Original Article
Vida Varahrami; Sajad Hojat Shomami
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 1-14
Abstract
Introduction: The chemical and oil industries are effective factors on the development of OPEC countries and their economies are dependent on exports of these industries. The main aim of many countries is for higher economic growth which leads to more environmental pollution, and so we should survey ...
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Introduction: The chemical and oil industries are effective factors on the development of OPEC countries and their economies are dependent on exports of these industries. The main aim of many countries is for higher economic growth which leads to more environmental pollution, and so we should survey effects of fiscal policies (value added tax) on environmental pollution. The aim of this paper is to survey the relationship between value added tax and water pollution from chemical and oil industries. Materials and methods: In this paper, we wish to survey changes in value added tax as an efficient form of taxation of oil and chemical commodities and services exports and in the GDP of selected OPEC countries and its impact on water pollution caused by the oil and chemical industries. Theoretically, a higher tax rate on the value added of chemical industries leads to a decline pollution. Therefore decreased water pollution causes a decline in industry value added and decrease of GDP. With exports increasing, we can expect that, due to greater production, we will have more pollution in the oil and chemical industries. A panel data model is used for 2000-2013 and variables such as export of chemical and oil industries and GDP are regressed. The panel model is worked with time series data for two or more crosses. For using this method, we should survey stationary variables and, then, we should survey the cointegration between variables. When variables are stationary and cointegrated, it means that there is a long standing relationship between variables and we can estimate the relations between them. After that, we use F-Limer to test that the model is panel and the Husman test to survey whether we have a fixed or random effect. After all of these tests, we can use from panel model to estimate and extract the coefficients and R2 of the model. In our model, all of variables are meaningful and the R2 is 0.87. Results and disscussion: Results of the model demonstrated that, in the selected OPEC countries in our estimation period, with one unit increase in the tax rate of these countries, water pollution from the oil and chemical industries decreased by 0.3. With one unit increase in these countries’ exports (oil and gas exports as a percentage of GDP), water pollution from the oil and chemical industries increased by 0.03 unit with a one unit increase in GDP of these countries, increasing in pollution of oil and chemical industries, so low. Therefore effect of GDP on water pollution of oil and chemical industries of these selective OPEC countries is very small and we can say that GDP does not affect water pollution from the oil and chemical industries in our period and in our selected countries. Conclusion: Results reveal that in these countries, there is a negative relation between value added tax rate and water pollution. According to the estimation of results, the best condition for these countries is an increase in the rate of tax on value added of the chemical and oil industries but, in the real world because of high competition between OPEC countries and the tendency of these countries towards more oil exports, in these countries the main aim is more production. Therefore, in OPEC countries, the negative relationship between tax on value added and pollution of water from oil and chemical industries is only because OPEC countries are so state-oriented.
Original Article
Amir Semiari; Zahra Sadeghi; Fereshteh Rahmani; Farnaz Khaje Saeed
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 15-30
Abstract
Introduction: Development of a Green Infrastructure and providing per capita and guarantee standards for open spaces in metropolitan areas, must always be foreseen by government in the vision agenda for national development. Especially in Tehran, the importance of green space development has pointed ...
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Introduction: Development of a Green Infrastructure and providing per capita and guarantee standards for open spaces in metropolitan areas, must always be foreseen by government in the vision agenda for national development. Especially in Tehran, the importance of green space development has pointed to by the Law of the conservation and development of green spaces and the criteria for comprehensive, detailed and local plans. In addition to the per capita supplement, improvement of open and green spaces through planning and design of neighbourhood parks depends on recognition of popular preferences about landscape. Addressing “landscape preferences” in ecological landscape design is considered to be a key element in the decision-making process. Existing precedents in the literature show that landscape preferences can be divided in three categories, namely the “aesthetic”, “ecological”, and “community-oriented” approaches. In this research, the aim is to evaluate two of the key components - “Activity Pattern” and “Presence Motivation” – of a community-oriented approach in neighbourhood parks that play an important role in developing a landscape planning strategy, according to an environmental psychology approach. Materials and methods: Preferences vary across different communities as they depend on unique contextual factors. As such it is impossible to measure all the factors that affect popular preferences. Data collection in this study was conducted on the basis of a comparative survey under the influence of the underlying “level of welfare” in the Firstand 18th regions of Tehran, which are different in terms of their “welfare”. Using a random sampling method, 363 visitors to neighbourhood parks in regions 1 and 18 participated by filling out our questionnaires, the reliability of which is confirmed. Data analysis was performed using the independent t-test, dependent t-test and ANOVA with the Bonferroni post hoc test within the group in software SPSS. Results and discussion: The results show that the uses of neighbourhood parks in region 1, have a mostly active pattern (p-0/009) while, in region 18, a passive pattern dominates (p-0/002). In region 1, “social factors” of presence motivation in neighbourhood parks have significant differences with “psychological factors” and “environmental and natural factors” (p-0/0001). Active exercises such as walking in outdoors are important for users, who do not consider neighbourhood parks as spaces for social relationships. While, in region 18, neighbourhood parks according to responder attitudes are spaces for resting, being with family and relaxing in natural environments. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that “the welfare of the people” has a direct impact on the “Activity Pattern” and “Presence Motivation” in the neighbourhood parks. Due to these differences, separate planning strategies for neighbourhood parks in region 1and region 18 must be considered. To motivate people for participating in group activities, in the first region, public sport facilities must be developed. Public participation in the planting and nursing of plants could be implemented and public realms would be increased. In region 18, opportunities for active personal activities with aerobic sports, must be increased to elevate group activities in the park. Also, planners and designers must pay attention to variety of people’s needs for green infrastructures. The inclusive landscape design approach is an advantageous strategy for responding to the variable needs of visitors, especially in the neighbourhood parks of region 18. This research highlights the merit of surveying and evaluating “landscape preferences” as a preliminary step in the authorship of planning strategies. This approach provides a guideline for the recognition of design generators of neighbourhood parks, based on environmental psychology and community-oriented norms.
