Fatemeh Kazemiyeh; Asma Eidi; mehdi motalem
Abstract
IntroductionPlanning for proper waste management and attention to its harmful effects on the environment in any country is one of the most important and necessary principles in order to provide long-term benefits and move towards sustainable development. The overall purpose of this study was to analyze ...
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IntroductionPlanning for proper waste management and attention to its harmful effects on the environment in any country is one of the most important and necessary principles in order to provide long-term benefits and move towards sustainable development. The overall purpose of this study was to analyze the barriers to rural waste management (a case study of the central part of Urmia). In order to achieve a comprehensive knowledge of the obstacles, problems and limitations that have led to poor rural waste management in the study area, and this comprehensive understanding of the current situation, pave the way for the adoption of targeted programs to remove barriers and proper rural waste management among the villages.Materials and methodsThe research was applied in terms of purpose and field in terms of data collection.The statistical population of the study included all villagers in the functions of the central part of Urmia city in which rural waste management was performed (N = 136). The questionnaire was the main research tool that was designed using content review and interviews with experts and faculty members of the university and its content validity was confirmed. To evaluate the reliability, 30 questionnaires were completed and the Cronbach's alpha value was 0.91, which indicated the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and exploratory factor analysis technique.Results and discussionThe results of factor analysis showed that rural waste management barriers in six groups of educational-cultural barriers (variance dimension 18.13), health - environmental (variance dimension 18.06), knowledge (variance dimension 12.53), environmental (variance dimension 10.96) Disposal management (variance dimension 10.24) and equipment (variance dimension 6.92) were classified as 76.84% of the total variance changes related to rural waste management barriers in the study area. They explained. The first rank in prioritizing the items of educational-cultural barriers, the item of lack of culture required for less consumption, in the items of health-environmental barriers, abandonment and disposal of waste by the villagers in the nearest place (in Passages, river routes, roadsides, etc.) and the occurrence of parasitic diseases for the villagers, in the context of knowledge barriers, lack of knowledge and lack of knowledge of villagers about the economic value of reusing agricultural waste, In the disposal factor, the lack of separation plan at the source and as a result of mixing wet, dry and special wastes with each other and in the environmental factor, the presence of insects and rodents and their increase at certain times of the year at the disposal site And until the collection of waste and finally in the items of equipment, the passages were allocated to the shortage and conversion of conversion industries for reuse of agricultural wastes and wastes.ConclusionEmpowering people through awareness and information, education using appropriate tools and appropriate to the special cultural and social conditions in the field of waste management can be helpful and practical and operational. Coherent and purposeful management for waste management and success in improving environmental issues in the study area requires specific methods and strategic plans. Therefore, it is necessary to take the necessary planning and measures in this regard. It is also recommended to use the participation of people and NGOs to separate at the source and to organize informal activities of collection and recycling of materials in recycling programs, while it is necessary for municipalities, organizations and affiliated bodies. Assist the government in providing the facilities and equipment needed for rural waste management.
Mir Javad Gheybi; Sajjad Chehreghani; Mahdieh Azimi Youshanlouie; Zahra Darvishi Qulunji
Abstract
Introduction: With uncontrolled population growth, the safe disposal of waste is a major problem for metropolises. The issue of landfills and their location is at the end of the waste disposal life cycle. Waste burial is the most common method of disposal in urban communities of Iran and other countries ...
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Introduction: With uncontrolled population growth, the safe disposal of waste is a major problem for metropolises. The issue of landfills and their location is at the end of the waste disposal life cycle. Waste burial is the most common method of disposal in urban communities of Iran and other countries of the world. Consequently, its environmental impact assessment is very important to reduce the negative environmental impact. Therefore, in this study, the environmental effects of the Urmia landfill utilizing the RIAM method were evaluated.Material and methods: In this study, to assess the environmental impact, field information was collected from the landfill of Urmia city. Then, the effect of different activities in the project was evaluated by the RIAM method. Also, important and influential factors have been classified by a group of environmental experts into four sections: physico-chemical, biological-ecological, cultural-social, and economic-operational. Each factor is scored based on the importance of the situation and the time value. The scoring method is such that by multiplying the criteria related to the importance of the situation, the total value of these criteria is determined. Also, for the provisional value criteria, its sub-criteria are summed. After obtaining these criteria, by multiplying these two criteria, the environmental score (ES) of the project is calculated.Results and discussion: Based on the study, it was observed that the highest negative score for biological-ecological components was -402 if the disposal continued in this way. Also, the lowest negative score amongst other available components for economic-operational components was equal to -109. The only positive point was related to the socio-cultural components which are part of subsistence. Also, the score for physico-chemical components and socio-cultural components were -351 and -114, respectively. The reasons for these negative scores are the lack of proper attention to the volume of waste produced by the people, the lack of a leachate treatment system, the lack of vegetation in the municipal waste landfill, unprincipled, and unsanitary waste burial, transportation distance, etc. Disposal operations with the current method, in addition to creating environmental pollution, are also very costly. Most of the cost of this method is spent on transportation, manpower and excavation, and earthmoving operations. In addition to these financial costs, unfortunately, in recent years, with the disappearance of agricultural lands around the municipal landfill, people have migrated from the surrounding villages. This causes a lot of pollution and prevents the conversion and recycling of waste.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that if waste disposal operations continue in the same trend, irreparable environmental damage will be inflicted on the region's ecosystem. To prevent these damages, it is necessary to provide practical solutions and in the management, the department should review the continuation of this method. Also, due to the landfill and waste disposal operations reaching their limit, it is suggested that if a new place for waste disposal is selected, it should be based on studies in the fields of geology, botany, geotechnics, etc. It also seems that the establishment of a waste recycling plant can be a great help in reducing the volume of waste.
Fatemeh Kazemiyeh; Asma Eidi
Abstract
Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and ...
