Original Article
Raheleh Hatefi; Habibollh Younesi; Ali Mashinchian-Moradi; Saeed Nojavan
Abstract
Introduction: The pharmaceutical industry is occurred in the fourth wastewater production with significant amounts of drugs and precursors required in pharmacy that are toxic and are not removed by traditional methods, so have to be used advanced technology for treatment. The purpose of this study was ...
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Introduction: The pharmaceutical industry is occurred in the fourth wastewater production with significant amounts of drugs and precursors required in pharmacy that are toxic and are not removed by traditional methods, so have to be used advanced technology for treatment. The purpose of this study was synthesis of Fe3O4, anatase TiO2, loading of TiO2 on the Fe3O4 surface, synthesis of GQD based on maltose for the first time, loading of GQD on the Fe3O4/TiO2 and investigating the efficiency of as-synthesized photocatalyst Fe3O4/TiO2/GQDs for imipramine photodegradation from aquatic media.Material and methods: Firstly, prepared photocatalyst Fe3O4/TiO2/GQDs included three components, which produced in four steps. Firstly, iron oxide was prepared in the form of magnetite by co-precipitation method. Then, Fe3O4/TiO2 was synthesized by sol-gel manner and titanium iso propoxide (IV) as a titanium source in anatase crystalline form. In the third step, maltose was used as procedure for GQD production in hydrothermal method. So, as-synthesized photocatalyst was obtained by loading GQD on the Fe3O4/TiO2. Then, the structural properties and quality of the nanocomposite were investigated using FT-IR, Nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, FESEM and HRTEM technique. Finally, the efficiency of photocatalytic decomposition was examined affected by different independent variables.Results and discussion: FT-IR results of naopowders and prepared photocatalyst indicated absorbance peaks of C=C, C-H, C-O, Fe–O and Ti-O-Ti bonds. Also, new peaks were appeared in 1400 and 1170 cm-1 which is related to forming the Fe–O bond between Fe in Fe3O4 and the carboxyl group in GQDs, showing the successful preparation of Fe3O4/TiO2/GQD. The specific surface area was 38 m²/g in Nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm. According to IUPAC classification, the isotherm curve of photocatalyst was the type IV and hysteresis loop of types due to mesoporous structure. FESEM images determined the almost spherical morphology of as-synthesized photocatalyst and homogenous distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles on the magnetite surface that was utilized without any changes in morphology but particle size changing after loading TiO2 on the magnetite particles. HRTEM results confirmed the spherical spherical shape with less than 50 nm diameter and the lattice spacing related to anatase (TiO2) and GQDs. Also, the photocatalytic efficiency of the as-synthesized nanocomposite were measured for achieving the maximum removal of imipramine related to different variables including photocatalyst dose, pH, ambient temperature, and irradiation time. The best yield gained exceed 90% in experimental sample and about 70% in real wastewater under the optimum condition comprising photocatalyst dose of 0.5 g/L, pH ≈3, temperature ≈40 °C for 120 minutes. The reusability of the synthesized photocatalytic material investigated which was stable and active similar to primary sample and suitable for many times.Conclusion: The results showed, the dominant mechanism of imipramine degradation was oxidative decomposition via the photogenerated holes and followed by the first-order models under the UVA light irradiation. Therefore, results proved as-prepared photocatalyst Fe3O4/TiO2/GQDs could be developed for treatment of persistence organic pollutants in industrial wastewater under optimized conditions.
Original Article
Jalil Badamfirooz; Alireza Rahmati; Nooshin Daneshpajooh; Roya Mousazadeh; Reza Mirzaei
Abstract
Introduction: Arak is one of the eight most polluted cities in Iran, whose pollution is mainly due to the activities of various industries located in the city or its suburbs. Using air pollution modeling it would be possible to estimate the effect of emissions of suspended particles and gases from the ...
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Introduction: Arak is one of the eight most polluted cities in Iran, whose pollution is mainly due to the activities of various industries located in the city or its suburbs. Using air pollution modeling it would be possible to estimate the effect of emissions of suspended particles and gases from the activities of various industries on the local environment. This study is an attempt to investigate the impact of existing and under construction industries in Arak on the air quality of the city using the ADMS model as a widely used and trusted model of the Department of Environment (DoE).Material and methods: Because the main sources of air pollution in Arak are of focal type, in modeling air pollution, 17 large industries (including 98 chimneys) located in the city were considered as pollution points. In addition to the emission data, the geometrical data of the chimneys including the height and diameter of their opening and the temperature of the exhaust air were also included in the model. To validate the model outputs, the measurement values of the environmental stations were compared with the values estimated by the modeling using Pearson linear correlation coefficient.Results and discussion: The results showed that the concentration of CO, SO2, and NO2 in all stations was within the permissible level announced by the DoE. The dispersion of suspended particles (contour lines) in the city was to the west and southwest and up to a radius of 3 km in the prevailing and semi-prevailing wind direction. This for Shazand was to the west up to a radius of 1 km in the prevailing wind direction and to the southwest up to 5 km in the direction of semi- prevailing wind until reaching the background concentration of 19.1 μg. Accumulation of SO2 contour lines in Shazand pollution center was observed up to a radius of 7 km in the west direction and up to a radius of 10 km in the southwest direction. The accumulation of NO2 contour lines was the same as NO2. The radius of impact of CO gas was extended from Arak to Shazand. Accumulation of CO contour lines in Arak was up to a radius of 5 km in the direction of west and southwest. The accumulation of H2S contour lines in Shazand was up to a radius of 5 km towards the directions of west, southeast, and southwest. In general, the difference between the sampling and modeling results indicated the pollution sources that were not observed in the model and were beyond those emitted from the factories. In most stations, the modeled and directly monitored SO2 concentrations were not much different and the correlation coefficient of the data was high, indicating the accuracy of the calculations and the prominent role of industries in the emission of this gaseous pollutant. Also, in most stations, the results of environmental measurement of NO2 were less than the modeled values, revealing that the industries had a greater share in the emission of this gas. The overestimate of this emission may probably be due to the inclusion of the under construction industries in the model. The environmental concentration of CO in all stations was higher than the modeled values. Industries have a small share in the pollution load of this pollutant while in urban areas, the concentration of CO depends on the mobile sources and traffic load.Conclusion: In general, the pollution levels of the city showed that the center of pollution was in the southeast of Arak and in the complex of the refinery, petrochemical company, and thermal power plant. According to the overlaid contours of emissions, a number of points (14 points) that were closest to the pollution centers were proposed as critical stations, two points as control stations, and 4 points as the stations exposed to pollution in each period.