Original Article
Fatemeh Rezaei; Samereh Falahatkar; Hashem Dadashpoor
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 31-48
Abstract
Introduction: Global warming is an absolute fact and an inevitable threat to life in the environment. Considering that urban areas are an important factor in the increase in CO2 gas emissions, the community needs to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since the increase in the population ...
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Introduction: Global warming is an absolute fact and an inevitable threat to life in the environment. Considering that urban areas are an important factor in the increase in CO2 gas emissions, the community needs to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since the increase in the population is responsible for increasing the demand for housing and the rapid development of activity centres in the suburbs and the rapid growth of urban areas in Iran, we see the importance of fuel in sustainable development and the important and potential role of sustainable forms of urban development; the necessity of quantifying the relationship between the compactness of the urban form and CO2 emissions due to fossil fuel consumption is thus released. Materials and methods: The present study is designed in two phases. In the first phase, the changes of 15 urban forms in Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces are investigated according to the compactness dimension using landscape metrics (AI, PLADJ, PROXIM, COHESSION). OLI and TM Landsat satellite imagery from the years 2001 and 2015 was used to provide the urban maps. Also, a supervised classification based on the maximum likelihood algorithm was used for image classification. Post classification comparison was used for detection of change. In the second phase, after calculation of CO2 emissions the panel data analysis was used to calculate the relationship between time series variables of CO2 emissions and cross-section variables of landscape metrics. Results and discussion: The results of the landscape metrics show that, for all the urban forms studied during the period 1380-1394 (Persian calendar), the compactness in the class level in all urban areas of Guilan Province except for Bandar Anzali has shown a decreasing trend compared with Mazandaran Province, but an increasing trend of compactness was observed only in Ramsar, Behshahr and Amol in Mazandaran Province. Therefore, it can be said that the urban areas of Mazandaran Province are more compact than those of Guilan Province. According to the results, these four compactness variables (AI, PLADJ, PROXIM, COHESION) showed a negative correlation with CO2 emissions due to concentrations of gasoline and diesel oil at the urban class level. Among the metrics used, COHESIOM showed the highest correlations (8.79 and -10.17)) with carbon dioxide due to gasoline and diesel oil consumption, respectively. According to the results of the panel data analysis, the increase in the COHESION value of about one percent has caused CO2 emissions from gasoline to decrease by about nine percent, while a one percent increase in the COHESION value caused a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions from diesel oil. For example, if we consider that the amount of CO2 emissions from gasoline is 133.63 tons CO2 per hectare in Amol for 1394 and also, according to the results of the COHESION metrics which indicate that if the urban compactness increases by one percent CO2 emissions will be reduced by 8.8 percent, a reduction of 11.73 tons per hectare will occur. Conclusion: In sum, consideration of the urban form in the future planning of the northern cities development is recommended for creation of low carbon cities in Iran.
Original Article
Parya Broomandi; Yousef Rashidi
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 49-64
Abstract
Introduction: Airborne particles are considered to be an important indicator of air quality and high concentrations of these particles cause many health problems. Around the world, it is impossible to avoid contact with bio-aerosol contamination in urban life. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms ...