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Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and the irreparable damage caused by overuse of chemicals in agriculture and human health, the main purpose of this study is to identify and explain the barriers to the development of organic farming. Due to its special geographical location and variety of agricultural products, West Azerbaijan Province has a high capacity in the production of organic products such as grapes, white berries, pomegranates and apples. Although the history of organic farming has long been common in West Azarbaijan Province, unfortunately, this type of agriculture is currently facing many obstacles and problems, so it is important to identify the factors that prevent the use of organic agriculture and should be addressed to solve these problems.Material and methods: The present study was quantitative-qualitative in terms of practical purpose and research paradigm. In the first stage, barriers to the development of organic agriculture were identified by Delphi method. A purposive sampling method was used to collect information. The statistical population of this stage was 25 university professors, experts, and specialists. In the second stage, the data obtained from the agreement of the experts were provided to the experts as a closed questionnaire. The statistical population of the study at this stage included 101 experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Urmia, which due to the limited statistical population was used to collect information with the census method. In order to analyze the data, the exploratory factor analysis technique was used based on the method of analysis to the main components.Results and discussion: The value of KMO for the set of barriers to organic farming development was 0.79. Therefore, the number of samples was suitable for factor analysis. Bartlett's test score was 3072.307, which was significant at the 1% level. Therefore, it can be concluded that the separation of factors was done correctly and the variables of each factor had a high root correlation with each other. According to the research results, the most important barriers to the development of organic agriculture, respectively, included: barriers to information and agricultural knowledge (lack of sufficient knowledge in the production of organic products), motivational and attitude barriers (lack of interest and resistance of farmers in accepting cultivation of organic products), economic barriers (lack of financial support to withstand the damages of the past), technical-managerial and supportive barriers (unfamiliarity with the techniques and methods of cultivation of organic products and lack of a single and specific trustee for organic products), barriers to use (excessive consumption of chemical fertilizers), and extension barriers (farmers' limited participation in extension and educational programs.Conclusion: Agricultural planners should be guided by solutions in the field of facilitating the export of organic agricultural products, supporting farmers in organic farming, and carrying out extension activities to use the existing capacities in the country. Agricultural research must be done on the use of organic and biological fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Special attention must be paid to organic agriculture in developing strategic plans for agricultural research and appropriate and separate pricing systems for organic products. Training and extension courses in organic farming for farmers and encouraging them to participate in these classes are also encouraged.
Fatemeh Kazemiyeh; Asma Eidi; Hosein Raheli
Abstract
Introduction: The use of renewable energy is a prerequisite for sustainable development. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to explain the factors affecting the possibility of using renewable energy in the agricultural sector from the perspective of experts of the Agricultural Jihad ...
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Introduction: The use of renewable energy is a prerequisite for sustainable development. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to explain the factors affecting the possibility of using renewable energy in the agricultural sector from the perspective of experts of the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Urmia. We aimed to identify the effective factors in the use of new energies, to provide appropriate solutions to strengthen the positive cases and remove obstacles. Material and methods: The statistical population of the study was all experts of Agriculture Jihad Organization of Urmia city (N = 101). A questionnaire was the main research tool, the validity of which was confirmed by a panel of experts. To evaluate its reliability, 30 questionnaires were completed and Cronbach's alpha value for different sections (alpha = 0.801- 0.906) was obtained, which was an acceptable indicator for the questionnaire. Data were analyzed at descriptive (percentage, mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation) and inferential (correlation and regression) levels using SPSS software. Results and discussion: Prioritization of items regarding economic factors affecting the possibility of using new energies in the agricultural sector showed that the forecast of funds for investment in the field of research on the use of new energies in the agricultural sector was the first priority and the number of farmers' lands was the last. Five items were used to assess the management factors affecting the possibility of using new energy in the agricultural sector. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the use of new energies was the first priority and communication with international centers related to renewable energy was the fifth. In measuring the socio-cultural factors affecting the possibility of using new energies in the agricultural sector, involving farmers (planning, implementation, and evaluation) in developing the use of new energies was the first priority, and organizing villagers to use renewable energy through agricultural organizations was the last. Regarding the research factors affecting the possibility of using renewable energy in the agricultural sector, establishing communication between the research sector, farmers, designers, and implementers in the development of new energy technologies was the first priority, and cooperation of agricultural experts with scientific energy associations was the last. The results of the study of educational factors affecting the possibility of using new energies in the agricultural sector showed that holding training classes for farmers on the use of renewable energy in agricultural sub-sectors was the first priority and holding in-service training courses for researchers, managers, and agricultural experts was the last priority. We also observed a positive and significant relationship between work experience, economic, socio-cultural, managerial, innovation, educational, and research factors with the possibility of using renewable energy in agriculture. The results of multiple regression showed that the variables of economic, socio-cultural, managerial, innovation, educational, and research factors have the ability to explain 0.65% of the changes of the dependent variable, i.e. the possibility of using renewable energy in the agricultural sector. Conclusion: According to the results of the research, it is suggested to train specialized and skilled manpower in the public and private sectors in the field of implementation of renewable energy projects by increasing the level of awareness and creating a positive attitude in people and farmers through educational programs and mass media, and the adoption of appropriate policies, laws, defined financial resources, as well as the provision of special facilities to support renewable energy projects in rural areas and the agricultural sector.
ُSeyedeh Kowsar Mousapour; Amir Naeimi
Abstract
Introduction: Environmental sustainability represents material and non-material actions that provide key information on environmental impacts, compliance, stakeholder relationships, and organizational systems and represent definitions of the effectiveness and productivity of environmental actions. Environmental ...
