В условиях давления на использование лабораторных животных при испытаниях парфюмерно-косметической продукции (ПКП) возрастает значение альтернативных методов (АМ) in vitro, ex vivo и in chemico. В этой связи в 2023 г. технический регламент таможенного союза ТР ТС 009/2011 «О безопасности парфюмерно-косметической продукции» (ТР ТС 009/2011) был дополнен перечнем стандартов, включающих ряд АМ. Цель данного исследования – оценка возможности применения АМ для подтверждения соответствия ПКП требованиям ТР ТС 009/2011 по токсикологическим показателям: кожно-раздражающее действие, раздражающее действие на слизистые и сенсибилизирующее действие. Проведено сопоставление in vivo методов для оценки кожно-раздражающего действия ПКП и ее раздражающего действия на слизистые с in vivo методами, используемыми при классификации химической продукции (ХП) по видам опасности разъедание / раздражение кожи, серьезное повреждение/раздражение глаз. Выполнен сравнительный анализ пороговых значений токсикологических показателей, установленных ТР ТС 009/2011, и классификационных рамок классов соответствующих им видов опасности в Согласованной на глобальном уровне системе классификации и маркировки химической продукции (СГС), а также оценена дифференцирующая способность АМ. Установлены существенные различия между критериями ТР ТС 009/2011 и СГС, обусловленные как более жесткими требованиями безопасности к ПКП, так и особенностями ее применения. Показано, что in vivo методы для ХП неэквивалентны методам оценки ПКП. Выявлена недостаточная дифференцирующая способность большинства проанализированных АМ. Сделан вывод о том, что применение АМ для оценки риска ПКП затруднено. Обоснована необходимость дополнения методик расчета индекса кожно-раздражающего действия Icut, а также индекса раздражающего действия на слизистые Iir. Предложены направления по актуализации Приложений № 8 и № 9 ТР ТС 009/2011 и разработке АМ с повышенной дифференцирующей способностью. Рассмотрена роль АМ при оценке сенсибилизирующего потенциала ПКП.
Amin Barazandeh, Maedeh khorasani, Molouk Tahmasebi
et al.
Background: The present study aims to investigate the moderating role of health-promoting lifestyle in the relationship between emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue in nurses.
Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study and the statistical population of this study included nurses at Sinai Hospital and Heart Center in Isfahan who were working in the winter of 2022. Based on the Krejci and Morgan’s table, 280 questionnaires were distributed among the sample members, of which 266 questionnaires could be analyzed statistically. The data collection tools included the Maslach Emotional Exhaustion Questionnaire, the Chalder Chronic Fatigue Questionnaire, and the Walker Health-Promoting Lifestyle. Data analysis was conducted using two software programs: SPSS and Smart PLS.
Results: The results demonstrated that nurses' chronic fatigue was significantly improved by emotional exhaustion (β = 0.146, p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was discovered that a healthier lifestyle had a greater impact on lowering chronic fatigue (β = -0.393, p < 0.001). An acceptable fit was shown by the model fit indices (SRMR = 0.080, NFI = 0.928, R2 = 0.42). Furthermore, the moderating effect of a healthy lifestyle was validated, showing that increased participation in healthy behaviors lessened the effect of emotional exhaustion on chronic fatigue.
Conclusion: The results showed that a health-promoting lifestyle can play a moderating role in the relationship between emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue in nurses; therefore, paying attention to factors affecting the increase in a health-promoting lifestyle can be considered in improving the conditions of nurses who are exposed to burnout and chronic fatigue and improve their performance.
