Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of exposure to heavy metals in underground water resources in Saraven, Iran: Spatial distribution, monte-carlo simulation, sensitive analysis

Groundwater aquifers are considered the second most abundant water supply for drinking water all over the world. In Iran, ground waters are commonly employed for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Heavy metals (HMs) pose human concerns about the groundwater contamination; these pollutants are recognized to be capable of bio-accumulation, long persistence in the natural environment, and toxic effects. In the present research, the content of HMs: Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), and Lead (Pb) were detected in 89 water samples collected in 2018 by underground water supplies (active wells) of Saravan city. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Monte Carlo Simulation approach with 10,000 repetitions were applied to discover the human non-carcinogenic impacts of HMs in four groups of ages (adults, teenagers, children, and infants) of consumers. The concentrations of Cr, Pb, and Cd were in the range of 0.49-20, 0.1 to 58.34, and 0.11-12.8 μg/L, respectively. The mean HQ calculated due to exposure to Pb (0.0018-0.0023), Cr (0.0112-0.0186), and Cd (0.0370-0.0615) were lower than one. The findings of sensitivity analysis revealed that HMs concentration had the most contribution effect on human non-carcinogenic risk analysis in four different exposed populations. This study could assist researchers to perform more comprehensive studies with more samples. Therefore, further research is required for decision-makers to plan proper measurements properly.

Morphological studies on adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and first report of the potential Zika virus vector Aedes (Stegomyia) unilineatus (Theobald, 1906) in Iran

Beside numerous extensive studies on Anophelinae mosquitoes of Iran, little is known on Aedes species in the country and existing reports are dispersed. The objective of this study was to identify adults of Culicinae species occurring in the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, southeast of Iran, during 2012-2014. Mosquito collections were carried out three times (May-June, September, October-November) in four counties by Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) light traps and human landing catches outdoors and under bed nets baited with carbon dioxide. These trapping were carried out two consecutive nights during the field studies. Several mosquito collections were also conducted with aspirator and pyrethrum spray space catches during the day. A total of 1885 mosquitoes were collected, belonging to 10 species of genus Culex including Cx. pipiens Complex, Cx. laticinctus, Cx. sinaiticus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, one species of the genus Culiseta, Cs. longiareolata, and five species of the genus Aedes, Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans, Ae. detritus, Ae. albopictus, and Ae. unilineatus. Ae. vexans was the dominant species in the area (77.7%). During the study, seven Ae. unilineatus were collected in two villages near the city of Chabahar located in a coastal area; this is the first record for Iran and identification was confirmed by Cytochrome oxidase (COI) sequences analysis. Confirmation of the presence of Ae. unilineatus in the country raises the number of species of the genus Aedes to 12. The detection of this species reveals its probable establishment in the southeast of the country, which has implications for public health such as dengue and Zika infections and requires active entomological surveillance and implementation of adapted vector control measures in the area.

Ethnopharmacological studies of indigenous medicinal plants of Saravan region, Baluchistan, Iran

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

This study was aimed to explore the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plant species of Baluch tribes in Saravan region, Baluchistan province, Iran.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Rapid appraisal approach along with the semi-structured open ended questionnaire, interviews and personal observations were used to collect the indigenous medicinal information. Quantitative analysis including the informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) was performed to evaluate the valued medicinal plants.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A total 64 medicinal plants belonging to 30 families were reported from the study area. Among families, Lamiaceae dominated over other families and leaves dominated with 31% over other plant parts used as herbal remedies. Rhazya stricta and Datura stamonium (0.35) attributed the higher UV, followed by Otostegia persica (0.33) and Teucrium polium (0.32). Results of the ICF showed that cold/flu/fever (0.71) and blood disorders (0.57) were the most common diseases of the study area.

CONCLUSION

The use value and informant consensus factor substantiated that the relative importance of plant species and sharing knowledge of herbal therapies between different tribal communities of this area is still rich.