Original Article
Kamal Siahcheshm; Mahnaz Mohammadi; Saied Mohammad Sorouraddin
Abstract
Introduction: Oxidation of sulfide mineralized zones during the weathering processes is intensified by biological and chemical reactions and the resulting Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) causes the release and mobility of toxic and heavy metals from the parent rock and their concentration in soil or water. ...
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Introduction: Oxidation of sulfide mineralized zones during the weathering processes is intensified by biological and chemical reactions and the resulting Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) causes the release and mobility of toxic and heavy metals from the parent rock and their concentration in soil or water. In this study, soil samples taken from the surroundings of the village of Doustbaglu (northwest of Meshginshahr), which is considered a typical mineralization and alteration area, were studied and chemical species, toxicity, and origin of heavy elements were determined.Material and methods: In this study, total concentration and bioavailability of heavy elements i.e. As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Sb, Ni, and Zn in five surface soil samples were evaluated by Tessier sequential extraction method in five phases (exchangeable, connected to carbonate, bound to iron and manganese oxides, bound to organic matter, and residual phase) and using the Visual Minteq thermodynamic software.Results and discussion: The results of the sequential extraction method showed that the highest concentration of the total concentration of all studied heavy elements was retained in the residual fraction (stabilized in the mineral structure). This indicates the geogenic origin of these elements and can be considered the result of erosion and weathering of rocks in the region. Compared to other elements, Sb had a higher concentration in potentially available fractions (e.g. exchangeable, carbonate-bound, bound to Fe-and Mn-oxides, and/or organic matter) and can be readily available to plants and toxic. The software output delineates that the predominant species in the examined samples were lead as Pb (SO4)22-, Pb2+ and PbSO4(aq); copper as CuSO4 (aq) and Cu2+; nickel as NiSO4 (aq), Ni2+ and NiSO4; antimony as Sb(OH)3, Sb(OH)2+ and Sb(OH)61-; zinc as Zn(SO4)22-, ZnSO4(aq) and Zn2+; arsenic as H3AsO3 and H2AsO4-; cadmium as Cd(SO4)22-, and Cd2+. The predominant species of chromium were CrSO4+, CrOHSO4(aq), and HCrO4-. In general, the free water-soluble species of these elements were more mobile than other species; instead, the concentration of these species was very low relatively, and most of these elements were more present in the form of complexes with low mobility.Conclusion: Based on sequential extraction results, all studied elements showed high ecological risk potential and significant pollution in the sediment of waterways and surface soil horizons of the Doustbaglu area. Analysis of the findings of Visual Minteq software indicates that the most active types of elements and related concentrations, among all possible types, include: Cd2+(1.49%), CrOHSO4(aq)(25.20%), Cu2+(10/38%), Pb2+(1/37%), ZnSO4(aq) (18.83%), respectively. Since more mobile species have low concentrations and on the other hand, according to the results of sequential extraction, most of the studied elements are present in the remaining phase, so the bioavailability and toxicity of these elements are estimated to be negligible. In general, it can be concluded that only a small percentage of elements are present in bioavailable fractions, and this can alleviate concerns about the possibility of element release by changing environmental conditions and thus accessibility to plants.
Original Article
Fateme Bayat; Hesam Ghodousi; Kazem Shahverdi
Abstract
Introduction: The rapid growth of population, agriculture, urban and industries has led to increasing water demand and competition for its consumptions. The promotion of agricultural water productivity has the main effect on improving water consumption. Water delivery and scheduling methods are important ...