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Introduction: Airborne particles are considered to be an important indicator of air quality and high concentrations of these particles cause many health problems. Around the world, it is impossible to avoid contact with bio-aerosol contamination in urban life. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in dust storms can cause diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, and other respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between airborne particles with airborne microorganisms in normal and dusty days. Materials and methods: The sampling method was quick take 30 equipped with a single-stage sampler at the elevation of 1.5 to 2 meters above the ground. Air flow was 14.3 L/min and its duration was 5 min. The original samples were diluted several times (10-5 - 10-4) to reduce the microbial population sufficiently to obtain separate colonies upon plating. All cultures were incubated at environmental temperature (25 ± 2 °C) for 3 to 5 days and repeated twice. Any increase in PM10 concentrations were in agreement with an increase of bacterial and fungal concentrations during dusty days in Ahvaz city during the warm period (April to September) in 2011. Results and discussion: The concentration of particles in June, July and August was greater than the standard value. The results of the present study illustrated that the average number of bacteria and fungi, respectively, in dusty days was 5 and 1.7 times that of normal days. Also, the predominant species of bacteria and fungi during the occurrence of dust storms were Bacillus sp. (45% of total bacteria) and Aspergillus sp. (44% of total fungi), respectively. Therefore, any increase in the number of airborne microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) during dust storms can cause biologically harmful effects on human health. Conclusion: Based on the annual and seasonal changes in meteorological parameters and HYSPLIT, it can be seen that the probable origin of airborne particles are neighbouring countries to southwestern Iran, especially the northwestern parts of Iraq and the eastern parts of Syria.
Original Article
Amin Hajivand; Alireza Mirkamali; Farshid Safari; Omid Sarvai Sarmidani
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 65-82
Abstract
Introduction: A study of research evidence clearly reveals that the recognition of criminal responsibility for the state as the most prominent and most significant legal person is one of the concerns of the criminal justice system, and the lack of recognition of criminal liability for the state as one ...
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Introduction: A study of research evidence clearly reveals that the recognition of criminal responsibility for the state as the most prominent and most significant legal person is one of the concerns of the criminal justice system, and the lack of recognition of criminal liability for the state as one of the problems of legal systems. The mandates in the Note to section 20 (1)of the Islamic Penal Code )1392( did not identify criminal responsibility for the state, and no theorizing has been made regarding the grounds for criminalizing state actions in the field of environmental crimes. The aim of the authors is to identify and justify the necessity of criminalization of and assigning criminal liability to the Government in environmental crimes. Materials and methods: In this research, analytical, descriptive and library sources are used to analyze the reasons for the necessity of identifying criminal responsibility for the state, state environmental crime, the existing challenges in the field of criminal responsibility of the state, and providing appropriate solutions have been taken. Results and discussion: Identification of criminal liability for the Government in environmental crime is of great importance in all countries, especially in countries dependent on the oil and gas industry since the pollution occurring in these areas is often caused by the public sector. Therefore, identifying criminal liability for the state can be a positive step towards full environmental protection. Conclusion: Given the fact that the Government is the most important legal person and that it pollutes the environment, this weakens the government as based on rationality and legal reasoning, including the Law on the Administration of Civil Services of 1386 where it is stipulated in section 8 of this law that the environment is protected from acts of sovereignty. Therefore, the principle of equal treatment and equality of all before the Constitution requires that the state also has criminal responsibility, of course with appropriate deterrents for the Government that would undermine the sovereignty and impediment of governance.
Original Article
Alireza SHakiba; Mitra Amini; GHolamreza Barati; Mohammad Moradi
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 83-100
Abstract
Introduction: Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies can greatly affect climate fluctuations of arid regions. The impact of SST on the amount of rainfall is not limited to coastal areas, but distant areas may also be affected by changes in patterns of SST areas. Understanding the correlation between ...
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Introduction: Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies can greatly affect climate fluctuations of arid regions. The impact of SST on the amount of rainfall is not limited to coastal areas, but distant areas may also be affected by changes in patterns of SST areas. Understanding the correlation between SST and rainfall pattern has an effective role in prediction of drought and rain in areas that are influenced by water temperature fluctuations. Materials and methods: In this research, in order to investigate the relationship between anomalies of Mediterranean Sea SST (as one of the sources of rainfall in Iran) and rainfall in western regions of Iran, after statistical analysis and identification of hot and cold periods of water, which had a significant correlation with rainfall in the study area, two samples were selected and the way water temperature affects rainfall was analyzed using a Synoptic-Dynamic condition analysis. For this purpose, in selected regions, the following factors were depicted and examined in a GRADS environment: daily rainfall data; mean sea level pressure field maps; heights of 500, 700, and 850 hPa; temperature field at 850 and 1000 hPa; specific humidity field at 850 and 1000 hPa; wind and orbital components at 500-1000 hPa; vertical velocity field at 500 and 700 hPa; relative vorticity field and horizontal divergent of relative vorticity field at 500 hPa; and specific humidity field and horizontal divergent of specific humidity field at 800 and 1000 hPa. Results and discussion: The results showed that, although a statistically significant correlations exist in the whole study region between high SST and rising rainfall in April (95%) as well as low SST of the Eastern area decreasing rainfall in March (99%), according to a Synoptic-Dynamic analysis the system that brought rain to the region in April was the Sudanese system and the main source of humidity was the southern area. These synoptic systems, which are associated with atmospheric fronts, are formed or strengthened under the influence of a deepened trough at mid-level height, creation of a positive vorticity in the eastern part of a trough, existence of an upward movement, convergence at lower heights, and reduced pressure. By providing humidity at lower heights and upward movement, suitable conditions are provided for convective rainfall in the study area. Also, under the influence of the relatively stable presence of the Azores anticyclone over the Mediterranean Sea on the Earth's surface and the study area, reduced rainfall in May prevents the influence and expansion of the Sudanese system and the formation of Mediterranean cyclones at higher levels, deepening of a low height trough, and approaching western Iran. Although water temperature decreased in humidity advection from the Mediterranean Sea to the studied area, no change occurred and only humidity advection from southern area reached zero. According to Omega and vorticity maps, it is also observed that the presence of stable atmospheric conditions, vorticity advection, and downward movements in the region all reduced rainfall in this month. Conclusion: In general, the dynamic and thermodynamic complexity of weather from the Mediterranean Sea to western and north-western Iran prevents recovery of the effect of SST fluctuations caused by decreasing and increasing precipitation. Therefore, it seems that an increase and/or decrease in water temperature of the Mediterranean Sea has no impact on the amount of humidity advection and increase and/or decrease of rainfall in the study area. What is more, different atmospheric patterns accompanied by positive or negative SST abnormalities in different months, play a controlling role in humidity feeding through various sources and occurrence of rainfall.
