Original Article
Shina Ansari Hamedani; Reza Arjmandi; Saeed Motessadi Zarandi; Mohammad Ali Baghestani; Reza Azizinezhad
Abstract
Introduction: Consumption of organophosphorus pesticides in agriculture causes many environmental problems. Water and soil pollution and disruption of the balance of natural ecosystems, the emergence of new pests and diseases, the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural products and the resulting ...
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Introduction: Consumption of organophosphorus pesticides in agriculture causes many environmental problems. Water and soil pollution and disruption of the balance of natural ecosystems, the emergence of new pests and diseases, the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural products and the resulting health effects have made the consumption management of organic phosphorus pesticides an unavoidable necessity. Despite the low per capita consumption of pesticides in the country on a global scale, the unfavorable use of organophosphorus pesticides in some parts of the country, including the Northern provinces and the resulting pollution, is one of the most important environmental issues in the country. In this study, according to the EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient), diazinon pesticide was evaluated as hazardous to the environment of the study area due to its widespread use against Chilo suppressalis in water and soil of paddy fields.Material and methods: Detection of diazinon pesticide in water and soil of paddy fields in Mazandaran province was done by determining fixed stations for sampling in accordance with spraying paddy fields. A total of 50 soil and water samples were gathered for the first cultivation and 30 soil and water samples were gathered for the second cultivation and were measured by Gas Chromatography after being transferred to the laboratory. Sampling was done from late June to mid-August for the first cultivation, and from the first week of September to late October for the second cultivation of rice. Sampling was done in three seasons: spring, summer (before transplanting or during harvest) and autumn (for the second rice cultivation).Results and discussion: The results of measuring the target pesticide show a significant difference in the amount of diazinon in the water of the first cultivation compared to the second cultivation and the soil of the first cultivation compared to the second cultivation. Also, the average of diazinon in the water samples of the second cultivation was 7.8 times higher compared to the first cultivation and 1.66 times higher in the soil samples of the second cultivation compared to the first cultivation, which indicates high and alarming amounts of diazinon in the second rice cultivation. Stability and solubility of diazinon, as well as the environmental conditions of Mazandaran province, especially the high groundwater level, extend the life of this pesticide and consequently cause serious environmental hazards.Conclusion: Sustainable use of cultivated lands with a focus on improving production efficiency and increasing crop efficiency, creating a strategic center and a single regulator in the country to manage pesticide consumption, develop general and specialized training for groups of stakeholders in the production, supply and consumption of pesticides, registration and application of pesticides based on environmental impact factor, gradual removal and replacement of high-risk pesticide diazinon and the use of new methods and technologies to deal with important pests of rice are among the most important things that should be considered as strategies and executive policies resulting from research.
Original Article
Maryam Saberian Sani; Romina Sayyahnia
Abstract
Introduction: Functional infrastructures act as an integrated system to support sustainable development. Therefore, it is worthwhile to use appropriate methods to evaluate the range capacities of functional infrastructures and the balance between them.Material and methods: In this research, the FUICC ...
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Introduction: Functional infrastructures act as an integrated system to support sustainable development. Therefore, it is worthwhile to use appropriate methods to evaluate the range capacities of functional infrastructures and the balance between them.Material and methods: In this research, the FUICC Catastrophe Model (FCM1) was used to evaluate the balance between the range capacity of functional infrastructures in the provinces of Iran. This model uses the methods of analysis of mean variance (MVA) and Critical Path Method (CPM), also the Load-Carrier modewas used to reflect the level of support for functional environmental infrastructure. The studied indicators were extracted from experimental data collected from 31 provinces of Iran by reviewing valid scientific sources in the field of functional infrastructure from 2015 to 2020 and the data used using the latest available statistics.Results and discussion: The results of this study showed that Gilan Province has the highest range capacity in green space infrastructure and Tehran Province has the highest range capacity in conventional functional and environmental infrastructures and also Tehran Province ranks first in the country in terms of balance between infrastructures. Regarding load-bearing analysis, the reflection of the level of support of functional environmental infrastructures shows that provinces such as Tehran, contrary to the good evaluation they showed in measuring range capacity. Due to the existing cargo volume, they do not provide a good level of support, and on the contrary, provinces such as Qom, which showed poor range capacity in this field, recorded good environmental performance for some factors in load-bearing analysis.Conclusion: There is a difference in the range capacity of functional infrastructure between provinces and in some areas with factors such as political, industrial, tourist, etc., it is higher than other provinces and the degree of balance between the capacity of functional infrastructure is generally weak in the provinces of Iran. Also, the reflection of the level of support of functional infrastructures has negative fluctuations and in general, in assessing the range capacity of functional infrastructures, there is a need for management measures .
