Reza Ahmadkhaniha - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Reza Ahmadkhaniha

Bollettino chimico farmaceutico

A simple, rapid and precise analytical method for determination of doxycycline in human plasma is... more A simple, rapid and precise analytical method for determination of doxycycline in human plasma is described. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system based on a mbondapak C18 column (300 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 10 microns) and a UV detector (lambda = 347 nm) were used. A mixture of actonitrile 0.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (35:65 v/v) adjusted to pH 3 was used as mobile phase. The proteins were precipitated with a 24% perchloric acid aqueous solution. The detection limit for doxycycline in plasma was 3 ng mL-1. The average recovery was about 96%. The method is simple, sensitive and suitable for pharmacokinetic studies of doxycycline. The inter-day and intra-day assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 8%.

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research

. Background: This study aimed to examine the association between depression and dietary patterns... more . Background: This study aimed to examine the association between depression and dietary patterns via the intermediary role of erythrocytes polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Methods: In this individually matched case-control study, the dietary patterns were extracted for 330 individuals using factor analysis. Furthermore, erythrocyte PUFAs including n-3 and n-6 were assessed using a GC–Mass spectrometry analytical method for 84 people. Depression was diagnosed using the criteria mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The dietary patterns were also extracted using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: The findings showed that healthy dietary patterns were related to the risk of depression (P = 0.01, odds ratio (OR) = 0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14-0.68) by the increase of ratio n-3 /n-6 PUFA (p ≤ 0.03) and decrease of ratio n-6 /n-3 PUFA (p ≤ 0.005). Moreover, the unhealthy dietary patterns were associated with the risk of depression (P = 0.02, OR = 2.7, 95%CI: 1.25-5.9) by the decrease of ratio n-3/n-6 PUFA (p ≤ 0.03) and increase of ratio n-6/n-3 PUFA (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results, the type of dietary pattern is related to the risk of depression considering the changes in n-3 and n-6 PUFA as well as the ratio of n-3 to n-6 as the mediator variables. Of course, further studies are required in this area.

Journal of environmental health science & engineering, 2018

Acidic juices such as lemon juice, vinegar and Verjuice are popular beverages regularly consumed ... more Acidic juices such as lemon juice, vinegar and Verjuice are popular beverages regularly consumed by both children and adults. Various brands of different acidic juices in Iran markets are packaged in disposable plastic bottles. Some evidence suggests that phthalates may immigrate from plastic bottles. In this research the influence of sunlight, type of container and storage time on the leaching of phthalates from packaging materials into selected juices was investigated, by analyzing the samples kept in different conditions, before and throughout 2, 4 and 6 months storage time. The mean phthalate concentrations of the examined samples were determined to be between <LOD and 0.521 μg/L in verjuice, <LOD and 0.261 μg/L in lemon juice, <LOD and 0.599 μg/L in vinegar. DEP and DEHP showed the highest level of migration into acidic juices packed in plastic bottles. Results of analyses before and after storage show that some storage conditions can increase the concentrations of DBP...

Biomedical chromatography : BMC, Jan 16, 2017

A sensitive, reliable and simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of lisinopril in... more A sensitive, reliable and simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of lisinopril in human plasma. The method consists of extraction and clean-up steps based on magnetic solid-phase extraction and pre-column derivatization with a fluorescent reagent. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol-sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0; 0.005 m; 75:25, v/v). The flow rate was set at 0.7 mL/min. Fluorescence detection was performed at 470nm excitation and 530nm emission wavelengths. Total chromatography run time was 5 min. The average extraction recovery of lisinopril and fluvoxamine (internal standard) was ≥82.8%. The limits of detection and quantification were determined as 1 and 3 ng/mL respectively. The method exhibited a linear calibration line over the concentration range of 3-1000 ng/mL with coefficient of determination (r(2) ) of ≥0.98. The within-run and between-run precisions were satisfactory with values of CV of 1.8-12.8% (accuracy from 99.2 to 94.7%) and 2....

Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering

Background: To date, despite the facts that pasteurized milk is the most consumed dairy product i... more Background: To date, despite the facts that pasteurized milk is the most consumed dairy product in Iran and its consumption has increased almost two fold during the last 10 years, no data are available concerning the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in commercial cow milk in Iran market. Methods: This study designed to determine the levels of PCBs in these products and to assess population exposure to PCBs by estimating the daily intakes. Pasteurized cows' milk samples (10 brands) were collected from local markets at two different seasons and analyzed using sensitive and reliable methods. Results: Based on the results all the indicator PCBs were detected and quantified in all of the samples, the mean ± SD concentration for the sum of the six congeners was 18.92 ± 14.36 ng g −1 fat. None of the samples surpassed the provisional value established by the EU of 40 ng g −1 fat. The sum of dioxin-like congeners, expressed as WHO-TEQ was 0.492 pg/g of fat which was considerably lower than the defined limit 3 pg/g fat, set for cow's milk. Furthermore, a similar DL-PCBs profile as other studies was found for analyzed samples. The results indicated that concentrations of DL-PCBs were very low, and all of milk samples were compliant with EC legislation. In addition, seasonal variations were not observed for DL-and NDL-PCBs levels (p values >0.05). Conclusions: The estimated dietary intake for target population was 0.06 pg TEQ/kg of body weight/day, much smaller than the amounts declared by the World Health Organization as tolerable daily intake.

Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. The safe use of recycled paper and cardboard material for food packaging applications... more Background. The safe use of recycled paper and cardboard material for food packaging applications is an important area of investigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine which hazardous chemical pollutants were found in paper and cardboard samples used for pastry packaging, and to measure the migration of pollutants over time into the pastries. Material and methods. In this study, the presence of some organic pollutants in common confectionery packaging, and the effects of storage time and type of pastry on pollutant migration, were investigated. Results. The results of the study indicate that harmful compounds such as benzophenone, pentachlorophenol, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and dibutyl phthalate are present at high concentrations in most recycled boxes used for pastry packaging. Conclusion. Since the migration of some of the hazardous compounds from the packaging materials into the pastries under normal conditions was indicated, it is recommended that the procedure for preparing pastry packaging materials should be reconsidered and improved.

Journal of Environmental Protection

The photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene was investigated on TiO 2 nanoparticles coated ... more The photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene was investigated on TiO 2 nanoparticles coated on reduced graphene oxide. Reduced graphene oxide-TiO 2 composite (RGO-TiO 2) was synthesized via two step processes. The prepared RGO-TiO 2 composite was characterized using SEM, XRD, and UV-visible spectra. A significant increase in light absorption to visible light was observed by RGO-TiO 2 compared with that of pure TiO 2 nano particles. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the RGO-TiO 2 composite was much higher than that of the P25 TiO 2 , 95% and 40% respectively. In our investigated conditions, the initial concentration, flow rate and relative humidity had significant influences on the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene. The most efficiency was recorded at the 0.3 ppm concentration, 1L/min flow rate and 30% relative humidity. We believe that this TiO 2 based composite material can be effectively used as a highly active and stable photocatalyst to remove various indoor air pollutants especially gaseous toluene. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of toluene increased slowly below 20% relative humidity and then decreased as the relative humidity increased further. The main reason of enhanced photocatalytic property might be the strong electron transfer ability, and the increased adsorption capacity of RGO sheets in the composites as well as the retarded charge recombination rate contributed by the energy level of the two materials. We believe that this TiO 2 based composite material can be effectively used as a highly active and stable photocatalyst to remove various gaseous pollutants.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes) are the most important categories of VOCs that... more BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes) are the most important categories of VOCs that occur in the indoor air and often used in chemical laboratories. In the present study the excretion of urinary BTEX were evaluated as biomarkers of exposure to these compounds. The mean value of benzene in breathing zone and the total benzene uptake during the work shift of the two groups of technicians and students in chemical laboratories were 32.11and 46.82 µg m-3 and 14.55 and 34.11ngL-1 , respectively, which were significantly greater than the occupationally non exposed groups. Good correlations (0.839 ≤ r ≤ 0.946) between the mean values of BTEX in breathing zone and the urinary concentrations were observed.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2016

