Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) is a technique that enables the allocation of costs to energy and material flows within a system. This is achieved by estimating the costs associated with material and energy losses throughout various processes. This method enables the formulation of performance improvement scenarios with the objective of minimizing waste, thereby reducing both system costs and environmental impacts in a simultaneous manner. However, the lack of tangibility of the outcomes of MFCA-derived scenarios may hinder acceptance, as these outcomes may not resonate with stakeholders. In such instances, the utilization of modeling techniques to simulate MFCA outcomes can significantly enhance the clarity of the decision-making process. This research combines MFCA with GPS-X process simulation to assess and enhance the operational efficacy of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operated in two configurations: the conventional activated sludge (CAS) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems. This integrated approach enables accurate monitoring of material and energy flows, as well as financial and environmental performance. The simulation findings reveal that adopting optimized operational strategies achieved a 15 % reduction in electricity usage, a 12 % decline in total operating expenses, and a 17 % decrease in overall sludge generation, resulting in significant environmental advantages. The MFCA framework offered valuable insights by pinpointing costly loss streams and measuring resource inefficiencies. This unified methodology aids in data-informed decision-making and provides a useful tool for plant operators and policymakers aiming to improve sustainability and cost-efficiency in WWTP management.

Background. Energy is the most important prerequisite for the development and socioeconomic activities of any country. However, the payment of subsidies for energy and its excessive consumption in recent years have led to numerous environmental problems, such as air pollution, intensified greenhouse effects, and health damage. Therefore, this study aimed to compare alternatives for paying energy subsidies in Iran. Methods. This descriptive-applied study was designed using the AHP method and conducted with Expert Choice-11 software. In this study, three alternatives of "modifying the payment of energy subsidies (adjusted)", "removing the payment of energy subsidies", and "continued payment in the current form" were evaluated based on 12 health and environmental criteria. Results. Based on the results, the alternative "modifying the payment of energy subsidies (adjusted)" with a relative weight of 0.503 was selected as the best alternative for payment of energy subsidies in the country. The alternatives "removing the payment of energy subsidies" and "continuing payment in the current form" were ranked next with relative weights of 0.377 and 0.119, respectively. The overall consistency coefficient was ≤0.03, indicating the correctness of the decisions. Conclusion. Based on the findings, correcting the payment of energy subsidies allows for more efficient spending of financial resources on improving health and medical services, food security subsidies, developing education, public transportation, and renewable energy. Additionally, this alternative can help control the increasing trend of energy consumption and address the issue of energy imbalance in the country while improving health indicators and the environment, particularly air pollution.

OBJECTIVES:This study examines the impact of lifestyle factors on adolescent sleep health across urban and semiurban settings. METHODS:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1459 adolescents aged 14-19years from Tabriz (urban) and Hadishahr (semiurban), two cities with contrasting environmental conditions. Sleep duration and sleep deprivation were assessed using self-reported data, alongside key sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related factors. RESULTS:The results showed that adolescents in urban area were significantly more likely to experience shorter sleep durations (OR=0.63, 95% CI [0.48, 0.83]) and sleep deprivation (OR=0.66, 95% CI [0.51, 0.85]) compared to those in semiurban environments. Age was positively associated with short sleep (OR=1.21, 95% CI [1.07, 1.38]), while smoking (OR=1.46, 95% CI [1.02, 2.08]) and chronic cough (OR=1.35, 95% CI [1.01, 1.80]) were also linked to reduced sleep duration. In contrast, semiurban residents slept an average of 20minutes longer than urban residents (β=0.34, 95% CI [0.17, 0.51]). Sleep deprivation was strongly associated with lower Parent's income (OR=0.78, 95% CI [0.61, 0.98]) and daytime fatigue (OR=1.58, 95% CI [1.26, 2.00]). CONCLUSIONS:The study highlights the need for public health interventions that address environmental barriers to healthy sleep, particularly in urban settings, to mitigate the long-term health risks associated with sleep deprivation.