Original Article
Roghayeh Karami; Hassan Rezaei; Abdolrassoul Salmanmahiy; Khalil Ghorbani
Abstract
Introduction: Today, natural resources’ managers in Iran and the world pay more attention to the participation of local stakeholders and indigenous knowledge in developing the integrated management plan of wetlands. Wetland management should contain four dimensions of wise use, sustainable ...
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Introduction: Today, natural resources’ managers in Iran and the world pay more attention to the participation of local stakeholders and indigenous knowledge in developing the integrated management plan of wetlands. Wetland management should contain four dimensions of wise use, sustainable management, integrated water resources management and comprehensive stakeholder participation. Stakeholders’participation in decision-making process leads to reaching consensus and reduces conflicts. The purpose of this study was to present a conceptual model of participatory management of Hamoun International Wetlands with the collaboration of local stakeholders.Material and methods: In this study, the opinions of 376 stakeholders living in 58 villages inside and around Hamoun International Wetlands were collected in the form of focus groups. The coding of the interviews and the presentation of the conceptual model were performed through qualitative content analysis - grounded theory - in Nvivo12 software. Reliability was calculated using the auditing method and the validity of the research was reviewed and confirmed by experts.Results and discussion: Data reliability was 76%, which is acceptable. Data analysis and comparison was implemented using 863 primary codes with repetition, 150 primary codes without repetition, 78 secondary codes, 20 concepts, 10 subcategories and six main categories. The results of data analysis revealed the participatory model of Hamoun International Wetlands comprised six components: comprehensive management of Hamoun Wetland, legal requirements for water supply through diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, empowerment of local stakeholders through training-consultative meetings, promotion and improvement of culture in adopting climate-friendly agricultural methods, reducing dependence on wetland through industrial and commercial development and sustainable protection of wetland environment.Conclusion: The results of this study presented the different dimensions of participatory wetland management using content analysis, which in particular can help the managers of Hamoun International Wetland and the managers of other wetlands in Iran in general in designing and implementing management plans and their proper outsourcing to local stakeholders. Therefore, using content analysis, the opinions of stakeholders, especially local stakeholders, can be included in management decisions.
Original Article
Behnam Kamkar; Pooya Aalaee Bazkiaee; Parysa Alizadeh Dehkordi; Ebrahim Amiri
Abstract
Introduction: Increasing greenhouse gases will have different effects on crop yields, so that the interaction of these effects may increase or decrease yields. Crop simulation models have been used to investigate different levels of crop and environmental managements. The aim of this study was to investigate ...
