Original Article
Ahmad Fatahi Ardakani; Ahmad Soltani-Zoghi; Afsaneh Serajeddin
Abstract
Introduction: By increasing pollution and environmental crises, governments have set out a set of environmental policies and regulations aiming at improving environmental quality. The effectiveness of environmental regulations is a problem that many policymakers and governments ignore. The purpose of ...
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Introduction: By increasing pollution and environmental crises, governments have set out a set of environmental policies and regulations aiming at improving environmental quality. The effectiveness of environmental regulations is a problem that many policymakers and governments ignore. The purpose of this study was to answer the question of how far the changes in environmental policies and regulations can affect pollution control and, on the other hand, whether foreign direct investment control rules can be effective in reducing emissions of pollutants? Material and methods: The data used in this study was panel type and for 18 countries (MENA region) in the period 1990-2017. In this study, three indicators of wastewater, emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions were used to determine the environmental quality. The procedure used by the GMM method was first-order differential. The advantage of this method is counteracting the data latent endogenousity and allow for the dynamism for estimates. Sargan test in this model was a test for the detection of constraints. Its zero assumption shows the over-identified limitations in the GMM model. Results and discussion: The results of the study were evaluated in three basic models. The first model was determined based on four variables i.e. industrialization, foreign direct investment, environmental laws and regulations, and rules for the control of foreign direct investment. In models 2 and 3, respectively, the effects of population and GDP variables and the second power of the GDP test population effect and Kuznets' environmental theory were reviewed. The application of environmental regulations and foreign direct investment can properly be a factor in controlling the emission of air pollutants, but the effect of environmental laws on the release of pollutants was positive and increased the emission levels of these pollutants. The sign of population effect coefficient in the studied years in this study was obtained with different signs. The effect of all environmental indicators in the model is significant, but the effect of industrial effluents among pollutants will make the environmental effect uncertain.. Foreign direct investment is a very important factor in the emission of pollutants after the emission of wastewater and other greenhouse gases. The variable coefficient of FDI for all three models for wastewater was significant at 1% level and equal to 1.481, 1.371, and 2.306 in models 1 to 3, respectively. Conclusion: The negative effect of the foreign direct investment on environmental quality in the MENA region was confirmed, which established the truth of the hypothesis of pollution in the region. On the other hand, the impact of the population on wastewater and emissions has positive effects on the quality of the environment. Policies and laws focus on environmental control and foreign direct investment, reducing the level of pollutants and improving the quality of the environment.
Original Article
Maryam Jahed; Seyed-Abbas Yazdanfar; Saeid Norouzian-Maleki
Abstract
Introduction:Alteration of greenland into residential areas is one of the effects of growing cities; this has caused many environmental and dietary problems. As greenland converted to urban areas, fields shrunk, so food security decreased. Lack of management about wastes results in increasing air and ...
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Introduction:Alteration of greenland into residential areas is one of the effects of growing cities; this has caused many environmental and dietary problems. As greenland converted to urban areas, fields shrunk, so food security decreased. Lack of management about wastes results in increasing air and water pollution. Tehran has encountered this problem like other metropolitan cities. Urban agriculture can solve all those problems, because urban agriculture projects can affect different aspects of the city. Previous research showed improvement in biodiversity, increasing employment, increasing food security, better waste management, communication growth, decreasing air pollution, etc., are results of implementing urban agriculture in cities. However, there are many barriers that disturb urban agriculture. Based on the review, barriers like the problem of landowners, privacy issues, and lack of knowledge about buildings, crop requirements, and suitable conditions for security were discovered in articles. Many of these barriers are visible in metropolitans like Tehran. Some researchers sought for solving problems, but still, no studies worked about building details in urban agriculture. Therefore, this study aims to review studies on urban agriculture to achieve codes about implementing urban agriculture in metropolitan cities.Material and methods: This article aimed to achieve its goal by reviewing articles with standard systematic procedure. Records were extracted from Web of Science, IEEE, JSTOR, Science Direct, and Magiran. In the first step, 1259 records were identified by searching “urban agriculture” as the main keyword. By applying “design urban agriculture” and “planning urban agriculture” as keywords, 1119 records were excluded, and 140 articles remained. All 140 abstracts of articles were reviewed. One-hundred-ten records articles were excluded because they did not meet our article criteria, remaining only 30 articles. For assessing the strength of the body of evidence, the CASP checklist was used. At the end, only articles that took 7 or more from the CASP checklist were remained. Finally, 18 articles were analyzed for the conclusion.Results and discussion:Among 18 articles, 10 articles were related to (Pri-Urban Agriculture) PUA, 7 records were related to UA and combining requirements of agriculture with buildings and 1 article was related to natural recourse related to urban agriculture. All data were categorized in four fields: legal, technical, agricultural, and security. First of all, the legal field was about legislation related to urban agriculture and different aspects of the partnership. The technical category assessed related rules to building, urban lands, and their effects on the body of the city. The agricultural framework was concerned with plant’s needs such as light, wind speed, nutrition, and requirements of the soil. Security category contained codes about improving the security of pathway to urban agriculture zone, roof security requirements, and control on allotment area to prevent from vandalism, etc.Conclusion:Results of this study showed that urban agriculture is achievable in Tehran. Furthermore, it is functional for solving problems. Proposing urban agriculture in designing green zones and landscapes can have different results on the city, like improving food security, increasing communicational contacts, better use of natural resources, and empowering biodiversity. Therefore, it is recommended that designers put urban agriculture as a priority.