Original Article
Masoud Ganji; Akbar Abravesh
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 101-110
Abstract
Introduction:
Air pollution in the metropolis of Tehran is a serious environmental issue. Assigning an optimal budget to deal with air pollution problems in the East (no.4) and West (no.22) regions of Tehran, determining the optimal proportion of green spaces and determining the ratio of applying optimal ...
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Introduction:
Air pollution in the metropolis of Tehran is a serious environmental issue. Assigning an optimal budget to deal with air pollution problems in the East (no.4) and West (no.22) regions of Tehran, determining the optimal proportion of green spaces and determining the ratio of applying optimal traffic constraints in these two regions, and addressing similar problems, are all necessary and require a statistical optimization scale for resolving them. Unfortunately, so far, no study has been done in this regard, and research on this issue is needed. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the difference between the air pollution in East and West of Tehran and provide a benchmark for responding to the above issues.
Materials and methods:
A new statistical approach has been proposed in this study for comparing air pollution in the East and West of Tehran, which eliminates the problems associated with conventional methods such as the t-test and nonparametric tests. In this method, the air pollution index values of the two regions have been modelled using a suitable statistical distribution and, then, the probability that air pollution in the East of Tehran would be more than in the western part of it would be reached through a Bayesian method. The value of this probability, called R, has been used as an optimal scale for allocating air pollution-related assets between the two regions.
Results and discussion:
Air pollution data was collected in the east and west of Tehran in the winter of 2016 in terms of air quality index (AQI) and was modelled using distributions with a power hazard function. The mean and standard deviations for air pollution data in the East of Tehran have been obtained as 76.70 and 37.074, respectively, and the corresponding statistics for the West of Tehran were 72.14 and 34.166, respectively. Although, the sample mean of AQI in the East of Tehran is a little greater than in the West, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test shows that there is no significant difference between air quality of these two regions. The 95% Bayesian confidence interval of R has been obtained (0.594 and 0.436) and a Bayes estimate of R has been obtained at 0.519. According to the results, although there is no significant difference (at a confidence level of 95%) between the air pollution in the eastern and the western parts of the city, with a probability 0.519, the air in the East of Tehran was more polluted than the West. Also, this probability value is an optimal scale which can be applied to the appropriate allocation of facilities related to air pollution between the two regions. That is, 51.9% of facilities related to air pollution should be allocated to the East of Tehran and 48.1% should be allocated to its western part.
Conclusion:
It seems that the proper allocation of funds from different regions of Tehran to control Tehran's air pollution can be a step towards solving this problem. The statistical method presented in this study provides an optimal amount for allocating funds to the East and West of Tehran. Officials can use the optimal amount based on this method to create appropriate policies for the proper distribution of funds and facilities in East and West Tehran. For example, to maximize the effectiveness of tree-planting in air purification, with this proportion it is better to plant trees in the eastern part of the city more than in the western part. Also, it is suggested that traffic constraints in eastern Tehran should be greater than in the western part of it.
Original Article
َArdavan Zarandian; Roya Mousazadeh; Jalil Badamfirooz; Alireza Rahmati
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 111-132
Abstract
Introduction:
Changes in land use and/or land cover (LULC) are associated with many socio-economic and physical environmental factors. Due to the multiplicity and diversity of variables involved and drivers that cause changes, the prediction of future conditions of LULC patterns is complex and faces ...
