Journal of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development

Advancing Sustainable Energy: Prospects of Bio-Methanol and E-Methanol from Sewage Sludge and Solid Wastes

Behnam Hatami — 2024-12-29

The Article Abstract is not available.

The Impact of Electromagnetic Field Exposure on Diabetes: A Narrative Review

Behzad Fouladi Dehaghi — 2024-12-29

Introduction: This literature review investigates the complex relationship between electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and diabetes, highlighting both therapeutic potentials and associated health risks. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to specific types of EMFs, particularly pulsed EMFs (PEMF), may enhance insulin sensitivity and promote healing in diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods: Studies have indicated significant improvements in microvascular blood flow and pancreatic function, suggesting a potential role for EMF therapy in diabetes management. Conversely, prolonged exposure to high-frequency EMFs, such as those that cell phones emanate and wireless devices, raises concerns regarding their impact on glucose metabolism.

Results: A correlation was observed between chronic EMF exposure and increased insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and disruptions in hormonal balance, which can exacerbate hyperglycemia. Mechanistic insights reveal that elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alterations in cortisol and glucagon levels may contribute to these adverse effects.

Conclusion: Despite the promising therapeutic applications of certain EMFs, the existing literature presents significant variability in methodologies, limiting the generalizability of findings. Future research should focus on large-scale, longitudinal studies that encompass diverse populations to clarify the long-term effects of EMF exposure on diabetes. This review underscores the need for a balanced approach to EMF exposure, recognizing both its potential benefits and risks for individuals with diabetes, thereby informing clinical practices and public health policies.

Modification of Agricultural Waste Carbon Adsorbents with Iron and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Heavy Metals Removal: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Sahar Karzegar — 2024-12-29

Introduction: Considering the damage caused by heavy metal pollution, researchers and environmental health organizations have prioritized developing methods to remove heavy metal ions from polluted water. This study reviews existing literature on the use of agricultural waste, as well as the modification of agricultural waste with iron and iron oxides, for heavy metal removal.

Materials and Methods: The systematic review included a search for relevant literature published between 2000 and 2022 in English, with 45 articles being selected for inclusion. After removal of duplicates and screening for eligibility, thematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of practical, economic methods for preparing and modifying agricultural waste for heavy metal removal.

Results: A total of 45 articles were selected for inclusion, covering the preparation and modification of adsorbents from cellulose sources and agricultural waste. Thematic analysis revealed that agricultural waste is an environmentally friendly adsorbent with a high capacity for removing cadmium, lead, and arsenic from aqueous solutions. Moreover, modified adsorbents with iron and iron oxide nanoparticles demonstrated superior adsorption capacities compared to their unmodified counterparts.

Conclusion: This review highlights the potential of utilizing cellulose sources, particularly processed fruit waste, as a suitable material for preparing carbon-based adsorbents and modifying their surfaces with iron and iron oxide nanoparticles. Their abundance, adsorption capacity, low cost, and availability make them a promising solution for removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions.

A Global Systematic Review of Factors Affecting the Biological Treatment of Wastewater Containing Petroleum Substances

Mohammad Hasan Zarghi — 2024-12-29

Introduction: A variety of treatment methods, including biological remediation, have been employed to address oil-contaminated wastewater. Bioremediation, which involves using microorganisms to mitigate or eliminate pollutants, is recognized as an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and evolving technique for removing and breaking down various environmental contaminants, including those from oil industry.

Materials and Methods: This systematic review not only introduces biological treatment but also explores factors contributing to its success. In this study, a search was performed with keywords including petroleum substances, bioremediation, and biological treatment on Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and PubMed, and 1349 studies were obtained, and 61 articles were finally chosen according to exclusion and inclusion criteria.

Results: A significant increase was observed in research articles over the past five years, likely reflecting the growing awareness of the need to remediate petroleum pollution in recent years. The nature of petroleum wastewater varies depending on the specific crude oil refining process, and factors that have the greatest effect on biological treatment include temperature, pH, inhibitors, time, oxygen, nutrients, nature, concentration of pollutants, and microorganism type. No single species of microorganism can break down all petroleum compounds.

Conclusion: This study allows decision-makers to evaluate these factors before implementing and investing in this method, ensuring its effectiveness in reducing petroleum pollution concentrations.

Temporal Changes Trend in External-Origin Dust in Arid Cities of Iran

Zohre Ebrahimi-Khusfi — 2024-12-29

Introduction: Dust storms in arid regions lead to air pollution that jeopardizes human health and the environment. Monitoring the temporal and spatial variations of these events is crucial for mitigating their risks.

Materials and Methods: This study analyzed dust events in Iran, classifying them as internal (coded 07, 30-35, 98) and external (coded 06). The frequency of each dust type was calculated for every city, and the proportion of internal and external dust events was determined. Then, the contributions of both internal and external dust sources were examined in Iranian arid cities. Finally, using Mann-Kendall test, the study analyzed changes in external-origin dust in these cities.