Original Article
Amin Heidarpour Monfared; Mohammad Reza Pourmajidian; Farhad Rejali; Mohammad Hojati; Parvin Ramak
Abstract
Introduction: Unfavorable environmental conditions result in stress in plants and so disrupt their growth and survival. Today, soil microorganisms, especially fungi and growth-promoting bacteria, involved in various biological processes in plant growth and soil nutrient cycling, are suggested to reduce ...
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Introduction: Unfavorable environmental conditions result in stress in plants and so disrupt their growth and survival. Today, soil microorganisms, especially fungi and growth-promoting bacteria, involved in various biological processes in plant growth and soil nutrient cycling, are suggested to reduce the effects of environmental stress. Materials and methods: In order to investigate the effect of drought stress and biological inputs on vegetative characteristics of Celtis caucasica (diameter and height growth, root length, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot, and seedling colonization), a factorial experiment (Mycorrhizal factors in two levels of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and without inoculation (control), bacteria in four levels of Pseudomonas, Azpyrilum, Azotobacter and control treatments, and drought stress at three levels of field capacity (80, 60 and 40%) was performed in a complete randomized block design and four replications in the greenhouse of the Natural Resources Office in Lorestan Province. Results and discussion: The results showed that the highest diameter growth of Celtis caucasica L. seedlings was observed at moderate drought stress in Pseudomonas-fungi and Azotobacter-fungi treatments with an average of 0.554 and 0.525 mm, respectively. The highest height growth was observed at moderate drought stress in Pseudomonas-fungi and Azotobacter-fungi treatments with an average of 21.55 and 20.55 cm, respectively. The highest leaf area was observed at low drought stress in Pseudomonas-fungi and then with Azotobacter-fungi with an average of 116 and 116/75 cm2, respectively. The least of these traits was observed in high drought stress in the control group and azosperyllium treatment. The highest and lowest root length was observed at moderate drought stress in Pseudomonas and Azotobacter treatments, and at low drought stress in the control group and Pseudomonas-fungi treatments, respectively. The highest root fresh weight was observed at moderate drought stress in Azotobacter and Pseudomonas with an average of 16.7916 and 16.7941 g, respectively. The lowest values were obtained at low and moderate drought stress for the control group. The highest and lowest root dry weight was observed at high drought stress in Azotobacter and Pseudomonas treatments, and at low drought stress in control and Azospirillum-fungi treatments, respectively. The highest fresh and dry weight of shoot were obtained at moderate drought stress in Pseudomonas-fungi and Azotobacter-fungi treatments, and the lowest was observed at low drought stress in control and azosperyllium treatments. The highest percentage of colonization was observed in low drought stress in Pseudomonas-fungi and Azotobacter-fungi treatments with an average of 44. 175 and 42.675%, respectively; and the lowest was observed at high drought stress in the control group with 26.42% and azosperyllium treatments, with 26.695%. Conclusion: Microbial and fungal factors and their interactions increase root colonization, plant growth characteristics, and water uptake and thus increase plant tolerance to adverse environmental conditions such as drought stress.
Original Article
Elahe Vaseghi; Mohammad Reza Zare Mehrjerdi; Alireza Nikouei; Hossein Mehrabi Boshrabadi
Abstract
Introduction: Given the scarcity of water resources in many parts of the country, the increasing need for water, and increased volume of urban wastewater, planning to use the effluent of urban wastewater treatment plants by considering the environmental aspects as an appropriate solution is regarded ...