Communities. Classes. Races, Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
The rapid increase in construction and demolition waste (C&DW) has emerged as a significant environmental challenge, particularly due to the hazardous substances embodied within the fine residues destined into landfills. The disposal of C&DW in landfills has been widely recognized as a source of leachate, containing toxic contaminants, which pose significant environmental risks. A controlled column leaching experiment was conducted using samples with varying proportions of C&DW, gypsum, and organic content to assess their impact on leachate chemistry. The results indicate that higher C&DW content leads to increased concentrations of heavy metals, such as Pb, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Co, as well as other metals like Al and Fe, with peak contamination occurring within the first 13–15 weeks. Gypsum presence exacerbates heavy metal solubility by reducing pH, increasing sulfate levels, and promoting metal-sulfate complex formation. Despite remaining within regulatory thresholds, the cumulative concentration of toxic metals over time highlights potential environmental risks, particularly in landfill settings. This study underscores the need for improved C&DW management practices, enhanced waste segregation, and sustainable alternatives to gypsum to mitigate long-term ecological impacts. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of C&DW leachate dynamics and inform policy recommendations for sustainable waste management in the construction sector.
Background: Critical thinking and self-efficacy play an important role in achieving the workplace. This study aimed to determine the relationship between critical thinking and self-efficacy in healthcare managers of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 115 healthcare managers affiliated to Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences using census sampling method in 2019. Data were collected using standard Ricketts' Critical Thinking Questionnaire and Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale and were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient) using SPSS 24 software.
Results: There was a significant relationship between mean scores of critical thinking and self-efficacy of health managers (P <0.001) and self-efficacy with the beta coefficient of 0.436 could significantly predict critical thinking. The mean critical thinking score of healthcare managers was 125.96±10.62, and the mean self-efficacy score of healthcare managers was 34.67±6. 87.
Conclusion: According to the research findings, critical thinking has a direct and positive relationship with managers' self-efficacy. To apply these findings, it is recommended that authorities take necessary measures to strengthen and develop critical thinking among healthcare managers to establish a stronger foundation for enhancing their self-efficacy.
Communities. Classes. Races, Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Water borne emerging pollutants represents a significant challenge confronting the modern society. As a result of excessive use of dyes and pigments by the textile and other industries, substantial amount of these toxic and recalcitrant substances are widely dispersed into the aquatic sources that may raise serious health issues to all life forms besides causing potential disruption to the ecosystem. Treatments of these hazardous and non-biodegradable organic contaminants in wastewater effluents have become a focal point for researchers dedicated to environmental remediation. Notably, Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composites have been reported to be promising materials for tackling such challenges. This review is dedicated to provide a concise overview by consolidating the diverse beneficial attributes of Cu-BTC MOF rendering it as a versatile material with applications spanning diverse domains, focusing on the reactivity, the role of the metal ion and its recent potential for addressing the elimination of toxic textile dye wastes from the wastewater effluent. Furthermore, it also documents the underlying mechanistic pathway governing the degradation mechanism and the superior electron transport property of Cu ̶ BTC, besides painting in detail the existing limitations that hinder their applicability at an industrial platform. Moreover, a set of future research outlooks serving as a roadmap for exploring the potentiality of Cu ̶ BTC MOFs have also been presented.
This study investigated the combination of UV persulfate (UV/PS) treatment of recycled water and deficit irrigation to minimize pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) accumulation and improve crop quality. Lettuce, carrot, and tomato, commonly consumed raw, were cultivated in a greenhouse using PPCPs spiked recycled water, UV/PS treated recycled water, and tap water control, under irrigation rates at 60 %, 80 % and 100 % of crop evapotranspiration (ETC) rates. UV/PS removed ≥ 99 % of carbamazepine, diclofenac, and fluoxetine from spiked recycled water. Post-treatment, carbamazepine accumulation in harvested lettuce, carrot, and tomato was reduced by 96–99 %, 35–70 % and 72–93 %, respectively. Minimal accumulation of diclofenac and fluoxetine occurred in edible crops due to their existence as dissociated ions. Three edible crops exhibited distinct trends of PPCPs accumulation in response to irrigation rates. Lettuce exhibited a decreasing PPCPs accumulation with a reduced irrigation rate, which was attributed to slower transpiration. In contrast, carrot and tomato exhibited increased PPCP accumulation due to osmotic adjustment. Lettuce and carrot exhibited higher irrigation water utilization efficiency at deficit irrigation, while the opposite was observed for tomato. This study highlights the beneficial integration of UV/PS with deficit irrigation to conserve water, maintain crop yield, and minimize PPCPs accumulation.
