Original Article
Seyedeh Maryam Mohammadi; Bahareh Lorestani; Soheil Sobhan Ardakani; Mehrdad Cheraghi; Lima Tayebi
Abstract
Introduction: Heavy metals are the common pollutants of soils, which pose a potential threat to the public and particularly children's health. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the source identification and potential ecological risk of Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in surface soils collected ...
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Introduction: Heavy metals are the common pollutants of soils, which pose a potential threat to the public and particularly children's health. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the source identification and potential ecological risk of Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in surface soils collected from the vicinity of Arad-Kouh processing and disposal complex, Tehran, Iran in 2020.Material and methods: In this descriptive study, a total of 30 surface soil samples were collected from 10 sampling sites. After acid digestion of soil samples, the element contents were determined using ICP-OES. Also, pollution indices, potential ecological risk were computed. Moreover, principal component analyses (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed to find out the contamination sources and distinguish the different groups of analyzed elements from different sources, respectively. Furthermore, all statistical analyses were performed by SPSS software.Results and discussion: Based on the results, the mean content of elements in soil specimens (mg/kg) was 26651.6 for Fe, 71.7 for Zn, 27.7 for Pb, 1.22 for Cd, 22.3 for Cr, and 32.8 for Ni. On the other hand, the soil quality of the study area varied between 'minor enrichment' to 'moderately severe enrichment' based on the enrichment factor (EF) values, between 'low contamination' to 'high contamination' based on the pollution index (PI) values, and between 'unpolluted' to 'moderately polluted' based on the geo-accumulation index (I-geo) values and also showed 'moderate degree of contamination' based on the degree of contamination (DC) values. The computed values of Er showed that the potential ecological risk of Zn, Pb, Cr, and Ni was low and for Cd was moderate. Also, as the mean value of RI was 170.9, all the examined elements could be classified as a moderate ecological risk. The results of Pearson correlation coefficient, I-geo, PI, and IPI in accordance with PCA and HCA indicated that Zn, Cd, Cr, and Ni were originated from anthropogenic sources, while, Pb had a lithogenic origin.Conclusion: Although the studied elements had moderate potential ecological risk, since the Cd with 93.3% of the mean RI values showed a higher potential environmental risk compared to other elements, therefore, source identification and source control of this element with potentially adverse effects on humans and also environmental health is recommended.
Original Article
Nasim Kheirkhah Ghehi; Bahram Malek Mohammadi; Hamidreza Jafari
Abstract
Introduction: Landscape connectivity plays an essential role in the conservation of protected areas. The Alborz wild sheep (Ovis orientalis × Ovis vignei) is the dominant species in Varjin Protected Area. The population of the species has been decreased during the last 20 years due to habitat loss ...
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Introduction: Landscape connectivity plays an essential role in the conservation of protected areas. The Alborz wild sheep (Ovis orientalis × Ovis vignei) is the dominant species in Varjin Protected Area. The population of the species has been decreased during the last 20 years due to habitat loss and fragmentation. So far, many studies have been done on the environmental impact assessment of urban area developments on the protected area, but there is still a lack of habitat connectivity and quality analysis in the area. Based on the spatial location of Varjin Protected Area, connectivity analysis can help conservation planners to identify key patches and corridors that more than others, contribute to upholding species dispersal. The aim of this research is to prioritize habitat patches for conservation by analyzing the connectivity of the habitat patches and considering habitat quality as the second important factor in species distribution. Applying this method could lead to better conservation prioritization between habitat patches.Material and methods: Landsat 7 and 8 satellite images have been used as inputs for the Habitat Quality model and Connectivity analysis. The connectivity metric was analyzed by calculating the probability of connectivity (dPC) and betweenness centrality (dBC) at different spatial scales of landscape and patch. All the analyses have been done in Graphab open-source software using graph theory and applying network analysis containing nodes and edges. The threshold was pre-defined for the species, and all the calculations were based on Euclidian distance. This research used the InVEST Habitat Quality model to analyze the spatial status of habitat quality. Finally, spatial analysis was performed by ArcGIS 10.4 and the maps were classified based on natural breaks.Results and discussion: Results demonstrated that the value of dPC was between 0 to 0.796, and the value of dBC varied from 0 to 7.58E+11. Different importance values have been obtained for all 23 patches. This suggested that patches 1 and 4 showed the highest dBC and dPC metric values. The values of InVEST habitat quality decreased in the south and northeast of the area, respectively, due to proximity to urban areas and other threats. Patches with good performance in improving connectivity and higher habitat quality values were identified. By overlaying the output values of the maps, prioritized patches were recognized and suggested to be placed under protection.Conclusion: Patches with a high level of connectivity and habitat quality were located in the east and southeast of the region. This research has taken a novel step toward conservation by using connectivity analysis and habitat quality as an ecosystem service in protected areas. Landscape and patch scales as two spatial indices can be used in other regions and for other essential species. As the Varjin Protected Area is located between two important ecological areas, Lar National Park and the Central Alborz Protected Area, the priority of patches would be changed by a great extent when taking those areas under consideration.