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Introduction: The rapid growth of population, agriculture, urban and industries has led to increasing water demand and competition for its consumptions. The promotion of agricultural water productivity has the main effect on improving water consumption. Water delivery and scheduling methods are important to increase the flexibility of irrigation systems. Among different available methods, the on-request water delivery has higher flexibility than the rotational one and doesn’t need the high cost of automatic systems. The appropriate adjustment of the structures and their operational instructions between successive requests is a function of discharge variation, time interval between operations, coincidence of different request, physical condition of canal and structures and hydrodynamic behavior of the flow, which is a complex task. To obtain the performance of the recently utilized method, i.e., FSL (Fuzzy SARSA Learning), it is necessary to compare it to a traditional method like Artificial Neural Network (ANN). In this research, data from the east Aghili canal was trained for programming water delivery and distribution using MLP (Multi-Layer Perceptron) and RBF (Radial Basis Function) networks of ANN with the on-request method. Finally, the results of the FSL and ANN models were compared.Material and methods: In this research, the MLP (Multi-Layer Perceptron) and RBF (Radial Basis Function) networks of ANN were used to determine the procedure for exploiting the operational instructions of the on-request method in the east Aghili canal, in Khuzestan Province, using its flow and gate opening data. In this research, 70%, 15%, and 15% of data were used to train, test, and validate the model, respectively. The correlation coefficient and root mean square error were used for determining the better method. Modeling of the canal was done using the Irrigation Canal Conveyance System (ICSS) hydrodynamic model. To evaluate the MLP, RBF, and FSL outputs, maximum and average errors of water depth, adequacy, efficiency, equity, and dependability were used.Results and discussion: The operational instructions were determined using the MLP in March 2017 in the east Aghili canal, and were compared to the corresponding determined operational instructions using FSL. According to the obtained results, it was observed that the MPA index in the ANN method in the first and second block of this channel, respectively were 0.952 and 0.919 and in the case of using the FSL method, these values were equal to 0.996 and 1. Also, the MPF index in the simulation using the ANN in both blocks were equal to 1 and in the case of FSL, these values were equal to 0.999 and 0.971. The maximum error of MAE of water level in the first and second block of the study, respectively were equal to 9.2 and 3.8 % and in the case of using the FSL method, these were equal to 5.5 and 7.4 %. The results showed that the MLP was better than the RBF to determine the operational instructions. The MAE and IAE indicators were minimum, and the water delivery indicators were close to their desired values according to the Molden and Gates (1990) criteria. Aldo, it was revealed that the FSL was better than the MLP, however, the MLP results were valid and can be used in practice.Conclusion: In this research, the ANN model was used for determining operational instructions using MATLAB. The training was done using the MLP and RBF using the east Aghili canal data. The ICSS was used for simulating the canal. The results showed that the MLP was better than RBF, and the FSL model was better than the MLP as well. However, both of them can be used in practice.
Original Article
Safa Gohari; Ahmadreza Mehrabian; Raheleh Shokouhi Shoormasti
Abstract
Introduction: Palynology as a multidisciplinary science can provide data base for a wide range of sciences such as Plant Systematics, Melissopalynology (quality control of honey), Aeropalynology, Stratigraphy, Palynology, Forensic Palynology, Paleoclimate, prediction and simulation of past climatic events, ...
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Introduction: Palynology as a multidisciplinary science can provide data base for a wide range of sciences such as Plant Systematics, Melissopalynology (quality control of honey), Aeropalynology, Stratigraphy, Palynology, Forensic Palynology, Paleoclimate, prediction and simulation of past climatic events, Archaeology, phylogeny, etc. Because several cultivated and ornamental species are classified as allergenic plants, identification, classification, and preparation of their database have particular importance. So far, few studies has been carried out on palynology in Iran. Therefore, it seems that carrying out a palynological study and preparing its database in Tehran is the first step in allergy research. The objectives of this study were to investigate the morphological and micro-morphological characteristics and classification, as well as preparing palynological database in Tehran.Material and methods: Tehran has an area of about 600 km2 due to its location on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountainous Region, widely extended along north to south and east to west zones, therefore showing a variety of climatic conditions that include diverse species (e.g., ornamental, etc.). So, after reviewing the published flora and present information on green space databases in the area, target taxa were selected. The plant samples were collected by field samplings and were deposited based on standard methods. Finally, the pollen grains were coated with gold material. Then, they were scanned with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Afterward, they were identified by diverse pollen references on palynology.Results and discussion: The results of this study include the preparation of a native visual source about the pollen grains of 145 species of shrubs and cultivated herbaceous plant species in Tehran. These 145 plant species belong to 65 families, including 95 herbaceous species and 50 shrub species. Asteraceae (16 species) and Rosaceae (14 species) had the most species. Among the 131 studied genera, 43 genera were reported to be allergic. Asteraceae with 5 genera and Cupressaceae and Oleaceae with 3 genera had the highest frequency of allergenic species among the studied families. The results of this study showed that allergenic shrubs are more abundant than allergenic herbaceous plants. However, trees and shrubs have more allergenic effects due to more pollen production and wind pollination. The pollen grains of these species are usually small and can be scattered over long distances and have a longer durability in the air. The results of this study show that allergic pollens also have a high morphological diversity, however, the significant effect of pollen grain micro-morphological characteristics on allergies requires more extensive studies.Conclusion: The achievements of this study will serve as a pilot for the study of palynological study, especially in asthma and allergy in the country. The results of this study show that in Tehran, several plant species have been planted without considering allergenic considerations, which should be considered as an important warning for ecological managers of the city.
Original Article
Hamid Sarkheil; Zeinab Karimi Asl; Mohammad Talaeian Araghi
Abstract
Introduction: The problem of noise pollution is the most severe problem that most people encounter with in public. The purpose of this study was to investigate the amount of noise pollution caused by Tehran metro train traffic at the time of arrival and departure at the underground stations of ...