Shirin Madadkar Dehkordi, Zohreh Karimiankakolaki, Parvin Mohammadi
et al.
Background: Atrial fibrillation is a globally common cardiac dysrhythmia and preventable with education. The study protocol aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a multimedia educational program on the lifestyle and perception of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Methods: The present clinical trial protocol will be conducted to investigate the effect of multimedia training on the lifestyle and perception of patients with atrial fibrillation in two phases. The multimedia training (audio, video, image, and animation) was provided in the form of two 2-hour training sessions per week for patients on the coordinated date and time on a web platform. The patients also received a weekly phone call for one month through which some educational content was covered as a type of training intervention. The second phase included the administration of pre-test and post-test interventions using standard questionnaires by an intervention (who receive training) and a control (without training) group.
Conclusion: The present study provides a useful protocol regarding the design of a multimedia educational intervention program on promoting the lifestyle and perception of patients with atrial fibrillation. It can also reduce treatment costs. The strategies of this program can be cost-effective therefore the success of such a program can be effective in improving the health status of atrial fibrillation patients.Registration of this randomized control trial has been completed with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials.
Communities. Classes. Races, Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Fuja Sagita, Kholifatul Mukhoibibah, Witri Wahyu Lestari
et al.
Water pollution is a major challenge in the industrial era that gained the attention of researchers, especially for dye wastewater. Membrane technology is applied to address this issue due to its efficient and effective process. MIL-100(Cr) is a metal-organic framework that becomes an interesting material in membrane technology due to its highly porous characteristics (pore sizes of 24 Å and 29 Å), large surface area, and decent stability. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was modified with MIL-100(Cr) to fabricate PVDF/MIL-100(Cr) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for congo red (CR) dye removal. Furthermore, the membrane performances were determined by its permeability, selectivity, and antifouling properties. The results show that adding MIL-100(Cr) could enhance the membrane’s porosity and average pore size, which led to a boost in membrane permeability. Interestingly, the rejection of the membrane is maintained at a remarkably high level, above 95%, because of the electrostatic repulsion between the membrane surface with anionic congo red. The optimum concentration of MIL-100(Cr) is 1% (w/w), with a permeability of 50.90 L m−2 h−1 and rejection of 99.9%. Moreover, the flux recovery ratio (FRR) is around 90%, showing notable resistance to the fouling phenomena.
Narges Arab Moghaddam, Maryam Soroush, Hassan Joulaei
et al.
Background: Religion as a social determinants of health(SDOH) has long been a topic of fascination and debate, affecting various aspects of human life, including behavior. Some behaviors cause social problems due to harmful consequences they have when they become popular. Risky health behaviors are part of these social issues
Method: This study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore individuals' perceptions of the role of religiosity in social problems in Shiraz in 2022 . To gain deeper insights into this relationship, we conducted semi- structured in-depth interviews with 14 participants, who engaged in various forms of risky behavior.
Results: The study revealed four distinct themes: a constructive viewpoint, where religion was seen as integral to addressing social issues, guiding individuals towards positive behavior; a destructive viewpoint, where religion was perceived as a source of harm and risky behavior; a separation between social issues and religion, indicating that certain social problems and behavior transcend religious definitions; and the interaction of religion with some factors which underscores the interplay between religion and other determinants, such as economic status, in shaping perceptions of social problems. Economic status emerged as a significant factor influencing participants' perspectives on social issues and risky behavior.
Conclusion: This study showed that understanding of people involved in high-risk behaviors about the role of religion in the occurrence of these behaviors and social damages are very different. Some consider religion to be very effective in preventing these behaviors, and some consider religion to be the cause of social damage, emphasizing the importance of considering these diverse perspectives in addressing social issues in contemporary society.
