Background: Airborne fungi play an important role the quality of indoor and outdoor air. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of airborne fungi around different parts of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the west of Ahvaz and its relationship with some important meteorological parameters.
Methods: This study was conducted on a WWTP in the west of Ahvaz during 4 months in both cold and warm seasons. Samples were collected from 2- and 10-m intervals of the grit chamber (GCh), primary sludge dewatering basin (PSDB), and aeration tank (AT), as well as 60 m upstream (US), downstream (DS), and administrative building (AB) of the WWTP. Bioaerosols were collected using passive sampling method. Temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and ultraviolet index (UV) were also measured at the time of sampling.
Results: The total concentration of fungi was 46.1 ± 43 CFU/plate/h. The highest concentration of fungi (92.2 ± 28.12 CFU/plate/h) was found 2 m away from the GCh in the cold season and the lowest one (24.6 ± 6.67 CFU/plate/h) was found at the 10-m distance of the AT in the warm season. The dominant fungal genus included Cladosporium, Alternaria, Yeast, and Aspergillus, respectively. Also, there was a significant relationship between the degree of fungal contamination in different units, the US and DS of the WWTP, and there was a negative relationship between the release of fungi and UV.
Conclusion: According to the results, grit chamber plays an important role in releasing airborne fungi. Also, airborne fungi were reduced with an increase in distance and UV.

Background: SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, spreads through both direct and indirect pathways. Among the latter, surface contamination is a significant concern due to the virus’s prolonged viability on surfaces. There is ongoing discussion over the impact of environmental surface contamination, especially in light of the introduction of novel viral types. The present study aimed to examine the extent of environmental surface contamination across different hospital wards and evaluate the effectiveness of disinfectants in inactivating the virus.
Methods: The samples were collected from critical areas in a hospital, both pre-disinfection (n = 40) and post-disinfection (n = 17), using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect SARS-CoV-2.
Results: The findings indisputably confirm the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on swab samples from frequently-touched surfaces. Notably, 10 samples were virus-positive before disinfection, highlighting persistent viral contamination in vital hospital zones.
Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of environmental surface contamination in SARSCoV-2 transmission, particularly in healthcare settings. Detecting the virus on frequently-handled surfaces underscores the urgent need for rigorous and frequent surface disinfection. Effective surface disinfection remains a rapid, straightforward, and practical strategy to mitigate virus transmission to healthcare workers and patients. These findings hold significant implications for infection control, particularly amid emerging virus variants. They emphasize the need to maintain stringent hygiene and disinfection practices within healthcare facilities to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the significance of understanding the role of commonly contacted surfaces in the virus circulation. This study aimed to examine the contamination levels of the COVID-19 virus on repeatedly manipulated surfaces within urban areas.
Methods: We have conducted a study based on a systematic review and used it to choose a methodology, compare, and interpret the data. In this research, 22 samples were obtained from diverse surfaces in the environment, both before and after the implementation of sanitizer protocols.
Results: The results obtained from sampling and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis conducted before sanitizers revealed that out of the 22 samples, 4 cases (18.18%) tested positive. However, none of the 22 samples showed any positive cases following the sanitizer process.
Conclusion: By conducting a comprehensive analysis, this research contributes to the existing body of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of sanitizer measures in mitigating the spread of the virus in urban environments.