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Introduction: Environmental sustainability represents material and non-material actions that provide key information on environmental impacts, compliance, stakeholder relationships, and organizational systems and represent definitions of the effectiveness and productivity of environmental actions. Environmental performance means the amount of impact that physical activity has on the environment . It highlights the environmental sustainability dimensions and assesses the performance of policies and programs of countries in reducing environmental problems, environmental protection and natural resource management. The purpose of this research was to analysis the effects of villagers environmental performance on their perception toward environmental sustainability in Baghmalek county. Material and methods: The present study is quantitative in terms of its nature and objectives, a descriptive survey in terms of data collection, and a correlation study in terms of analyzing the data. Statistical population of the study was rural households heads in central region of Baghmalek township located at Khuzestan Province (N=3005). Sample size determined via Krejcie and Morgan’s table (n=341). Sampling method was proportional stratified random sampling. Research instrument was questionnaire. Which its face and content validity were confirmed a by panel of experts. To determine the reliability of the research tool, a pilot test was conducted that the Cronbach's alpha values for the main scales of the questionnaire was in the desirable range (0.78 to 0.91). Results and discussion: The results of descriptive statistics showed that the mean of respondents' perception toward environmental sustainability was 3.66 out of 6. Also, the calculated mean for environmental performance was 3.79 out of 6. Among the components of environmental performance, consumption with average (4.36 out of 6) and recycling with average (3.45 out of 6) had the highest and lowest priority, respectively. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the values of composite reliability (CR) and extracted mean variance (AVE) calculated for environmental performance components were obtained at optimum level. Considering the significant correlation between environmental performance components, this structure had logical validity. The results of the measuring coefficients of the items of respondents' perception toward environmental sustainability showed that the value of the AVE was at the appropriate level and the CR was at the optimum level. Also, there was significant correlations between items of perception showed that this variable had acceptable logical validity. The findings of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that environmental performance had positive and significant effect on the respondents perception toward environmental sustainability. So that this variable explained 13 percent of the variance in perception. Also, results showed that three components of environmental performance (consumption, institutional and recycling) had positive and significant effect on the respondents perception toward environmental sustainability. So that these components could explain 24 percent of the of the variance in respondents perception.Conclusion: As a general conclusion, it can be said that in the villages under study, environmental behavior needs to be adequately informed about environmental performance. As a result, as villagers' skills lead to higher levels of positive environmental performance, will perform more environmentally friendly behaviors that can help promote environmental sustainabilityMaterials and Methods: The present study is quantitative in terms of its nature and objectives, a descriptive survey in terms of data collection, and a correlation study in terms of analyzing the data.Statistical population of the study was rural households heads in central region of Baghmalek township located at Khuzestan Province (N=3005). Sample size determined via Krejcie and Morgan’s table (n=341). Sampling method was proportional stratified random sampling. Research instrument was questionnaire.which its face and content validity were confirmed a by panel of experts. To determine the reliability of the research tool, a pilot test was conducted that the Cronbach's alpha values for the main scales of the questionnaire was in the disreable range (0.78 to 0.91).Results and Disscussion: The results of descriptive statistics showed that the mean of respondents' perception toward environmental sustainability was 3.66 out of 6. Also, the calculated mean for environmental performance was 3.79 out of 6. Among the components of environmental performance, consumption with average (4.36 out of 6) and recycling with average (3.45 out of 6) had the highest and lowest priority, respectively. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the values of composite reliability (CR) and extracted mean variance (AVE) calculated for environmental performance components were obtained at optimum level. Considering the significant correlation between environmental performance components, this structure had logical validity. The results of the measuring coefficients of the items of respondents' perception toward environmental sustainability showed that the value of the AVE was at the appropriate level and the CR was at the optimum level. Also, there was significant correlations between items of perception showed that this variable had acceptable logical validity.The findings of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that environmental performance had positive and significant effect on the resopndents perception toward environmental sustainability. So that this variable explained 13 percent of the variance in perception. Also, results showed that three components of environmental performance (consumption, institutional and recycling) had positive and significant effect on the resopndents perception toward environmental sustainability. So that these components could explain 24 percent of the of the variance in respondents perception. Conclusion: As a general conclusion, it can be said that in the villages under study, environmental behavior needs to be adequately informed about environmental performance. As a result, as villagers' skills lead to higher levels of positive environmental performance, will perform more environmentally friendly behaviors that can help promote environmental sustainability
ِAshkan Mohammadi; Naser Shafiei Sabet; Alireza Shakiba
Abstract
Introduction: One of the major implications of accelerated urbanization is the spatial expansion of urban sprawl and the corrosive of villages and peripheral lands that have been numerous in metropolitan areas. The irregular sprawl and extension of the Tehran metropolis into surrounding areas have led ...
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Introduction: One of the major implications of accelerated urbanization is the spatial expansion of urban sprawl and the corrosive of villages and peripheral lands that have been numerous in metropolitan areas. The irregular sprawl and extension of the Tehran metropolis into surrounding areas have led to disturbances and imbalances in the social, economic, and spatial organization of peripheral villages. In recent decades, urban growth analysis has started from a variety of perspectives. Over the past half century this phenomenon has been prominent in Iran. It originally took place in metropolises and large cities, but gradually moved to middle cities due to the centralized policies of the settlement .The study area has been expanding rapidly in the last three decades and has caused many environmental problems and rapid changes in the economic performance of villages and the transformation of valuable natural resources. Therefore, this research intends to investigate the manner and extent of land use changes in the study area by analyzing and accurately analyzing the phenomenon of creep and reducing the adverse effects by providing scientific solutions. Therefore, this research is intended by look up and accurate analysis of the sprawl phenomenon, study the method and extent of land use change in the study area and reduces its adverse effects by providing scientific solutions. Material and methods: For accurate analysis of the effects of sprawl phenomena, descriptive and analytical methods have been used. In this method, after collecting data contains Land sat satellite images with TM, ETM and OLI sensors and after visual interpretation of satellite images due to the absence of stroke errors, cloud spots by using remote sensing techniques and spatial information systems, the land use change process began in 1986, 2002, 2018, and divided into four residential and non-residential construction, vegetation, rangelands and roads. After that, the supervised classification operation was monitored by the SVM algorithm and the detection and determination of the sprawl pattern in the study area. Results and discussion: The calculations indicate that in the region of Tehran -Damavand, due to the crawling growth in discrete form and in some points continuous, the most changes in terms of increase is related to the use of residential construction 9.69% and the use of the road 1%, that this growing trend has reduced the use of pasture and vegetation by about 9.07% and 0.1%, respectively. After field operation and harvesting of samples with two-frequency GPS receivers and introducing it to the software, the classification of complications was performed by support vector machines with a mean total accuracy of 62.69% and a mean Kappa coefficient of 85.33%. Most changes were related to residential and non-residential classes and roads and in the study area, most vegetation coverings and agricultural land became industrial estates and recreational villas. This led to an increase the migration from villages to Tehran's metropolis, followed by the need for urban landscapes and finally fragility and instability of environmental resources. In Tehran- Damavand axis, these changes have been made by various factors and forces during its uneven spatial expansion. Conclusion: In the study of spatial and land use changes, it is important to pay attention to which side effects are slowly changing and which side effects change more quickly. In this research, it was revealed that the study of vegetation compared to other lands had the greatest change. Therefore, if there is no precise planning and policies and continuous monitoring to prevent this trend, there will be harmful and irreparable environmental impacts.