Original Article
Ahmad Manbohi; Sara Gholamipour; Gholamreza Mohammadpour
Abstract
Introduction: Filtration is one of the most important steps in phytoplankton studies. Choosing a filter for research purposes depends on its pore size and price. In the present study, the results obtained by Whatman, CHM, and BOECO filters were compared to find better filters to use in marine research.Material ...
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Introduction: Filtration is one of the most important steps in phytoplankton studies. Choosing a filter for research purposes depends on its pore size and price. In the present study, the results obtained by Whatman, CHM, and BOECO filters were compared to find better filters to use in marine research.Material and methods: The samplings were performed in 6 stations of coastal waters of Bushehr port in winter (2017). The samples were filtered with the mentioned filters. After calorimetrical measurement of chlorophyll-a, the obtained results were compared. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to determine data distribution. In order to evaluate whether the differences are significant, the probability size criterion was used with the P <0.05 test level.Results and discussion: In most stations, the lowest amount of chlorophyll-a was obtained by the CHM filter. In most stations, the retention amount of chlorophyll-a using the BOECO filter was higher than other filters. Despite the CHM filter, the results obtained using BOECO and Whatman filters were not significantly different (P>0.05). Therefore, the BOECO filter can be a good alternative to the expensive Whatman filter for research on phytoplanktons. Furthermore, for measuring suspended particulate matter, all three filters can be used.Conclusion: Due to the fact that the retention amounts of chlorophyll-a using the three filters were different, caution should be exercised when comparing chlorophyll-a results. It is also recommended that the Whatman filter be used in biological studies that rely on burning carbon and nitrogen on the filter.
Original Article
Mohammad Erfan Kaghazchi; Said Pourmanafi; Reza Peykanpour Fard
Abstract
Introduction: The uncontrolled increase in population and the subsequent increase in urbanization have led to an increase in the production of various types of waste in urban areas. Although landfilling is the last choice in municipal solid waste management, it is still a common method for municipal ...
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Introduction: The uncontrolled increase in population and the subsequent increase in urbanization have led to an increase in the production of various types of waste in urban areas. Although landfilling is the last choice in municipal solid waste management, it is still a common method for municipal solid waste management in developing countries. Due to natural anaerobic processes, landfilling in landfills causes the production of biogas and leachate, the type and amount of each depend on the volume, humidity, and type of waste. Leachate production in landfills can lead to health hazards, damage to plants, groundwater pollution, and the release of unpleasant odors. The aim of this study was to accurately locate the municipal landfill in Naein County by combining socio-economic and environmental parameters and also estimating the amount of emitted gas to evaluate the potential for energy recycling.Material and methods: In this study, the AHP model was used to weight the criteria and L Satty quantitative scale was used to grade the priorities. For selecting the best spatial locations for landfills, first the location of municipal landfills in Naein County was chosen using environmental parameters. The potential of the area for the intended uses was evaluated by the WLC method, then using the TOPSIS method, spatial locations were prioritized based on socio-economic parameters and then the best spatial location was selected. Finally, the amount of emitted gas from the landfill in two conditions with and without leachate recycling was also modeled to investigate the potential of the landfill for energy recycling.Results and discussion: The results of this study showed that all the proposed regions for constructing landfills include the pixels with more than 0.8 usefulness in weighted linear composition maps. In the final options prioritization map, nine locations were identified, and the most suitable spatial location with the highest percentage of desirability was determined as the best place for constructing a landfill. The selected spatial location had the closest possible distance to the three most populous cities of the county. This location was located 24 km away from Naein. Also, the capacity of this location was several times more than the need of Naein County in the next 60 years, which is about 85 hectares, and if additional lands are needed, it can be expanded to the northwest. For other towns and villages with relatively large populations that are relatively far from the selected landfill, temporary waste collection sites can also be designated until the waste is eventually transferred to the main landfill site. The selected landfill location was also located 2 km from the main road. The results showed that the total amount of estimated emitted gas in each trench with leachate recirculation was equal to 4204.3 tons and without leachate recirculation was equal to 4448.9 tons. This indicates that if the leachate recirculates system is used, the total amount of gas emitted from the landfill will be about 6% higher than without recirculation. However, considering the amount of annual production waste in Naein and the rate of population growth, it is better to take steps towards the maximum amount of recycling and composting and the least amount of landfill as much as possible.Conclusion: In this study, the results of combining both types of criteria (environmental and socio-economic) have led to the determination of the most desirable spatial location, which in addition to complying with environmental criteria from an economic point of view had the lowest cost. Also, according to the current population, the population growth rate of Naein County and the annual production of waste, it can be concluded that material recycling and composting production are more economic than energy recycling and biogas production.