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Introduction: Given the scarcity of water resources in many parts of the country, the increasing need for water, and increased volume of urban wastewater, planning to use the effluent of urban wastewater treatment plants by considering the environmental aspects as an appropriate solution is regarded to compensate for some of these scarcities and to reduce the pollutions. The recycled urban wastewater effluent is associated with many benefits and risks for human and environmental health. This research is aimed to evaluate the risk of using effluent in demanding sectors with respect to the priority of risk reduction. Material and methods: In 2016, this research was conducted with the aim of assessing the risk of using the output effluent of the Northern Isfahan wastewater treatment plant. The statistical information of effluent quality was collected monthly and averaged from the laboratories of the relevant organizations. Considering six major qualitative parameters (pH, COD, BOD, TSS, TDS, and TC) and using environmental standards related to these parameters, an index was evaluated to assess the quality of treated wastewater as the Comprehensive Pollution Index (CPI). Then, using the library studies, regional studies, as well as specialized meetings with experts with knowledge about the status of output effluent of this treatment plant, risk and control checklists were prepared in the form of a questionnaire. The checklists were completed by 69 experts, and by generalizing the Frank and Morgan method, the Risk Index (RI) was calculated for potential effluent use in the study area and compared with the pollution index. Results and discussion: Results of the completed checklists showed that the agricultural sector had the highest risk score against the industrial sector and the industrial sector had the highest control score against the agricultural sector. In general, the mean score of 6-item risk checklist in the agricultural sector was higher than all sectors and the risks posed to humans in all four sectors had a higher score than other risks. Comparison of the qualitative standards of using effluent and quality of output effluent of the wastewater treatment plant also showed that the measured coliform parameter had the highest distance to its standard limit compared to other parameters. Therefore, the significance of this parameter in public health and community safety had a great impact on the calculation of pollution and risk indices. Hence, the risk index for the four sectors of agriculture, green space, natural resources, and industry was 54.71%, 23.97%, 15.1%, 6.22%, respectively, and the relative pollution index was 43%, 28%, 21%, and 8%, respectively. The results of these two indices were completely matched and the agricultural sector had the highest pollution and risk indices and accounted for the priority of risk reduction, and the effluent usage in the industrial, natural resources, and green space sectors will have lower risks to humans and the environment. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, using the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant in the current conditions has lower risks for industrial use and natural resources (non-desertification) than agricultural use and green space irrigation. In general, the effluent use in water-based industries and growing unproductive plants will be followed by increased access of farmers to higher quality water resources and improved human and environmental health.
Original Article
Mojtaba G. Mahmoodlu; Nader Jandaghi; Maryam Sayadi
Abstract
Introduction: Corrosion and precipitationare physicochemical processes that reduce the amount of water flow in water transfer pipes and the effective life of water supply facilities, increase the energy consumption for water transfer, and cause some diseases among consumers. The present study was conducted ...
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Introduction: Corrosion and precipitationare physicochemical processes that reduce the amount of water flow in water transfer pipes and the effective life of water supply facilities, increase the energy consumption for water transfer, and cause some diseases among consumers. The present study was conducted to investigate the corrosion tendency and precipitationalong the Gorganroud River from highlands to the Gorgan Gulf. Material and methods: In this study, the results of the analysis of 11 physicochemical parameters (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Bicarbonate, Sulfate, Chloride, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, temperature, and pH) of the Gorganroud River during a period of 10 years were used (2004-2014).First, the annual mean changes in the qualitative parameters of water samples during the statistical period of the studied stations were investigated. Then, triangular diagrams were used to assess the Gorganroud River hydrochemical at the studied stations. Next, changes in water hardness as an important qualitative parameter in the industrial, agricultural, and drinking sectors were investigated along the Gorganroud River. Saturation indices were used to predict and the probability of precipitation or dissolution of some carbonate minerals (such as calcite, dolomite) and evaporites (such as anhydrite, gypsum, and halite) along the Gorganrood River. Then, the trend of changes in Langelier, Ryznar, Puckorius, Larson-Skold corrosion indices, corrosion ratio, and the calcium carbonate precipitation potential of Gorganroud River