Comparing formaldehyde risk assessment in histopathology laboratory staff using three methods based on US EPA approaches in the west of Iran.

Objective. In different studies, various models have been used for exposure risk assessment of formaldehyde, so this study was conducted to compare existing methods. Method. This cross-sectional analytical study was performed in the pathology section of four hospitals in the west of Iran in 2016. Personal air sampling was performed using National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method 3500. Risk assessment with existing methods and comparison between them was performed with the statistical tests. Results. 71% of participants were exposed to values above the threshold limit value. The carcinogenic risk obtained for the staff of the studied hospitals ranged from 3 × 10-6 to 3.07 × 10-4. The potential dose of exposure to formaldehyde varied from 73.22 to 3216.06 µg · day-1. The hazard quotient value was more than 1 in 71.4% of cases. Conclusion. The results of the existing methods for carcinogenic risk assessment are almost similar. In general, the Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS) is recommended because of its simplicity and reduction of error probability, saving time and cost. The results of this study can be used as a guide to select the appropriate risk assessment method for planning, providing appropriate control measures and risk management.

The hierarchy of preventive measures to protect workers against the COVID-19 pandemic: A review.

BACKGROUND: The high spread rate of coronaviruses, specifically severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has raised concerns about the spread of the disease in crowded occupational environments. The risk of occupational exposure to coronavirus depends on the type of industry and the nature of work. Currently, most countries are working for reactivating their economies and need to improve working conditions for a safe situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The present work aimed to investigate the current engineering and administrative control measures, which are necessary to protect workers against COVID-19 in workplaces. METHODS: The current strategies, including engineering control, administrative control, personal protective equipment, and their efficiencies, were reviewed and discussed. RESULTS: Reviewing the literature indicated that a collection of control approaches should be implemented for an effective control of the virus. Control measures could be selected based on the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The results also revealed that relying solely on a specific control measure could not effectively control the outbreak. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, employers and health professionals must continually monitor international and local guidelines to identify changes in recommendations to make their workplaces safer. Establishment of an expert team in any workplace for the implementation of more effective control measures is warranted, as well.

Risk assessment in academic laboratories in the west of Iran: compare the CHRA and the RSLs methods.

In the laboratories staffs, there is potential for adverse health effects in exposure to chemicals. Therefore, risk assessment is one of the main issues to prevent these effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the health risk of laboratory staffs and compare the two methods, including 'Chemical Health Risk Assessment' (CHRA) and 'Regional Screening Levels' (RSLs), that developed by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health of Malaysia and the Environmental Protection Agency respectively. Using these two methods, the places with the highest risk were identified. Comparisons showed that RSLs is a precise method without personal judgment. The CHRA is a simple method for wider chemicals that categorize risk. But CHRA includes fewer parameters compared to RSLs, as well as personal judgment. The results of the present study showed that two methods did not compatible. According to the characteristics of these two methods, it is recommended to use them as a compliment each other to obtain accurate results.

Evaluation of a novel hollow fiber membrane technique for collection of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in air.

The purpose of this study was to develop a novel one-step method for the time-weighted average determination of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) in the air followed by spectrophotometric detection. For this reason, 0.1% hydrochloric acid as the absorbent was used in hollow fiber (HF) membrane for sampling of UDMH from an atmospheric standard chamber. Response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the sampling parameters, such as flow rate and sampling time. Moreover, several analytical parameters including breakthrough (BT) volume, storage time, and carryover effect of the proposed HF were investigated. The results showed that optimal sampling rate was 9.90 mL/min. In order to validate the proposed method, it was compared with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 3515 method, which showed good compatibility between the two methods. Intra- and inter-day repeatability values of the HF method were in the range 0.082-0.1 and 0.091-0.12, respectively, and the limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 0.002 and 0.006 ng/mL, respectively. The storage time of the proposed HF was 7 days at 2 °C. These results demonstrated that the one-step HF membrane offered a high sensitivity for sampling of UDMH in air.

A checklist of the flora of Shanjan protected area, East Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran.

The flora of protected Shanjan rangeland in Shabestar district, Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran was studied using a 1 m × 1 m quadrate in spring and summer 2011. The climate of this area is cold and dry. In this area 94 plant species belonging to 25 families were identified as constituting the major part of the vegetation. The families in the area are Amaryllidaceae, Boraginaceae, Campanulaceae, Caryophllaceae, Cistaceae, Compositea, Cruciferae, Cyperaceae, Dipesaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Geraniaceae, Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Melvaceae, Orobachaceae, Papaveraceae, Paronychiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polygolaceae, Ranunculaceae, Resedaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae and Valerianacea. Floristic composition is Irano-Turanian elements. Detailed analysis showed that Biennial plants were 3.19%, Annual 41.49% and Perennial 55.32%.