Communities. Classes. Races, Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been shown to be ubiquitous in the environment, and one issue of critical concern is the leaching of PFAS from soil to groundwater. The risk posed by contaminants present in soil is often assessed in terms of the anticipated impact to groundwater through the determination of soil screening levels (SSLs). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a soil screening model for determining SSLs. However, the model does not consider the unique retention properties of PFAS and, consequently, the SSLs established with the model may not represent the actual levels that are protective of groundwater quality. The objective of this work is to revise the standard EPA SSL model to reflect the unique properties and associated retention behavior of PFAS. Specifically, the distribution parameter used to convert soil porewater concentrations to soil concentrations is revised to account for adsorption at the air-water interface. Example calculations conducted for PFOS and PFOA illustrate the contrasting SSLs obtained with the revised and standard models. A comparison of distribution parameters calculated for a series of PFAS of different chain length shows that the significance of air-water interfacial adsorption can vary greatly as a function of the specific PFAS. Therefore, the difference between SSLs calculated with the revised versus standard models will vary as a function of the specific PFAS, with greater differences typically observed for longer-chain PFAS. It is anticipated that this revised model will be useful for developing improved SSLs that can be used to enhance site investigations and management for PFAS-impacted sites. Synopsis: The widely used EPA SSL model is revised for PFAS applications to account for adsorption at the air-water interface.
The biogeochemical cycling of iron is crucial to plenty of environmental processes, and is often influenced by black carbon with high electrical conductivity and abundant functional groups. This study for the first time revealed that diesel particulate matter (DPM), a typical black carbon material which often caused serious environmental effects, could significantly promote dissimilatory reduction of both abiogenic and biogenic goethite (CGt and BGt) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. In 7 days, Fe(II) production in CGt systems containing 0.5, 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg/L of DPM were 1.2, 1.3, 1.8, 1.9, and 2.7 folds higher than that in the system without DPM (0.12 mM), respectively. During the bioreduction of BGt, Fe(II) concentrations were 2.4–3.4 folds higher than those in the CGt systems, and were increased by 4.8%− 41.7% with the addition of 0.5–50 mg/L DPM. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated that goethite was the sole mineralized product during the bioreduction of CGt, while vivianite appeared gradually during the microbial transformation of BGt. DPM enhanced electron transfer between cells and goethite via serving as electron shuttles. The results of this study would improve our understanding of interactions among microbes, natural minerals, and black carbon in the natural environments.
Marzieh Shojaei, Abigail S. Joyce, P. Lee Ferguson
et al.
Studies have identified hundreds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and there is increasing reliance on HRMS with suspect screening in areas such as PFAS fate and transport. Characterization of active-use AFFF formulations is crucial for maintaining representative lists of PFAS for such efforts. Herein, targeted analysis, total oxidizable precursor assay (TOP), suspect screening, and non-targeted analysis were used to characterize PFAS in an AFFF currently certified for use by the U.S. military. The sum of PFAS identified during targeted analysis and suspect screening was compared to TOP, demonstrating that > 90% (20.2 mM) of the estimated total PFAS concentration (22.4 mM) was comprised of ''unknown'' PFAS. Tandem and multi-stage tandem mass spectra were used to annotate 10 PFAS within 9 classes, 8 of which have never been reported. A subset are fluorotelomer-based isomers of legacy, electrochemically synthesized PFAS. Thus, suspect screening efforts that rely solely on accurate mass matching may mis-annotate PFAS presented here as isomers that will have key differences in properties such as biotransformation pathways. The total estimated concentration of the 10 PFAS was ~20 mM, which agrees with the ''unknown'' fraction (20.2 mM) identified by TOP.
Introduction: As a social phenomenon of the present age, Divorce as one of the social phenomena of the present age has many obvious and hidden factors practical and fundamental solutions have been proposed to reduce and deal with this issue by examining and recognizing these factors in each society.
This study was carried out to identify the social factors related to the demand for divorce in Yazd.