Urgent actions are imperative to assess ambient BTEX concentration in urban areas and increase awareness of the significant health risks linked to exposure to these volatile compounds. This study examines the spatiotemporal variations of BTEX concentration in BRT stations and provides a health risk assessment in Tabriz, located in the northwest of Iran. We collected samples repeatedly from four BRT stations and three areas between stations ( N = 86). The mixture BTEX compounds had average concentrations ranging from 6.7 to 52.9 mu g/m 3 , with the highest concentration belonging to o-xylene. Additionally, the average ratios of toluene/benzene, m-xylene/ benzene, and o-xylene/benzene were 2.4, 2.3, and 3.0, respectively. Total BTEX concentrations were significantly higher in BRT stations than areas between stations. Furthermore, the concentration of total BTEX doubled in the evening compared to the morning. Although the maximum concentrations of BTEX were recorded in winter, there were no significant seasonal differences. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) of benzene exposure was 1.07 x 10 -7 and 1.52 x 10 -5 for passengers and residents located in the vicinity of the BRT lane, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that emissions from BRT buses are one of the main contributors to BTEX in Tabriz.

This study aimed to assess the levels of heavy metals in the breast milk of women residing in the mining and agricultural areas of East Azerbaijan province in Iran. This cross-sectional study analyzed 68 lactating mothers from mining (n = 28) and agricultural (n = 40) areas of East Azerbaijan province in Iran between June 2022 and March 2023. The study used an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to measure the concentrations of heavy metals, including arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe). A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) was used to collect data on the dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers. Although the concentration of arsenic (As) was below the limit of detection (LOD), the mean concentrations of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) were 1.11, 0.87, and 13.25 mg/L in agricultural areas and 0.83, 0.93, and 11.35 mg/L in mining areas, respectively. The concentrations of Cr (p < 0.001) and Fe (p = 0.019) were significantly higher in the breast milk of women residing in agricultural areas. However, the concentration of Cu was significantly higher (p = 0.085) in the breast milk of women living in mining areas. Additionally, lactation age had a significant effect on Cu levels (p = 0.015), with a negative coefficient of -0.011. The study indicates that the levels of heavy metals in breast milk can be influenced by the exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, volcanic soil, and disparities in access to post-natal care and iron supplements.

Crashes involving large trucks have a significant association with increasing fatalities or serious injuries. Identifying the factors affecting large trucks crashes can be helpful in reducing the number of crashes and corresponded consequences. The purpose of this review was to appraise the published papers on factors affecting large truck-involved crashes. Data were compiled through searching Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science using keywords included “large truck and accident severity”, “large truck and accident”, “large truck and crash severity”, “large truck and crash”, “large truck and fatal accident”, “large truck and fatal crash”, “large truck and injury”, and “large truck and collide”. The accomplishment process had two steps: excluding unrelated studies and reviewing related ones to select papers meeting the inclusion criteria. According to data collected, 31 papers achieved the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that speed, driver age, location type, collision type, seat belt wearing, light condition, vehicle technical condition, time, road surface condition, and accident type were common factors in the included papers. From the perspective of our study, speed, location type, and light condition seem to be the most frequent factors in crashes involving large trucks. The present study helps to access the studies on factors affecting the large truck-involved crashes. Thereby, the experts can perform measures to decrease the probability and severity of traffic accidents.

The samples of greenhouse cucumbers were collected from the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market of Tabriz between June and December 2017. In the twenty-four cucumber samples (unwashed, washed, peeled), the residue of 18 organophosphates pesticides (OPPs) was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) following the modified QuEChERS method (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe). Chronic non-carcinogenic risk assessment from pesticide residues in the samples was also performed for age groups of adults (women and men) and children using the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). Amongst the eighteen studied pesticides, eight pesticides including dimethoate, diazinon, methyl parathion, fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, ethion, and azinphos-methyl were detected. Pesticide residues were detected in 100% of unwashed, washed and peeled samples in the range of 0.08 to 0.37 mg.kg-1, 0.03 to 0.17 mg.kg-1 and 0.01 to 0.08 mg.kg-1, respectively. The maximum and minimum values were found for diazinon pesticides with 0.37 mg.kg-1 and profenofos and fenitrothion with 0.01 mg.kg-1. 100 % of samples contained at least three pesticide residues (dimethoate, diazinon, and methyl parathion), while 87.5% of the samples contained more pesticides residues. The residues of dimethoate, diazinon, and methyl parathion were above Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) in 100%, 83.33%, and 66.66% of samples, respectively. The identified residues were more than the EU MRLs and the IR MRLs in 100% and 95.83% samples, respectively. The mean reduction of pesticide residues in the washed and peeled samples was in the range of 37.74 to 56.52% and 66.66 to 92.30%, respectively. According to the performed risk assessment, there is no significant non-carcinogenic health risk due to the consumption of cucumber for the age group of adults. Hence, there is a considerable non-carcinogenic health risk to children due to the consumption of unwashed (HI = 2.22) and water-washed (HI = 1.36) greenhouse cucumbers.