at four stations was investigated. Next, a one-way ANOVA test was used to investigate the significance level of indices in the studied stations. Finally, the relationship between mineral saturation indices and corrosion indices was investigated. Results and discussion: Based on the accumulation and distribution pattern of the samples in the triangular diagram, the dominant water type in the Gorganroud River is bicarbonate on the margin of heights, and as it enters the plain and the chloride ion concentration increases, it tends to reach full maturity, the sodium chloride type. Hardness increased along the water movement path. The results of saturation indices showed that the river’s water is supersaturated with carbonate minerals and undersaturated with evaporite minerals. Based on Ryznar, Puckorius and Larson-Skold indices, Gorganroud River water tends to cause corrosion. However, the precipitation rate increased from the margin of highlands to Gorgan Gulf. The results of the calcium carbonate precipitation potential and Langelier Index indicated that Gorganroud River tends to precipitation over the study area. Investigation of the relationship between saturation indices with corrosion indices and calcium carbonate precipitation potential showed linear relationships between qualitative indices and saturation indices. The results of the statistical test showed a significant difference between the calculated indices in the studied stations. Conclusion: Although based on the hydrochemical results the main factor controlling water chemistry of the Gorganroud River was the water-rock reaction, factors such as saline water intrusion of Gorgan Gulf in the lower part of the river and inflow of untreated effluents into the river caused rapid hydrochemical evolution of the river and reached the sodium chloride type. Increasing the number of physicochemical parameters along the river path in addition to increasing the water hardness, has reduced corrosion and increased precipitation rate. Statistical results showed a clear linear relationship between saturation indices and corrosion and sequestration indices in water.
Original Article
Farshad Soleimani Sardoo; Tayebeh Mesbahzadeh; Ali Salajeghe; Gholamreza Zehtabian; Abbas Ranjbar; Mario Marcello miglietta; Sara Karami
Abstract
Introduction: Today, dust is a major challenge for human societies. Dusts have a significant impact on the Earth's radiation budget, global biochemical cycles, soil formations, and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. This phenomenon can affect public health indicators. The Iranian Central Plateau is ...
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Introduction: Today, dust is a major challenge for human societies. Dusts have a significant impact on the Earth's radiation budget, global biochemical cycles, soil formations, and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. This phenomenon can affect public health indicators. The Iranian Central Plateau is located in arid and semi-arid climates; it is more likely to face this phenomenon than other regions. Dust management and control depend on identifying critical hotspots and stabilizing the harvesting area. The aim of this study was to identify internal dust sources using the vertical dust flux parameter. Material and methods: Kavir and Loot deserts cover a large area of the Iranian Central Plateau. In this study, the WRF-Chem model and GOCART and AFWA wind erosion schemas were used to identify dust springs. Emission fluxes were used to detect dust springs. In this regard, a severe storm was selected on 05/22/2018 by WRF-Chem model for simulation. In order to verify and select the best wind erosion schematic of the Iranian Central Plateau, the data of MERRA2 re-analysis database and surface dust concentration values were used. Results and discussion: The results showed that the outputs of GOCART and AFWA schemas were different. The GOCART schemas identified three strong dust sources in the study area that were located in the Jazmourian Basin, the Loot Basin, and the Central Desert (Kavir Desert), but the AFWA schemas were able to identify only one weak source in the Loot area. The results showed that Loot Desert Center, south of Jazmourian Basin, as well as Dasht-e Kavir Desert Center (Central Desert) are known as internal dust sources. So that from one square meter of these areas, it is possible for 5800 micrograms of dust to rise into the atmosphere per second. Due to the fact that the storm lasted for 12 hours, about 2 tons and 505 kg of dust were transferred to the atmosphere from each hectare of internal dust springs. The results of the GOCART schema were more consistent with the three-hour time-series data of the MERRA2 re-analysis database and were selected as the best wind erosion schematic in the Iranian Central Plateau. Conclusion: The results showed that the WRF-Chem model had a good ability to resemble the dust flux in the study area. The results of the GOCART and AFWA schemas were different. The AFWA model estimated the internal dust sources to be very weak. However, the GOCART model well detected internal dust sources.
Original Article
Hamid Sarkheil; Meisam Fathi Nooran; Mojtaba Kalhor; Yousef Azimi; Mohammad Talaeian Araghi
Abstract
Introduction: The process of extracting and exploiting oil and gas resources requires a cycle of production, delivery, and recycling of drilling mud or drilling fluid to achieve the right composition of drilling mud and recycling it as a fundamental issue in the oil industry and also, the environment. ...