Methods: The present study was conducted by survey technique. The statistical population included the couples seeking divorce referred to the judiciary of Yazd in the period of 2011-2017, the sample size of 110 people was selected by random sampling method based on Cochran's formula, a researcher-made questionnaire was used as the measurement tool whose validity was measured by Formal validity and reliability by Cronbach's alpha.
Results: According to the findings, the respondents believed that the three variables of domestic violence, interference of others and the level of spouses' participation in household work had great roles in the demand for divorce. There is also a significant relationship between age and gender, and variables of domestic violence, spouse's family interference and spouse's participation in household. 18.9% of the variance of the dependent variable (Divorce) is explained by the variables of gender, education, family past.
Conclusion: It is necessary to provide life skills training and free counseling to couples and families in this regard in order to prevent failed marriages and marital problems and develop strong relationships. Besides, it is necessary for the mass media to raise awareness, give information to people, and promote rational, spiritual and easy marriages.
Communities. Classes. Races, Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Biotransformation of soluble selenite (SeIV) and selenate (SeVI) to biomass-associated Se0 (Bio-Se) provides a solution for mitigating Se pollution coupled to securing scarce element. Here, we demonstrated an efficient Se oxyanion removal process by converting to Bio-Se using aerobic granular sludge (AGS). SeIV and SeVI removal was dependent on lactate availability, and proportional to initial Se and biomass concentrations. Laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR) were operated for 100 days by feeding an influent containing 100 μM SeIV, 100 μM SeVI, or 100 μM each of SeIV and SeVI to evaluate Se and nutrient removal performance. At 34 h hydraulic retention time, complete and sustained removal of influent SeIV, SeVI or SeIV-SeVI was achieved in 24 h cycles containing anaerobic (8 h) and aeration (15 h) phases. Removal of NH4+-N was sustained in AGS reactor through nitritation-denitritation under Se-loading conditions. AGS process demonstrated SeIV/VI, COD, ammonia, and total nitrogen removal efficiencies of 99 %, 99 %, 99 % and 98 %, respectively. Both batch and SBR experiments revealed that AGS is superior to activated sludge in achieving simultaneous SeIV/VI oxyanion and nutrient removal. This study shows that AGS process could be applied for treating acid mine and agricultural drainage that contain Se oxyanions and ammoniacal-nitrogen.
Microplastics can serve as carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and pathogens, representing a pressing concern to aquatic biota and human health. Activated sludge units at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are “hotspots” converging microplastics and antibiotics. In this batch study with activated sludge samples from three domestic WWTPs, we demonstrated both polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics can acclimate biofilms enriched with sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) and the associated mobile genetic element (intI1) in comparison with fine sands as control particles. Absolute abundances of these genes were further elevated by 1.2∼4.5 fold when sulfamethoxazole was initially spiked as a representative sulfonamide. The combination of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and differential ranking analysis revealed that microplastics selectively promoted antibiotic-resistant and pathogenic taxa (e.g., Raoultella ornithinolytica and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) with enrichment indices ranging from 1.6 to 3.3. Furthermore, heterotrophic Novosphingobium and filamentous Flectobacillus accounted for 14.6 % and 3.3 % on average in microplastic biofilms, respectively, which were up to 2.8 and 11.1 times higher than those in sand biofilms. Dominance of these bacterial species may contribute to initial biofilm formation that facilitates subsequent colonization and proliferation of ARB and pathogens, thus amplifying their risks in the receiving environments and beyond.
Sanjay K. Mohanty, Ashkan Salamatipour, Jane K. Willenbring
To prevent exposure of millions of people living near thousands of contaminated sites to asbestos, the sites are typically capped with soil and amendments, assuming asbestos mobility underground is negligible in all conditions. Here, we disprove this long-standing assumption and showed that the presence of certain types of dissolved organic matter (DOM) can facilitate the transport of the asbestos fibers through packed sand or soil columns. The column scale simulates asbestos transport without and without DOM, although asbestos transport at a longer scale through aquifer may vary because of soil heterogeneity. Our data shows that the extent of fiber transport in soil is affected by DOM quality: fulvic acid > humic acid > natural organic matter isolated from Suwanee River, a model terrestrial organic carbon. We attribute the results to the ability of DOM to affect aggregation of asbestos fibers and limit their attachment on soil. Thus, types of organic amendments applied on asbestos-contaminated sites may have an unintended consequence: transport of asbestos fibers to shallow groundwater to receiving streams or rivers, from where they could be resuspended in the air via irrigation or drying of the riverbed.