The present study aimed to find a correlation between the self-reported smoking status of the res... more The present study aimed to find a correlation between the self-reported smoking status of the residents of Tehran, Iran, and the urine cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to tobacco smoke. The self-reported data was collected from 222 participants who were living in the urban area of Tehran. The urine samples of participants were collected for cotinine analysis. Urine cotinine was measured by an enzymatic immunoassay technique. Tobacco smoking was reported by 76 (34.23 %) participants as the self-reported data, and the number of males in this report was higher than of females (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). By adding the number of the self-reported non-smokers with cotinine levels above the cutoff value of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;100 ng/ml to self-reported smokers, the smoking prevalence increased from 34.23 % (95 % CI 28.01-40.88 %) to 36.48 % (95 % CI 30.14-43.19 %). Using the cutoff value, sensitivity and specificity of the self-reported smoking status were respectively 90.12 % (95 % CI 81.46-95.64 %) and 98 % (95 % CI 93.91-99.55 %). The levels of agreement between self-reported tobacco smoking and urinary cotinine concentrations was 95.1 % (k = 0.89, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001, 95 % CI = 0.81-0.95). Based on the results, self-reported smoking can be a valid marker for assessing the tobacco exposure, and it can be of use in large epidemiological studies.

Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2016

Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2016

Over the last decade, the consumption of water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has co... more Over the last decade, the consumption of water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has considerably increased, raising concerns over water quality and packaged materials. This study aims to investigate the levels of the anti-androgenic phthalates including bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), in bottled water and its corresponding health risks in pregnant and lactating women. The phthalate levels were measured in six different brands of bottled water exposed to temperatures ranging between -18 and 40 °C and sunlight for 45 days. The phthalate was quantified using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, the non-carcinogenic effects were assessed using hazard quotient (HQ) approach, and cumulative health risk assessment was performed on the basis of hazard index (HI) calculation. In order to assess the carcinogenic risk due to the possible carcinogen DEHP (group 2B), the excess lifetime cancer ri...

Environmental science and pollution research international, Jan 20, 2016

The present study was conducted to systematically review, analyze, and interpret all the relevant... more The present study was conducted to systematically review, analyze, and interpret all the relevant evidence in the literature on the possible link between exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and the risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We developed a comprehensive search strategy and used it to search Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar up to March 31, 2016, producing 3108 hits, of which 13 original papers were included. Findings of these studies were quite controversial; few studies indicated a significant positive association between BPA exposure and T2DM, while some other failed to detect such a relationship. Overall, it can be suggested that chance is unlikely the plausible explanation for the observed association between BPA exposure and T2DM. This was mainly because even in the negative studies some clues could be found in favor of a statistically significant relationship between BPA and T2DM. Additionally, some of the studies had shortcomings in defining the expos...

Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, May 26, 2015

Scientia pharmaceutica, 2015

Fingolimod is an immunosuppressive agent which is used for the prophylaxis of organ transplantati... more Fingolimod is an immunosuppressive agent which is used for the prophylaxis of organ transplantation rejection or multiple sclerosis treatment. In this study, systematic forced degradation studies on fingolimod bulk powder were performed to develop a stability-indicating HPLC method. Separation of fingolimod and its degradation products was achieved on a Nova-Pak C8 column. The mobile phase was a mixture of potassium dihydrogenphosphate 50 mM (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (45:55, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The proposed method was linear in the range of 0.125-20 μg mL(-1). The within-day and between-day coefficients of variation were in the range of 0.6-1.2%. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of the fingolimod amount in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Iranian Journal of Health and Environment, Oct 15, 2014

Background and Objectives: Bottles for packaging drinking water represent one of the most popular... more Background and Objectives: Bottles for packaging drinking water represent one of the most popular uses of plastic and polymer additives. Recently, public concerns related to possibility of exposure to chemicals through the consumption of polyethylene terephthalate bottled water has caused great concern to consumers. Phthalate esters, as a class of these compounds, are often classified as endocrine disruptors and one of them is a possible carcinogen for human. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of phthalates in bottled water and to calculate the health risk of phthalates intake via consumption of bottled waters. Materials and Method: After purchasing, samples were immediately stored according to the recommended conditions (25 ºC, dark place) given on the bottle label. Migration of phthalates was investigated in PETbottled water at different time intervals using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Therefore, a phthalate exposure assessment was performed to characterize their risk to the consumer's health via a calculated hazard quotient (HQ). Results: It seems that the duration of storage affects phthalate migration. Total increases of DEHP (811.8%), DBP (2545.2%), and BBP (832%) were observed at 12 months over the initial level before storage (bottled water immediately after production); but the level of phthalates in bottled water was always very low (<EPA: 6 µg/L). Non-carcinogenic risk assessment from exposure to phthalate via consumption of bottled water was negligible in all of the subject groups (HQ<1). Furthermore, a little excess cancer risk of 9.9×10-7 for bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was observed. Conclusion: The research showed that the concentration of phthalates in PET-bottled water was extremely low. Consequently, based on the risk assessment results, bottled waters regarding existence of safe for consumers and they phthalates are not considered as public health issue for consumers as phthalates does not have any risk exposure for the consumers.

Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science Engineering, 2010

Methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether are oxygenated compoun... more Methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether are oxygenated compounds added to gasoline to enhance octane rating in replacement of alkyl-lead compounds. In the present study the excretion of urinary methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether were evaluated as biomarkers of exposure to gasoline. With this aim, 10 policemen engaged in traffic control, 10 gas station workers and ten occupationally non-exposed persons were investigated. Spot urine samples were obtained prior to and at the end of the work shift from each subject. The urinary levels of oxygenated ethers were determined by using head-space gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection. There were significant differences among the mean urinary concentrations of methyl tert-butyl ether in pre-shift samples of gas station workers (1193 ng/L), policemen (734 ng/L) and occupationally non-exposed persons (49 ng/L). The mean urinary concentrations of methyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether differed significantly among post-shift samples of gas station workers (16636 and 8655 ng/L), policemen (14458 and 1472 ng/L) and occupationally non-exposed persons (324 and 59 ng/L) (ANOVA: p<0.05 and Kruskal-Wallis test: p<0.05). There was a significant difference in methyl tert-butyl ether concentrations between job categories (p<0.05 by ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test), and gas station workers and policemen were found to be probably the most exposed groups in this study.

Bollettino chimico farmaceutico

It is disclosed a method to make high efficacy stir bars for sorptive extraction. The stir bars c... more It is disclosed a method to make high efficacy stir bars for sorptive extraction. The stir bars consist of glass bars coated with different kinds of carbon nanotubes. A sol- gel technique was used to provide carbon nanotubes coatings. Scanning electron micrographs of the coatings revealed a homogenous coating surface. The coated stir bars were successfully used for the extraction of poly aromatic hydrocarbons and organophosphorus pesticides in water samples.

DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background Clobazam is used for the treatment of different types of seizure and epilepsy. The pre... more Background Clobazam is used for the treatment of different types of seizure and epilepsy. The present research is undertaken to study the systematic forced degradation of clobazam and to identify its main degradation product under basic conditions. Methods The degradation of clobazam was studied under different conditions. Clobazam and its degradation products were separated using a Nova-Pak C18 column and a mixture of KH2PO4 50 mM (pH 8.5) and acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) as the mobile phase with UV detection at 230 nm. Results The within-day and between-day precision values in the calibration range of 0.1-20 μg/ml were within 0.5-1.5%. Clobazam was relatively stable in solid from under exposure to visible and UV light and also heat. The clobazam aqueous solution of clobazam was more labile under exposure to visible and UV light. The bulk drug was significantly degraded under exposure to 2 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH or 3% H2O2. Using the tablet powder, higher degradation rates were observed un...

Iranian journal of public health, 2015

Vehicle exhaust is a major source of exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in... more Vehicle exhaust is a major source of exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in the urban atmosphere. Newsagents usually work close to heavy traffic flow. The purpose of this study was to assess the breathing zone exposure of newsagents to PAHs found in the urban atmosphere of Tehran City during summer and autumn seasons and comparing the levels of exposure in both seasons. Fifteen non-smoking newsagents were randomly selected from north, south, east, west, and center of Tehran. Particle and gas phases PAHs were collected on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter and XAD-2 adsorbent. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine PAHs concentrations in newsagent's breathing zone samples. The highest and lowest values of exposures during summer and autumn in all sampling stations were recorded for benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene, respectively. Mann-Whitney test results showed that seasonal variation had significant influence on conce...