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Introduction: The problem of noise pollution is the most severe problem that most people encounter with in public. The purpose of this study was to investigate the amount of noise pollution caused by Tehran metro train traffic at the time of arrival and departure at the underground stations of Darvazeh Doulat and Tajrish.Material and methods: This study was conducted in the summer and autumn of 1398 in Darvazeh Doulat and Tajrish stations of Tehran Metro Line 1. The maximum and minimum values of noise pollution Intensity were recorded at specific distances from the edge of the platforms in the morning and evenings. Once every three days, 48 stations were measured and analyzed. In the continuation of the research in Tajrish Station, the distribution of noise pollution has been estimated by performing limited impressions using artificial neural network.Results and discussion: The values measured at specific distances from the edge of the platform show that the amount of noise pollution from the arrival of trains to the platform, the simultaneous entry of two trains to the platform, the arrival of non-stop trains, and crossing the platform in most times, was higher than standard. In some harvesting stations, it reached over 100 decibels, which indicates the critical situation of noise pollution in these subway platforms.Conclusion: The methods used in the present study have effectively estimated the amount of noise pollution in subway platforms. By identifying critical areas and providing measures to manage noise pollution, the damage on the health of citizens caused by noise pollution can be managed.
Original Article
khadijeh asghari; hamid jalilvand; hamed asadi
Abstract
Introduction: Species diversity is a combination of two interrelated components of species richness and evenness. The first component is the species richness, which is related to the number of species in the sampling unit; The second component is evenness, which refers to the distribution of species ...
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Introduction: Species diversity is a combination of two interrelated components of species richness and evenness. The first component is the species richness, which is related to the number of species in the sampling unit; The second component is evenness, which refers to the distribution of species in the site. One of the important problems of these indicators is not determining the contribution of these two components in the diversity index value. An effective method that has been developed for this purpose is called SHE. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the diversity of understory species in four natural stands, Acer velutinum Boiss, Alnus subcordata C. A. M. and Cupressus sempervirens. var horizontalis afforestation in the Colet forest.Material and methods: In this research, 40 square plots with an area of 400 square meters, were selectively used for sampling in the study area. Then, the list of all herbaceous species with their cover percentage was recorded by Vandermarel criteria. Woody species were counted in each sample plot. The grass and wood cover data were imported and analyzed in Excel and PAST software for analyzing of richness (number of species, Margalf richness and Menhenick richness), evenness (Shannon-Wiener), and diversity (Simpson and Shannon-Wiener). The normality and homogeneity of the data were evaluated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Leven test, respectively. SHE analysis was used to determine the contribution of each component of richness and evenness.Results and discussion: The results of comparing the mean of different diversity indices related to herbaceous species showed that the four studied stands (natural, Acer velutinum Boiss, Alnus subcordata C. A. M. and Cupressus sempervirens. var horizontalis) have significant differences in terms of richness (Margalef and Menhinick) (P <0.01). The results of the classification of plants in terms of biological form by the Raunkiaer method also showed that hemicryptophytes have the highest abundance in the study area. Also, the SHE analysis of richness and evenness components for woody regeneration species in the Colet area showed that the evenness of the trend was constant among the four stands and the richness index in the Cupressus sempervirens and natural stands was fluctuating and had an increasing trend. In the Alnus subcordata stand, the evenness and richness indices had the same contribution in determining the diversity of herbaceous species and woody regeneration in this region. In addition, the SHE curve showed that the richness curve (LnS) and the uniformity (Ln E) do not change with each other, and the change in the richness curve is greater than the evenness. This indicates a greater contribution of richness than evenness in the contribution of determining the diversity of data related to herbaceous species and woody regeneration. In fact, this showed that with the increase in the number of samples, only rare species were being added to the list of herbaceous and woody species.Conclusion: In general, the results of the present study showed that the diversity of herbaceous species due to species composition in the natural stand had the highest value in this region. Also, richness and diversity of woody plants in natural stand and broadleaves reforestation stands were higher than coniferous reforestation. Therefore, reforestation with broadleaves species has a positive effect on the diversity in the region. Also, the effective factor on the diversity indices in the four stands was the richness component (Ln S), which means that severe changes and fluctuations in plant species and their composition was observed.
Original Article
hamid Sodaeizade; fariba hokmollahi; amir hossein nateghi; Manouchehr Mohammadi
Abstract
Introduction: Natural and human activities lead to soil degradation and soil salinization. In the last two centuries, world metal pollution level has increased extremely. The presence of some heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems is a constant threat to the health of human societies. The decrease of farmlands ...