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Introduction:
Changes in land use and/or land cover (LULC) are associated with many socio-economic and physical environmental factors. Due to the multiplicity and diversity of variables involved and drivers that cause changes, the prediction of future conditions of LULC patterns is complex and faces many uncertainties. Meanwhile, environmental and development planners need to consider clearly how their current decisions may shape the future structure of the landscape. Therefore, in the policy-making and planning process, there is always the question of how to predict future LULC changes. In recent years, thanks to advances in remote sensing knowledge and spatial data generated from satellite imagery as well as evolving modelling tools, it has been possible to simulate complex natural systems and simplify them with a specific emphasis on more important variables depending on the issues being investigated.
Materials and methods:
With this in mind, the present study was conducted in a pilot forested landscape of the Hycanian vegetative region located in Mazandaran Province in northern Iran to detect the changing trends of LULC over the period of 1984-2016 as well as to project and analyze the plausible future shape of the landscape by the year 2040 using InVest scenario-generator software model (Sharp, 2014). To conduct this modelling process, two plausible future scenarios were defined entitled Business As Usual (BAU), which reflected the continuation of current LULC changes with no management intervention, and Balanced Development (BD) involving governmental intervention to prevent current changes through conservation and restoring forest cover along with an adjusted developmental policy for human settlements. Then, the input data required to run the model was provided and the future landscapes under both scenarios were simulated and compared.
Results and discussion:
The results showed that, under the BAU scenario, there will be dramatic changes in the landscape structure which will lead to a significant loss in the natural forest cover, destruction of farmlands and its replacement with human settlements. Conversely, the BD scenario showed how land management through forest conservation and restoration policies, simultaneously with adjusted land conversion for settlement construction, can be transformed into a win-win strategy for a balanced development strategy. Also, in this study, the InVEST scenario generator model was compared with some other models (Azinmehr et al., 2013; Blainski et al., 2017; Eskandari, 2014; Han et al., 2015; Samie et al., 2017) used to simulate LULC, and its advantages and limitations were discussed.
Conclusion:
Finally, the scenario simulation with the method introduced here can be used in different studies (including various environmental assessments, economic valuations, etc.) to make the predictions more accurate. Moreover, this kind of modelling can make insight for planners and decision makers in the fields of development, conservation and land use planning, so that future plans are based on logical assumptions with less uncertainty.
Original Article
Ataolah Bahrami; Abolghsem Alighardashi; Amin Parvizian; Hossein Kakaei; Fatemeh Kazemi
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 133-148
Abstract
Introduction: Contamination caused by tailing dams of mineral processing plants is one of the most important problems facing the mineral industry and that causes many environmental problems. Among these, we can point out to the contamination caused by the tailing dams of gold processing plants. This ...
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Introduction: Contamination caused by tailing dams of mineral processing plants is one of the most important problems facing the mineral industry and that causes many environmental problems. Among these, we can point out to the contamination caused by the tailing dams of gold processing plants. This wastewater contains significant amounts of cyanide and its compounds. So far, various biological and chemical methods have been investigated for eliminating cyanide in gold processing waste. One of the methods used by researchers is the use of natural absorbents such as activated charcoal, due to the ease of use and the its reusability. Materials and methods: In this research, the adsorption of cyanide of the tailing dam wastewater of the Zarshuran gold processing plant (35 km from Takab, West Azarbaijan Province) using Shahin Dezh coal mine (about 100 km from the plant) was investigated. Cyanide adsorption experiments were performed on a laboratory scale under two modes of using crude charcoal and processed charcoal. First, the charcoal sample was poured into the cylinder up to the height of 75 mm. In the next step, the effluent containing cyanide was added to the cylinder (up to 100 mm) and the cyanide output flow rate was measured. After the experiments, charcoal samples were dried in open air, and ash percentage analysis was performed for each of them. The resultant solution of each test was filtered with Whatman paper No. 75 and analyzed for cyanide content. Results and discussion: According to the results of the experiments, the granulation fraction of -2±1 mm had the highest output flow rate of 8.16 mL.min-1 and the lowest flow rate was related to particles less than 1 mm in size. The highest output flow rate for processed charcoal was obtained at 10.61 mL.min-1 in the granulation fraction of -2±1 mm. Based on analysis of the amount of ash, after the cyanide adsorption operation, the amount of ash in fractions of –4.75 and +4.75 ± 2 mm decreased by 0.7 and 3.7%, but, after cyanidation, the amount of fractions + 1 mm increased by 11.8%. In all experiments, cyanide adsorption using crude charcoal has the highest absorbance value for grain size in the range of -2±1 mm. The amount of cyanide adsorbed in this fraction for crude coal, processed coal and coal mixed with cyanide using a mechanical stirrer is 42.3, 31.78 and 21.88%, respectively. In this study, isotherm adsorption models of cyanide on charcoal were also studied based on Langmuir and Freundlich. The absorption process in all granulation fractions matched most closely the Freundlich model, indicating that that adsorption of cyanide follows a multi-layer adsorption onto the heterogeneous surface of the charcoal. The adsorption phenomenon occurs in different absorbent intake regions as a result of various forces, both physical and chemical. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that processing the charcoal does not have any effect on the absorption of cyanide, and physical properties such as particle size and the specific surface area of coal are the most important factors in the absorption of cyanide. The results of this study indicate that the use of coal from the Gozlu mine Shahin Dezh, located a few kilometers from the tailing dam, with a grain size of -2±1 mm, in the form of crude in the bed and bottom of the dam, can significantly reduce the cyanide contamination of underground water resources.