Bollettino chimico farmaceutico

A simple, rapid and precise analytical method for determination of doxycycline in human plasma is... more A simple, rapid and precise analytical method for determination of doxycycline in human plasma is described. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system based on a mbondapak C18 column (300 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 10 microns) and a UV detector (lambda = 347 nm) were used. A mixture of actonitrile 0.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (35:65 v/v) adjusted to pH 3 was used as mobile phase. The proteins were precipitated with a 24% perchloric acid aqueous solution. The detection limit for doxycycline in plasma was 3 ng mL-1. The average recovery was about 96%. The method is simple, sensitive and suitable for pharmacokinetic studies of doxycycline. The inter-day and intra-day assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 8%.

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research

. Background: This study aimed to examine the association between depression and dietary patterns... more . Background: This study aimed to examine the association between depression and dietary patterns via the intermediary role of erythrocytes polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Methods: In this individually matched case-control study, the dietary patterns were extracted for 330 individuals using factor analysis. Furthermore, erythrocyte PUFAs including n-3 and n-6 were assessed using a GC–Mass spectrometry analytical method for 84 people. Depression was diagnosed using the criteria mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The dietary patterns were also extracted using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: The findings showed that healthy dietary patterns were related to the risk of depression (P = 0.01, odds ratio (OR) = 0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14-0.68) by the increase of ratio n-3 /n-6 PUFA (p ≤ 0.03) and decrease of ratio n-6 /n-3 PUFA (p ≤ 0.005). Moreover, the unhealthy dietary patterns were associated with the risk of depression (P = 0.02, OR = 2.7, 95%CI: 1.25-5.9) by the decrease of ratio n-3/n-6 PUFA (p ≤ 0.03) and increase of ratio n-6/n-3 PUFA (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results, the type of dietary pattern is related to the risk of depression considering the changes in n-3 and n-6 PUFA as well as the ratio of n-3 to n-6 as the mediator variables. Of course, further studies are required in this area.

Journal of environmental health science & engineering, 2018

Acidic juices such as lemon juice, vinegar and Verjuice are popular beverages regularly consumed ... more Acidic juices such as lemon juice, vinegar and Verjuice are popular beverages regularly consumed by both children and adults. Various brands of different acidic juices in Iran markets are packaged in disposable plastic bottles. Some evidence suggests that phthalates may immigrate from plastic bottles. In this research the influence of sunlight, type of container and storage time on the leaching of phthalates from packaging materials into selected juices was investigated, by analyzing the samples kept in different conditions, before and throughout 2, 4 and 6 months storage time. The mean phthalate concentrations of the examined samples were determined to be between <LOD and 0.521 μg/L in verjuice, <LOD and 0.261 μg/L in lemon juice, <LOD and 0.599 μg/L in vinegar. DEP and DEHP showed the highest level of migration into acidic juices packed in plastic bottles. Results of analyses before and after storage show that some storage conditions can increase the concentrations of DBP...

Biomedical chromatography : BMC, Jan 16, 2017

A sensitive, reliable and simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of lisinopril in... more A sensitive, reliable and simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of lisinopril in human plasma. The method consists of extraction and clean-up steps based on magnetic solid-phase extraction and pre-column derivatization with a fluorescent reagent. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol-sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0; 0.005 m; 75:25, v/v). The flow rate was set at 0.7 mL/min. Fluorescence detection was performed at 470nm excitation and 530nm emission wavelengths. Total chromatography run time was 5 min. The average extraction recovery of lisinopril and fluvoxamine (internal standard) was ≥82.8%. The limits of detection and quantification were determined as 1 and 3 ng/mL respectively. The method exhibited a linear calibration line over the concentration range of 3-1000 ng/mL with coefficient of determination (r(2) ) of ≥0.98. The within-run and between-run precisions were satisfactory with values of CV of 1.8-12.8% (accuracy from 99.2 to 94.7%) and 2....

Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering

Background: To date, despite the facts that pasteurized milk is the most consumed dairy product i... more Background: To date, despite the facts that pasteurized milk is the most consumed dairy product in Iran and its consumption has increased almost two fold during the last 10 years, no data are available concerning the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in commercial cow milk in Iran market. Methods: This study designed to determine the levels of PCBs in these products and to assess population exposure to PCBs by estimating the daily intakes. Pasteurized cows' milk samples (10 brands) were collected from local markets at two different seasons and analyzed using sensitive and reliable methods. Results: Based on the results all the indicator PCBs were detected and quantified in all of the samples, the mean ± SD concentration for the sum of the six congeners was 18.92 ± 14.36 ng g −1 fat. None of the samples surpassed the provisional value established by the EU of 40 ng g −1 fat. The sum of dioxin-like congeners, expressed as WHO-TEQ was 0.492 pg/g of fat which was considerably lower than the defined limit 3 pg/g fat, set for cow's milk. Furthermore, a similar DL-PCBs profile as other studies was found for analyzed samples. The results indicated that concentrations of DL-PCBs were very low, and all of milk samples were compliant with EC legislation. In addition, seasonal variations were not observed for DL-and NDL-PCBs levels (p values >0.05). Conclusions: The estimated dietary intake for target population was 0.06 pg TEQ/kg of body weight/day, much smaller than the amounts declared by the World Health Organization as tolerable daily intake.

Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. The safe use of recycled paper and cardboard material for food packaging applications... more Background. The safe use of recycled paper and cardboard material for food packaging applications is an important area of investigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine which hazardous chemical pollutants were found in paper and cardboard samples used for pastry packaging, and to measure the migration of pollutants over time into the pastries. Material and methods. In this study, the presence of some organic pollutants in common confectionery packaging, and the effects of storage time and type of pastry on pollutant migration, were investigated. Results. The results of the study indicate that harmful compounds such as benzophenone, pentachlorophenol, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and dibutyl phthalate are present at high concentrations in most recycled boxes used for pastry packaging. Conclusion. Since the migration of some of the hazardous compounds from the packaging materials into the pastries under normal conditions was indicated, it is recommended that the procedure for preparing pastry packaging materials should be reconsidered and improved.

Journal of Environmental Protection

The photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene was investigated on TiO 2 nanoparticles coated ... more The photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene was investigated on TiO 2 nanoparticles coated on reduced graphene oxide. Reduced graphene oxide-TiO 2 composite (RGO-TiO 2) was synthesized via two step processes. The prepared RGO-TiO 2 composite was characterized using SEM, XRD, and UV-visible spectra. A significant increase in light absorption to visible light was observed by RGO-TiO 2 compared with that of pure TiO 2 nano particles. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the RGO-TiO 2 composite was much higher than that of the P25 TiO 2 , 95% and 40% respectively. In our investigated conditions, the initial concentration, flow rate and relative humidity had significant influences on the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene. The most efficiency was recorded at the 0.3 ppm concentration, 1L/min flow rate and 30% relative humidity. We believe that this TiO 2 based composite material can be effectively used as a highly active and stable photocatalyst to remove various indoor air pollutants especially gaseous toluene. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of toluene increased slowly below 20% relative humidity and then decreased as the relative humidity increased further. The main reason of enhanced photocatalytic property might be the strong electron transfer ability, and the increased adsorption capacity of RGO sheets in the composites as well as the retarded charge recombination rate contributed by the energy level of the two materials. We believe that this TiO 2 based composite material can be effectively used as a highly active and stable photocatalyst to remove various gaseous pollutants.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes) are the most important categories of VOCs that... more BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes) are the most important categories of VOCs that occur in the indoor air and often used in chemical laboratories. In the present study the excretion of urinary BTEX were evaluated as biomarkers of exposure to these compounds. The mean value of benzene in breathing zone and the total benzene uptake during the work shift of the two groups of technicians and students in chemical laboratories were 32.11and 46.82 µg m-3 and 14.55 and 34.11ngL-1 , respectively, which were significantly greater than the occupationally non exposed groups. Good correlations (0.839 ≤ r ≤ 0.946) between the mean values of BTEX in breathing zone and the urinary concentrations were observed.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2016