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Introduction: Natural and human activities lead to soil degradation and soil salinization. In the last two centuries, world metal pollution level has increased extremely. The presence of some heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems is a constant threat to the health of human societies. The decrease of farmlands threatens food security. There are approximately one billion ha salt-affected soils all over of world, which can be utilizable after chemical, physical and biological remediation. Many mines in the world and also in Iran exist and as a result, soil erosion and dust release from waste dams is a matter of concern. Bioremediation using biological agents to detoxify and degradation of environmental pollutants provides a suitable alternative method for substitution of current heavy metals removal strategies..Material and methods: As a result of extraction operations by cyanidation in Mouteh gold mining complex, wastewater and waste soil sediment are widely achieved. In this study soil samples were collected from Mouteh Goldmine tailing dam soil in September 2018. The collected soil samples were cultured in BG11 medium and incubated for microalgae identification and biomass production. Also, 5 g soil was inoculated with 0.5 g biomass of cyanobacteria and the physicochemical characteristics of the soil including pH, Na, K, Pb, and Cd, before and after the inoculation of soil with cyanobacteria were determined.Results and discussion: In this study, cyanobacteria Phormidium tenue Gomont, Osillatoria tenuis C.Agardh ex Gomont, Lyngbya aestuarii Liebman ex Gomont and the green alga, Scenedesmus obliquus (Turpin) Kützing were identified. Culture results of filamentous cyanobacteria on goldmine tailing dam soil showed that cyanobacteria grew easily and produced a significant surface crust. The results of the physical analysis of the soil samples showed that O. tenuis decreased Na as a salinity element, and P. tenue absorbed high amounts of Pb as a heavy metal pollution element. Mouteh Goldmine soil cyanobacteria, Osillatoria tenuis and Phormidium tenue, could play a role in mine recovery from salinity and heavy metals and in mine tailing dam soil bioremediation. They can also prevent soil erosion and dust release from waste dams. Conclusion: Dust release from waste dams can affect the health of living organisms like mining workers, plants, and even soil microalgae that are close to the mine. Cyanobacteria create biological soil crust and the results of this research showed that cyanobacteria, especially Phormidium tenue species produced a bio-crust that prevent soil erosion.
Original Article
Mojtaba Ismailzadeh; Hossein Moradi
Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines has found its special place among the general public, which has led to the recognition and introduction of medicinal plants for use in the pharmaceutical industry. Iran's natural habitats are valuable genetic resources for ...
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Introduction: In recent years, the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines has found its special place among the general public, which has led to the recognition and introduction of medicinal plants for use in the pharmaceutical industry. Iran's natural habitats are valuable genetic resources for a large number of useful medicinal plants, including the growth of the Eryngium vehicle in the north of the country. Eryngium is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family that grows in abundance in the northern parts of the country. This valuable plant contains medicinal compounds such as acetylene, flavonoids, triterpene saponins.Material and methods: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of altitude on antioxidant compounds and constituents of essential oil of Eryngium at three altitudes (30, 100 and 300 meters above sea level) in Savadkuh section of Mazandaran Province, which was the natural habitat of this plant. After collection and drying, the plants were extracted with methanol solvent to measure traits such as antioxidants, phenol, and flavonoids. Also, in order to identify the essential oil compounds, and the percentage yield of essential oil, the essential oil was extracted by distillation with water and clevenger apparatus and the extracted essential oil compounds were identified by gas chromatography (GC / MS).Results and discussion: According to the results of this study, the traits of antioxidants, phenol, flavonoids and essential oil content were significant at the level of one percent (p <0.01). These results indicate that in the Eryngium, altitudes can be effective on phenolic and antioxidant compounds content of Eryngium. Research has shown that the chemical properties of the soil and altitude are the most important factor in changes in the amount of essential oil. These results show that antioxidant and phenolic compounds are affected by altitude and factors such as the amount and intensity of light, ultraviolet rays, temperature and precipitation. An altitude of 300 meters above sea level had the best effect on the percentage of free radicals in DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and doubled the percentage of salinity compared to 30 meters above sea level. However, in flavonoids, they did not show any difference between 30 and 100 meters above sea level, but they differed from plants harvested from 300 meters above sea level and included a larger amount. Also, with increasing height, the percentage of essential oil decreases. The results of the correlation of traits show that flavonoids and phenol have a significant relationship with increasing the percentage of essential oil yield. Antioxidants are also inversely related to the percentage of essential oils and flavonoids. The results of gas chromatography showed that compounds such as: D-limonene and beta.-sesquiphellandrene decreased with increasing altitude in essential oil and cis-.alpha.-Bisabolene increased with increasing altitude, in the essential oil of Eryngium. We also showed that the amount of identified compounds was not necessarily dependent on height and could be a function of other factors.Conclusion: The results showed that the amount of free radical inhibition of DPPH increased with increasing altitude, but the trend of percentage of essential oil yield decreased inversely with increasing altitude. Also, there was no significant difference between 30 and 100 meters above sea level in flavonoids. The number of compounds identified by gas chromatography was the highest at an altitude of 300 m above sea level. Also, the three compounds D-limonene, beta.-sesquiphellandrene and cis-.alpha.-Bisabolene were a function of altitude.
Original Article
Nateq Lashkari Sanami; Jamshid Ghorbani; Seyed Mohammad Hodjati; Ghorban Vahabzadeh Kebria; Babak Motesharezadeh
Abstract
Introduction: Mining activities causes substantial damage to the environment worldwide. Abandoned mine wastes from mining activities limit the growth of plants due to unfavorable conditions and the concentration of a wide range of heavy metals. Identifying plant species growing on mine waste and assessing ...