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Introduction: The process of extracting and exploiting oil and gas resources requires a cycle of production, delivery, and recycling of drilling mud or drilling fluid to achieve the right composition of drilling mud and recycling it as a fundamental issue in the oil industry and also, the environment. For this purpose, waste management methods are usually used. Material and methods: In this study, an alternative method was chosen instead of the conventional method of stabilization/solidification as a drilling waste management process that is environmentally and economically viable. A total of 80 samples were taken from four types of samples taken from nine levels in an oil well in the south Azadegan field, including mud-cutting mixture, washed cutting, fixed mud-cutting mixture by cement (1:12 portion), and fixed mud-cutting mixture by cement and silica (1:12 and 1:400 portion). Results and discussion: Samples were prepared in different types of washed, with drilling fluid, stabilized, with cement, and stabilized with cement and sodium silicate to assess the concentration of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well as the salinity. The concentration of heavy metals in the samples showed that no waste management process is required to control or reduce the metals in the samples, but salinity and PAHs require treatment at a depth of 1800 m and more. Conclusion: Summarizing the results of the analyzes showed that the washing process is better from the environmental point of view than the conventional method of stabilization/solidification because the contaminants have been removed from the drill bit, which will be utilized as the final product of this process. However, in the stabilization/solidification method, the pollutants are not purified. Therefore, the washing process was able to remove the contaminant from the excavation wells, so that the washed samples were according to the standard soil of Iran until the end of the standard drilling operation.
Original Article
Ali Hosseinpour; Darioush Moradi Chadegani; Shirin Toghyani; Elham Nazemi
Abstract
Introduction: The cultural landscape since the 1990s was introduced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an interdisciplinary subject, and formally was determined on the agenda of the organization’s member communities, while since the 1920s, ...
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Introduction: The cultural landscape since the 1990s was introduced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an interdisciplinary subject, and formally was determined on the agenda of the organization’s member communities, while since the 1920s, many scholars have studied and published the related theories. Human ecology is concerned with the relation between human and their environment and is closely linked to the cultural landscape and has the dual function of simultaneously realizing the promotion of cultural landscape values and improving human ecology. Human ecology theorists since 1907 AD have been trying to improve the relationship between human and the environment by doing research on cultural, social, and economic issues. The purpose of this article is to explore transformations of the cultural landscape over time and its continuity in interaction with human ecology that can be implemented in a planning process to promote cultural landscape. Material and methods: The type of research in this paper was descriptive-analytical and its methodology was based on historic structural research. The time frame of this research was from 1908, when the first use of the cultural landscape took place beyond the realm of art and painting, until 2020 –the year of this research. Reviewing texts related to theoretical, technical, and experimental frameworks of the cultural landscape and human ecology, and applying documentary analysis, based on historic-structural analysis and comparative analysis, the common fields of the cultural landscape and human ecology were organized in a sequence of cause and effect relations based on time. In this research, the evidence (especially historical evidence) as the research material led the researcher to answer the question “What was it?”. This research method was historical-adaptive that evidence was interpreted with a "contingent and probabilistic" (versus algebra) view of cause and effect and used synthetic explanations. Data and information that were required for this research were historical and qualitative evidence and were gathered from four paths (1) primary texts and sources (2) secondary texts and sources (3) current texts (4) recovered texts. Results and discussion: Findings of historic-structural analysis of cultural landscape showed that it is transformed and evolved from “product of nature and humanity” to “representation of the diversity of the relation between human and nature to display unique methods of sustainable land use, properties resulting from the constraints of the natural environment, and mental interaction between human with nature”. Theorists' concern in international experiences is the awareness of individuals and communities to diagnose and describe cultural landscapes in their country and attempt to register them globally in order to protect and enhance the values of the cultural landscape. This can be achieved through “cultural resources management”, which replaces “protection of cultural heritage”. While human ecology, with common substantive with cultural landscape, focuses on interactions between human and the environment in order to inform individuals and communities of the devastating impact of some human actions on ecosystems and cultural landscapes. Scholars in this field of knowledge seek to find solutions to improve the relationship between human and nature, while at the same time researchers and professional activists in the field of the cultural landscape are focused on identifying and describing cultural landscapes. On the other hand, referring to the importance of process-oriented planning and decision-making, attention to the role of actors as well as the need to emphasize the uncertainty principle, the interdisciplinary of the cultural landscape and human ecology concepts, transformations and complexities of natural environments, and anthropogenesis, “strategic planning” approach, and in particular “contingency planning”, can establish a substantive and process link between these dual knowledge domains. Conclusion: The results of this paper proposed a model of contingency planning related to the cultural landscape and human ecology, with a focus on the historical study and periodic description and analysis of evidence, suggesting a two-step process with two levels (1) documentation and programming and (2) sharing, and six steps (cognition cultural landscape values, identifying cause and effect relations, analyzing the impact, developing response strategies, developing evidence-based contingency plans and sharing contingency plans related to cultural landscape values among key actors). In the first level of this process, cultural landscape values are identified and described using surveys and field observations, and then simultaneously analyzing impacts and developed response strategies by analyzing the substantive of purposeful interviews about the cause and effect relations of each of these values. In the second level, reverse the trend of decreasing cultural landscape values and promote them by proposing evidence-based contingency plans related to the cultural landscape values and sharing them among key actors.