Original Article
Shadi Ahmadian; Maryam Morovati; Maryam Robati; Majed Sadeghinia
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 149-164
Abstract
Introduction: Concerns about the inadequacy of environmental quality exist in most cities of Iran. Environmental problems represent one of the most important issues in modern urban areas, alongside their conflicts with the natural environment. The urban environment comprises the three sub-systems of ...
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Introduction: Concerns about the inadequacy of environmental quality exist in most cities of Iran. Environmental problems represent one of the most important issues in modern urban areas, alongside their conflicts with the natural environment. The urban environment comprises the three sub-systems of natural environment, socio-economic environment, and human structure. Moreover, quality of life in cities is one of the main elements in urban development. As a consequence, Urban Environment Quality Assessment has been of great importance in urban development planning. Generally, quality of life is an important criterion for meeting the needs of urban citizens and for enabling social and economic services for them as well as ensuring access to such urban amenities as hospitals, parks, etc. This research study aimed to identify and rank the environmental indicators in Kermanshah city though use of a questionnaire, the Delphi technique and factor analysis. Materials and methods: This research was descriptive-analytical in terms of its character and objectives, and fro the perspective of data and information collection in a documentary and survey manner. The statistical population of the study comprised environmental experts identifies according to their environmental conditions and the indicators were extracted using the Delphi technique, as a knowledge-gathering method, and questionnaires. The members of the Delphi panel comprised between 10-15 people distributed over two or three rounds based on the agreement of the members of the questionnaire group. With the consent of the members of the Delphi panel, three rounds of questionnaires were distributed and, in each round, some of the indices were eliminated from the total of the questions and the factors that scored highest in each round were selected for the next one. In order to evaluate and analyse the questionnaire data and determine the main factors, a factor analysis method was used in SPSS software. Factor analysis is a method for reducing a large number of quantitative variables into a small number of underlying assumed variables, known as agents, and its main purpose is to reduce the volume of data and to determine the most important variables in the formation of a particular phenomenon. Results and discussion: According to the results of the analysis of questionnaires in three rounds of 51 primary indicators extracted from internationally accredited institutions and indices of Iran, and the localization of these indicators for Kermanshah, 15 indicators were selected as final indicators. After analysing the data using the factor analysis method in SPSS software, the results showed that among the 15 final factors, the six following factors relating to air pollution monitoring station density, wastewater treatment, natural disasters, ratio of durable buildings to total buildings, the volume of produced waste, and the density of green spaces were of a high magnitude of one and were selected as the main factors that gave a total of 82.336 variance among the community. The factor of air pollution monitoring station density was allocated as the first factor with the highest variance at 31.046. Conclusion: Thus, it can be concluded that the determination of indicators for assessing the quality of urban environmental conditions is considered as the most important and is the first step in determining the quality of any given urban environment. In addition to studying and studying the urban environment of Kermanshah, this research provides an appropriate basis for developing strategies for urban sustainability with environmental attitudes in order for environmental conditions of Kermanshah to evolve. Of the six final factors, there are four physical-chemical factors that indicate the high sensitivity of this environment and the need for high level officials to increase the quality of this urban environment.
Original Article
Amin Hosseiniasl; Mohammad Sadi Mesgari; Ali Akbar Matkan
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 165-184
Abstract
Introduction:
In water resource allocation, a good division is a major principle which is difficult to determine due to the existence of different criteria. To optimize water resource allocation, it would be efficient to simulate water resource systems in order to consider effective agents and reveal ...
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Introduction:
In water resource allocation, a good division is a major principle which is difficult to determine due to the existence of different criteria. To optimize water resource allocation, it would be efficient to simulate water resource systems in order to consider effective agents and reveal the internal interaction among their parts. Various studies show that a multi-agent simulation alone, or in combination with optimization methods, is an effective approach for understanding better the complexities related to water use and users. Also, the genetic algorithm has received attention as an intelligent evolutionary method to optimize non-linear complex problems.
Materials and methods:
The conceptual framework of the proposed water resource allocation presented the interaction between water demand and supply, taking into consideration the economic factors in a sub-basin of Dasht-e Kavir desert in Iran, whose major water source is groundwater. One of the most important duties of water allocators is to achieve optimized allocation of water to different sectors, performed on the basis of the water demands of each consuming agent. Agricultural agents who receive the major portion of water were divided into sub-units. For each product, the diversity of cultivation patterns, deficit irrigation conditions, etc. were considered in order to improve economic status and allocate water resources optimally based on available data and statistics. In industrial uses, products and their functions were discussed as a function governing all businesses. Finally, as water supply is especially important in the drinking sector, the total volume of water required was calculated and completely allocated for this.