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Introduction: Increasing greenhouse gases will have different effects on crop yields, so that the interaction of these effects may increase or decrease yields. Crop simulation models have been used to investigate different levels of crop and environmental managements. The aim of this study was to investigate the AquaCrop model based on past, present and future climate in Rasht city located in Guilan Province to achieve maximum water productivity and rice grain yield.Material and methods: In order to study the changes in rice yield, water balance and productivity in Rasht city located in Gilan province under the past, present and future climate, the AquaCrop model was used. For this purpose, long-term data (over 30 years) were used to evaluate the yield and water balance in rice cultivation in the past and present climate. Also, using LARS-WG6 software, meteorological data for the next 83 years were generated based on the available daily meteorological data. The AquaCrop model was evaluated in the past, present and future climates based on daily data of minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation and sun hours. The studied treatments included four levels of irrigation including 55, 70, 85 and 100% of water requirement and the planting dates were April 21th, May 11th and May 31th. By examining the effect of different treatment levels based on RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate change scenarios, the rate of changes in grain yield, evapotranspiration and water productivity based on evapotranspiration in the past, present and future climates were investigated. Also, the best irrigation treatment and planting date were introduced to increase rice yield and reduce water consumption.Results and discussion: The evaluation results showed that the LARS-WG6 model is able to simulate the climatic components including temperature, precipitation and radiation with high accuracy. The results showed that the minimum and maximum temperatures increased during the climate change scenarios and the amount of radiation and precipitation decreased. The result of rice biomass and grain yield under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 showed that the highest grain and biomass yield was obtained in irrigation of 100% of water requirement and planting date on April 21th. The study of water productivity showed that irrigation treatment of 100% of water requirement and planting date of May 31th had an effective role in increasing soil water storage and reducing evapotranspiration from the soil surface. The highest water productivity in grain production based on evapotranspiration was obtained in irrigation of 100% of water requirement and planting date was May 31th.Conclusion: According to the obtained results, considering the water consumption productivity and yield and problems that will exist in the future including water shortage, it seems that late cultivation of rice in conditions of water shortage is a good solution, but under conditions where there is no water shortage, early cultivation of rice, such as April 21th, can increase the production. The study of irrigation levels showed that grain production is the most effective factor in increasing water use productivity and the use of low irrigation levels will not play an effective role in increasing water productivity.
Original Article
Mohammad Amin Ghannadi; Matin Shahri; Amirreza Moradi
Abstract
Introduction: Air pollution and its negative effects on human health have become a major issue around the world, especially in developing countries and Iran. Contaminants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and aerosols, in addition to having significant negative health consequences, ...
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Introduction: Air pollution and its negative effects on human health have become a major issue around the world, especially in developing countries and Iran. Contaminants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and aerosols, in addition to having significant negative health consequences, cause to damage vegetation and contribute to global climate change. Therefore, the comprehensive monitoring of pollutants and, consequently, appropriate management decisions to address the issue is required. Remote sensing methods, especially Sentinel-5, the European Space Agency's most recent project (in collaboration with the Netherlands), which allows for the capture of images in various spectral bands using a TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) sensor, are recognized as a useful tool for monitoring various types of air pollutants.Material and methods: In this analysis, the most significant air contaminants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and aerosol were monitored using Sentinel-5 satellite images for 20 major industrial cities in Iran in 2019 and 2020. A large number of level-3 images collected from Google Earth Engine were used in this research. Ground-based stations were used to verify the monitoring process.Results and discussion: The results show that monitoring values obtained using Sentinel-5 satellite images are at least 78 percent correlated with ground-based station values. As a result, it has been demonstrated that Sentinel-5 satellite images can be successfully used in management studies with the aim of reducing air pollution. Based on the results, it can also be inferred that, Tehran and Zanjan are respectively the most and the least polluted city in terms of total carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and dust in 2019. The same is true for 2020. It is also clear that air pollution levels in Karaj and Kermanshah increased significantly in 2020 compared to 2019. Another significant finding is that, in general, air pollution levels in 2020 are lower than in 2019. One significant explanation may be the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which resulted in a decrease in industrial activity and reduced traffic and congestion on the roads.Conclusion: In general, the results of this research showed that it is possible to systematically monitor the air pollutants using images captured by TROPOMI sensor on the Sentinel-5 satellite with acceptable accuracy. The results of this study can help researchers and urban managers for appropriate management in metropolitan areas.
Original Article
Mahdi Boroughani; Elham Fahiminejad; Iman Pazhouhan
Abstract
Introduction: The phenomenon of climate change can have different effects on different systems. Due to the vital role of water in human life, the study of its negative effects on the occurrence, severity and duration of drought is of particular importance. In this study, the effects of climate change ...