Original Article
Iman Islami; Hossein Sarvi Sadrabad; Hasan Tabatabaei; Mohammad Rahmani
Abstract
Introduction: Effective participatory management in natural resources and the environment depends on improving the level of knowledge, skills, insights of actors, and developing their participatory behavior. Accordingly, related organizations need to conduct training courses, capacity building, and empowerment ...
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Introduction: Effective participatory management in natural resources and the environment depends on improving the level of knowledge, skills, insights of actors, and developing their participatory behavior. Accordingly, related organizations need to conduct training courses, capacity building, and empowerment measures that require high cost and energy. This may result in the development of interpersonal communication networks, two-way interactions, and network dynamics of rural actors to solve environmental problems based on collective thinking and increase trust. However, the impact of these measures on the participatory communication of the target community is less evaluated, which will play an important role in recognizing the success rate of these courses and their improvement and development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of education and empowerment projects for Qanat stakeholders on their participatory relationships in the conservation of this valuable resource in the arid and desert area in Khezrabad region of Yazd Province by social network analysis.Material and methods: In order to quantify the effect of training on participants' participatory communication, this study evaluated the stakeholder communication network including 38 people in two stages (comparison before and after the empowerment measures). The social network of the research has been done in the form of two links of trust and participation by measuring macro-level indicators and analyzing information in the Ucinet software.Results and discussion: The results showed that all relevant indicators were improved after the implementation of the project. Changing the value of indicators showed that the number of participatory and interactive stakeholder interactions has increased with more speed and less time. The cohesion of the network was removed from being confined to a few people and the circulation of communications and consequently the balance of the network has increased, and subsequently, the development of a participatory relationship was also increased.Conclusion: The status of the studied indicators (macro level of the network) has improved after the implementation of the empowerment and capacity-building plan of local communities. The effect of these activities and actions, if codified and targeted, can have a significant effect on increasing social capital and partnerships, as well as an increase in the success rate of the management and conservation activities of the natural resources and environment sector, especially water resources, which is of great importance in arid areas.
Original Article
Gholamreza Nabi Bidhendi; Maryam Rabiee Abyaneh; Omid Hassanzadeh Moghimi
Abstract
Introduction: Sustainable management of increasing amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become a major environmental concern because improper MSW management leads to substantial negative environmental impacts and health and safety problems. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method has been recognized ...
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Introduction: Sustainable management of increasing amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become a major environmental concern because improper MSW management leads to substantial negative environmental impacts and health and safety problems. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method has been recognized as an indispensable tool to support systematic and accurate decisions taken on waste management systems. LCA can make a comparison between different scenarios of waste management systems performance from top to bottom to assess the environmental impacts and consumption of resources. This paper aims to determine the environmental aspects of a less impactful MSW management scenario in Babol, Iran through LCA methodology.Material and methods: In order to achieve this goal, first, the composition study was conducted in Babol. The results were then utilized as a reliable data source to compare the environmental impacts of MSW management scenarios with a life cycle perspective. System boundaries included collection and transportation of MSW and its treatment and disposal by composting, recycling, incineration with energy recovery, and landfilling methods. Data on the process was evaluated with the IWM-2 model by the means of energy consumption and global warming.Results and discussion: Babol was estimated to generate 91000 tonnes of waste per year. On average, the generation of waste per capita in Babol was about 606 gr/person/day. After being collected throughout the city, the MSW was discharged at stations to transfer to the heavy vehicles and get transported to Anjil-Si complex waste process and disposal. The main component of the waste stream in Babol was food waste (65.3%). The comparative analysis of the six scenarios underscores the fact that the lower potential environmental loads were related to the 4th scenario in all the impact categories. In particular, the lowest energy use was obtained in scenario 4. In this scenario, composting (60%) and recycling (20%) were included in the waste management plan and resulted in a reduction in the amount of waste disposal as well as energy consumption in landfilling. As excess energy was produced in scenario 4 from the composting and recycling stages (by replacing the produced material with raw material consumed in the life cycle, and also by composting and producing other by-products), less amount of energy was consumed in this scenario. In the case of the global warming impact category, the least burden was originating from scenario 4 due to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by energy generation as a result of composting and recycling.Conclusion: According to the results, the 4th scenario (60% composting, 20% recycling, and 20% landfilling) was confirmed as the best waste final disposal alternative. In particular, CO2 emissions decreased by 54% and the energy consumption decreased by 19%, when the alternative scenario, including the recalled features, was compared to the base-case one. The majority of the MSW of Babol consisted of food waste. With a detailed investigation of organic waste, it is possible to benefit from the composting process as an ideal disposal method.