Najmolsadat mousavi; Maryam Sharifian Sani; Sanaz Sanaye Goldouz; Gholamreza Ghaedamini Harouni; Azar Darvishi; Fatemeh Ghamarzad Sheishvan
Abstract
Introduction: The bulk of the existing environmental problems are rooted in the lack of awareness and cultural weakness in the relationship between human and nature, and it is, in fact, a kind of cultural problem. Since the institutionalization of environmental culture and education begins in childhood, ...
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Introduction: The bulk of the existing environmental problems are rooted in the lack of awareness and cultural weakness in the relationship between human and nature, and it is, in fact, a kind of cultural problem. Since the institutionalization of environmental culture and education begins in childhood, the pre-school period can be one of the most important periods of educational and cultural investment in the context of the environment. The goal of the present study was to assess and evaluate the impact of educational courses on the attitudes, and environmental knowledge and skills of students who are getting a major in Growth and Training of pre-school children in the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sci-ences, who teach pre-school children to protect the environment. Material and methods: To achieve the intended goal, 55 senior students of Growth and Training of pre-school children in the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences were selected by convenience sampling method. Three questionnaires were used to assess attitudes, knowledge, and skills about the environment and related issues. Data wereanalyzed using Paired-Sample T-Test in SPSS software. A 25% mathematical logic was used for categorizing final scores of each scale.
Results and discussion:
Validity of the used tools was investigated by content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio and their reliability were assessed by Cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency) and intra-class correlation coefficient (reliability during time). According to the results, all three tools had acceptable validity and reliability.Cronbach’s alpha values of attitude, knowledge, and skills were 0.702, 0.881, and 0.951, respectively. ICC of the three variables was cal-culated 0.665, 0.721, and 0.734, respectively. The results revealed that holding an educational course caused changes in the level of attitude (t=2.39, p=0.023, Eta2=15.2), increase in the knowledge level (t=13.31, p<0.001, Eta2=84.7) and increase in the skills of students (t=6.90, p<0.001, Eta2=59.8). According to descriptive results, it was revealed that before the intervention about 45.5% and after the intervention, 75.8% of subjects had positive attitudes towards the envi-ronment. It was also clear that before the intervention, 60.7% of the subjects had some and after the intervention 84.8% had high knowledge about the environment. It was also clear that before and after the intervention, 36.6% and 87.9% of the subjects, respectively,became highly skilled in environmental matters.
Conclusion:
According to the results, holding an educational course had the most impact on the increasing of environ-mental knowledge, then environmental skills, and finally, changing attitudes. The results of this study showed that holding environmental education courses can improve the attitude, knowledge, and skill of students.
Azadeh Askari; Sepideh Samaee
Volume 16, Issue 4 , January 2019, , Pages 1-16
Abstract
Introduction: In recent decades, the growth of environmental pollution has led to the emergence of a new type of consumer called the green consumer. They regard themselves as responsible for the environment and use products with less damage to the environment. By recognizing these consumers, companies ...
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Introduction: In recent decades, the growth of environmental pollution has led to the emergence of a new type of consumer called the green consumer. They regard themselves as responsible for the environment and use products with less damage to the environment. By recognizing these consumers, companies are putting more effort to make their business greener to achieve this market segment. Therefore, identifying the factors that influence the selection of green products and services is important. Since the values of individuals, as an important social phenomenon, is influential in shaping, controlling and predicting their behavior, they can affect the green consumption behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between each ethical value and the green consumption behavior. Material and methods: This is an applied research that uses fundamental research findings to identify and solve various problems. In addition, a survey was carried out. The statistical population of this study included 17067 students studying at Shahid Beheshti University from all faculties and educational levels in 2017. The convenience sampling method was used for sampling. According to the sample size table, 375 people were selected and 353 questionnaires were analyzed. In order to evaluate the students' values, Schwartz Personal Values Questionnaire was used. The reliability of the test was estimated at 0.893 by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In order to measure the green consumption, five questions were used, the validity and reliability of which were acceptable. In order to analyze the findings, descriptive and inferential statistical methods were carried out by SPSS software. Results and discussion: Comparison of descriptive statistics showed that the reason why people used green cars was easy transportation to the university (37.7%), helping to improve the environment (36.3%), reasonable prices (14.2%) and to diversify their trips (10.8%). The relation between the use of green cars for helping to improve the environment with each of Schwartz's ethical values and the relationship between the preference of using green products with these values showed that the correlation coefficient between the preferences of using green products and the excitement value is r= -0.114, which is significant at the level of 0.01. In other words, there is a significant and negative relationship between the use of green products and the excitement value. However, there was not a significant relationship between the use of green products and other values. Also, there is a significant relation between using green products to help the environment (green consumption) and the universalism value (p <0.01, r = 0.145). There was no significant relationship between using green products to help the environment and other values. Conclusion: The results showed that not all of the Schwartz values in green consumers are equally important. The existence of individual differences justifies the individual's tendency to use green products. These findings can be applied to environmental practitioners, especially educators and marketers.