Results: Over 58% of recorded dust events originated from external sources. Significant increases in external dust frequency were found in most months for Tabas, Kashan, and Bandar Abbas (|Z statistic| > 1.96), while significant decreases were observed in Bam, Zahedan, and Iranshahr ((|Z statistic| > 1.96). A seasonal increase in external dust was prevalent in 72%, 7%, 58.6%, and 62.1% of Iranian cities during winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Annually, 75.9% of the cities experienced rising levels of external dust, while 17.2% faced decreasing trends.

Conclusion: The results can be used as an efficient tool to improve management policies and programs in order to reduce the negative effects of dust on the environment and community health in dusty urban areas.

Comparison of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Waves in Different Parts of Residential Houses in Yazd City

Negar Zare Banadkooki — 2024-12-29

Introduction: Extremely low frequency (ELF) waves are less than 300 Hz. Electrical devices with city electricity are one of the most important sources of generating ELF waves. The main objective of this research was to investigate and compare the magnetic fields produced by ELF electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) waves in different parts of residential houses in Yazd city.

Material and Methods: Thirty-three houses were selected, and an EMF-828 was used (made in Taiwan) for ELF-EMF intensity measurement in three parts of the kitchen, living room, and bedroom and three modes of Normal, OFF, and ON electrical instruments.

Results: Two-way ANOVA was used to compare two-by-two ELF waves in three modes: OFF, Normal, and ON. A significant value was obtained (p-value=0.036) in OFF and ON modes in the living room. Similar results were for kitchen (p-value=0.014) in two modes of ON and OFF. However, there was not a significant relationship (p>0.05) between the mean intensity of ELF-EMF waves and the studied building parameters.

Conclusion: The mean intensity of the ELF waves in different modes was not the same in kitchen and was in the order of ON> Normal> OFF that could be related to high-wave generation equipment. The comparison of mean intensity of ELF-EMF waves in different locations of the investigated houses was much lower than the standard level set by ICNIRP. Preventing the simultaneous use of high-power electrical instruments led to both save consumption and reduce EMF-ELF waves exposure risk.

The Impact of Pesticides Exposure on Thyroid Function in Rafsanjan Farmers in 2023-2024: A Case-Control Study

Sadegh Salehipour — 2024-12-29

Introduction: Pesticides, particularly highly toxic organophosphates, are widely used in agriculture and can disrupt the endocrine system. This study aims to determine thyroid function indicators in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in Rafsanjan city, Iran, in 2023.

Material and Methods: This 10-month (from March 2023 to January 2024) case-control study involved 150 participants (men farmers) divided into three groups: pesticide-spraying farmers, rural non-farmers, and urban non-exposed individuals. Socio-demographic information, medical history, and lifestyle factors data were collected by a detailed checklist. Thyroid enzyme levels, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), and free thyroxine (FT4) were tested by ELISA kits. The collected data were analyzed and compared across the groups by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results: Significant differences were observed in serum levels of thyroid function indicators such as TSH, Total T4, and Free T4 among the three groups (spraying farmers, rural residents near pistachio orchards, and urban residents), except for Total T3, which showed no significant difference. Moreover, there was a relationship between thyroid function variables in the spraying group and factors such as using personal protective equipment (PPE), days of spraying per year, hours of spraying per day, distance from home to pistachio orchards, and levels of pesticide exposure. However, these relationships were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The study found no significant effect of pesticide exposure on thyroid function, possibly due to minimal skin contact and equipment maintenance practices among farmers. Further investigations are recommended

Studies on Bio-denitrification of Wastewater Using Immobilized GAC in Draft Tube Spouted Bed Reactor

Keshava Joshi — 2024-12-29

Introduction: The draft tube-spouted bed bioreactor with GAC particles immobilized with Pseudomonas syringae is being evaluated to study the effect of suspended biomass and biofilm thickness on the rate of denitrification. Though the biofilm thickness is not directly controlled in wastewater treatment by the diffusion limitation and consequent substrate penetration in the biofilm, biofilm thickness will probably have a significant impact on bacteriological activity.

Materials and Methods: The reactor studies were accomplished to study the result of dilution rate on attached biomass, suspended biomass, and biofilm thickness with nitrate reduction under steady-state conditions. A spouted bed reactor with the growth media prepared was used to study the bio-denitrification using Pseudomonas syringae.

Results: The study of the attached biomass on nitrate reduction indicated that, as the attached biomass increased from 0.35 g/g to 0.54 g/g at a 0.166/h dilution rate, the nitrate reduction percentage decreased from 98.18% to 88.2%. During the study, it was observed that the biomass and biofilm thickness increased and decreased, respectively, with a rise in influent nitrate concentration and dilution rate. The rise in dilution rate as well as influent nitrate concentration throughout the study increased the rate of suspended biomass.

Conclusion: The nitrate reduction rate was high with higher rates of loading in a draft tube spouted bed bioreactor, due to well-organized recirculation of the solids inside the reactor. The formation of biofilm thickness on solids is a significant character as it increases the nitrate reduction rate to meet the effluent standards