Original Article
Koohzad Raispour; younes khosravi
Abstract
Introduction: The atmosphere is a dynamic and complex natural gas system whose pollution kills humans more than others. Air pollution occurs when large amounts of suspended particles or harmful substances enter the atmosphere. Suspended particles with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are among ...
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Introduction: The atmosphere is a dynamic and complex natural gas system whose pollution kills humans more than others. Air pollution occurs when large amounts of suspended particles or harmful substances enter the atmosphere. Suspended particles with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are among the most important air pollutants. Black carbon (BC) particles are one of the most important and dangerous components of PM2.5 suspended particles. The aim of this study was to analyze the behavior and time-space distribution of BC pollutants in Iran using the data of the MERRA-2 base model during a statistical period of 40 years (1980-2019).Material and methods: In this study, black carbon data in NetCDF format with initial monthly and spatial time steps of 0.5° x 0.625° were first extracted from the Earth data website. After extracting the data, qualitative control, pre-processing and, processing operations were performed. Then, the calculations were performed on monthly and seasonal matrices (on 740 pixels or networked points) using the facilities that the user's software applications ArcGIS, Grads, and Origin pro provide. In the last step, steps were taken to create raster, vector, charts layers and, information tables and the desired outputs were prepared.Results and discussion: The use of MERRA-2 base model data has provided very good results of the spatio-temporal distribution of BC in Iran. The results of the study showed that the monthly and seasonal differences were significant. In terms of monthly differences, the highest amount of BC was estimated in December and the lowest in June. Among seasons, the highest and lowest levels of BC were related to the winter and summer. Spatially, the highest distribution of BC was observed in the western half of Iran, especially in the metropolises of Tehran and Ahvaz. Analysis of the time series of BC concentrations in the Iranian atmosphere showed that the concentration of this pollutant increased during the statistical period and this increase occurred especially from 2000 AD onwards. Also, in the study of meteorological parameters affecting the concentration of BC, the results showed a significant positive correlation between the concentration of BC and air pressure and a significant negative correlation with wind speed.Conclusion: The results showed a clear understanding of the concentration of BC in the Iranian atmosphere. We showed that BC pollution is affected by some meteorological parameters such as air pressure and wind speed. In general, regardless of the mechanisms of development, nature, and emission of this pollutant in different parts of Iran, the behavior of the concentration of this pollutant in the context of time indicates the warning of its danger in large parts of Iran. Therefore, it is necessary to take the necessary management and executive measures to reduce this pollution, especially in metropolitan areas with high concentrations of BC.
Original Article
ٍErfan Khodaparast; Fatemeh Eshaghi; Hassan Darabi
Abstract
Introduction: Landscape as a whole is the reflection of the structure and function, and their interaction. Although, metrics of landscape ecology provide an appropriate tool to analyze the structure and function of landscape, deep understanding is needed to perceive the generality and evolution of the ...