Results and discussion:
In the study area, the cultivation of fodder and oil plants is not optimal on the basis of the available water resources with the criterion of maximizing economical profit. Cereals, followed by fruit-bearing trees (including pistachio, pomegranate, grape, and date) have the largest area under cultivation. Results showed that cereals retain their large cultivation area due to deficit irrigation, and the increase in the area under cultivation belonging to garden products is because of their high profitability. Therefore, in the agricultural sector, water allocation can be optimized by using deficit irrigation in cereals and changing the cultivation pattern for products relating to fodder and oil plants. In the industrial sector, the important point is the changing impact of technology on reducing water demand. Since this sector has a higher economical profitability than the agricultural sector, optimized allocation in order to increase economical profitability has led to a water allocation higher than the current consumption level. Evaluation of the optimization results in the genetic algorithm indicates that the convergence rate is high in first iterations and gradually decreases to reach convergence. The convergence of the optimization function is achieved gradually. Moreover, the small variance of changes in the final output of the algorithm (ranging from 0 to 1) suggests the high stability of this algorithm.
Conclusion:
Implementation of the proposed framework in the study area increases the economic profitability resulting from optimized water resource allocation to various sectors, if a move is observed from low-efficiency agricultural products to high-efficiency garden products, and the higher allocation of water to industry.
Original Article
Zoha Jafari; Alireza Ildromi; Seyed Mohsen Hosseini; Abdolrassoul Salmanmahiy; javad Rezaeain Zeidi
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 185-202
Abstract
Introduction: In recent decades, mathematical planning methods have been widely applied for optimization of decision-making processes under resource constraint conditions (Filip, 2017). The application of these methods has been emphasized in studies such as the allocation of land to various types of ...
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Introduction: In recent decades, mathematical planning methods have been widely applied for optimization of decision-making processes under resource constraint conditions (Filip, 2017). The application of these methods has been emphasized in studies such as the allocation of land to various types of utilization in forest areas (Diaz & Romero, 2002), planning agricultural-forestry plans (de Sousa Xavier, 2015) and assessment of tourism development investment options (Carrillo et al., 2017). The present study applied a multi-objective programming method to optimize the level of investment and land allocation for the development of various types of tourism activities, considering three goals of increasing profit, decreasing erosion rate and increasing employment in Zara Park with an area of 73 hectares in Mazandaran Province. Materials and methods: The required information was collected from area maps, relevant organizations and completed questionnaires from 120 visitors. The scale of erosion for each activity in a special area was determined with the use of affecting criteria from the FAO erosion assessment method and expert opinions for each activity in a special site. Limitations related to the physiological features of the area were considered through the creation of six homogeneous areas for the allocation of sports site, children's park, picnic, forest seeing and conservation. Other information was entered into the model as input data of objective function and constraint. By solving the model in Lingo11 mathematical programming software, a pay-off matrix was first created from separate optimization of goals, in order to assess the degree of conflict between them (Romero et al., 1987). Then, with the use of the weighting method, a series of efficient solutions were obtained. Finally, using the compromise programming method and creating a balance between the goals, the best answer among them was chosen. Agreed solutions were determined based on the preference of the decision makers in the weight of the goals. Results and discussion: According to the results, on the condition of maximizing profits, annual revenue was estimated as 5.6 billion rails, the number of employees is 239 and the erosion rate was approximately 28. With a separate optimization minimizing erosion, the erosion was expected to decrease by 14 units, due to the modification in the area and the state of site assigned to each activity. In this case, a significant reduction of 3.1 billion rails in annual revenue and 19 people in employment can be envisaged. By maximizing the employment rate individually, the annual income was reduced to 3.4 billion. By simultaneously optimizing three goals in a multi-objective optimization approach, an efficient set of solutions was obtained in which the exchange between the goals could be observed. According to the results the change in the level of optimization of an objective affects the extent to which the other goals are achieved. From this set, optimal investment patterns were obtained with the use of a compromise programming method taking into consideration a different combination of objective weighting from the perspective of the three groups of park managers, tourism organizations and environmentalists. Based on these results, changing the weight of the goals significantly changed the amount of area and location allocated to each activity and the level of profitability. In the state of increasing the weight of the goal Profit, based on the preferences of park managers, the annual revenue will become nearer to the park estimation which is equal to 4.6 billion rails per year according to the comprehensive park studies and the sites allocated to each activity is approximately similar to the site expected by tourist’s point of view, as evaluated in the questionnaires. On an equal weighting, based on the preferences of the tourism authorities, although the level of income is lower than the estimated revenue, the other goals in this condition can come closer to their optimal level; ultimately, by considering environmentalist’s preferences, the percentage allocated to each land use changes in favour of the activities which are more compatible with the natural heritage, such as conservation and forest seeing. Conclusion: We face various and often conflicting goals in managing tourism resources, so multi-objective optimization methods integrated with compromise programming approaches which provide the possibility of exchange between the various preferences of managers and stakeholders can be used as an effective tool in facilitating the decision-making process.