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Introduction: The phenomenon of climate change can have different effects on different systems. Due to the vital role of water in human life, the study of its negative effects on the occurrence, severity and duration of drought is of particular importance. In this study, the effects of climate change on droughts on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea in future periods will be evaluatedMaterial and methods: The region under study covers three northern provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, which Golestan and covers four percent in terms of area and 12 percent in terms of population of the whole Iran. In this study, the effects of climate change on droughts on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea in future periods will be evaluated. For this purpose, precipitation data from the HadCM3-A2 general circulation model for future periods (2099-2070, 2069-2040, 2039-2010) have been scaled statistically and while considering the uncertainty of climate fluctuations in the 20 series. At first, daily precipitation was produced. Then the standardized precipitation index was calculated for the monitoring period and future periods. Finally, the downscaled variables of the region were compared with the observed variables and after ensuring the ability of the HadCM3 model in downscaling temperature and precipitation variables of the region, observed daily time series of precipitation and temperature and large-scale variables from HadCM3 model in the periods of 2010-2039, 2040-2069, and 2070-2099) were fed to the SDSM model.Results and discussion: The results obtained from the output of this index in the monitoring period and future periods with different time scales show that the intensity of drought in the coming decades will increase compared to the monitoring period. This increase is more severe for the east of the Caspian Sea, so that the intensity of the drought in the 2080s will be three times the observation period. The results indicated that the climate change results in an increase in the frequency and severity of drought in the studied region. Findings of the present research indicate that in spite of the existence of variability in the SPI lower than 9 months, it has increased 25 and 23.5% in longer periods of 1 to 2 year periods in comparison with the historical period. The incompatibility of drought simulated in the future with observation period in Gorgan station with four remaining stations of the southern regions of the Caspian Sea should be noted. This situation may be due to differences in the resources of precipitation in the eastern and western coasts of the Caspian Sea and different response of two regions against the global warming. Different studies such as Alijani (1991) indicated that the Caspian Sea west coasts are more affected by the northerly flows of Siberian high pressure system than its east coasts, and in case of the establishment of the high pressure over Caspian Sea, precipitations in the west of the Caspian Sea will be higher than its eastern region. The phenomenon of global warming has resulted in weakening the Siberian high pressure system in general. Therefore, the degree of the reduction in precipitations in central and western regions of the Caspian Sea will be relatively higher than in its eastern regions such as Gorgan station.Conclusion: Occurrence of successive droughts and increasing drought intensity in the coming decades of the southern Caspian coastal areas will reduce water resources and the region-based economy will face a more severe crisis, in which case water resources management and development of strategic irrigation document and cultivation pattern a region compatible with socio-economic and climatic trends seems absolutely necessary.
Original Article
Mohammad Asgari; Mohsen Javanmiri pour; Vahid Etemad; Abdolmajid Liaghat; Azam Eskandari Rad
Abstract
Introduction: One of the main limitations in arid and semi-arid regions is the allocation of water resources for green space development. Since water and drought stresses along with an incorrect selection of species are the main factors that reduce seedling survival in the afforestation stages in arid ...
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Introduction: One of the main limitations in arid and semi-arid regions is the allocation of water resources for green space development. Since water and drought stresses along with an incorrect selection of species are the main factors that reduce seedling survival in the afforestation stages in arid and semi-arid regions, the aim of the current study is to investigate the morphological characteristics of Ash, Mullberry and Ash leaved maple seedlings in the greenhouse and the field under different water stress in Robat Karim town.Material and methods: Robat Karim is one of the towns of Tehran Province with an area of 275 square kilometers. To study the effect of water stress on morphological characteristics of seedlings species (three species) in two environment (greenhouse and field), 20 seedlings (120 seedlings in total) were planted in greenhouses and fields and in three water stress levels (two, four and six days after reaching MAD point) were tested in randomized complete block design with five replications. The saplings that reached the MAD point were not irrigated immediately and were subjected to three drought stresses two, four and six days after reaching the MAD point. Then the quantitative appearance characteristics of seedlings include parameters of leaf numbers, leaf size, seedlings height, and collar diameter, dry leaf weight, stem dry weight along with two qualitative characteristics of seedlings, which are leaf freshness and seedling health, were measured.Results and discussion: The results showed that the number of MAD period times in the greenhouse for Fraxinus rotundifolia Mill. species was 29, Acer negundo 28 and Morus alba 32 and in the field for Fraxinus rotundifolia Mill. species was 20, Acer negundo 20, and Morus alba 17 period times. Generally, in all three studied species, in May, as the first month of the research, the seedlings were in very good condition. In other months, after being under different water stress (two, four and six days), the number of leaves and leaf size always decreased over time. In the case of Ash leaved maple, the number of leaves in the greenhouse area in August was zero (absolute defoliation).Conclusion: Generally, by increasing water stress, leaf number, leaf size, dry leaf weight, dry stem weight, leaf freshness, and health of the saplings were reduced. It seems that six days after reaching MAD point is the suitable time to irrigate the saplings according to their morphological characteristics. Considering the appearance of seedlings during irrigation, it helps to use water efficiently, prevent over-irrigation and under-irrigation of seedlings and save the relevant costs.