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Introduction: Landscape as a whole is the reflection of the structure and function, and their interaction. Although, metrics of landscape ecology provide an appropriate tool to analyze the structure and function of landscape, deep understanding is needed to perceive the generality and evolution of the landscape as a whole. This is especially important for urban landscape interpretation. In particular, when urban development is the result of spatial development which is mainly influenced by socio-economic processes. As a result, the environmental context is less considered. Disturbance in the natural and ecological structures is the consequences of such process that leads to the ecological rupture of the landscape. Accordingly, structural changes affect the functioning of the city's natural ecosystems that make cities more unsustainable. Hence, it seems that the first step in improving the current situation is to explain the pattern of landscape changes appropriately and provide an understanding of the effects of urban development patterns of the ecosystem. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the overall landscape changes of Qom over 30 years.Material and methods: Therefore, an was made to first, compute the structural and functional changes in the landscape by using landscape metrics. Therefore, the natural and artificial structures that make up the city's landscape were extracted from the US Geological Survey (USGS) using satellite images. Images were taken in 1989 from the Landsat Satellite 5 (TM), in 1999 and 2009 from the Landsat 7 (ETM), and in 2019 from Landsat 8 (OLI). Then, it was classified by Supervised Classification method and Maximum Likelihood using the ENVI software. The natural and artificial structure was classified into four categories: vegetation, building, communication, and bare lands. Then, ten appropriate metrics were calculated to quantify the changes in the four aforementioned categories. The essential calculations have been done by the Fragstats software.Results and discussion: The results of the study showed the uninvited and accelerated changes in the ecosystem of the Qom base on the application of landscape metrics. Qom has experienced serious structural and functional changes over 30 years. The man-made landscape is developing at the expense of devastating natural structures and natural patches are disappearing. On the other hand, the introduced patches are increasing progressively. However, introduced patches did not have a significant effect on the overall trend of landscape change. Examining the trend of LPI, AREA-MN, SHAPE-AM, and SHAPE-MN indicators provided information about changes in the visual form of the landscape. The increase in artificial patches, along with the lessening of the largest desert patches to one-third, indicated the emerging of progressive fragmentation in the desert landscape of Qom. Meanwhile, the shape of the city is changing into a simple geometric pattern, which means the loss of natural ecosystems. The status of the indicators during different years expresses the simplification of the urban landscape. The result is multiple effects on the urban environment, such as changes in microclimate and its consequences on the fragile desert ecosystem.Conclusion: It is necessary to revise the development model and consider serious attention to natural-oriented approaches while responding to human needs in such areas. It seems that the present model of ecological planning along with strategic proposals is obligatory to practice the ecological-based projects for future developments to enhance the quality of Qom’s ecological landscape.
Original Article
Mohammad Reza Afshoon; Nasser Mehrdadi
Abstract
Introduction: In copper industries, mining has great importance from the environmental point of view, as many by-products are generated during this process. Most of the mining tailings are sulfide minerals that are oxidized after they are extracted and exposed to oxygen and water, which consequently ...
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Introduction: In copper industries, mining has great importance from the environmental point of view, as many by-products are generated during this process. Most of the mining tailings are sulfide minerals that are oxidized after they are extracted and exposed to oxygen and water, which consequently leads to the production of acid mine drainage (AMD). Water management strategies are conducted to control AMD. Generally, one of the most important methods to refine AMD and release it into the environment is treatment technology. AMD treatment methods are classified as active and passive systems. In the present study, the need for the treatment methods was investigated and then the optimum system was specified.Material and methods: Sungun copper mine is located in northwestern Iran, 130 km north of Tabriz and 30 km north of Varzeqan. The production rate of tailings in this mine is roughly 11.2 million tons per year, which has over 3 km2 area in Pakhir Valley. Samples of acidic drainage from Pakhir Chay River were collected 7 times and transferred to the laboratory of Omran Zist Azma Company. Bottles of polypropylene (200 ml) were used to gather samples for analyzing acidity, sulfate, and TDS, and HDPE bottles (250 ml) were used to gather samples for analyzing heavy metals (copper, iron, and manganese) parameters. Moreover, concentrated nitric acid was used for stabilizing the samples. The flow rate of the river was measured by Mouline (flow meter and flow cross-section method), which was on average 32 liters per second.Results and discussion: Analyzing the results of 7 sampling periods, it was found that the average value of pH, sulfate, copper, iron, and manganese parameters were 3.94, 2601.4, 276.78, 0.193, and 46.04 mg /l, respectively. According to the standard limits of the Environmental Protection Organization for discharging wastewater into surface water, all parameters except iron had exceeded the permissible limits, so a treatment system will be required before releasing AMD into the environment.Conclusion: Based on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the acid mine drainage in the present study and various acidic effluent treatment methods, it can be concluded that the active treatment method is a promising option to eliminate contaminants from the acidic effluent. Moreover, among the active purification methods, the DAOS method will have better efficiency so that it leads to higher efficiency of system’s operation, and the best quality output will be discharged into the environment.
Original Article
Maryam Chehrehei; Seyed Alireza Mirza Hosseini; Nabiollah Mansouri; Youssef Rashidi; Mohammad Hassan Behzadi
Abstract
Introduction: Volatile organic compounds such as gasoline vapors have adverse effects on the environment. In the metropolis of Tehran, gasoline is considered a toxic and dangerous pollutant. One of the most important sources of gasoline vapor emissions in the environment is storage tanks for petroleum ...