There is international interest to increase recycling rates of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). Extensive use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), however, presents a hinder to this. If uncontrolled, hazardous BFRs could persist in recycled EPS leading to new exposure routes, including in materials such as EPS packaging where no flame retardants are required. This study looked at EPS foam collected from Norwegian Municipal Waste Sorting Facilities, visually sorted as ''white EPS foam'', mostly derived from packaging. Bromine was analysed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and selected BFRs including hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) were analysed by targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Results were compared with EU and UNEP low persistent organic pollutant concentration limits (LPCLs). One out of 120 samples contained HBCDD over established LPCLs, likely attributable to missorted insulation EPS. Further, no false negatives occurred, as all samples in which target BFRs were quantified had XRF-detectable bromine. Visual sorting of white EPS packaging foam, with the use of XRF in uncertain cases has the potential of minimizing hazardous BFRs in recycled EPS. The context of national sorting infrastructure and compliance should be a central feature of future studies investigating how BFRs or other hazardous substances enter the global circular economy.
Tar, a hazardous mixture, produced in biomass gasification can be condensed in the reactor and cause blocking and fouling of engines. Among all the removal technologies, tar removal in the presence of catalyst has been proved to be effective for tar elimination and towards H2-riched syngas production. In recent years, there are many literatures that reported different heterogeneous catalysts in biomass tar reforming, and many catalysts are identified to produce syngas with different compositions. However, further utilization of produced gas (e.g., methanation) is still not well solved, which limited the development of biomass gasification. Hence, in this review, we first reviewed biomass gasification and common methods for produced tar removal. After that, we shed light on the fundamentals (gas clean-up and proportion adjustment) and downstream integration between produced gas from biomass gasification and methanation, etc. Following this, the summary and challenge are concluded to give an insight into the integration between gasification and downstream technologies in the future.
Abstract Background The 2018 European Renewables Directive sets a binding target of 32% of renewable energy generation by 2030. Free-field photovoltaic plants are characterised by significant land use and material flows. Although country-level data on installed power is available, information about the spatial distribution of PV plants is rare. When the first photovoltaic systems will reach their end-of-life on a large scale in 2035, economic, technological and ecological challenges will arise. Methods The study explores the market development of photovoltaic power in the EU countries from 2008 to 2017 by preparing statistical data and Google mapping of free-field PV plants. Different approaches to assessing the land use of free-field PV systems compared to other energy systems are investigated. A comprehensive literature review addresses key issues of PV module waste treatment, hazardous constituents and their leakage in case of module breakage as well as financial issues of decommissioning and recycling and re-use of used modules. Results Most of the European PV electrical energy is generated by approximately 17,000 widely distributed free-field plants predominantly installed in lowlands. A local in-depth study shows that roof-top plants contribute less than 5% to the total PV energy generation in an area without extensive expansion to industrial buildings. Small amounts of hazardous substances that are typically present in PV modules are unlikely to affect the environment during normal operation of the system, but the question of leakage from broken end-of-life modules is not sufficiently clarified. While in the EU, the recycling and disposal costs are covered by producer fees and expected raw material profits; the financing of the decommissioning of thousands of PV free-field plants is still an open issue. Conclusions The land use of free-field PV systems should be analysed in more detail. Concerning hazardous substances, there seems to be an emerging consensus in literature that the leaching behaviour of metals from broken PV module pieces is inadequately simulated by current waste characterisation protocols. It is recommended to pay greater attention to financing the decommissioning of free-field commercial and industrial scale PV systems.
Renewable energy sources, Energy industries. Energy policy. Fuel trade