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Introduction: Mining activities causes substantial damage to the environment worldwide. Abandoned mine wastes from mining activities limit the growth of plants due to unfavorable conditions and the concentration of a wide range of heavy metals. Identifying plant species growing on mine waste and assessing their seed germinations are important for vegetation restoration on mining areas. This study aimed at assessing the germination characteristics of Artemisia absinthium, Lepidium draba, and Silybum marianum naturally growing on coal mine wastes in Mazandaran Province under different concentrations of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd).Material and methods: Seeds were collected from plants growing in coal wastes during 2 years. Completely randomized design was conducted with three replicates. Treatments were CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 at 0 (control), 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L, and Cd(NO3)2 at 0 (control), 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/L. In each replicate 20 seeds were placed in a Petri dish containing a layer of filter paper. Then treatments were applied and Petri dishes were taken to a germinator under controlled temperature, moisture, and light. Germinated seeds were counted daily and then germination percentage, germination rate, allometric coefficient, seed vigor index, phytotoxicity percentage and seed tolerance index were calculated.Results and discussion: The results showed that increasing the concentration of lead, copper, and cadmium significantly affected the seed germination of studied plants. S. marianum had better germination percentage and rate in lead, and copper while germination of A. absinthium, L. draba, was better in cadmium, and copper, respectively. The greatest reduction in germination percentage was found for A. absinthium in 20 and 30 mg/L Cd. As the concentration of metals increased, significant reduction in germination percentage and rate for A. absinthium started in lower concentrations than other species. Root and shoot length of all species was significantly reduced even in low concentration of metals and S. marianum had greater root and shoot length under all treatments. Reduction in seed vigor index was greater under Cu than that in Pb and Cd. High tolerance index was found for L. draba in response to Cd and for S. marianum under the stress of Pb and Cu. In all treatments, an increase in metal concentration significantly increased the phytotoxicity index. Under Cu and Pb S. marianum showed the least phytotoxicity index, while the lowest phytotoxicity index was found for L. draba under Cd stress. Cu and Cd in high concentration were more toxic for A. absinthium than that for the other two species. Under similar concentrations of Cu and Pb, all species showed reduced germination in copper stress. Cd in lower concentrations were tolerable for plants but generally it had the greatest inhibition especially on A. absinthium.Conclusion: Overall the responses were different regarding the plant species, metal and concentrations. All three species were able to germinate at high concentrations of heavy metals. The presence of these species in coal wastes and their ability to germinate in high concentrations of heavy metals makes it possible to use these plants in future restoration and phytoremediation programs.
Original Article
mohammad Karim motamed; fatemeh ghorbani piralidehi; Khadijeh Alizadeh Azbarai
Abstract
Introduction: Concerns about food security, food health, community health, as well as preventing the destruction of natural resources, led to the formation of the concept of sustainable agriculture. One of the important ways to implement sustainable agriculture is to implement integrated pest management ...
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Introduction: Concerns about food security, food health, community health, as well as preventing the destruction of natural resources, led to the formation of the concept of sustainable agriculture. One of the important ways to implement sustainable agriculture is to implement integrated pest management projects. Rice integrated pest management as a management and ecological approach can be an effective step in preserving the environment by reducing the consumption of inputs such as pesticides and chemical pests. Implementing integrated pest management operations, unlike chemical control methods, is associated with many complexities and requires the full cooperation and participation of farmers. So present research was aimed effect of paddy farmers' participation in rice integrated pest management projects with an emphasis on environmental protection indicators in Fooman Countyf Guilan Province. Material and methods: The method of the present research was quantitative-qualitative in terms of the general approach and applied in terms of purpose. The research was conducted in two stages. In the qualitative stage, a group of 30 experts and farmers (experts in sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management) were selected with snowball sampling and were then interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis using Maxqda software and the validity of the findings was confirmed using the triangulation method. In a quantitative stage, from 16 cities of Guilan Province, Fooman County was randomly selected. The researcher-made questionnaire was then distributed among 323 farmers participating in the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project. The participation rate was assessed in the form of five items with a Likert scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Frequency and percentage were used in the descriptive part and Spearman correlation coefficient was used in the inferential part.Results and discussion: The results showed that the level of rice farmers' participation in the project was moderate to good from their point of view. As a result, most participants had a moderate level of participation (58.82%). The participation of paddy farmers in integrated pest management projects has a significant correlation at the level of one percent except for a few cases with other effects presented by the interviewees (IPM team of experts and informants). But in terms of economic effects, paddy farmers had different views from the experts. According to the rice farmers of Fooman, their participation did not show a significant relationship with economic effects such as reducing rice production costs, increasing rice production and increasing income, as well as increasing the possibility of co-cultivation with the environmental effect.Conclusion: Complex IPM projects require the full involvement of farmers in order to be implemented. This study showed the role of the participation of paddy farmers in Fooman in the implementation of such projects and the evaluation of their positive effects by farmers on the continuity and strengthening of these projects with adequate funding and appropriate training by farmers and city officials.
Original Article
soraya khodadadi; mosayeb pahlavani; Ramezan Hossein Zadeh
Abstract
Introduction: Considering the services that the environment provides for human society, environmental pollution related issues have great importance. Air pollution is one of the environmental pollutions had more attention in recent decades. According to the economic literature, one of the ...