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Introduction: Volatile organic compounds such as gasoline vapors have adverse effects on the environment. In the metropolis of Tehran, gasoline is considered a toxic and dangerous pollutant. One of the most important sources of gasoline vapor emissions in the environment is storage tanks for petroleum products, operational processes, and the number of emptying and loading of storage tanks and gasoline sales activities at gas stations.Material and methods: To calculate the emission of gasoline vapors from storage tanks of petroleum products in gasoline supply channels, the TANKS 4.09 software was used. Data such as physical characteristics of the reservoir (dimensions), number of loading times of reservoirs, spatial characteristics of reservoirs (climatic parameters), specifications of petroleum products stored in the reservoir, etc. were entered into the software for 22 districts of Tehran.
Results and discussion: According to the outputs, the emission of gasoline vapors from 412 tanks installed in 148 gas stations located in 22 districts of Tehran was about 7702356 liters per year. About 56.78% of it is released in the warmer 6 months and about 43.21% in the colder 6 months of the year. In the spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons, about 27.06%, 29.56%, 22.63%, and 20.73% gasoline vapors are released into the environment. Emissions occurred more in 6 months of the year, with most of the emissions of gasoline vapors being from mid-May to mid-November. By comparing the percentage of vapor emission with the percentage of the number of loading times, percentage of operating capacity, number of tanks, and percentage of gas stations in Tehran, it can be concluded that effective factors in increasing gasoline vapor emission are a high number of loading times, high maximum operating capacity, number of tanks, and low number of gas stations. The highest emissions are related to regions 4, 2, and 15, respectively, which have the highest statistics in these cases according to surveys and classification based on maximum gasoline sales, number of loading times, maximum operating capacity, and number of tanks.Conclusion: Considering the number of gasoline sales (about 4219217500 liters) and the amount of waste and emissions of gasoline vapors (7702356 liters per year), it can be concluded that the number of gasoline products consumed in 1397 in Tehran was about 4226919856 liters.
Original Article
Fatemeh Fathi; Effat Ghorbanian
Abstract
Introduction: Sustainable growth takes into account resource development, the environment, and the economy. In this century, enormous ecological destruction and the accelerated depletion of natural resources have affected global economic growth, social welfare, and improvements in human health. In some ...
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Introduction: Sustainable growth takes into account resource development, the environment, and the economy. In this century, enormous ecological destruction and the accelerated depletion of natural resources have affected global economic growth, social welfare, and improvements in human health. In some studies, traditional total factor productivity has used the gross domestic product as desirable outputs, and energy, capital, and labor as inputs. Gross domestic products as desirable outputs are biased against sustainable growth because sustainable growth requires not only gross domestic product growth but also human well-being improvements. Hence the human development index has more advantages compared to gross domestic product. The ecological footprint is an index that measures the degree of sustainable development. In an attempt to overcome the limitations of the gross domestic product as output and energy as inputs, this paper took ecological footprint as the index of comprehensive ecological inputs and used the human development index as the output index. It used a new index, Sustainable Total Factor Productivity (STFP), to reflect sustainable growth levels.Material and methods: This paper combines the ecological footprint and human development index with Total Factor Productivity (TFP) to use a new framework for STFP. We used a DEA-Malmquist index method to calculate STFP changes in MENA countries during the years 1995–2016 and a σ-convergence test method to test the STFP convergence trends for them. We defined the Sustainable Malmquist (SM) index, as a measure of STFP change. SM can be decomposed into sustainable efficiency change and sustainable technical change.Results and discussion: Overall, the average annual STFP in MENA countries was 0.98, indicating that from the perspective of ecological footprint, K, and L are input factors, and the human development index (HDI) is the output. All states emphasize a little on sustainable growth except Bahrain and Turkey. Bahrain ranked first, having the highest average Sustainable Malmquist index, and then Turkey ranked second. Bahrain's capital increased by 75 %. After decomposing SM into Sustainable Technical Change (STC), Sustainable Pure Technological Efficiency Change (SPEC), and Sustainable Scale Efficiencychange (SSEC) , the average STC value was 0.996 meaning that sustainable technology change was stagnant. SPEC had an average value of 1.00, showing that sustainable efficiency has improved. On average, the SSEC was 0.98, indicating that industry structure and scale effects may have not improved. Contraries on the category of very high and medium HDI states, had higher STC than that for the category high and low HDI states, suggesting that developed states are superior in terms of STC. Category of high HDI, developed nations with human development index more than 0.8, had an average SPEC value of 1.00. The sustainable growth gap between developing states was the greatest. The σ value of medium HDI states containing Iran was the smallest and showed minimal volatility. This indicates that the sustainable growth gap between developed states was small and relatively balanced. The σ values of very high and medium HDI categories fluctuated widely. This indicates that growth in developing states and developed states was not stable.Conclusion: Different types of nations should choose different paths to achieve positive sustainable growth. The STFPs of the MENA nations present different features according to different economic levels and environmental protection levels, so formulating distinguished policies of sustainable growth is a necessity. Technical progress should be promoted to achieve sustainable growth. Promoting sustainable technology plays a crucial role in sustainable growth. Policymakers should encourage research, develop sustainable technologies, and raise entrepreneur awareness of eco-environmental protection.