Sajjad Bahrami; Ahad Sotoudeh; Naser Jamshidi; Mohammad Reza Elmi
Volume 16, Issue 3 , October 2018, , Pages 1-24
Abstract
Introduction: Development of various industries, despite providing human welfare, has potential risks for mankind. Due to its extensive operations and activity and also the potential risk for humans and the environment, the petrochemical industry is considered a high-risk industry. The purpose of this ...
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Introduction: Development of various industries, despite providing human welfare, has potential risks for mankind. Due to its extensive operations and activity and also the potential risk for humans and the environment, the petrochemical industry is considered a high-risk industry. The purpose of this study was to assess and prioritize the risks resulting from process activities in Kermanshah petrochemical complex using two approaches (i.e., the traditional and fuzzy FMEA method). Material and methods: The present study was an analytical-field research that has been conducted in Kermanshah petrochemical complex for 10 months. In this study, the product lines (urea and ammonia) were investigated and also a team of five experts was formed. In addition, an initial list of the most important risks and hazards in the environmental field was prepared and then, by using Brainstorming and Delphi Technique, the list was corrected. Finally, environmental risk assessment in the form of traditional and fuzzy FMEA methods was evaluated. Results and discussion: According to the results, 38 risks were identified by traditional FMEA. The highest priority risk was related to hydrogen and ammonia gas emissions when the ammonia unit was out of service by RPN number of 491. The lowest priority risk belonged to ammonia effluents by RPN number of 28. Also, the highest risks to air pollution, as well as the causes of the risks were related to defects in the system and connections. The results of input fuzzification and output FMEA method showed that among the 15 identified risks in the petrochemical complex, the highest number of fuzzy priority in the health section was related to noise pollution (0.75), in the safety section was falling from the heights (0.75), and in the environmental sector for the reduction of ecological resources (0.613). Conclusion: Comparing these two approaches suggest that the traditional FMEA is powerful in the early stages of risk assessment process, and on the other hand, the fuzzy approach is more flexible and user-friendly in the stage of prioritizing the risks.
Ali Farmanesh; Seyed Saeid Mohtasebi; Mahmoud Omid
Volume 15, Issue 4 , January 2018, , Pages 15-28
Abstract
Introduction: Industrial activities growth and increasing emissions getting attention to environmental problems in the world. Unpleasant smell (malodor) can be classified as pollutants that had negative impact on quality of life. About one third to half of animal products that are unusable for humans ...
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Introduction: Industrial activities growth and increasing emissions getting attention to environmental problems in the world. Unpleasant smell (malodor) can be classified as pollutants that had negative impact on quality of life. About one third to half of animal products that are unusable for humans are used as raw materials in the processing and recycling industry. One of the most important features of slaughterhouse rendering plants is the release of volatile compounds and unpleasant odors, which disturb the working people and the adjacent inhabitants of this industry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an electronic nose system as a tool for displaying vapors from a slaughterhouse rendering plant, select an array of appropriate sensors and determine the fingerprint for this pollutant unit. Material and methods: The batch cooking was carried out at temperature 140 ° C under pressure 3 bar for 4 hours and uniformly stirred at a speed of 20 rpm (ISIRI 2389, 1995). A total of 30 liquid samples, each one with volume of 10 ml, were obtained from condensed vapors of batch cooker. Samples were transferred to the laboratory located at the Agricultural Machinery Department of the University of Tehran, and an electronic nose system was used for analysis and investigation. The electronic nose system was based on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors and included an array of six gas sensors. The principal component analysis (PCA) method was used to evaluate the sensors and select appropriate array of sensors. Results and discussion: Observation of sensor’s response until steady state with aim of reducing consumption of time and oxygen, showed that 30 seconds to reach sensors to their baseline (baseline time), 100 seconds to contact the vapors with sensors (injection and response time) and 40 seconds to clear the sensors (purging time) were suitable . Correlation analysis of the sensors showed that some of the sensors had a correlation higher than 0.85. The analysis of variance distribution of two primary principal components showed that these two components comprises for more than 99% of the total variance, and the primary component (PC-1) comprise over than 98% of the total variance. The highest effect on the first component was related to the MQ135 sensor, after that MQ136, MQ9, MQ131, MQ5 and finally MQ3 sensors were effective. The analysis of the principal components showed that MQ135 and MQ136 sensors with high sensitivity to ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and benzene were the most suitable sensors for detecting the unpleasant smell released from the poultry slaughterhouse waste batch cooking (rendering plant). Selection of MQ135 and MQ136 sensors as an array can be used to distinguish between pollutants from poultry rendering plant and pollutants released from other industries, and these sensors can be used to determine the fingerprint of the odor emitted from poultry rendering plant. Conclusion: According to the results of this research, the electronic nose system with array of MQ135 and MQ136 can be used to monitor and control the quality of pollutants from poultry rendering plant. Also, with referring to this fact that unpleasant smell in air quality control is not defined standardly in Iran, an electronic nose system could be used to control the air quality in terms of the presence of unpleasant odors in the environment.
Naser Shafiei Sabet; Sogand Khaksar
Volume 15, Issue 3 , October 2017, , Pages 55-74
Abstract
Introduction:
Imposition by cities of new roles and functions on peripheral areas has provoked economic, social and spatial disturbances in those areas (Shafiei Sabet & Bozorgniya, 2013). In this regard, major global trends that have fuelled competition over land have also contributed to the development ...