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Introduction: Considering the services that the environment provides for human society, environmental pollution related issues have great importance. Air pollution is one of the environmental pollutions had more attention in recent decades. According to the economic literature, one of the important factors affected the emission of air pollutants is the industrialization of economic activities and the structure of production in the industry sector. Accordingly, the current study investigated the direct and indirect effects (spillovers) of structural changes in the industrial sector on carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption. Material and methods: This research was carried out using the spatial econometric model for thirty provinces of Iran during 2006-2015. To calculate the index of structural change in production in this study, the index of structural change index presented by Lillian (2012) was used. Before estimating the model, , to check the stationarity of the variables, the Levin, Lin, Chou (LLC) unit root test was estimated, and finally, after performing the Hausman and multiple Wald test, , the spatial Durbin model was estimated with spatial random effects.Results and discussion: Based on the results of the Levin, Lin, Chou (LLC) unit root test, all variables of the model were I (0). Hausmann test also suggested the estimation by random effect method (RF). Based on the results of estimating the model, the effect of GDP per capita on carbon dioxide emissions was positive and significant; If GDP per capita increases by 1%, carbon dioxide emissions will increase by 0.22 %. The effect of energy intensity on carbon dioxide emissions was positive and significant; If the energy intensity increases by 1%, carbon dioxide emissions will increase by 0.06 %. The effect of population on carbon dioxide emissions was positive and significant; If the population increases by 1%; emissions of carbon dioxide will increase by 0.95%. The effect of changes in industrial structure on carbon dioxide emissions has been negative. This means that the industrial structure in different provinces has changed in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, although the contribution of these changes in reducing this pollutant was small. On the other hand, the spatial impact of industrial structure changes on carbon dioxide emissions was negative and significant. The coefficient related to the effects of industrial overflow showed that if the index of changes in the industrial structure increases by 1%, carbon dioxide emissions in adjacent areas will decrease by 0.03 %. Conclusion: Model estimation has shown that the restructuring of industry has a direct and negative effect on carbon emissions in the provinces. This indicates that the structure of the industry in different provinces has changed to industries with lower carbon dioxide emissions. One of the reasons for this could be the increase in the share of sub-sectors of the industry that have low energy consumption. Another reason for this could be the increase in the share of sectors that use fossil fuels with less pollution. Other results of the model have shown that the change in the structure of production in the industrial sector of the provinces has had indirect effects (spillovers) on the production of the provinces. Based on the results of the model, it is suggested that policies be adopted to transfer factors and resources from low-efficiency sectors to high-efficiency sectors. Also, energy efficiency policies in high-energy intensive industrial sectors and sub-sectors that use high-emission fossil fuels such as diesel and fuel oil should be considered.
Original Article
Fatemeh Dargahian; Somayeh Heydarnejad; Saeedeh Nateghi
Abstract
Introduction: Water depletion in wetlands, due to both natural and unnatural reasons, leads to the extinction and death of living organisms. After successive droughts, if flooding and rehydration occur, their recovery is highly unlikely. According to the Ramsar Agreement, the area of Shadegan Wetland ...
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Introduction: Water depletion in wetlands, due to both natural and unnatural reasons, leads to the extinction and death of living organisms. After successive droughts, if flooding and rehydration occur, their recovery is highly unlikely. According to the Ramsar Agreement, the area of Shadegan Wetland is 537731 hectares and includes freshwater area, tidal zone, Mousa creek, and marginal lands. The freshwater area of the wetland is about 164 thousand hectares based on the Landsat satellite image during flooding and is equivalent to 28% of the total area of the wetland. This wetland is extremely important due to various functions such as flood control, air conditioning, soil erosion control, plant and animal habitat, and providing livelihood. The purpose of this study is to monitor the trend of changes in the freshwater area of the wetland using satellite images and identify the factors affecting changes in its area.Material and methods: Landsat TM, ETM +, and OLI satellite data from 1998 to 2017 were used to monitor the water area of Shadegan Wetland. Various climatic, hydro-climatic, and water management factors were extracted for the study period in the whole watershed. The trend of changes and their relationship with changes in the wetland water area were investigated using the principal component analysis (PCA) method, and the factors that explained the highest variance of water changes were identified and analyzed.Results and discussion: The trend of changes in the water area of Shadegan Wetland was increasing. Data using KMO and Bartlett statistics showed that the studied elements were suitable for changes in water area based on factor analysis. The results of factor analysis showed that five factors played an important role in changing the water area of Shadegan Wetland. In total, five factors were able to explain 88.9% of the variance of the data; the first factor was the temperature, the area under cultivation, the number of earthen dams and drains entering the sugarcane, which explained approximately 36% of the variance. The second factor was the humidity of the basin which explained 15% of the variance. The third factor was the instant discharge’s drought that explained 14.9% of the total variance. The fourth factor was discharge and precipitation with 11.8%, and the fifth factor was wetland moisture, which explained 11.2% of the variance of water area changes.Conclusion: Wetlands that are situated at the foothills of watersheds are affected by the factors in the watershed. In total, five factors were able to explain 88.9% of the variance of the changes. In the first factor, apart from temperature, three factors that result from human activities were the most important: the area under cultivation due to the development of large irrigation projects, use of water sources of Jarahi River, which is the source of 90% of water input to the lagoon and numerous dams, dams upstream of the wetland that prevent the arrival of flood and seasonal runoff, and sugarcane drainage as inlet water to the wetland. In order to manage the wetland, reduction of human activities and utilization of water resources in order to provide the natural water of the wetland should be considered so that the wetland can continue as a living ecosystem.
