Hossein Rahmani; Seyed Daryoush Moghaddas
Abstract
Introduction: Non-native species are one of the important threats to biodiversity. Some non-native fish species pose environmental impacts and are known as invasive species. Rivers of the southern Caspian Sea are home to a vast variety of native or commercial fish species. Non-native species invasiveness ...
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Introduction: Non-native species are one of the important threats to biodiversity. Some non-native fish species pose environmental impacts and are known as invasive species. Rivers of the southern Caspian Sea are home to a vast variety of native or commercial fish species. Non-native species invasiveness risk assessment tools are used to identify the species with high invasive potential risks and are used as a decision–making tool. The main aim of this study is to calibrate and validate the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) for non-native fish species of rivers in the southern Caspian Sea basin.Material and methods: AS-ISK was used to assess non-native (NN) fish that may pose a high potential risk of becoming invasive in rivers of the South Caspian Sea. Fifteen NN fish species were assessed, 14 of which are extant and 1 is horizon species in the risk assessment (RA) area. The statistical methods were used to compare the scores obtained by each assessor. The threshold score was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Also, the Köppen-Geiger climate system was used to match the climate between the native range of NN fish species and the risk assessment area.Results and discussion: Risk assessment of NN fish species led to the identification of 73 % of the species as potential invasive species in the RA area. Carassius gibelio and Carassius auratus achieved the highest risk score and Anguilla anguilla obtained the lowest risk score among all NN fish species. There was not a statistically significant difference between assessor-specific mean risk scores. Threshold scores were 9.5 and 11.5 for AS-ISK and Basic Risk Assessment (BRA), respectively. The area under curve was 100%, which shows an excellent output for the efficiency of the AS-ISK in the RA area. Eleven out of the 15 NN fish species were identified as potential invasive species and the rest as non-invasive NN species in the RA area. Confidence factors were different from 73% to 64%. All NN fish species were categorized in three lists i.e., black, grey and white in regard to their risk ranks in order to manage prioritization.Conclusion: The AS-ISK efficiently identified NN fish species that pose a high risk of being/becoming invasive in rivers in the south Caspian Sea to prioritize them based on their risk rank and to support conservation managers, decision-makers and policymakers in the aquaculture development plans.
ِDariush Yousefi Kebria; Ghazal Abaskhanian; ٍٍEbadat Ghanbari parmehr
Abstract
Introduction: Due to the presence of oil resources in the seas, the exploration, extraction, and transportation of petroleum products lead to the formation of hydrocarbon spills on the surface waters, resulting in a decrease in the quality of these waters. Oil leakage into the sea has irreparable environmental ...
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Introduction: Due to the presence of oil resources in the seas, the exploration, extraction, and transportation of petroleum products lead to the formation of hydrocarbon spills on the surface waters, resulting in a decrease in the quality of these waters. Oil leakage into the sea has irreparable environmental consequences and disrupts coastal and offshore ecosystems. As a result, identifying the location and time of oil accidents and recognizing the extent and magnitude of contamination is of great importance for monitoring and protecting the health of the environment and is now facilitated and possible by remote sensing data using optical and radar satellites. In this study, to enhance the detection of oil-contaminated areas in Azerbaijan oil facilities in the Caspian Sea, we simultaneously used the optical satellites LANDSAT8, SENTINEL2, and radar satellite SENTINEL1 because of the high spatial resolution and close period. Material and methods: In this study, oil contamination caused by Oil Rocks facilities was investigated by satellite images between April and June 2017. After detecting contamination spots on the surface of the water around the facility in radar images, to ensure that the identified spots were caused by oil spills , detecting oil contamination from optical images using band ratio method. was used Then, the feature extraction method was applied to band ratio images to distinguish their complications. Results and discussion: The area of oil spills in April 2017 increased within 12 days and considering the covering percentage of classes of oil and oily water in the results, the increase in the spread of oil spills through currents, and the continuation of leakage from its source was evident. Also, looking at the optical images of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 on June 5, 2017 showed the same results in oil contamination areas. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the band rationing method is suitable for quick detection of oil leakage. To identify the details of the area of contamination, the feature extraction method was used to classify the band ratio images to the identified classes. Also, from the environmental point of view, the Oil Rocks settlement put the Caspian seawater in the Republic of Azerbaijan in unfavorable conditions. The northwestern coast of Iran is also exposed to contamination because of current directions in that region. Therefore, actions must be taken to collect and clean up oil spills around this oil facility. In order to do so, oil contamination on the water surface must be removed using existing physical and biological methods.