Original Article
Hajar Merrikhpour; Bahare Lorestani; Mehrdad Cheraghi
Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, changes in the amount, distribution, and quality of surface water around the world have led to special attention to these resources. So, according to the economic concerns in the social development of countries, it is important to access water of good quality. The study ...
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Introduction: In recent years, changes in the amount, distribution, and quality of surface water around the world have led to special attention to these resources. So, according to the economic concerns in the social development of countries, it is important to access water of good quality. The study aimed to investigate the quality of surface water samples taken from Lake Malayer Dam Lake using the Water Quality Index of the National Institutes of Health (NSFWQI). Material and methods: To evaluate the water quality of the dam lake, a total of 19 water samples were collected from different parts of the dam in May, June, September, October, and February, 2017-2018. The water parameters, including pH, soluble oxygen, total solids, oxygen biochemical demand, turbidity, temperature, nitrate, phosphate, and total coliform bacteria were measured and the effect of each parameter was calculated in the samples. Then, the water quality index was calculated. Also, the spatial variability of this index in the river and dam lake was done separately using Arc GIS software. Results and discussion: The results showed that due to the high budget of nitrate and phosphate, the concentration of these elements at the input flow was higher than the output flow. Also, the results of coliform bacteria showed that the Kalan dam in all seasons and all stations have microbial contamination that is higher than the standard limitation for drinking water. The lowest value of the NSFWQI index was obtained in the course of the river and the dam lake in May (59.1) and the highest value was obtained in February (74.4). According to the results, the quality of the water leaving the dam was average. The higher water quality in February was due to the low biological oxygen demand (BOD), which could be due to the increase in oxygen dissolution and the decrease in water temperature and vital activities (respiration of organisms and decomposition of organic matter). Conclusion: The results showed that the water quality in the studied stations in winter was generally more favorable due to the increasing volume of the water flow and the stored water behind the dam, the low temperature, and low agricultural activities. Agricultural activities at the beginning of the dam lake and the existence of villages near the river enter pesticides and chemical and animal fertilizers, which mainly contain pollutants such as nitrate and phosphate. Then, these pollutants move to the reservoir of the dam.
Original Article
Payam Yadollahi; Babak Zohrabi; Hamid Reza Jafari; Nemat Hassani; Ali Asghar Mortazavi; Adel Ghasemi
Abstract
Background: One of the major challenges of groundwater is its over-consumption in agriculture. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to water resources management to prevent the drop in groundwater levels. Chahardoli Plain in Hamadan Province has faced an increase in groundwater abstraction in ...