The present study aimed to find a correlation between the self-reported smoking status of the res... more The present study aimed to find a correlation between the self-reported smoking status of the residents of Tehran, Iran, and the urine cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to tobacco smoke. The self-reported data was collected from 222 participants who were living in the urban area of Tehran. The urine samples of participants were collected for cotinine analysis. Urine cotinine was measured by an enzymatic immunoassay technique. Tobacco smoking was reported by 76 (34.23 %) participants as the self-reported data, and the number of males in this report was higher than of females (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). By adding the number of the self-reported non-smokers with cotinine levels above the cutoff value of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;100 ng/ml to self-reported smokers, the smoking prevalence increased from 34.23 % (95 % CI 28.01-40.88 %) to 36.48 % (95 % CI 30.14-43.19 %). Using the cutoff value, sensitivity and specificity of the self-reported smoking status were respectively 90.12 % (95 % CI 81.46-95.64 %) and 98 % (95 % CI 93.91-99.55 %). The levels of agreement between self-reported tobacco smoking and urinary cotinine concentrations was 95.1 % (k = 0.89, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001, 95 % CI = 0.81-0.95). Based on the results, self-reported smoking can be a valid marker for assessing the tobacco exposure, and it can be of use in large epidemiological studies.

Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2016

Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2016

Over the last decade, the consumption of water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has co... more Over the last decade, the consumption of water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has considerably increased, raising concerns over water quality and packaged materials. This study aims to investigate the levels of the anti-androgenic phthalates including bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), in bottled water and its corresponding health risks in pregnant and lactating women. The phthalate levels were measured in six different brands of bottled water exposed to temperatures ranging between -18 and 40 °C and sunlight for 45 days. The phthalate was quantified using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, the non-carcinogenic effects were assessed using hazard quotient (HQ) approach, and cumulative health risk assessment was performed on the basis of hazard index (HI) calculation. In order to assess the carcinogenic risk due to the possible carcinogen DEHP (group 2B), the excess lifetime cancer ri...

Environmental science and pollution research international, Jan 20, 2016

The present study was conducted to systematically review, analyze, and interpret all the relevant... more The present study was conducted to systematically review, analyze, and interpret all the relevant evidence in the literature on the possible link between exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and the risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We developed a comprehensive search strategy and used it to search Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar up to March 31, 2016, producing 3108 hits, of which 13 original papers were included. Findings of these studies were quite controversial; few studies indicated a significant positive association between BPA exposure and T2DM, while some other failed to detect such a relationship. Overall, it can be suggested that chance is unlikely the plausible explanation for the observed association between BPA exposure and T2DM. This was mainly because even in the negative studies some clues could be found in favor of a statistically significant relationship between BPA and T2DM. Additionally, some of the studies had shortcomings in defining the expos...

Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, May 26, 2015

Scientia pharmaceutica, 2015

Fingolimod is an immunosuppressive agent which is used for the prophylaxis of organ transplantati... more Fingolimod is an immunosuppressive agent which is used for the prophylaxis of organ transplantation rejection or multiple sclerosis treatment. In this study, systematic forced degradation studies on fingolimod bulk powder were performed to develop a stability-indicating HPLC method. Separation of fingolimod and its degradation products was achieved on a Nova-Pak C8 column. The mobile phase was a mixture of potassium dihydrogenphosphate 50 mM (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (45:55, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The proposed method was linear in the range of 0.125-20 μg mL(-1). The within-day and between-day coefficients of variation were in the range of 0.6-1.2%. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of the fingolimod amount in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Iranian Journal of Health and Environment, Oct 15, 2014

Background and Objectives: Bottles for packaging drinking water represent one of the most popular... more Background and Objectives: Bottles for packaging drinking water represent one of the most popular uses of plastic and polymer additives. Recently, public concerns related to possibility of exposure to chemicals through the consumption of polyethylene terephthalate bottled water has caused great concern to consumers. Phthalate esters, as a class of these compounds, are often classified as endocrine disruptors and one of them is a possible carcinogen for human. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of phthalates in bottled water and to calculate the health risk of phthalates intake via consumption of bottled waters. Materials and Method: After purchasing, samples were immediately stored according to the recommended conditions (25 ºC, dark place) given on the bottle label. Migration of phthalates was investigated in PETbottled water at different time intervals using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Therefore, a phthalate exposure assessment was performed to characterize their risk to the consumer's health via a calculated hazard quotient (HQ). Results: It seems that the duration of storage affects phthalate migration. Total increases of DEHP (811.8%), DBP (2545.2%), and BBP (832%) were observed at 12 months over the initial level before storage (bottled water immediately after production); but the level of phthalates in bottled water was always very low (<EPA: 6 µg/L). Non-carcinogenic risk assessment from exposure to phthalate via consumption of bottled water was negligible in all of the subject groups (HQ<1). Furthermore, a little excess cancer risk of 9.9×10-7 for bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was observed. Conclusion: The research showed that the concentration of phthalates in PET-bottled water was extremely low. Consequently, based on the risk assessment results, bottled waters regarding existence of safe for consumers and they phthalates are not considered as public health issue for consumers as phthalates does not have any risk exposure for the consumers.

Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science Engineering, 2010

Methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether are oxygenated compoun... more Methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether are oxygenated compounds added to gasoline to enhance octane rating in replacement of alkyl-lead compounds. In the present study the excretion of urinary methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether were evaluated as biomarkers of exposure to gasoline. With this aim, 10 policemen engaged in traffic control, 10 gas station workers and ten occupationally non-exposed persons were investigated. Spot urine samples were obtained prior to and at the end of the work shift from each subject. The urinary levels of oxygenated ethers were determined by using head-space gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection. There were significant differences among the mean urinary concentrations of methyl tert-butyl ether in pre-shift samples of gas station workers (1193 ng/L), policemen (734 ng/L) and occupationally non-exposed persons (49 ng/L). The mean urinary concentrations of methyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether differed significantly among post-shift samples of gas station workers (16636 and 8655 ng/L), policemen (14458 and 1472 ng/L) and occupationally non-exposed persons (324 and 59 ng/L) (ANOVA: p<0.05 and Kruskal-Wallis test: p<0.05). There was a significant difference in methyl tert-butyl ether concentrations between job categories (p<0.05 by ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test), and gas station workers and policemen were found to be probably the most exposed groups in this study.

Bollettino chimico farmaceutico

It is disclosed a method to make high efficacy stir bars for sorptive extraction. The stir bars c... more It is disclosed a method to make high efficacy stir bars for sorptive extraction. The stir bars consist of glass bars coated with different kinds of carbon nanotubes. A sol- gel technique was used to provide carbon nanotubes coatings. Scanning electron micrographs of the coatings revealed a homogenous coating surface. The coated stir bars were successfully used for the extraction of poly aromatic hydrocarbons and organophosphorus pesticides in water samples.

DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background Clobazam is used for the treatment of different types of seizure and epilepsy. The pre... more Background Clobazam is used for the treatment of different types of seizure and epilepsy. The present research is undertaken to study the systematic forced degradation of clobazam and to identify its main degradation product under basic conditions. Methods The degradation of clobazam was studied under different conditions. Clobazam and its degradation products were separated using a Nova-Pak C18 column and a mixture of KH2PO4 50 mM (pH 8.5) and acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) as the mobile phase with UV detection at 230 nm. Results The within-day and between-day precision values in the calibration range of 0.1-20 μg/ml were within 0.5-1.5%. Clobazam was relatively stable in solid from under exposure to visible and UV light and also heat. The clobazam aqueous solution of clobazam was more labile under exposure to visible and UV light. The bulk drug was significantly degraded under exposure to 2 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH or 3% H2O2. Using the tablet powder, higher degradation rates were observed un...

Iranian journal of public health, 2015

Vehicle exhaust is a major source of exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in... more Vehicle exhaust is a major source of exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in the urban atmosphere. Newsagents usually work close to heavy traffic flow. The purpose of this study was to assess the breathing zone exposure of newsagents to PAHs found in the urban atmosphere of Tehran City during summer and autumn seasons and comparing the levels of exposure in both seasons. Fifteen non-smoking newsagents were randomly selected from north, south, east, west, and center of Tehran. Particle and gas phases PAHs were collected on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter and XAD-2 adsorbent. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine PAHs concentrations in newsagent's breathing zone samples. The highest and lowest values of exposures during summer and autumn in all sampling stations were recorded for benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene, respectively. Mann-Whitney test results showed that seasonal variation had significant influence on conce...