Since there is limited evidence on the impact of PM2.5 content on cardiovascular biomarkers, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 89 healthy adults from October 12 to November 21, 2021. We measured daily PM2.5 in two distinct regions during different time windows: a high-traffic urban area and an industrial suburb. The concentrations of metals, PAHs, and oxidative potential (OP) were determined using ICP-MS, GC-MS, and dithiothreitol (DTT), respectively. Systemic biomarkers, including NO, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, MDA, and CRP, were quantified in each subject simultaneously. A generalized linear model was used to examine the association between PM2.5 toxicity and each health endpoint. Our findings indicated that daily PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the WHO-recommended level by approximately sevenfold. We found that PM2.5 exposure was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, exposure to PM2.5 mass, total PAHs, and certain trace metals (Ni, Fe, V, As, and Pb) resulted in a decline in serum NO levels. At lag 3, exposure to PM2.5 mass resulted in a significant decrease in NO levels [1.32% (95% CI: −2.27, −0.12)] and total PAHs [2.05% (95% CI: −3.93, −0.12)]. In contrast, OP exhibited a mild correlation with NO level increases. Positive associations were observed between PM2.5 and its chemical constituents (PAHs, As, Cu, OP) and adhesion molecules at different lag times. An increase of 0.16 ppb in PAH concentrations at an interquartile range was associated with a 4.74% decline (95% CI, −7.80, −0.55) in the sVCAM-1 level. However, our study did not reveal any significant trend between pollutants and other biomarkers (sICAM-1, MDA, and CRP). Consequently, our findings suggest that different PM2.5 chemical compositions exhibit diverse behavior in biological responses.

Pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables cause serious health issues, especially among children. This research was carried out to monitor and evaluate the risks of organophosphate pesticide residues in Maragheh County apple products from 2020. The Monte Carlo Simulation approach (MCS) was used to evaluate the non-cancerous effects of exposure to pesticide residues in adults and children. Apple samples were taken every two weeks at the Maragheh central market during the summer and fall months. In this study, seventeen pesticide residues in 30 apple samples were estimated using a modified QuECheRS extraction technique coupled with GC/MS. Of the seventeen organophosphate pesticides, thirteen were identified as pesticide residues (76.47%). The highest concentration found in the apple samples was associated with chlorpyrifos pesticide at 1.05 mg/kg. Pesticide residues exceeding the maximum residue limits (MRLs) were found in 100% of apple specimens, and more than 75% of the samples contained ten or more pesticide residues. Approximately 45%-80% of pesticide residues on apple samples were removed after washing and peeling. Chlorpyrifos pesticide had the highest health quotient (HQ) for men, women, and children with values of 0.046, 0.054, and 0.23, respectively. Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) of non-carcinogenic effects indicates that there is no significant health risk in the adult age group from apple consumption (HI < 1). Nevertheless, children are at high non-cancer risk from eating unwashed apples (HI = 1.3). This finding shows that high levels of pesticide residues in apple samples, especially unwashed apples, can be a serious concern for the health of children. To better protect consumer health, continuous and regular monitoring, strict regulations, training, and awareness of farmers, especially control pre-harvest interval (PHI) is recommended.