Mehrnoush Norouzi; Mostafa Bagheri Tavani; Ameneh Amirjanati; Shaghayegh Ghodrati
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, , Pages 201-214
Abstract
Introduction: Heavy metal pollution of water is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world and the Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world, is exposed to high levels of industrial, agricultural and oil pollutants. Fish species are the ultimate consumer in the food pyramid in aquatic ...
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Introduction: Heavy metal pollution of water is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world and the Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world, is exposed to high levels of industrial, agricultural and oil pollutants. Fish species are the ultimate consumer in the food pyramid in aquatic ecosystems. Since the fish form a large part of the human diet, heavy metals enter the human body through contaminated fish. This study was conducted to measure the concentration of five heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and chrome in the edible tissues (muscle) and non-edible tissue (liver and gill) of the gray mullet, Liza aurata and its seasons and living environment in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. and also to compare their amounts with World Health Organization, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Food and Drug Administration standards. Materials and methods: A total of 100 adult golden gray mullet were caught from 10 sites (Including Astara, Talesh, Anzali, Rudsar, Tonekabon, Nowshahr, Fereydunkenar, Behshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman and Hojanepes) in various coastal areas near inflows of urban, agricultural and industrial waste water and along the waterfront and fishing areas. After biometry, metals were extracted from the tissue using a mixture of acid digestion and determination was conducted by graphite furnace atomic absorption system. Results and discussion: The results showed that the metal accumulation in tissue was different and significant, the concentration of the metals in the three tissues was as follows: liver>gill>muscle. Heavy metals choose their target organ based on its metabolic activity and this explains the reason why more metals accumulate in tissues such as the liver and gills compared to muscle tissue (with low metabolic activity). Liver tissue tends to be high in accumulation of heavy metals. The high concentration of metals in the context of the gills, is the first sign of contamination in the water. Mixing elements with gill mucus, full transposition of the lamella gill elements when preparing tissue for testing impossible to screw???. Metal concentrations in muscle are lower than those in liver because muscle is not the first storage place for these metals; heavy metals are first stored in the liver and then transferred to the muscle. Metal accumulation was as Pb> Cd> Cr> Hg> As. The study of heavy metals between stations, in muscle tissue was significantly different. This may be due to differences in pollutant sources in sampling areas. The accumulation of heavy metals increases from the southwest to the southeast coast. According to the Pearson test, there was the significant negative linear relationship between the Pb, Cd and As accumulation tissues by weight. Except for arsenic, there was no significant correlation between the metals with any total length. Moreover, there was a positive relationship (p<0.01) between the Pb, cd, Hg and As concentrations, with the exception of Cr. Conclusion: comparison of the data obtained for muscle tissue with the global standard level (WHO /NHMRC) showed that the concentration of the heavy metals Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg was higher than the global standard level, except for As. The least metal absorption and accumulation is in the muscle of mullet that is a source of human nutrition, followed by aquatic to the above elements. Since the concentration of the heavy metals tested above was higher than the global standard, this reflects the increasing water pollution of the Caspian Sea
Jamileh Pazooki; Faezeh Ghaffar Haddadi; Behrooz Abtahi
Volume 9, Issue 1 , October 2011
Abstract
Metal concentrations in commercial and non-commercial fish were surveyed to assess risks of fish consumption to human health and importantly, assess contamination in the food chain. In this study, lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) concentrations were determined in muscle and skin tissues of wild and ...
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Metal concentrations in commercial and non-commercial fish were surveyed to assess risks of fish consumption to human health and importantly, assess contamination in the food chain. In this study, lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) concentrations were determined in muscle and skin tissues of wild and cultured Cyprinus carpio (common carp) from the southeastern Caspian Sea area and a nearby fish farm in November 2007. Metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption. Pb and Cu concentrations in all of the samples were below detection limits and there were no statistically significant differences of Zn concentrations in muscle and skin tissue between wild and cultured carp. But Zn concentrations in the skin tissue were significantly higher than in muscle tissue in both groups; this suggests that more studies about skin tissue as a site of bioaccumulation are necessary. None of the concentrations exceeded WHO safety standards. Our results have suggested that heavy metal contents in carp are negligible and that its consumption should pose no health problems for consumers of either the wild or farmed fish.
