Determination of air enthalpy based on meteorological data as an indicator for heat stress assessment in occupational outdoor environments, a field study in Iran

Background: Heat stress evaluation and timely notification, especially using meteorological data is an important issue attracted attention in recent years

Therefore, this study aimed at answering the following research questions: 1] can enthalpy as a common environmental parameter reported by meteorological agencies be applied accurately for evaluation of thermal condition of outdoor settings, and 2] if so, what is it's the best criterion to detect areas in stress or stress-free situations, separately

Methods: Nine climatic regions were selected throughout Iran covering a wide variety of climatic conditions like those, which exist around the world. Three types of parameters including measured [ta, RH, Pa and WBGT], estimated [metabolic rate and cloth thermal insulation], and calculated parameters [enthalpy and effective WBGT] were recorded for 1452 different situations. Enthalpy as a new indicator in this research was compared to WBGT in selected regions

Results: Altogether, a good consistency was obtained between enthalpy and WBGT in selected regions [Kappa value: 0.815]. Based on the good ROC curve obtained using MedCal software, the criterion of the values more than 74.24 for the new index was determined to explain heat stress situation for outdoor environments

Conclusions: Because of simplicity in measurement, applicability of the indicator for weather agencies, the consistency observed between enthalpy and a valid as well as accurate index [WBGT], sensor requirements which take only a few seconds to reach equilibrium and so on, enthalpy indicator can be introduced and applied as a good substitute for WBGT for outdoor settings

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymer as a solid phase sorbent for pesticide dursban

This study describes the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers [MIPs] by using an Anti-ChE OPs, namely dursban, as a template. Non-covalent bulk polymerization was successfully applied to synthesis different imprinted and non-imprinted polymers with MAA, MMA, AA, and 4-vpy as monomer in selected porogens [chloroform, toluene, and acetonitrile]. In order to evaluate the template binding of the polymers, equilibrium binding experiments was carried out. High binding amount of imprinted polymers compared to non-imprinted polymer was due to effective imprinting or encoding of dursban template shape in the polymer matrixes. From this study, the dursban imprinted polymers prepared using acidic MAA as a functional monomer showed excellent molecular binding ability for dursban. This is because the hydrogen binding interaction between dursban and MAA may be formed between sulfur, oxygen, chlorine, and nitrogen groups of dursban and carboxyl group of MAA. The results shows the use of chloroform as porogen, with a poor hydrogen binding power, significantly affects the binding extend of the MIPs. MAA and chloroform were found to be the most suitable monomer and porogen for the preparation of appropriate dursban molecularly imprinted polymers. This study has shown the possibility of synthesizing and using molecularly imprinted polymers as sorbent for an Anti-ChE Ops