Original Article
somayeh Shirzadi Laskookalayeh; Hamid Amirnejad; Sare Hosseini
Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, one of the most important challenges in the management of Hyrcanian forests is the continuation of the process of forests logging or its logging ban (forest respiration). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ...
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Introduction: In recent years, one of the most important challenges in the management of Hyrcanian forests is the continuation of the process of forests logging or its logging ban (forest respiration). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of logging plans and forest logging ban from an economic and social perspective and to provide appropriate management strategies in this field and prioritize them as a tool to reduce these challenges.Material and methods: The study was conducted in Mazandaran Province (Sari City) using field observations and questionnaire completion. The statistical sample of the study consisted of experts and faculty members specialized in the forestry field and rural communities on the margins of forests. In this study, entropy and SWOT techniques were used for data analysis.Results and discussion: The results of the study identified 4 strengths, 6 weaknesses, 8 opportunities and 2 threats for forest logging and 2 strengths, 9 weaknesses, 4 opportunities and 8 threats for forest logging ban. According to the SWOT matrix results, the most important strengths and opportunities for forest logging included reducing wood smuggling and meeting the country's wood needs, and the most important weakness and threats included logging costs and nature lovers' dissatisfaction, respectively. Also, the most important strengths and opportunities of the forest logging ban include increasing the economic value of forest environmental services and the tendency towards wood cultivation, and its most important weaknesses and threats were the reduction of employment and the increase of wood smuggling, respectively.Conclusion: According to the results of data related forest logging and forest logging ban (forest respiration) of the forests of the study area and based on analysis of QSPM matrix results, most appropriate management strategy for forest logging and forest logging ban was an offensive strategy and a defensive strategy, respectively.
Original Article
Zahra Parvizi zadeh; Mohammad Hossein Gharineh; Abdol Mehdi Bakhshandeh; Amin Lotfi Jalal-Abadi; Babak Pakdaman Sardrood
Abstract
Introduction: The plant chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) has a very important role in various pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and health industries due to its active compounds such as chamazulene, alpha-bisabolol as well as alpha-bisabolol A.Chamomile plant (Matricari chamomilla L.) has a very important ...
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Introduction: The plant chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) has a very important role in various pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and health industries due to its active compounds such as chamazulene, alpha-bisabolol as well as alpha-bisabolol A.Chamomile plant (Matricari chamomilla L.) has a very important role in various pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and health industries due to its compound compounds such as camazolin, alphabisabolol and alphabisabolol A. In this plant, organic nutrition and improved absorption of mineral elements would play an important role in the raise of yield and essence quality. Therefore, the use of biofertilizers such as mycorrhizal-like fungi is regarded as an important issue in the reduction of chemical fertilizer application and maintain crop health and the environment in nowadays agriculture. The use of the natural mineral, zeolite, is one of the new strategies in agricultural development for increasing water and nutrient use efficacy, where it improves plant growth through its capacity for water preservation and supply of nutritional materials.Material and methods: To study the effect of the application of the fungus Serendipita indica and the natural zeolit (Clinoptilolite) on the quantitative and qualitative yield of the German chamomile cv. Presov, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replicates was performed in the experimental field of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan during 2006-2007. The experimental factors included the fungus with two levels (either inoculation/ no inoculation) and zeolit with four levels of the application rates (tonnes per hectare): Z1 (0), Z2 (5), Z3 (10) and Z4 (15). After crop harvest performed omitting the marginal effect in a border-band of 50 cm width per plot surroundings, the traits of the number of secondary branches, the number of flowers per plant, biological yield, essence percentage, essence yield, the rate of phenolics, and flavonoids as well as the rate of antioxidant activity were determined.Results and discussion: The inoculation with the fungus and the lower levels of zeolit led to increased number of secondary branches and of flowers per plant. The highest rate of biological yield was obtained with 10 tonnes of zeolit per hectare, which was not statistically a significant difference from other levels of zeolite application but still significantly different from that in control. Higher percentage of extract could be produced with lower rates of zeolit. The highest rate of extract yield was yielded as a result of the inoculation with S. indica. Furthermore, the application of zeolite led to increased extract yield, so that the lowest rate of extract yield resulted from the no zeolit treatment. The rate of flavonoids, as well as phenolics were higher when the fungus was inoculated than in the absence of inoculation.Conclusion: Considering the results of this research, the beneficial impacts of zeolite, as well as the mycorrhiza-like fungus application are notable as an organic nutritional system in the provision of most nutrients required by the medicinal plant chamomile, and in turn the increase of its extract yield. Moreover, the advantages of the substituent nutritional system can environmentally be considerable compared to traditional agricultural systems.
