[Economic comparison of standard method with E.Jurdo simplified method to measure linear alkyl benzene sulfonates in municipal wastewater]

Linear alkyl benzene sulfonates are widely used as surfactants in formulated detergent products. Because of their use in household and industrial detergents, LAS is discharged into wastewater collection systems and subsequently entered to wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, it is important to determine the concentration of LAS with accuracy. They are usually determined by standard method which is time-consuming, tedious and requires great quantities of chloroform. IN 2006 E.Jurado et al proposed a simplified method for measurement of LAS. In the present work the standard method and E.Jurado simplified method was compared economically. In this work NPV method was used for accounting the cost of initial investment, consumable material, non-consumable equipment and annual cost of staff and finally Net Present Value was calculated for them separately. The rate of interest was considered 15%. calculation showed initial investment, annual cost of staff and materials for standard method 13351981, 499968 and 1710981 RLS, respectively. And these costs for simplified method were 12048202, 83328 and 58202 RLS, respectively. Finally NPV for standard method and simplified method were equal to 30360709 and 14681848 RLS. The method proposed by E.Jurdo et al is simple, time consuming and more economical than standard method .This technique can be suggested applying to the routine measurement of LAS in wastewater treatment plants

[ special health education course effects on knowledge, attitude and practice of preparation, distribution and sale centers food staff in Kermanshah]

The food handling employee education program improves food safety. Determining knowledge, attitude and practice [KAP] level of workers who prepare, distribute and sale the food products make easy to control food safety. This study aimed to evaluate effects of intensive food safety education course on KAP of food handlers. in Kermanshah. Knowledge, attitude and practice of 370 workers of variety of food handling fields were studied before and after educational intervention course. A validated questionnaire about knowledge, attitude based on instruction from Ministry of Health and Medical Sciences for food handling was used for data collection. Paired t-test and chi[2] were applied for statistical analysis. The results showed positive effects of education program on KAP of food handlers. There was significant increase in knowledge marks before and after intervention, 20.5+ 4.03 vs. 23.73 +/- 3.75 [p<0.001].Attitude and practice of participants were increased significantly before 107.2 +/- 14.6; 43.93 +/- 7.6 compared to after 112.23 +/- 14.5; 46.11 +/- 8 intervention respectively [p<0.001]. The most increased mark of KAP was belonged to 21-30 years age group. Our findings confirm that educational intervention improved KAP of food handlers. To increase food safety, running periodical educational courses for the same filed workers with final exam and providing certificate highly recommended

Survey of accelator and pulsator system performance to contaminants removal from drinking water

Nowadays, to accelerate the process of turbidity removal in water treatment plants, the Accelator and Pulsator clarifiers are used. In this research, a comparison of the performance of these two systems in the TOC and turbidity removal as well as the consumption of chemicals in them is considered. In this study, 1,170 samples of raw water, effluent from clarifiers and filtered water were taken for nine months. Then turbidity; pH, alkalinity, Hardness, TOC and iron of the samples were measured. Saturation index [SI] was also calculated. Also the amount of consumed chemicals was recorded and the ratio of chemicals consumption to raw water turbidity and removed TOC was obtained. All sampling and examination procedures were conducted based on standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. The results indicated that the removal efficiency average of turbidity in the study period [nine months] in the Accelator and Pulsator system obtained were 46.2% +/- 16.2% and 75.9% +/- 10.9% respectively. The removal efficiency of TOC in the Accelator and Pulsator system obtained were 9.5% +/- 1.8% and 68.5% +/- 12.3% percent respectively. The amount of consumed coagulants in Pulsator was 0.20-0.25 of its consumption, in Accelator system. Water quality of Pulsator effluent was, at last,more desirable than Accelator. According to the results the use of Accelator treatment systems compared with Pulsator in water treatment plants does not have a desirable quality for drinking water and also Causs increase in the cost of consumed chemicals