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Introduction:
Imposition by cities of new roles and functions on peripheral areas has provoked economic, social and spatial disturbances in those areas (Shafiei Sabet & Bozorgniya, 2013). In this regard, major global trends that have fuelled competition over land have also contributed to the development of urban imbalance (Ludlow, 2014). As a result of population density and pressure on resources in cities with rapid expansion, the environment is adversely affected with detrimental impacts on valuable agricultural land. In this regard, Karol argues that ‘urban spraw’ was not problematic at its outset, but the positive effects of this phenomenon are long gone (Lawrence, 2012). Industrialization of the economy has turned villages around cities into unplanned spaces (Deep & Saklani, 2014). This phenomenon raised concerns in connection with the metropolis and the main cities, but the gradual adoption of centralized housing policies and development approach by the state at the regional and local levels contributed to the this issue affecting the middle cities as well (Shafiei Sabet and Haratifard, 2011). Based on this, the present research intends to analyze this phenomenon accurately to help find solutions to mitigate the adverse effects by providing scientific solutions to reduce the damage caused by it in the studied area.
Materials and methods:
A descriptive-analytical method was used to measure accurately the consequences of urban sprawl in the study area. To this end, based on analysis of satellite imagery using Remote Sensing (RS) and the Geographic Information System (GIS), the land use change trends during the three periods of 1990, 2006, and 2015 were investigated for different land uses (residential construction, non-residential construction, changing arid land, agricultural land, gardens, pastures and roads). Then, the effects of urban sprawl on rural settlements around the city of Hamedan and its determinants were investigated. The data collection included the survey of Land sat TM satellite images in 1990, ETM + 2006, HRVIR 2015, and a 1: 50000 map of Hamadan Province for the enhanced detection of phenomena and their comparison with land use changes in subsequent periods.
Results and discussion:
The results suggest that, in Hamedan Province, the urban development and dispersed sprawling growth of the city has caused the highest rate of land use change in agricultural lands over a 27-year period, from 1990 to 2015. As a result, these lands have seen a decrease of 1017 hectares over this period and, at the same time, horticultural lands have also diminished by about 272 hectares. In the meantime, rangelands have dwindled by about 189 hectares. By contrast, residential construction increased by 805 hectares in 2015 compared to 1990, followed by an increase of 346 hectares in non-residential construction and 20 hectares in route and road construction. Moreover, an area of 307 hectares from the total area of 6446 hectares in the study area has been transformed into desert land, and therefore the scene of various construction activities. A comparison of the statistics suggests that residential construction continues to grow, so that the statistical results of three periods indicate an increase of about 17.8% in construction the study area from 1990 to 2015. According to the results, it can be seen that in current situation of Iran, the research undertaken on the marginal area of Hamedan is consistent with the researches of Yagre, Ewing, Morot and Hernandez and other researchers who have discussed environmental issues and the lack of supportive policies to impede the spread of these structures in Europe.
Conclusion:
In studies on spatial development and land use change of agricultural lands, it is important to note the parameters that undergo change progressively as opposed to those that change more rapidly. In this study, it was found that in the study area, farmlands (agro-horticultural lands) have undergone the highest change compared to other lands. Therefore, if policies and measures are not taken to prevent this trend to continue, the environmental damage will be caused by pressure on resources, conversion and land use change, resulting in the destruction of valuable agricultural land.
Abdolmajid Zarei; Rohallah Kazemi
Volume 14, Issue 4 , January 2017, , Pages 1-16
Abstract
Introduction: According to the extent of the oil and gas industry and their role in environmental pollution, developing a strategic plan to improve environmental performance is essential. Therefore action taken to reduce environmental effects to acceptable range and within the rules and regulations about ...
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Introduction: According to the extent of the oil and gas industry and their role in environmental pollution, developing a strategic plan to improve environmental performance is essential. Therefore action taken to reduce environmental effects to acceptable range and within the rules and regulations about the environment is studied. Advanced methodologies should be used to achieving a certain level of reliability. Therefore to reduce the environmental aspects and impacts in various industries, especially oil and gas industry, the new strategy must be established. Materials and methods: The purpose of this research is to develop environmental strategies in oil and gas South Pars 2. this research can be a base to Develop an appropriate strategic management program in order to comply with environmental laws and regulations further provide for similar plants in the region.Results and discussion: The evaluation matrix results show that internal and external factors of studied refinery have more strengths than weaknesses and are more opportunities than threats. So this company should follow strategy and procedures to omit threats and minimize weaknesses. Finally, we selected 11 strategies and graded them, that region environmental conditions improvement strategy with a score of 6.23 and revising and reforming strategy of management programs and minimizing environment pollutants of the region with a score of 5.23, and the strategy of development and improvement the quality of wastewater and solid wastewater and solid waste management using environmental new technologies with score of 5.01 priorized respectively as the top environmental strategies.Conclusion: Findings and results indicate the position of the organization is a competitive position and it must apply strategies, maintaining, and stability, in ordr to reduce environmental damages.
Hajar Raee Dehaghi; Javad Najafi
Volume 14, Issue 2 , July 2016, , Pages 139-153
Abstract
War is a phenomenon in which the damage is inevitable and one of the significant losses during armed conflict is the environment. In this respect, humanitarian law protects and takes account of the environment in a few of its regulations. However, these regulations have not given sufficient support to ...
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War is a phenomenon in which the damage is inevitable and one of the significant losses during armed conflict is the environment. In this respect, humanitarian law protects and takes account of the environment in a few of its regulations. However, these regulations have not given sufficient support to the environment and the question arises whether any prohibitions available in international environmental law are applicable to environmental protection in this case, or should we only use the provisions contained in humanitarian international law for this. In this paper we consider these regulations and the possibility of applying of them to protecting the environment in the event of armed conflict. Damage to the environment during armed conflict may occur intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional damage to the environment occurs when the environment is used as a weapon or damage to the environment is deliberate, but the environment is not used as a weapon. Regulations that have been enacted to protect against these damages contain certain conditions and the fulfilment of these conditions is necessary for incurring damage. Regarding unintentional damage to the environment, the main victim is not the environment, however, and the precautionary principle should be applied. In this regard, it is necessary to consider types of losses, existing prohibitions and possibility of minimizing environmental losses.