Original Article
Sona Kebriaeezadeh; Jamal Ghodduosi; Ali Asghar Alesheikh; Reza Arjmandi; Seyed Alireza Mirzahosseini
Abstract
Introduction: Rapid and uncontrolled expansion of cities, increased traffic, industrial enterprises and low-quality fuels, as well as urban morphology parameters and climatic conditions are among the factors affecting air pollution in urban areas. In Iran, the metropolis of Isfahan, which is the third ...
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Introduction: Rapid and uncontrolled expansion of cities, increased traffic, industrial enterprises and low-quality fuels, as well as urban morphology parameters and climatic conditions are among the factors affecting air pollution in urban areas. In Iran, the metropolis of Isfahan, which is the third largest urban area in the country, has an increased air pollution due to the extensive development of industrial enterprises, and population and urban growth. Therefore, in order to find the factors affecting the trend of air quality changes, trend analysis and evaluation of the relationship between land use parameters, industrial development and traffic situation with air pollution indicators were studied.Material and methods: In order to evaluate the trend using measured periodic data and simple correlation and regression methods of seven air pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, NO, NO2 and NOX as dependent variables and meteorological parameters, type of land use, industry development and vehicles were analyzed as independent variables. Also, SPSS software was used to test the normal distribution of data sets including the concentration of air pollutants and meteorology from 1387 to 1394, in 10 air pollution measuring stations and three meteorological stations in Isfahan metropolis.Results and discussion: The results of the study show that the average annual concentration of PM (PM10 / PM2.5), NO and CO decreased and the average annual concentration of SO2, NO2 and NOXincreased. In addition, the average annual rainfall, temperature and wind speed increased while the trend of relative humidity in the study area did not change significantly. It was also found that the trend of residential, educational, commercial, public services, transportation and the number of industrial units and vehicles has increased significantly. However, the amount of agricultural land, green space and industrial areas has significantly decreased in the study area. The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that changing the use of agricultural land to residential areas and increasing wind speed may have caused the decreasing trend of NO, CO, and suspended particles in the study area. In addition, the increasing trend of transportation can be the most important reason for the increase in NO2 concentration. On the other hand, due to the increasing trend of NOX emissions and significant negative correlation with green space and positive correlation with transportation and industrial areas and the result of stepwise regression model, it can be concluded that reducing green space and an increase of 99.5% in the area of transportation use increases the NOX concentration in the study area. In addition, the size of utility centers increases the concentration of SO2 and there is a negative relationship between the concentration of PM2.5 and SO2 (as the concentration of SO2 increases, the concentration of PM2.5 increases).Conclusion: It is noteworthy that the relationship between air quality indicators as dependent variables with independent variables in urban areas is complex and it is not clear which specific factor or parameter is the most important scenario of air pollution in an urban context. Therefore, more detailed research is needed.
