Development of Molecularly Imprinted Membranes for Selective Determination of Urinary Ultra-Trace 5-Fluorouracil as Antineoplastic Drug Used in Chemotherapy

Zahra Beigzadeh,Farideh Golbabaei,Monireh Khadem,Fariborz Omidi,Mirghani Seyed Someah,Seyed Jamaleddin Shahtaheri 한국고분자학회 2020 Macromolecular Research Vol.28 No.4

Background: The incidence of neoplasm has significantly increased around the world over the last decades, resulting in use of anti-neoplastic drugs and the potential for occupational exposure to these drugs. One of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of malignancies is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Objectives: In this study, in order to develop an appropriate adsorbent for selective extraction of ultra-trace 5-fluorouracil from urine samples, molecularly imprinted membranes (MIMs) of 5-FU were prepared by encapsulating molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP-NPs) into the electrospun polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanofibers. Methods: The MIP-NPs encapsulated into electrospun PET nanofibers were prepared by precipitation polymerization technique. These MIMs were used as selective sorbents for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of ultra-trace 5-FU from different samples prior to the analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Central Composite Design (CCD) was used for optimization of effective parameters in sorption and desorption steps of the molecularly imprinted membrane solid phase extraction (MIMSPE). Results: The optimum operating conditions for the proposed method were pH: 6.2, amount of sorbent: 10.3mg, and absorption time: 20.5h, the volume of eluent: 1 mL, the composition of elution solvent: the ratio of 90.3:9.7 methanol and acetic acid, and desorption time: 1.27 h. Under these optimized conditions, the limit of detection for 5-FU by MIMSPE was 0.07 μg L-1. The recoveries of 5-FU from urine sample ranged from 92.95±3.85 to 94.85±2.85%. Conclusion: The proposed MIMSPE-HPLC method can potentially be applied for selective detection of 5-FU in real samples with no special sample pretreatment steps.

Assessment of Semen Quality among Workers Exposed to Heat Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Steel Industry

Masoud Hamerezaee,Somayeh F. Dehghan,Farideh Golbabaei,Asad Fathi,Loghman Barzegar,Naseh Heidarnejad 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2018 Safety and health at work Vol.9 No.2

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n ¼ 30) and unexposed (n ¼ 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS (35.76C and 491.56 w/m2 w m2, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly “negative” correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.

Quantitative and Semiquantitative Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Styrene in a Petrochemical Industry

Moshiran, Vahid Ahmadi,Karimi, Ali,Golbabaei, Farideh,Yarandi, Mohsen Sadeghi,Sajedian, Ali Asghar,Koozekonan, Aysa Ghasemi Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2021 Safety and health at work Vol.12 No.3

Background: Styrene is one of the aromatic compounds used in acetonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) producing petrochemicals, which has an impact on health of workers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the health risks of styrene emitted from the petrochemical industry in Iran. Methods: Air samples were collected based on NIOSH 1501 method. The samples were analyzed by the Varian-cp3800 gas chromatograph. Finally, risk levels of styrene's health effects on employees were assessed by the quantitative method of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the semiquantitative way by the Singapore Occupational Safety and Health Association. Results: Based on the results, the employees had the highest average exposure to styrene vapors (4.06 × 10^-1mg.(kg - day)^-1) in the polybutadiene latex (PBL) unit. Therefore, the most top predictors of cancer and non-cancer risk were 2.3×10^-4 and 7.26 × 10^-1, respectively. Given that the lowest average exposure (1.5 × 10^-2mg.(kg - day)^-1) was in the dryer unit, the prediction showed a moderate risk of cancer (0.8 × 10^-6) and non-cancer (2.3 × 10^-3) for the employees. The EPA method also predicted that there would be a definite cancer risk in 16% and a probable risk in 76% of exposures. However, according to the semiquantitative approach, the rate of risk was at the "low" level for all staff. The results showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the units in exposure and health risk of styrene (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Given the high risk of styrene's health effects, appropriate control measures are required to reduce the exposure level.

Assessment of Semen Quality among Workers Exposed to Heat Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Steel Industry

Hamerezaee, Masoud,Dehghan, Somayeh F.,Golbabaei, Farideh,Fathi, Asad,Barzegar, Loghman,Heidarnejad, Naseh Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2018 Safety and health at work Vol.9 No.2

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.