en Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:1;"><b><span style="color:black">Background:</span></b><span style="color:black"> Hospital environmental health is essential for preventing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring patient safety. Although national regulations exist, data on actual compliance in Iranian hospitals are limited. This study evaluated adherence to environmental health indicators in two educational hospitals in Zanjan, Iran, in 2024 and identified priority areas for improvement.</span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Methods:</span></b><span style="color:black"> A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed using the Ministry of Health&rsquo;s standardized checklist covering 11 environmental health domains. Data were collected through direct observation, staff interviews, and document review. Independent t-tests were used to compare performance between the two hospitals.</span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Results:</span></b><span style="color:black"> Both hospitals demonstrated full compliance in most domains, including human resources, waste management, water and wastewater quality, kitchen and laundry hygiene, specialized wards, laboratory and radiology safety, sterilization, and ancillary services. No statistically significant differences were observed between hospitals (</span><em><span style="color:black">p</span></em><i><span style="color:black">-value</span></i><span style="color:black"> > 0.05). Notable weaknesses included outdated ventilation systems in older wards, limited space in the Central Sterile Services Department, and suboptimal storage of sterile equipment.</span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="color:black"> The study confirmed strong overall adherence to environmental health standards, while highlighting infrastructure and resource gaps that require attention. Continuous monitoring, targeted investment, and strategic planning are crucial for sustaining compliance and aligning hospital practices with international environmental health standards.</span></span></span></span></div> Environmental health indicators, Hospital compliance, Educational hospitals, Zanjan, Infection control, 58 66 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-650-5&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Nastaran Noori Nastarannoori0281@gmail.com 100319475328460016568 0009-0001-4979-6594 No Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Fatemeh Masaebi fatemeh.masaebi71@gmail.com 100319475328460016569 100319475328460016569 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Esrafil Asgari sasgary@gmail.com 100319475328460016570 100319475328460016570 Yes Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Farahnaz Mozafari aftabeparsi@gmail.com 100319475328460016571 0009-0001-7995-512X No Clinical Research Development Unit, Valiasr Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Abolfazle Bayat Abolfazlbyt313@gmail.com 100319475328460016572 0009-0009-9543-5616 No Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.