As part of the cultural season of the Environmental Research Center,Lecturer Rana Riyad Khalil delivered a lecture entitled "The Fate and Effect of Detergents (Surfactants) in Tigris River within Baghdad City / Iraq" on Tuesday, 16/4/2019, where the lecture summarized the following:

The aim of this study is to determine the quantity and quality of surfactants (anionic (AS) and nonionic (NS)) in Tigris River and Al- Rustamiya wastewater treatment plant (RWWTP) (before and after treatment). Six sites were selected for this study and samples were collected from water, particulate, sediment and submerged plant in the river, while the treatment plant included water and particulate for the period from February 2017 to February 2018 and results were expressed as seasonally (wet and dry). Some physicochemical parameters are also measured at all sites per months. Two analytical methods were used photolab (PHD) and HPLC device for surfactants.

Also Person's correlation coefficient, Principle component analysis (PCA) and Factor analysis (FA) (multivariate statistical methods) were used as a tool to interpret the correlation between physicochemical parameters (for all six sites and two analytical methods) with surfactants.

From this study, the concentration of anionic and nonionic surfactants was in the following order: Particulate > Aquatic Plant > Sediment > Water. The RWWTP revealed its efficiency as treatment processes for anionic and nonionic surfactants where compared with permissible limits of use for irrigation purposes after treatment.

Within the proposed program for Environmental Qualifying and Training Unit at the Environmental Research Center (ERC)- University of Technology for the current academic year (2019-2020) and in order to, enhance health and safety concepts in educational institutions generally and in the center particularly, this program was activated by implementing an online workshop using ZOOM platform. Dr. Mukheled Amer Hussien-lecturer in the Department of Environmental Pollution-ERC presented a lecture on Wednesday, 13/5/2020 at 9:30 pm entitled (Enhancement of Health and Safety Concepts in Educational Institutions).  

The lecturer stated through his experience gained during three years of continuous laboratory work in completing a PhD study in the UK that the concepts of health and safety are a principal requirement as a higher policy that is approved and applied from the university level down to the various departments in any faculty or school. In other words, the policy of any department in any faculty or school will essentially reflect that policy in its general lines. The department adopts the policy of health and safety and works to provide all necessary support for its implementation that ensures the safety of all workers in the department including the students of UG and PG (MSc and PhD), post-doctoral, faculty members, technical staff, administrative staff, visitors and others.

This policy was discussed from all aspects related to administrative and technical tasks in terms of the method of following-up, monitoring, inspection, risk assessment, waste management, and etc., according to scientific and applicable principles.

The lecturer recommended the need to take advantage of this experience aligning with the nature of work at the center in achieving health and safety concepts for the work forces in it. Many work teams were formed according to their specialization and interest to express each opinion in this field, so that we can make a guide book for laboratory dealing in the center.