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Background: One of the major challenges of groundwater is its over-consumption in agriculture. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to water resources management to prevent the drop in groundwater levels. Chahardoli Plain in Hamadan Province has faced an increase in groundwater abstraction in recent years due to the lack of surface water resources. In this study, due to limited water resources and irregular use of groundwater, the drop in water level and its management in the aquifer of Chahardoli Plain of Asadabad was considered. Material and methods: This is an applied study in which both documentary and survey methods were used for data collection. In the documentary method, the statistics of annual rainfall in a 27-year period of the General Meteorological Department of the province, and the amount of groundwater level drop (43 wells) were used. In the survey method, interviews with farmers that used groundwater resources of Chahardoli Plain (56 subjects), experts of the regional water company (40 subjects), and the necessary tools were designed to investigate the decrease in groundwater level and its side effects. Cronbach's alpha of the instrument was 0.86, which showed that it had good reliability. Results and discussion: The results showed that the groundwater level has dropped by an average of 67.1 cm per year over 27 years. In contrast, the rainfall chart showed an average of 303.3 mm of precipitation per year. The overall slope of the equation for the drop in groundwater level data was -0.77 m and the overall slope of the equation for the rainfall data was 0.083 mm. This means that the slope of the groundwater was higher than the slope of the increase in rainfall. Meanwhile, the SPI index was negative in the first 21 years. The correlation coefficient between the drop in water level and precipitation was equal to r = 0.14 and p = 0.08. This showed that the relationship between groundwater level drop and precipitation was not significant. In order to interview farmers and experts on water management problems, according to the results, nine factors were examined and prioritized from the perspective of participants. Participating in farm water management courses from the experts' point of view and the existence of educational programs on radio and television for the farmers were the two main priorities. The priorities of farmers and experts regarding the factors of responsibility, risk-taking, and understanding the severity of water resource degradation were quite similar. In the case of water resources protection, non-leveling of lands was the first priority of both groups of experts and farmers. In the planning section, the first priority of farmers and experts was to develop optimal water distribution laws for the optimal use of water resources. In the case of water productivity management, the first priority of both was to replace rain-fed crops with products with high water requirements. In financial problems, according to experts, the lack of a proper and timely budget was the first priority, while farmers considered it to be reducing the price of manufactured products at the time of sale. Conclusion: The results showed that management problems were related to the drop in groundwater levels in the region. Considering the consensus of experts and farmers on taking responsibility for the destruction of water resources and the effectiveness of educational programs, it seems that the preparation of educational programs on radio and television, and improving educational programs of regional water departments and agricultural institutions will increase the desire to maintain groundwater. According to the results, the decrease of groundwater level is not related to the amount of precipitation and human factors have a more important role in this regard. Therefore, all users of the plain, i.e. farmers, experts, officials in charge of water resources, agricultural jihad, and the environmental organizations have a role in reducing this problem. Therefore, these organizations should prioritize their goals in codified and integrated plans for short-term and long-term plans to conserve groundwater resources. Also, according to the results of the research, the downward trend of the aquifer level will continue in the next few years, which necessitates a serious review of water abstraction laws in the plain.
Original Article
Maryam Malekoutian; Mozafar Sharifi; Somaye Vaissi
Abstract
Introduction: Climate change is recognized as one of the largest threats to biodiversity and is expected to result in shifting species distributions and increasing extinction risk of populations that are unable to adapt or relocate to suitable habitats. In the present study, habitat suitability of the ...
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Introduction: Climate change is recognized as one of the largest threats to biodiversity and is expected to result in shifting species distributions and increasing extinction risk of populations that are unable to adapt or relocate to suitable habitats. In the present study, habitat suitability of the yellow-spotted mountain newt was modeled to identify the current suitable habitats, to predict the expansion or contraction of the distribution of the species under future climate change scenarios, and to determine the main environmental variables. Material and methods: The studied species inhabit 57 highland streams of the Zagros Mountain range in western Iran and eastern Iraq. In the present study, species distributions were examined using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) for the current and the future (2050 and 2070) climate projection under two optimistic (RCP2.6) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) scenarios. Results and discussion: Based on the results, precipitation of the coldest quarter (BIO13) was the most percent of contribution to predicting species distribution. Comparison of suitable habitat areas in the current and future climate conditions showed that suitable habitats area for the species will not significantly decrease under the optimistic (RCP2.6) scenario in 2070 and an increase was also observed in 2050. Although, a reduction in suitable habitats area (more than 50%) was observed in 2070 under pessimistic (RCP8.5) scenarios. The results of the model supported the hypothesis that due to future climate change, the species distribution range is likely to be conserved in the refugia located in the center and south of the distribution range and by shifting to higher altitudes. Conclusion: Results obtained from the current study supported the hypothesis that the Zagros climatic refugia play an important role in conserving populations as well as habitats suitable for the Yellow-spotted mountain newtduring climate change.
Original Article
Ali Ahmadi Orkomi; Maryam Malekpour
Abstract
Introduction: In addition to causing pollution, landfills also produce greenhouse gases. One of the best methods to assess landfills' environmental impact is to calculate and compare life cycle assessment (LCA) indicators to determine the relative stability of systems. The purpose of this study ...