The quality of water resources used for drinking and their health effects is vitally important. The present study investigated the concentrations of F-, NO3-, and metal elements like Hg, Mn, As, and Pb in the groundwater resources and their health risk assessment on the west margin of Urmia Lake, Iran. Sampling points were selected and taken from 121 groundwater resources in the summer of 2014. Heavy metals (Pb, As, Mn, and Hg) were measured by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer, model: Arcos, Germany), and some ions (Na+, NO3-, F-, and Cl-) by flame photometer and spectrophotometer according to the standard methods, respectively. The nitrate concentration range in groundwater samples measured from 1.7 to 137 mg/L and fluoride from 0.4 to 4.5 mg/L. The probabilistic method and Monte Carlo simulation were used to estimate carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks. The concentration of study elements in most samples was obtained in the WHO (World Health Organization) recommended range. The order of HM (heavy metal) concentration is based on the overall mean: Mn > As > Hg > Pb. The HI (hazard index ) level was found to be more than 1 for noncarcinogenic risk for As and NO3- and permissible risks for the other elements and fluoride. ELCR (excess lifetime cancer risk) levels of As were acceptable, except for some sampling points, the central region in the study area, near the seashore of Urmia Lake. Finally, it can be stated that the groundwater resources in the studied area are acceptable for drinking in most places. Still, due to the effects of As and NO3- contaminated water, the quality is unacceptable for drinking in some places. So, monitoring water quality is recommended by finding contamination sources to decrease the health risks of drinking consumption.

Studies investigating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression levels in the respiratory system of healthy subjects are scarce. Moreover, separate studies on the health-related outcomes of air pollution for each sex are limited. The current panel study investigated sex-specific Nrf2 expression levels and related oxidative stress and inflammatory responses among healthy adolescents exposed to PM2.5, PM10, O3, and PM2.5- bounded metals in a high traffic region. Forty-nine healthy nonsmoking subjects participated in the study for five consecutive months (Nov. 2019 to Feb. 2020). Each subject was asked to provide 1 mL of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. The results showed that PM10, PM2.5, O3, and PM2.5-bounded metals were negatively linked to Nrf2 expression level in EBC of females with-58.3% (95% CI: 79.5,-15.4),-32.1% (95% CI:-50.3,-7.1),-76.2% (95% CI:-92.6,-23.9), and-1.9 (95% CI:-3.4,-0.4), respectively. While our results presented no significant association between the studied pollutants and Nrf2 gene expression in males, significant associations were observed between the pollutants and total nitric oxide (NOx), interleukins 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the EBC of females. In the case of males, only EBC cytokines showed a significant association with air pollutants. Overall, this study suggests that exposure to ambient air pollutants may affect the respiratory system with biologically different mechanisms in males and females. PM2.5 concentration had a positive correlation with exhaled TNF-alpha and IL6 values in females while positive correlation with TNF-alpha and negative correlation with IL6 values in males. O3 had a negative correlation with TNF-alpha in males.

It is crucial to take urgent actions to assess ambient BTEX in the urban atmosphere and raise awareness about the associated severe health risks. This study investigates the spatiotemporal variation of BTEX concentrations in the BRT stations as well as provides a health risk assessment in Tabriz, the northwest of Iran. Our samples were repeatedly collected in 4 BRT stations and 3 in-between stations (N = 86). Average concentrations of the mixture BTEX compounds ranged from 6.7 to 52.9 µg/m3, with the highest concentration belonging to o-xylene. Moreover, the average ratios of toluene/benzene, m-xylene/benzene, and o-xylene/benzene were 2.4, 2.3, and 3.0, respectively. Total BTEX levels recorded in BRT stations were significantly higher than in-between stations. Moreover, the concentration of total BTEX significantly doubled in the evening compared to the morning. Although maximum concentrations of BTEX were recorded in winter, seasonal differences were not considerably significant. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) of benzene exposure were 1.07 × 10-7 and 1.52 × 10-5 for passengers and residents located in the vicinity of the BRT lane, respectively. By way of conclusion, this study suggests that emissions from BRT buses are one of the main contributions for BTEX in Tabriz.