Original Article
Elham Ebrahimi; Laleh Ebrahimi
Abstract
Introduction: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive assessment method that allows the estimation of cumulative environmental impacts from all life cycle stages of an activity. The destructive effects of agricultural development on the environment are of great importance. Insufficient attention ...
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Introduction: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive assessment method that allows the estimation of cumulative environmental impacts from all life cycle stages of an activity. The destructive effects of agricultural development on the environment are of great importance. Insufficient attention to the pattern of consumption of production inputs in the agricultural sector as the primary consumer of water in Iran can exacerbate environmental challenges. Inputs misuse such as chemical fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity pollutes water and soil resources. On the other hand, in environmental impact assessment studies, crops have received much more attention than horticultural crops, while horticultural crops generally have more water requirements.Material and methods: As Iran, a semi-arid country, is facing a water shortage crisis, in this study, the evaluation of agricultural activities and apple and grape crops is considered. The ecological footprint and life cycle assessment (LCA) are used as suitable solutions for plans to reduce environmental pressures and meet needs to achieve sustainable development goals. Input generation information of Simapro 9.0.0.49 software was used to analyze the environmental impact. Calculations were performed for a functional unit of 1 kg. Life cycle impact was assessed and categorized into six impact groups: cumulative energy demand, ecological footprint, water footprint, global warming potential, greenhouse gas protocol, and eco-indicator (including greenhouse gases, ozone layer, acidification, eutrophication, heavy metals, pesticide, and energy resources).Results and discussion: According to the results, the water scarcity index based on the water footprint for apples was about 1.7 times that of grapes. The ecological footprint of carbon dioxide and surface occupation for apples was 1.3 and 4.65 times that of the grapes. Based on the accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxides, the potential for global warming was not significantly different between the two crops. Its value for apples was 1.3 times that of grapes. Greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide damages were 1.29 and 4.24 times higher for apples, respectively than for grapes. Consumption of energy sources for one functional unit of two apple and grape crops was 10.1 and 9.13 MJ LHV, respectively.Conclusion: Generally, the evaluation of the environmental impacts of apple and grapes production showed that in most of the studied indicators, apple causes more damage to the environment. However, the reduction of carbon dioxide per kilogram of apple is 44 times the same amount of grapes. Depending on the environmental situation of the study area, it is possible to decide on the cultivation preference of these two crops. Due to the limited water resources in Iran, changing and improving the cultivation pattern on micro and macro scales can significantly affect the environment. Crop management methods such as organic inputs, nitrogen-fixing plants, and tillage management can reduce environmental impacts. The use of biological pest control methods can prevent the improper use of pesticides and toxins, causing minor damage to the environment.
Original Article
Fatemeh Kazemiyeh; Asma Eidi
Abstract
Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and ...
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Introduction: Organic farming is one of the sustainable agricultural strategies that relies on natural methods to control pests and diseases and has been prevented from using artificial pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Given the importance of food security and the irreparable damage caused by overuse of chemicals in agriculture and human health, the main purpose of this study is to identify and explain the barriers to the development of organic farming. Due to its special geographical location and variety of agricultural products, West Azerbaijan Province has a high capacity in the production of organic products such as grapes, white berries, pomegranates and apples. Although the history of organic farming has long been common in West Azarbaijan Province, unfortunately, this type of agriculture is currently facing many obstacles and problems, so it is important to identify the factors that prevent the use of organic agriculture and should be addressed to solve these problems.Material and methods: The present study was quantitative-qualitative in terms of practical purpose and research paradigm. In the first stage, barriers to the development of organic agriculture were identified by Delphi method. A purposive sampling method was used to collect information. The statistical population of this stage was 25 university professors, experts, and specialists. In the second stage, the data obtained from the agreement of the experts were provided to the experts as a closed questionnaire. The statistical population of the study at this stage included 101 experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Urmia, which due to the limited statistical population was used to collect information with the census method. In order to analyze the data, the exploratory factor analysis technique was used based on the method of analysis to the main components.Results and discussion: The value of KMO for the set of barriers to organic farming development was 0.79. Therefore, the number of samples was suitable for factor analysis. Bartlett's test score was 3072.307, which was significant at the 1% level. Therefore, it can be concluded that the separation of factors was done correctly and the variables of each factor had a high root correlation with each other. According to the research results, the most important barriers to the development of organic agriculture, respectively, included: barriers to information and agricultural knowledge (lack of sufficient knowledge in the production of organic products), motivational and attitude barriers (lack of interest and resistance of farmers in accepting cultivation of organic products), economic barriers (lack of financial support to withstand the damages of the past), technical-managerial and supportive barriers (unfamiliarity with the techniques and methods of cultivation of organic products and lack of a single and specific trustee for organic products), barriers to use (excessive consumption of chemical fertilizers), and extension barriers (farmers' limited participation in extension and educational programs.Conclusion: Agricultural planners should be guided by solutions in the field of facilitating the export of organic agricultural products, supporting farmers in organic farming, and carrying out extension activities to use the existing capacities in the country. Agricultural research must be done on the use of organic and biological fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Special attention must be paid to organic agriculture in developing strategic plans for agricultural research and appropriate and separate pricing systems for organic products. Training and extension courses in organic farming for farmers and encouraging them to participate in these classes are also encouraged.