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Introduction: In addition to causing pollution, landfills also produce greenhouse gases. One of the best methods to assess landfills' environmental impact is to calculate and compare life cycle assessment (LCA) indicators to determine the relative stability of systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the environmental effects and economic implications of different methods of Saravan landfill biogas management in Rasht from 2024 forward to determine the most sustainable method for Saravan landfill gas management. Material and methods: Two scenarios were considered for biogas emission estimation from the landfill. In the first scenario, the landfill will be closed in 2024, and in the second scenario, the landfill will be in operation for another 20 years (until 2044). LandGem software has been applied to estimate the amount of biogas emitted from the landfill and the accuracy of results was assessed by the mass balance technique. The LCA study was conducted for three different control situations, including an uncontrolled base case, flare utilization, and electricity generation using internal combustion engines in openLCA software. Waste transportation, landfilling, and biogas management was considered in the system boundary in the life cycle assessment. The leachate treatment process was not investigated because of its negligible effect on the studied indicators. To estimate the emission rates of wastes to the atmosphere in the life cycle assessment software, the LandGem simulation results, international emission factors, and data in the ELCD v2.3 databases were used. Results and discussion: The results showed that in the first and second scenarios, the total amount of biogas generated in the landfill was over 6,600 and 10,500 Gigagrams, respectively. Also, the relative error of LandGem in predicting the generated methane was almost 3.3%. The extracted gas flow rate in the first and second scenarios from 2024 was about 1500 cubic feet per minute. Two flaring and electricity-generating using the internal combustion engine methods have been proposed for landfill gas management with capital costs of 639,000 and 7,120,000 U.S. dollars, respectively. Their annual costs were 18,000 and 918,000 U.S. dollars, respectively. Examining four environmental indicators in life cycle assessment showed that by applying flaring and electricity-generating using the internal combustion engine, global warming potential (GWP100) was reduced by about 30% compared to the uncontrolled base case. So that, the equivalent carbon dioxide emission was almost 3,245, 2,311 and 2,276 kilograms per Mega grams of input solid waste in the base case, the flaring case and the electricity generation case, respectively. Moreover, the photochemical oxidant formation potential in the base case (0.7-kilogram equivalent ethylene per Megagrams solid waste) was much more than that for the other two cases. Meanwhile, the ozone depletion potential was equal for all three management cases. Conclusion: Given the LCA indicators and economic implications, internal combustion engines have been suggested as the most suitable option for landfill gas management after 2024. It not only reduced about 30% of the global warming potential, but also produced 11,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. This is almost equal to the average annual electricity consumption of 5,500 households in Guilan Province or 4,000 households in Rasht County.
Original Article
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.
Original Article
Nasibe Rezvantalab; Afshin Soltani; Ebrahim Zeinali; Salman Dastan; Alireza Foroughnia
Abstract
Introduction: Inputs such as chemical fertilizers, fossil fuels, electricity, seed, and machinery consume energy in soybean production. This energy consumption is expected to cause Greenhouse Gases Emissions (GHG). Increasing the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere could lead to Global Warming. ...
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Introduction: Inputs such as chemical fertilizers, fossil fuels, electricity, seed, and machinery consume energy in soybean production. This energy consumption is expected to cause Greenhouse Gases Emissions (GHG). Increasing the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere could lead to Global Warming. The purpose of this study was to investigate the energy consumption and GHG in soybean production in Golestan Province, Iran. Material and methods: In this study, 140 farmers were selected to investigate the soybean production systems in Golestan Province in northeastern Iran. The data of consumed energy (machines, seeds, fertilizers, fuel, pesticides, human labor, and electricity) were collected by a questionnaire. Then fuel, input and output energy, energy indices, and global warming potential (kg eq-CO2/ha) were calculated by related coefficients. Results and discussion: Based on results, fuel and energy requirements for soybean production were estimated 210.83±0.09 L/ha and 19036.08±2.53 MJ/ha, respectively. Also, GHG emissions were calculated 2306.85±3.17 kg eq-CO2/ha. Fossil fuel and electricity consumption had the highest energy consumption and GHG emissions values, respectively, so that 62% of the total energy consumption and 75% of the total GHG emission belonged to electricity and fossil fuel consumption, respectively. Energy output derived from soybean was 42124.95±0.73 MJ/ha. The output-input ratio was estimated 2.21±0.01. Net energy gain was raised by increasing the seed yield and decreasing the input consumption such as electricity, fossil fuel, and N-fertilizer. Energy productivity was calculated 0.147±0.01 Kg/MJ. On average, 2306.85±3.17 kg eq-CO2/ha greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere for soybean seed production. Conclusion: Focusing on optimal consumption of fossil fuels and decreasing the electricity consumption in irrigation is essential for reducing the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for soybean production in Golestan Province, Iran.