The detrimental effects of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on human health are of major global concern. PM2.5-bound metals are toxic compounds that contribute to cellular damage. To investigate the toxic effects of water-soluble metals on human lung epithelial cells and their bioaccessibility to lung fluid, PM2.5 samples were collected from both urban and industrial areas in the metropolitan city of Tabriz, Iran. Oxidative stress indices, including proline content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), cytotoxicity, and DNA damage levels of water-soluble components of PM2.5, were evaluated. Furthermore, an in vitro test was conducted to assess the bioaccessibility of various PM2.5-bound metals to the respiratory system using simulated lung fluid. PM2.5 average concentrations in urban and industrial areas were 83.11 and 97.71 μg/m3, respectively. The cytotoxicity effects of PM2.5 water-soluble constituents from urban areas were significantly higher than in industrial areas and the IC50 was found to be 96.76 ± 3.34 and 201.31 ± 5.96 μg/mL for urban and industrial PM2.5 samples, respectively. In addition, higher PM2.5 concentrations increased the proline content in a concentration-dependent manner in A549 cells, which plays a protective role against oxidative stress and prevents PM2.5-induced DNA damage. Also, the partial least squares regression revealed that Be, Cd, Co, Ni, and Cr, were significantly correlated with DNA damage and proline accumulation, which caused cell damage through oxidative stress. The results of this study showed that PM2.5-bound metals in highly polluted metropolitan city caused substantial changes in the cellular proline content, DNA damage levels and cytotoxicity in human lung A549 cells.

Background and Objective: By accurately identifying environmental issues, individuals can acquire skills to better solve environmental problems. To this end, the most appropriate method is to assess the educational needs of individuals to pave the way for the promotion of environmental knowledge. The present study aims to assess the need for training courses to empower professionals to increase their knowledge of environmental issues and educate others to take an important step in improving environmental health in society. Materials and Methods: The present study was a descriptive needs assessment study using Delphi technique. In the first stage, the designed questionnaire was given to 150 people (faculty members, experts and students) to express their opinions in the proposed areas. In the second stage, a supplementary questionnaire entitled General needs for faculty members, specialized needs for experts and general and specialized needs for students were provided to individuals and the importance of the issues from their point of view was examined. Finally, the most important issues were prioritized by experts. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 software. Results: The total number of educational needs extracted from the first stage of Delphi was 120 items, of which 31 items related to general needs (11 teaching and evaluation areas, 10 research areas and 10 communication and personal development items) and 89 items related to specialized needs. (27 cases of air pollution, 23 cases of waste management, 17 cases of wastewater treatment and reuse of wastewater, 10 cases of water treatment and pollution and 12 cases of soil pollution and its removal methods). In the second and third rounds, the importance of these items was determined by the target groups by scoring, and at the end, the first five priorities of each item were identified. Conclusion: The results of this study, considering the comprehensive review of three target groups and determining and prioritizing the needs for each group, can increase the level of environmental awareness and empowerment of experts, which ultimately enhance the efficiency of the system and is an important step for environmental educational planning.

The global morbidity and mortality associated with asthma have been dramatically raised. We aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma symptoms in northwestern Iran and identify the potential risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was performed from November 2019 to February 2020 among 1,459 adolescents residing in areas representing urban and semi-urban communities. International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was used to identify the participants with asthma defined based on meeting the criteria of physician diagnosis or self-report of wheezing episodes previously. Multivariable logistic regression was applied for data analysis. The prevalence of current asthma, asthma ever in life, and severe asthma were 12.2, 4.9, and 5.7%, respectively, which varied with urbanization. Overall, asthma prevalence in urban area was 13.4%, whereas in the semi-urban area was 8.3%. The related risk factors for asthma were having a pet at home [OR: 1.75 (1.11, 2.74)], current smoking [OR: 1.91 (1.21, 3.02)], artificial ventilation at home [OR: 2.67 (1.02, 7.03)], intake of fast-foods [OR: 4.51 (1.19, 17.04)], and history of allergy [OR: 1.99 (1.36, 2.92)]. However, physical activity [OR: 0.37 (0.16, 0.90)] and fruit consumption [OR: 0.11 (0.02, 0.77)] were associated with lower odds of asthma. We found that the prevalence of asthma was more common in people living in urban area compared to those living in semi-urban area.