Original Article
Mohammad Reza Khalilnezhad; Peiman Golchin
Abstract
Introduction: The Edible Campus program incorporates edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants in the university to create a kind of working landscape and facilitate campus community engagement in topics of food and agriculture sustainability. In this regard, an inventory of community support ...
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Introduction: The Edible Campus program incorporates edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants in the university to create a kind of working landscape and facilitate campus community engagement in topics of food and agriculture sustainability. In this regard, an inventory of community support and culture is crucial for finding the motivation of participating in the targeted community in the edible landscape project. This study aims to give insights into the inventory of community support and preferences in the campus edible landscape. To achieve this objective, we considered the University of Sistan and Baluchestan as the case study to address the community support and community culture that affect urban agriculture. While the study on urban agriculture projects can be conducted during three phases, this study focused on the pre-implementation stage. It means that we tried to co-create visions of the edible campus, specifically for the University of Sistan and Baluchestan to be used in the next step of the edible campus project.Material and methods: In this applied and descriptive research, using stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment, 530 people were selected from a total of 18,450 university members (including 17,000 students, 1,000 staff, and 450 faculty members) using the PASS specialized software for determining the sample size. The questionnaires were completed through the Google Form survey in the spring and summer of 2020. All inferential statistical analyzes were performed by SPSS23. For research questions and objectives in the descriptive statistics section, graphs and statistical tables were used. Due to the high sample size (n=530), the normal probability plots (p-p plots) were used to check the normality of data distribution, which was not confirmed. Therefore, non-parametric tests such as Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and Friedman were used to test the research hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05.Results and discussion: The results showed that the mental health and food produced in the university were the most important motivations of the studied community in edible campus participation. It was also found that potential volunteers were not a monolithic group. There were statistically significant differences in the frequency of expression of potential volunteer motivations among respondent demographic segments. Based on the findings of our study, the more interested group in terms of potential volunteerism were students, females, and 20-30 aged groups. On the other hand, our study proved that the potential volunteerism capacity of the university community will not be enough for the establishment and sustainability of the edible campus. Concerning the spatial structure and landscape elements, based on the results of this study, an establishment of agricultural space and fruit orchard (82.3%), and water fountain and pool (75.3%) would provide the studied community with the desirable edible campus. In this regard, our study suggests incorporating three types of edible-bearing plants including fruit trees, vegetables, and medicinal herbs in the upcoming edible campus project.Conclusion: Iranian university managers can use such data to help shape the community culture and support of their university to a more inclusive and diverse edible campus makeup. Additionally, these findings may contribute to the study and practice of edible campus management by suggesting means for more effective member recruitment based on the particular motivations of different member demographics. In the case of the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, considerable staff and volunteer time will be needed to ensure consistent landscape care. It is also essential that university managers and decision-makers attempt to provide potential volunteers with appropriate training opportunities, resources, as well as demonstrate appreciation, to further encourage and solidify volunteer engagements in the edible campus.
Original Article
Zeinab Karimi; Vahedberdi Sheikh; Amir Sadoddin; Naghmeh Mobarghaee Dinan
Abstract
Introduction: Increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is a major cause of climate change that has led to degradation in natural ecosystems and incidence of various environmental problems such as imbalances in hydrologic, nutrients, and carbon cycles in nature. Land surface cover, which ...