Ozeair Abessi; Mohsen Saeedi
Volume 8, Issue 1 , October 2010
Abstract
Due to the location of a domestic, industrial and agricultural zone near the Caspian Sea, this water body has long been under pressure and environmental threat. As a result of development of oil production activities in Caspian region, such as oil exploration and extraction in the central and eastern ...
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Due to the location of a domestic, industrial and agricultural zone near the Caspian Sea, this water body has long been under pressure and environmental threat. As a result of development of oil production activities in Caspian region, such as oil exploration and extraction in the central and eastern part, a large volume of oil related pollutants is released annually into this important water body. Considering the fact that hydrocarbons may cause adverse impacts on the aquatic and marginal life, the monitoring of sediment as hydrocarbons in the sea has long been considered. In this paper, oil contamination of surface sediments in large areas of the Mazandran and Golestan coasts (southeastern Caspian) are investigated in detail. In this study, using different concentrations of hydrocarbon components and developing related ratios and indices, the biodegradation and weathering extent of oil residues in the bottom sediments of the southern and southeastern Caspian Sea were appraised. The general concentration of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), normal Alkanes (n-Alkanes) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the study area shows the relatively clean condition of sediments in the western part of the sea and moderate contamination in the central and eastern parts. Indices developed also corroborate the presence of degraded oil residue, high relative biodegradation and a degree of weathering of hydrocarbons in the surface sediment of the area, which suggest a chronic input of oil-related hydrocarbons in the neighbourhood of the study region.
Jamileh Pazooki,; Behrooz Abtahi; Farnaz Rezaei
Volume 7, Issue 1 , October 2009
Abstract
During this study, concentrations of Cd and Cr were determined in the muscle and skin of Lizaauratafrom Bandar Anzali. Forty-eight specimens (male:female ration of 24:24) were seined in October 2006 and their tissues were separated according to UNEP’s method (1984). Oven-dried and homogenized samples ...
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During this study, concentrations of Cd and Cr were determined in the muscle and skin of Lizaauratafrom Bandar Anzali. Forty-eight specimens (male:female ration of 24:24) were seined in October 2006 and their tissues were separated according to UNEP’s method (1984). Oven-dried and homogenized samples were digested as per the standard method of AOAC (1995). Concentrations were determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The data analysis by a paired t-test showed significant differences between concentrations of Cd and Cr in the muscle and skin of Lizaaurata, with skin showing elevated metal levels. Linear regression analysis showed a significant negative relationship between fish size and the Cr levels in muscle. There was a significant increase in Cr and Cd levels in skin with increased size of the fish. Independent t-test analysis showed that average metal levels in the tissues of female fish were higher than in male fish. This study concludes that the concentrations of Cd and Cr in tissues of Lizaaurata are low and do not constitute a risk to human health.
Hamed Rafiee; Hamid Amirnejad
Volume 7, Issue 1 , October 2009
Abstract
In this study, the effects of education on increasing individual willingness for the conservation of the Caspian Sea have been investigated using a random sampling method and collecting 400 questionnaires in the seaboard provinces in Iran. Five different informative brochures about the ecosystem of the ...
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In this study, the effects of education on increasing individual willingness for the conservation of the Caspian Sea have been investigated using a random sampling method and collecting 400 questionnaires in the seaboard provinces in Iran. Five different informative brochures about the ecosystem of the Caspian Sea and its crucial role in human life were handed to 200 people as intervention group. The control group also included 200 people. Data were analyzed using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and Logit function. Results show a significant difference between the two groups in their willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation of the Caspian Sea environment. Estimation of the Logit model showed that educational intervention has a significant effect on individualWTp < /span>for the conservation of this ecosystem. Each additional brochure with new information increases the probability of a willingness to pay by 0.104 units, respectively. Also, other variable effects are investigated and, among them, education and income were more effective in increasing individual willingness. In the control group, the income variable was more effective. Monthly individual willingness to pay for conservation of the environment in the control and intervention group was estimated at 5370.8 and 8662.3 Rials, respectively. Annual WTP for each household was estimated at about 205594.2 and 3154479.4 Rials in the groups mentioned. According to the results, an increase in information about the importance of the Caspian Sea, lead to a higher WTP for conservation of this ecosystem.