Roya Kelishadi; Parinaz Poursafa; Faezeh Sharifi Ghazvini
Volume 12, Issue 3 , October 2014
Abstract
Vitamin D is one of the essential ingredients in terms of metabolic and physiological processes in the human body.25-Hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] is the most sensitive index of vitamin D status and reflective of its dietary intake and skin production. Considering the importance of vitamin D in human body, ...
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Vitamin D is one of the essential ingredients in terms of metabolic and physiological processes in the human body.25-Hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] is the most sensitive index of vitamin D status and reflective of its dietary intake and skin production. Considering the importance of vitamin D in human body, especially in pregnant women and in turn in their infants, the present study was conductedto examine the association of air pollution with serum 25(OH)Din pregnant women and in the umbilical cord of their newborns. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Isfahan, Iran. This study comprised 100 pregnant women and their newborns. The air quality index (AQI) was registered. The associations of AQI and 25(OH)D were assessed by multiple linear regression. The independent inverse association of 25(OH)D with air quality can explain the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in pregnant women living in this sunny region.
Alaleh Ghaemi,; Pouneh Ghaemi; Seyed Mohammad Shobeiri
Volume 12, Issue 2 , July 2014
Abstract
Environmental literacy consists of a series of functions and attitudes rooted in deep knowledge and must be a second nature to individuals who possess the environmental literacy. Training is the most important principle for development of human resources, because its outcome will return to the system ...
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Environmental literacy consists of a series of functions and attitudes rooted in deep knowledge and must be a second nature to individuals who possess the environmental literacy. Training is the most important principle for development of human resources, because its outcome will return to the system in midterm and long term though the efficient performance of the trained staff and leads to the streamlining and acceleration of affairs, increased efficiency and profits for the organization. Science requires each expert to be aware of the environmental aspects of his or her works and to be able to focus on and apply the environmental requirements during planning, design or implementation of a plan or project. Therefore, an engineer, who is unfamiliar with this dimension of his or her work, is inevitably unacquainted with the latest science. Descriptive research method of survey type and the project's statistical group consisted of 800 governmental managers and experts, among whom 260 were selected randomly using the Morgan table. The reliability of the questionnaire was validated by the relevant specialists and its consistency was calculated as 0.89 by the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. It was found that government employees have a positive attitude and pro-environment but in terms of their cognitive and environmental behavior level is low. The research demonstrated that self-training packages in the form of audio–video materials is the most appropriate technology for training on environment for government employees.
Fariba Zamani Hargalani; Abdolreza Karbassi; Seyed Masoud Monavari; Parviz Abroomand Azar
Volume 11, Issue 2 , July 2013
Abstract
Anzali, one of the most important international wetlands, is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran. This wetland receives discharges of domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater, which affect the distribution of elements. In this study, ten sediment samples from the Anzali wetland ...
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Anzali, one of the most important international wetlands, is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran. This wetland receives discharges of domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater, which affect the distribution of elements. In this study, ten sediment samples from the Anzali wetland were collected and analyzed for total concentration of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe). The results showed relatively higher concentrations of most elements in comparison to that of crust. The chemical partitioning of metals in each sample was determined in four fractions (Loosely bonded, Sulphide bonded, Organo-metallic bonded, Resistant bonded). Based on the chemical partitioning of metals, As and Cd were the most abundant in the loosely bonded, so these elements were major hazard for the aquatic environment and were a major pollutant in this area. Cd is the metal that showed the highest percentages in the Organo-metallic bonded. As, Fe and Cr are displayed in the greatest percentages in the resistant bonded; this imply that these metals are strongly linked to the sediments.
Marjan Nematimehr; Ali Ghaffari
Volume 10, Issue 2 , January 2013
Abstract
The relational quality of the human and living environment, which is called Livability, is one of the most fundamental qualities of the environment. The term livability means the degree to which the environment supports living process of residents. Review of policy plans and several agendas shows that ...
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The relational quality of the human and living environment, which is called Livability, is one of the most fundamental qualities of the environment. The term livability means the degree to which the environment supports living process of residents. Review of policy plans and several agendas shows that the quest for livability is currently a key urban issue throughout the world. It is an ensemble concept whose factors include or relate to a number of other complex characteristics or states, including, quality of both life and place which is referred to the ability of a place or a community to meet the needs of its citizens. Although the definition of livability varies from community to community, a given community’s goals can be approached, and community planning for livability can be achieved, using community-derived indicators. At the same time, community efforts were launched across the country to identify indicators of livability. This article aims to review of the agendas for developing these measures. The task presented to this committee was broad, encompassing identification of the data and measures needed to make local and regional public decisions on transportation, land use planning, and economic development that aim to enhance livability. Through the review of livability agenda in the three areas - the United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia – it became clear that, in the late 1980s, livability emerged as a key concept in USA with an emphasis on economic dimension. In the UK through the definition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, livability was at the core of urban neighborhood planning. It is important for a neighborhood to provide a quality and good environment which is clean, safe and green. The Western Australian Planning Commission in Australia also defines that Liveable Neighbourhoods has been prepared to implement the objectives of the state planning strategy which aims to guide the sustainable development of communities. Whilst we believe that there are specific differences between scales of livability agenda in these areas, nevertheless, the similarities are much greater.
Mohammad Hossein Ramazani Ghavamabadi
Volume 7, Issue 2 , January 2010
Abstract
Environmental components, including animal species, simply cross political boundaries and, in other words, animal species do not recognize borders. For this reason, the most important methods applied by international instruments to protect these species and their habitats are reviewed in this article. ...
