Water used in industries creates a wastewater that has a potential hazard for our environment because of introducing various contaminants such as heavy metals into soil and water resources. In this study, removal of cadmium, lead and nickel from industrial wastewaters has been investigated by using teawaste as a natural adsorbent. The research is a bench scale experimental type and analyses have performed by using different amounts of adsorbent in solutions with 5 different concentrations of each metal and also in a mixed combination. Besides, the effect of various amounts of teawaste used in adsorption efficiency experiments has been investigated. Results indicate that the removal efficiency is highest for lead and is minimum for cadmium. About 94 and 100% lead removal were achieved by using 0.5 and 1.5g adsorbent for solutions having concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/L Pb. Whereas, 1.5g teawaste can treat nickel solution of 5 mg/L concentration with an efficiency of not more that 85.7%. For cadmium, the efficiency was only 77.2% in the same conditions. On the other hand, for mixtures of metals and by applying 0.5 g teawaste, we considered a 3.5% decrease in lead removal efficiency and a 13.2% decrease in nickel adsorption for a mixed solution of 5 mg/L.

Background: Wastewater effluent in hospitals has been increasing during the recent decades due to developments in medical services and products. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the qualitative parameters of effluent wastewater in hospitals affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences (BUMS). Materials and Methods: Four hospitals were included and their wastewater effluent was studied. Ninety-six composited samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for determining pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorous (TP), heavy metals, total coliforms (TC) and total heterotrophic bacteria counts (THBC) based on standard methods. Results: Mean ± SD pH of the wastewater was 7.6 ± 0.4. Mean ± SD BOD 5, COD, TSS, TKN and TP were 372 ± 173 mg/L, 687 ± 231 mg/L, 289 ± 132 mg/L and 15 ± 5.5 mg/L, respectively. Mean concentration of Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, Co, Hg, Fe and Cu were 26..1 mg/L and 49 (g/L), respectively. The total coliforms and heterotrophic bacteria were 5.4 × 10 8 MPN/100 mL and 2.6 × 10 10 CFU/mL, respectively. Total wastewater quantity and its organic loading rate were 169 263 m 3 and 62 966 kg in a year, respectively. Conclusions: Most of the qualitative indices evaluated in wastewater effluent of hospitals of BUMS were higher than effluent discharge standards of Iran Environment Protection Agency (IEPA). These wastewaters are usually purified improperly by wastewater treatment plants of these hospitals and polluted effluents which empty to the Babol Rood River and Caspian Sea can potentially endanger public health, natural resources and wildlife.

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Background:Bread is an important food product that furnishes as much as 50% to 90% of total calorie and protein intakes. Objectives: This research was aimed at investigating content of heavy metals in the different breads in Rasht metropolis of northern Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 different bread types such as Barbari, Sangak, Lavash, and Baguette produced in 124 bakery shops in Rasht City were analyzed for some heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Co) by Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP) instrument (ICP-QES). Results: The mean content of the As, Cd, and Pb in different breads were respectively as follows: Barbari, 0, 0.73, and 0.07; Sangak, 0, 0.13, and 0.64; Lavash, 0, 0.2, and 0.3; and Baguette, 0, 0.09, and 0.9 mg/kg of dry weight. The mean concentration of Cr, Ni, and Co levels in the selected breads was respectively as follows: 1.3, 1.2, and 0.6 mg/kg of Barbari; 0.8, 0.6, and 0.19 mg/kg of Sangak; 0.7, 0.4, and 0.14 mg/kg of Lavash; and 0.9, 0.7, and 0.07 mg/kg of Baguette. The mean daily intake of As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cr with the consumed breads were 0, 0.5, 4.2, 6.4, 7.4, and 1.6 μg/kg, respectively. The total daily intake of the studied heavy metals was determined 17.5 μg/kg. The high levels Cr (8.4 μg/kg) in Barbari, Pb (5.8 μg/kg) in Baguette, and Cd (0.8 μg/kg) in Sangak breads were determined. Conclusions: The high contents of daily intake of Cr, Pb, Cd, and Hg by the breads cause undesirable health effects on people. Prevention of heavy metals in to the durums and breads during wheat, rice, and other agricultural productions in cultivation, harvest, and grinding stages, storage of flour, and baking breads is necessary.

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