Particulate air pollutants are known contributors to global cardiorespiratory mortality through several pathways. We examined the effects of varied exposure to PM2.5 and trace metals on biological markers of airway inflam-mation, oxidative stress, and hemodynamic function of young individuals living in two different exposure settings. We enrolled and followed a panel of 97 healthy nonsmoking participants aged 15-18 years living in a highly polluted metropolitan city of Tabriz (TBZ) and a much less polluted semi-urban town of Hadishahr (HDS). For five consecutive months, the subjects were examined by a physician, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels (FENO) were measured. Samples of exhaled breath condensation (EBC) were obtained for measuring interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and total nitric oxide (NOx). We measured daily outdoor PM2.5 mass concentration in a fixed station in each location for all this period. The PM-metal content was analyzed by ICP-MS. The linear mixed-effects regression models were applied for data analysis. The averages of PM2.5 mass and total metals in TBZ were nearly two and four times higher than in HDS, respectively. In TBZ, an increased IQR of PM2.5 mass during 0-5 days was-correlated with a significant rise in diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, TNF-alpha, FENO, and NOx and reduction of IL-6. Moreover, exposure to low PM2.5 concentration is significantly-correlated with an elevation in diastolic blood pressure in HDS. We also observed that exposure to metal constituents in the highly polluted region is correlated with increased TNF-alpha and IL-6 with 131.80% (95% CI: 56.01, 244.39) and 47.51% (95% CI: 33.01, 62.05) per IQR of Hg, respectively. This study suggests that exposure to ambient PM2.5 and their metal contents in highly polluted areas may incite significant changes in airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and hemodynamic parameters in healthy subjects.

Abstract Exposure to high concentrations of ambient particulate matters (PMs) has a strong potential to cause adverse respiratory outcomes. Recent PMs increase due to the drying of Urmia Lake remains a major health challenge in the west of Iran. This study was conducted to assess the correlation of the exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 on respiratory hospitalization in Urmia, Iran. Daily hospital admissions and air pollutants data were collected during the study period. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the risks of hospitalization in exposure to PMs. There was a significant adverse effect between PM10 and asthma hospitalization based on the adjusted and unadjusted models. In the adjusted model, an interquartile range (IQR) increment of PM10 and PM2.5 increased the risk of admissions for asthma by [1.124 (1.062-1.191)] and [1.117 (1.055-1.184)], respectively. The estimated odds ratio for females was 1.5 times higher than males. A comparison of the associated risks of PM2.5 indicates a significant increase in the group aged 18-60 and >60 years. Not including asthma, a significant correlation was found between all causes of hospitalization and exposure to PM2.5 during cold seasons. Taken together, the results provide important insights into that exposure to ambient PMs were associated with an increased risk of respiratory hospitalization. Highlights A case-crossover design was used to evaluate the correlation of PMs and hospital admissions. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the risks. The estimated odds ratio for females was 1.5 times higher than males. A significant correlation was found between hospitalization and PM2.5 exposure during cold seasons. Group aged 18–60 years and >60 years were faced at more risks in exposure to PM2.5.

As a matter of growing machinery life, traffic crashes are considered an inevitable source of injuries and costs around the world. Regarding to increasing traffic accident outcomes, controlling the current status is necessary. In this way, identifying risk factors affecting the crash severity is an essential step toward initiating a convincing solution. The core objective of this study was to categorize the risk factors affecting the severity of crashes. Data needed for this study were gathered through searching Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases using the keywords included fatal and crash, injuries and crash, fatal and traffic accident, and injuries and traffic accident. Based on 83 selected studies for review, factors affecting the crash severity divided into five factors and forty-seven sub-factors. The most prevalent sub-factors were age, sex, safety belts, alcohol and drug use, speed, weather conditions, lighting conditions, time of the day and week, vehicle kind, road condition, collision type and crash location. Many risk factors affect crash severity and determination of the most important ones can be a prelude in reducing the effects. Therefore, the conclusion of this review can assist to traffic safety experts, police and contribute to distinguishing and monitoring the risk factors affecting crash severity transportation agencies.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of outdoor benzene, toluene, xylenes, and styrene (BTXS) on respiratory system performance in adults living in an industrialized city. The concentration of BTXS was measured in the three selected areas (low traffic, high traffic and industrial). Pulmonary function of totally 219 participants who have lived in the selected areas for at least five years, were evaluated through the spiromertry. Based on the results, significant differences were observed between the mean concentrations of BTXS (industrial area > high traffic area > low traffic area). Considerable decline of 0.46 L, 0.41 L, 2.99%, 0.9 L/min, and 0.59 L/s for Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and Forced Expiratory Flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75%), respectively, were detected in industrial area residents compared to the low traffic region. In addition, some spirometric parameters were different between the other sampling sites. In conclusion, the results showed that the long term exposure to higher concentrations of BTXS increases respiratory dysfunction risks in industrial and high traffic areas respectively, as compared with living in the low traffic region.