mol/L NaOH solution at 90 °C for 4 h. The results were used to assess the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) and lung cancer risk (LCR).
The findings showed that the ELCR at homes, stone cutting and processing plants, and stone mines for the mean levels of 222Rn were 0.49%, 0.15%, and 0.15%, respectively. The ELCR values for all sampling sites were lower than the U.S. EPA action level. The number of lung cancer cases in the Neyriz due to the effective dose received by residents for the mean, maximum, and 95th percentile was estimated to be 1.6, 3.6, and 3.1 per year, respectively. The number of lung cancer cases per 106 population due to exposure to mean concentration for stone cutting and processing plants was 10.53, 15.79, and 14.49, respectively. These values for stone mines were 10.39, 26.76, and 18.87, respectively. The results have shown that LCR values were below the range recommended by ICRP.
Overall, the ELCR, because of long-term exposure to 222Rn and its progeny levels, does not pose a significant threat to residents and workers. The LCR associated with radon exposure was low in three sampling sites that could be considered safe for both residents and workers.
Purpose
This study aimed to determine radon concentrations in mines, stone processing factories, residential houses, and public areas, as well as calculating its effective dose in Neyriz, Iran.
...Method
A total of 74 alpha Track detectors (CR-39 detector) were installed at the desired locations based on the US-EPA’s protocol. After 3 months the detectors were collected and delivered to a Radon Reference Laboratory for analyzing.
Results
Mean ± SD, minimum and maximum radon concentrations in the sampling buildings were 29.93 ± 12.63, 10.33, and 66.76 Bq/m
3
, respectively. The effective annual dose was calculated to be 0.75 mSv/year, which was lower than the recommended value. Significant positive correlations were found between radon concentrations and some studied variables including smoking cigarettes, number of cigarettes smoked, duration of smoking, building’s age, number of floors, having cracks, use of colors in the building, use of ceramic for flooring, use of stone for flooring, and gas consumption. The number of cigarettes smoked by the residents was the most important predictor of radon concentrations. Radon concentrations were lower than standard values in all sampling locations.
Conclusion
It is necessary to conduct further studies in the field of regional geology and determine the sources that release radon in these areas to prevent further increases in radon concentration due to the proximity and plurality of mines and factories.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a generally hazardous class of organic compounds that are identified as toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and are considered to be a concern ...for human health because of their potential for causing adverse health effects. The present study aims to determine the atmospheric concentration and potential sources of particulate-bound PAHs in urban and suburban atmospheric particulate matter (PM10) in Shiraz, Iran. Ambient air samples were collected from urban and suburban areas using a SKC sampling pump equipped with a size-selective air intake during the spring of 2015. The mean PM10 concentration at the urban station (62.73 ± 23.38 μg m−3) was higher than that at the suburban station (60.88 ± 31.03 μg m−3). The mean (±SD) concentrations of the 16 total PAHs in the particulate phase were 19.28 ± 7.48 ng m−3and 17.80 ± 9.17 ng m−3 at the urban and suburban stations, respectively. Among different types of PAHs, phenanthrene had the highest concentration in both stations. Various diagnostic ratios have been suggested, which were used in this study for identification of PAHs’ sources. The results of these diagnostics showed that in Shiraz, the most dominant sources of PAHs were traffic emissions, especially vehicle emissions and petroleum automobiles emissions.
•The mean PM10 concentration at the urban station was higher than that at the suburban station.•Phenanthrene was found in the highest concentrations at both stations.•The mean BaP concentrations at both stations were lower than the specifications of the national ambient air standards in Iran.•The most dominant sources of PAHs were vehicle emissions and petroleum automobiles emissions.
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of household water desalination and the health risks of NO
3
−
and F
−
in the input and output water of the desalination device in Behbahan City. The ...results show that the fluoride concentration (0.22 ± 0.07 mg/L) was not within the acceptable standard. Residual-free chlorine concentration was below the detection limit, and output of the water of 15 devices was contaminated by total coliforms. The highest and lowest removal ratio was 80.4% observed from TDS and 45% observed from sodium, respectively. The results of health risk assessment showed that 2-6-year-old children face the highest health risks due to exposure to nitrate and fluoride through drinking water intake. The hazard quotients (HQ) of nitrate and fluoride for children were 0.5 and 0.67 before desalination and 0.24 and 0.18 after it, respectively. The results indicated that HQ of these devices decreased 50% of the hazard quotient of NO
3
−
and over 70% of fluorides and their non-carcinogenic risks sharply after the use of the devices. The findings may provide helpful information for stockholders and decision-making as to drinking water with high health risk of nitrate and fluoride, especially in arid and semiarid regions.
Purpose
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified as carcinogenic and endocrine disrupter compounds that cause Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Oxidative stress can lead to ...carcinogenesis and MetS in exposed people. Therefore, the relationship between urinary metabolite of PAH (OH-PAHs) level and the oxidative stress biomarker (Malondialdehyde) effect as the mediator in increasing the risk of MetS due to PAH exposure and risk assessment was investigated in Shiraz, Iran.
Methods
The first morning void urinary and blood samples were obtained from participants and analyzed. Physical examinations and anthropometric measurements were performed on the day of sampling. An automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure the blood cells. The participants’ socio-demographic information was gathered using a questionnaire and direct interviews with participants.