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Environmental components, including animal species, simply cross political boundaries and, in other words, animal species do not recognize borders. For this reason, the most important methods applied by international instruments to protect these species and their habitats are reviewed in this article. In the second half of the 20th century, numerous international texts have been adopted, especially aimed at ensuring the protection of species and habitat of wildlife. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES (also known as the Washington Convention) of1973 is one of the most important international conventions on the protection of animal species. In parallel with these international developments, various national legislative systems have been adopted different regulations for the protection of animal species. The diversity of rules in different countries clearly shows the approach of each State with regard to infringements committed against animals. In Iranian law, as many other countries, several legislative provisions in respect of animal species have been adopted. In this work, we will only address the criminal law as it relates to the Iranian Law of Hunting and Fishing as lex specialis and the Iranian Penal Code as lex generalis. The choice of the provisions mentioned is not by chance since not only are they relatively broad in scope but also they are the laws in force in this area.
Mehran Alalhesabi; Ghazal Raheb
Volume 6, Issue 3 , April 2009
Abstract
The aim of this article is to know the influence of environmental factors on development of rural housing in a specified zone and to evaluate them by others influential factor relative to each other from dwellers' views and to prioritize them. For this purpose, the factors effective on development process ...
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The aim of this article is to know the influence of environmental factors on development of rural housing in a specified zone and to evaluate them by others influential factor relative to each other from dwellers' views and to prioritize them. For this purpose, the factors effective on development process of rural housing must be identified first. We try to introduce the final factors and evaluate them. Selection of factors is followed by Derivation of a conceptual framework effective on selection of proper rural housing development method, using the existing resources and Specification and interpretation of the factors chosen using the case study method. The main result is achieving the desirability of development method of each building with respect of functioning for the user. More over the value of each of the factors in the process of rural housing development in the region have been presented. After defining all factors effective on the proper method of rural housing development in the selected area, the contribution and the way that factors effect on formation of this method were defined. The contribution of each mentioned factor in fulfilling the desirability of the building functionally for user were measured by multiple variable regression analysis and based on exploited data. Statistic analysis has been done by SPSS software
Soolmaz Dashti; Masoud Monavari; Gholam Reza Sabzghabaei
Volume 6, Issue 2 , January 2009
Abstract
Zakherd watershed "with area of 82.23 km2" is located in the North west of Shiraz and East of Kazeroon in Fars Province.The evaluation of ecological land capability is considered as a core of environmental studies , as well as, preventive, and remedical measures for environmental crisis.So before the ...
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Zakherd watershed "with area of 82.23 km2" is located in the North west of Shiraz and East of Kazeroon in Fars Province.The evaluation of ecological land capability is considered as a core of environmental studies , as well as, preventive, and remedical measures for environmental crisis.So before the implementation of development ,it is necessary to know about the ecological potential of land for different uses.In the Zakherd watershed evaluation is carried out by Mc.Harg method,2001 makhdoum Rural development ecological model and system of GIS. By this research ,at first regional environmental resources was identified. Digital data with accompany of attribute data is entered into the Arcview system to make data base. Therefore, by overlaying information layers in the mentioned system the ecological unit map of area with the table of characteristic unit , and then the evaluation of capability was done.The result of survey shows that to the point of whole ecological parameters , the total region is not appropriate for rural development but by omitting of elevation parameter that it's the last choice in the Makhdoum ecological model . 8.49% of land for rural development has a suitable (grade 2) and 91.51% of the other has not a suitable potential for rural use.For the complement of ecological evaluation ,valuating needs,socio- economic indicator and facilities was done in the area so the three nappe of Zakherd, Elyasabad and Hematabab was put to make clear the hairchy of rural development.By the result of search it's made clear that Hematabad nappe has better choice.
Saiid MirRiahi
Volume 6, Issue 2 , January 2009
Abstract
The Change in Population Demographics Causes Environmental concerns. People Participation in decisions regarding the placement of landuse is of major importance to relate people with their environment. With this approach environmental sustainability is achieved. Urban lands not only have structural dimensions ...
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The Change in Population Demographics Causes Environmental concerns. People Participation in decisions regarding the placement of landuse is of major importance to relate people with their environment. With this approach environmental sustainability is achieved. Urban lands not only have structural dimensions but also have economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects. Therefore, It’s necessary to study all of aspects and find a holistic approach. The aim of this paper is to study new approach of palacement of land use in the environment.
Mohammad Reza Bemanian
Volume 5, Issue 4 , July 2008
Abstract
Cities ever-increasing development that has been achieved without getting advantage from natural environment will bring about imbalance condition between urban and natural spaces. River valleys as cities’ ecological elements have always had effective role in creating mutual relation between man-made ...
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Cities ever-increasing development that has been achieved without getting advantage from natural environment will bring about imbalance condition between urban and natural spaces. River valleys as cities’ ecological elements have always had effective role in creating mutual relation between man-made city spaces and nature. Tehran has special geographical situation as located at the foot of Alborz Mountain. Tehran river valleys originated from Alborz foot in north and continues till south of the city. These river valleys could play important role in paving the way for providing fresh water resources, natural corridor of climate flowing, green open spaces, parks, recreational areas, as well as places for public services activities. While investigating the current situation indicates that Tehranوs River valleys not only do not increase the quality of Environment, but also play a negative role in the context. The present article is going to introduce as environmental revitalization plan for the above mentioned river valleys. Velenjak River Valley as the case study, was case studied through field work research and SWOT analyzing approach. Results of the study indicate that ; Determining district for river valley , preventing polluted water (waste water) to be mixed with the river valleyوs conservation and expansion of green areas, protecting the open views and perspectives, numerous landscape making, and make it a proper place for various customs, etc...,can play a pivotal role in revitalization of Velenjak River Valley as a vital Environmental, Enter raining, and service corridor in prospering the life quality in Tehran City as one of the most polluted ones in the world.