Original Article
Maryam Sharifi Sadeh; Mozhgan Ahmadi Nadoushan
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 203-216
Abstract
Introduction: The rapid growth of technology has led to an increase in air pollution in most countries of the world. One of the most serious problems that metropolitan cities such as Esfahan encounter is air pollution. The most important pollutants that should be mentioned are PM, O3, SO2, CO and NOX. ...
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Introduction: The rapid growth of technology has led to an increase in air pollution in most countries of the world. One of the most serious problems that metropolitan cities such as Esfahan encounter is air pollution. The most important pollutants that should be mentioned are PM, O3, SO2, CO and NOX. The main objective of this study is to analyze the land use effects and other effective parameters such as traffic on the air quality of Esfahan and evaluating the spatial dispersion of PM, O3, SO2, CO and NOX. LUR offers an improved level of detail at which pollution variability is observed. Numerous studies have shown that land use regression (LUR) models can be applied to obtain accurate, small-scale air pollutant concentrations without a detailed pollutant emission inventory. Materials and methods: Land use regression modelling is used as a useful method for estimating changes in the concentrations of air pollutants in cities. Thus, LUR predicts the concentrations of pollution based on surrounding land use and traffic characteristics within circular areas (buffers) as predictors of measured concentrations. Moreover, the enhancement of geographic information system (GIS) techniques has contributed to the dissemination of the LUR method. Since the air pollution is in relation to factors such as population, traffic, land use, height, road length and public transportation as the most effective factors in producing these pollutants have prepared using ArcGIS 10.2 and modeled by LUR method. The regression model was run using SPSS 19. Results and discussion: With the usage of the LUR method, the most important and effective factors could be determined and modelled. It should be mentioned that among different types of land uses, residential areas and industrial regions cause the maximum effects on air pollution. Conclusion: The results of the LUR model have revealed that traffic volume, population and land use are the most important factor affected on pollutants production.
Original Article
Fateme Aghamir; Hosseinali Bahrami
Volume 16, Issue 2 , July 2018, Pages 217-232
Abstract
Introduction: A growing population demands more food and water; with the reduction of conventional water resources, it will be essential to increase the efficiency of nutrient use in conventional systems. Iran is located in the mid-latitude belt of arid and semi-arid regions of the Earth and such arid ...
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Introduction: A growing population demands more food and water; with the reduction of conventional water resources, it will be essential to increase the efficiency of nutrient use in conventional systems. Iran is located in the mid-latitude belt of arid and semi-arid regions of the Earth and such arid and semi-arid regions cover more than 60% of the country. As a result, water is the most important limiting factor for biological and agricultural activities and the use of unconventional water in agriculture is inevitable and important under our country's conditions. Unconventional waters are not directly usable and must be adapted for use, including the removal of biological contamination, heavy metals, salinity and pH amendment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of magnetic water on the essential nutrients uptake by maize (Zea mays) in saline conditions. Materials and methods: Magnetic water was supplied by a magnetic device with an electromagnetic field intensity varying from 8 to 10 mT. The experimental design was two factors factorial (2x3) arranged in a randomized complete block design. The combinations of the treatments were at two levels of water - non-magnetic (normal) and magnetic - and three levels of salinity (800, 1300 and 2100 ppm NaCl) with three replications. Soil physicochemical properties including texture, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, pH, nitrate, sulfate, chlorine, phosphorous, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, and soluble and exchangeable calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, as well as elements present in the plant, including total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese and copper, were all measured using standard methods. Results and discussion: The results of chemical water analysis showed that the electromagnetic field had no significant effect on its chemical properties. Regarding soil properties before and after harvest, magnetic water had a significant effect on soluble and exchangeable sodium, chlorine, calcium and magnesium. The results, also showed that with increasing salinity, macronutrients uptake and protein percentage were reduced, while micronutrient uptake and sodium levels increased; moreover, comparisons of treatment means showed that magnetic treatment increased uptake of all the nutrients and the protein percentage in leaves and seeds of maize plants, but no significant changes were observed in their roots and shoots. The results showed that magnetic water reduces sodium accumulation and its destructive effects on the reproductive organs of maize plant. Due to the accumulation of sodium in roots and stems, the plant's resistance to salt stress increased. Conclusion: Due to the poor water quality in the agricultural section, it appears that utilization of magnetic water in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran can lead to improved yield and water productivity; therefore, it is recommended that further research be undertaken in this areas.