Zahra Yaghoubzadeh
Volume 5, Issue 4 , July 2008
Abstract
Naphthalene is PAHs and is distributed in aquatic and soil ecosystems. Different microorganisms are able to degradate various concentration of naphthalene. Sampling was done from two Noshar and Amirabad harbors. Samples were transferred to Ecological Academy of Caspian Sea and then were cultured in minimal ...
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Naphthalene is PAHs and is distributed in aquatic and soil ecosystems. Different microorganisms are able to degradate various concentration of naphthalene. Sampling was done from two Noshar and Amirabad harbors. Samples were transferred to Ecological Academy of Caspian Sea and then were cultured in minimal basal medium included naphthalene and trace elements and were incubated in 30°C for 24-72 h. Finally, isolated colonies were identifical as primary and biochemical test. The most important of isolated positive gram bacteria were Bacillus sp, Micrococcus sp and Pediococcus sp. The results showed that concentration of 30 ,40 mM of naphthalene after 312h have been decreased to 9/45 (68/8%) and 3045(91/42%) respectively for Bacillus .
Vahab Vaezzadeh; Ali Mashinchian Moradi; Abbas Esmaili Sari; Seyyed Mohammadreza Fatemi
Volume 5, Issue 3 , April 2008
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticides including lindane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin and DDT were analized in muscle tissue of two commercial fish species, (Cyprinus carpio and Rutilus frisii) from five stations in the southwest Caspian Sea (Astara-Hashtpar-Anzali-Kiashahr and Ramsar). There was no pesticide contamination ...
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Organochlorine pesticides including lindane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin and DDT were analized in muscle tissue of two commercial fish species, (Cyprinus carpio and Rutilus frisii) from five stations in the southwest Caspian Sea (Astara-Hashtpar-Anzali-Kiashahr and Ramsar). There was no pesticide contamination in fish samples of Astara. Heptachlor in muscle tissue of Cyprinus carpio from Anzali had the highest concentration (11.964 mg/kg - lipid weight basis) among all fish samples. Mean level of each pesticide was calculated in all fish samples. The results showed that among other pesticides, heptachlor is the main contaminant in southwest of Caspian Sea (2.6479 mg/kg - lipid weight basis). Generally, in comparison with Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) established by FAO/WHO, the levels of heptachlor in muscle tissue of Cyprinus carpio from Anzali and Ramsar, Rutilus frisii from Hashtpar and level of dieldrin in muscle tissue of Rutilus frisii from Kiashahr can have health risk to consumers. The concentration of above mentioned pesticides in the same fish samples are higher than Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). In addition, level of DDT in muscle tissue of Rutilus frisii from Ramsar exceeds the MRL values.
Mehrzad keshavarzi fard; Ali Mashinchian Moradi; Seyyed Mohammad Reza Fatemi; Abbas Esmaili Sari
Volume 5, Issue 3 , April 2008
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticides are very important, due to their carcinogenic and delayed toxic function and their effect on nervous system of fish and human. In this study concentration of organochlorine pesticides including Lindane, Heptachlor, Dieldrin, Aldrin and DDT was measured in muscle tissues of stellate ...
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Organochlorine pesticides are very important, due to their carcinogenic and delayed toxic function and their effect on nervous system of fish and human. In this study concentration of organochlorine pesticides including Lindane, Heptachlor, Dieldrin, Aldrin and DDT was measured in muscle tissues of stellate sturgeon of southern coasts of the Caspian Sea from Astara, Hashtpar, Bandare Anzali, Kiashahr, Ramsar, Chalous, Noor, Feraidoun Kenar, Khazarabade Sari and Bandare Turkman stations. In sampled stellate sturgeon, Heptachlor with an average concentration of 3.933 mg/kg on lipid weigth basis and Aldrin with an average concentration of <0.288 mg/kg on lipid weigth basis had the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively. The order of these pesticides according to average of concentration are as follow: Heptachlor > DDT > Lindane > Dilderin > Aldrin. Comparison of measured concentrations with Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) established by FAO/WHO showed that the average concentration of Heptachlor in all sampling stations exceeded the MRL value, also concentration of DDT in samples from Chalous and Bandare Turkman exceeded the MRL value.