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Introduction: Increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is a major cause of climate change that has led to degradation in natural ecosystems and incidence of various environmental problems such as imbalances in hydrologic, nutrients, and carbon cycles in nature. Land surface cover, which has an important role in carbon sequestration, has been strongly influenced by human activities and gradually degraded over time and created a number of challenges in the behavior of watersheds. Therefore, worldwide rehabilitation and restoration of watersheds through the implementation of a variety of mechanical and biological measures have been considered by policymakers, managers, and technical experts. For instance, various watershed management projects (tree sapling, permanent forage cultivation, and terracing) have been implemented with the participation of stakeholders to improve conditions in the Dehchenashk sub-watershed of the Chehl-Chai watershed, where is considered as the most critically degraded watershed of the Golestan Province, northeastern Iran. Therefore, this research was carried out to evaluate the effects of land cover and various management measures on the amount of carbon sequestration in surface soil layer through a comparative analysis between two sub-watersheds of Dehchenashk (treatment) and Chamanie-bala (control).Material and methods: In the present study, the effect of management measures on carbon sequestration in areas under management measures (treatment) and types of land use (forest, croplands, and orchards) was studied. The croplands and orchards as controls and terracing and tree saplings activities (biological measures) as the treatment measures were compared in terms of carbon sequestration. Sampling was conducted using randomly selected plots along the defined transects. Within each plot, above-ground biomass was measured for crops and trees. Also, the effect of management measures on improving land cover and reducing soil erosion from viewpoints of the local stakeholders was carried out using the questionnaire survey.Results and discussion: The results showed that the average of biomass carbon sequestration (ton/ha) in both treatment and control sub-watersheds in dense (5.10 and 4.91), low-density (4.98 and 4.80), and degraded forests (4.27, 95 and 95) was more than walnut (Juglans regia) (3.08 and 2.85) and apple (Malus pumila) (2.21 and 2.00) orchards, and croplands cultivated with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) (1.55 and 1.50), wheat (Triticum aestivum) (1.40 and 1.32), lentil (Lens culinaris) (1.38 and 1.30), and barley (Hordeum vulgare) (1.26 and 1.19), respectively. Regarding biological practices carried out in the treatment sub-watershed, the average carbon sequestration in walnut orchards (2.72) was higher than pear (Pyrus communis) (1.88) and cherry (Cerasus avium) (1.66) orchards and terraced lands cultivated with alfalfa (1.65), wheat (1.50) and lentil (1.40). Also, statistical comparison using T-test between high density, low-density, and degraded forests and apple orchards and barley croplands showed no statistically significant difference at 5% level. The amount of sequestrated biomass carbon in walnut, pear, and cherry orchards and terraced lands cultivated with lentil, alfalfa, and wheat showed significant differences in comparison with the control lands. Moreover, the evaluation of viewpoints of the local stakeholders on the effect of management measures implemented in the Deh-Chanashk sub-watershed, indicated that they believe that the implemented watershed management practices have played a significant role in improving the sub-watershed condition in terms of land cover, soil stabilization, and soil erosion reduction.Conclusion: Therefore, among the watershed management measures undertaken, extending the orchard plantation, particularly walnut plantation, to croplands on the steep slopes is recommended as a high priority management option across the study region due to higher ability to carbon sequestration as well as soil erosion prevention.
Original Article
Alireza Zakeri; Nastaran Akbarian; Kamand Hedayat
Abstract
Introduction: In the recent decades with the increase of population and the expansion of industries, various chemicals have entered the environment and polluted the ecosystem and PCBs are one of these life threatening contaminants. Microbial degradation of PCBs has been considered as one of the cost ...
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Introduction: In the recent decades with the increase of population and the expansion of industries, various chemicals have entered the environment and polluted the ecosystem and PCBs are one of these life threatening contaminants. Microbial degradation of PCBs has been considered as one of the cost effective and efficient methods to the remove these contaminants from the environment.The aim of the present study was to measure the concentration of poly- chlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in the soil around power transformers in Taleghan region of Karaj. We also aimed to identify and extract bacteria that degrade PCBs to be used as biological removal in the environment.Material and methods: For this purpose, soil samplings were done at five stations in different places around power transformers. Samplings were performed in a depth of 20 cm in sterile conditions and samples were kept in glass containers. LB broth Blood Agar and McConkey culture media were used to identify and determine the bacteria degrading PCBs.Results and discussion: Five samples were examined, only two of which were positive for PCBs contamination. Microbial exploration was performed in these two samples. In one of the samples, the amount of PCBs was 3 PPM, while in the second sample, the total amount of PCBs was estimated to be less than 0.02 PPM. These two samples were cultured both directly and diluted. In samples 1 and 2, which were cultured directly, gram-negative bacilli grew. In diluted sample 1, no bacteria grew, while in diluted sample 2, cocci were grown and in gram coloring, it turned purple so it was gram-positive. Direct samples 1 and 2 contained bacilli and turned red (gram-negative) in response to gram coloring.Conclusion: The use of these bacteria to remove the compounds of PCBs is one of the useful ways to reduce pollution in these places, with the least harmful effects on the environment and at the same time the most profitable sectors of the industry.