Results
The MetS prevalence was 26%. Malondialdehyde could act as a mediator between exposure to 1-HydroxyPyrene and increase in fast blood sugar, exposure to 2-HydroxyNaphthalene and increase in systolic blood pressure and exposure to 2-HydroxyFluorene and increase in SBP. Hazard quotients varied from 0.009 to 14.92 in women, and from 0.005 to 8.43 for Fluorene and Naphthalene in men, respectively. The Hazard Indexes were greater than one meaning that the non-cancer health risk related to the PAH exposure could be identified in the participants.
Conclusion
Although oxidative stress has been suggested to lead to MetS and the high HI levels obtained in the current study, future researches are essential to achieve more reliable findings and monitoring the environmental influencing factors in PAH exposure.
Food chains high in nitrate can cause stomach, gullet, gallbladder, and other cancers. We evaluated the nitrate (NO3-) levels and potential health risks associated with consuming tomatoes and ...potatoes in three Iranian cities (Shiraz, Kerman, and Zahedan). To determine the non-carcinogenic nitrate in tomatoes and potatoes for children and adults, deterministic and probabilistic (Monte Carlo simulation) analyses were performed. As a result of the analysis performed on the samples, it has been revealed that Shiraz tomato samples and Kerman potato samples record the highest levels of nitrate. Still, there was no significant difference in nitrate concentration among the three study cities (P > 0.05). The findings indicate that potato samples accumulate significantly more nitrate than samples from tomatoes (P < 0.05). Nearly all tested samples showed an acceptable Hazard Quotient (HQ), and Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) indicates that nitrate intake is acceptable in Iranian study areas. However, according to a Monte Carlo simulation, the 95th percentile for hazard Index (HI) values in Zahedan, Kerman, and Shiraz was estimated at 0.21, 0.34, and 0.43 for children, and 0.13, 0.19, and 0.31 for adults, respectively. Also, the concentration of nitrate in tomatoes and potatoes and daily consumption were the most influential parameters in sensitivity analysis. In general, although some samples had higher concentrations of nitrate than the recommended amount, it was unlikely to pose a significant risk to consumers. However, proper monitoring during cultivation and storage is crucial.
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•Nitrate level and health risk of tomato and potato in three Iranian cities evaluated.•Potatoes samples accumulate significantly more nitrate than tomatoes.•HQ and EDI indicated that nitrate intake is acceptable in Iranian study areas•The most HI95th was estimated at 0.43 for children in Shiraz city.•The Ctomatoes and IRpotatoes were the most influential parameters in sensitivity analysis.
World Health Organization reports that 2.2 million people die yearly from insufficient sanitary drinking water. This ontology-based study focused on investigating the chemical quality of drinking ...water through a new water quality index designed by fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making methods, merged with GIS, and, secondly, surveying non-carcinogenic risk assessment of fluoride and nitrate using Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis in Shiraz’s water sources. F
−
, NO
3−
, NO
2−
, EC, TDS, alkalinity, TH, SO
4
2−
, Cl
−
, and Na were applied in the WQI. The NO
3
−
mean concentrations were 23.15 and 27.66 mg/L in the cold and warm seasons, while the mean concentrations of fluoride were 0.50 and 0.46 mg/L during the cold and warm period. The 95th centiles of fluoride’s HQs among infants, children, teenagers, and adults were 0.56, 0.7, 0.49, and 0.4, respectively, in the cold season, which was 0.65 and 0.81, respectively, 0.57 and 0.46 for mentioned groups in the warm season. In comparison, the 95th centiles of nitrate’s HQs among infants, children, teenagers, and adults were 1.27, 1.59, 1.13, and 0.9, respectively. The HQs were more than 1 for infants, children, and teenagers, so nitrate can have various adverse effects, whereas fluoride does not adversely affect all aging groups in both seasons. Also, nitrate concentration can increase the non-carcinogenic risk, which the IR and ED lead to the HQ increasing. In contrast, BW has a negative effect on risk increasing. Overall, source management of these parameters can significantly reduce the concentration of nitrate and their adverse human health effect.
Purpose
Limited studies have been published on the association between the urinary biomarkers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and risk of Metabolic Syndromes (MetS) and blood cell levels ...in adults in the Middle East. The present study aimed to evaluate the exposure to PAHs and the distribution of urinary OH-PAH levels in the general population of Shiraz, Iran, as well as, the association between OH-PAHs and the prevalence of MetS and blood cell levels.
Methods
In this study, 200 participants were randomly selected from the adult population, and their first-morning void urine samples were collected.
Results
The mean concentrations of 1-OHNap, 2-OHNap, 2-OHFlu, 9-OHPhe, and 1-OHP were 639.8, 332.1, 129, 160.3, and 726.9 ng/g creatinine, respectively. The prevalence of MetS was 26% according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. The results showed that urinary OH-PAHs, especially 1-OHP, were positively and significantly associated with higher waist circumstance (p < 0.001), triglyceride level (p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), number of white blood cells (p = 0.041) and red blood cells (p < 0.001). It also caused lower levels of High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-C). In conclusion, the results emphasized the adverse health effects of PAHs on human health, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and decreased number of blood cells.
Conclusion
Therefore, in order to identify the PAHs sources and to develop methods for decreasing the amount of emissions to the environment, broader researches are needed.
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