Original Article
Abbas Aghajani Bazzazi; Ahmad Adib; Maryam Shapoori; Mohammad ali Farjoudi Ahangari; Amir Hossein Bangian Tabrizi
Abstract
Introduction: The area of the lands that are influenced by mining operations, especially waste dump, is increasing continuously. Therefore, the necessity of mine reclamation is more important than the past. Selecting suitable plant species is one of the main topics in open pit mine reclamation regarding ...
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Introduction: The area of the lands that are influenced by mining operations, especially waste dump, is increasing continuously. Therefore, the necessity of mine reclamation is more important than the past. Selecting suitable plant species is one of the main topics in open pit mine reclamation regarding mined land use and environmental protection. Material and methods: In this research, the selection of suitable plant species regarding the environmental rehabilitation of Sungun copper mine was performed. At first, suitable plant species were selected by main criteria such as post-mining land use, climatic condition, and ecological parameters of soil. Then, selected species were ranked based on a questionnaire completed by experts using the combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMARTER), and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. Results and discussion: Suitable tree species in acidic and metallic pollutant lands were Ulmus minor, Juniperus communis, Betula pendula, Robiniapseudoacacia, Acer compestre, and Rhus coriria, respectively. Native tree species such as Ficus carica, Fraxinus excelsior, and Juglans regia were selected for the alkaline region, in a decreasing order.Conclusions: From the selected tree species for this region, the more successful species in reducing pollution and preventing soil erosion are preferred. Robiniapseudoacacia is not considered one of the native trees of the region. Yet, because it is more successful than other trees in environmental protection, it was selected as the superior plant species for this region. Among the native species of the region, Acer campestre has priority due to the purpose of preserving the environment.
Original Article
kazem rangzan; Alireza Zarasvandi; mostafa kabolizadeh; shahin mohammadi; jasem mayahi
Abstract
Introduction: Particulate matters are one of the main air pollutants in urban areas, which are usually produced from various sources such as urban vehicles, fossil fuels, industrial activities. They may cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and death. It is, therefore, very important to ...
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Introduction: Particulate matters are one of the main air pollutants in urban areas, which are usually produced from various sources such as urban vehicles, fossil fuels, industrial activities. They may cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and death. It is, therefore, very important to be aware of spatial changes in these pollutants in areas with high levels of pollution. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of spatio-temporal evaluation of the PM2.5 index in the period 1998 to 2016 in Khuzestan ProvinceMaterial and methods: For this study, first, precipitation, land surface temperature (LST), wind speed, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and vegetation cover parameters were prepared using four satellites i.e. Terra, Landsat 8, SRTM and GPM, and ground data. Then PM2.5 index for four periods of 1998, 2004, 2010 and 2016 was extracted using satellite products for Khuzestan Province. Also, information on the distribution of the population and industries of the province was received from the relevant organizations. Finally, after providing the spatio-temporal changes of PM2.5 index in Khuzestan Province, the spatial changes of this index were studied with the mentioned parameters to evaluate the effect of each of these parameters on the contamination degree of this index.Results and discussion: The results of the present study showed that the southern cities of the province such as Mahshahr, Abadan and Shadegan are regions with higher potential in terms of particles smaller than 2.5 microns in size. The results of the study of population density and industries of this province showed that most of the cities in which the air pollution rate was high due to the PM2.5 index, had more industries and population density. The results also showed that in all study periods, in the northern and northeastern parts of the province, the amount of air pollution caused by this index was much lower than other regions of the province and the reason for this could be the low density of industries and population of these cities, among which we can mention the cities of Lali and Indika. In addition to the direct relationship between industry and human activities in increasing and decreasing the concentration of PM2.5 index, the relationship between this index and several factors (DEM, wind speed, precipitation, temperature and vegetation cover) was investigated. The correlation results between the mentioned parameters and PM2.5 concentration showed that the highest correlation was between PM2.5 concentration and precipitation and this relationship was inverse.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the concentration of PM2.5 pollutants in the southern and central areas is much higher than other areas and this could be due to the high density of power plants, industries and vehicle pollution in these areas. In addition, environmental and climatic factors can play an important role in the persistence and spread of the air pollution layer of this index. It should be noted that this research can be used as the basis for decision-making for air pollution management, which is an important step towards overcoming the crisis of air pollution.
Original Article
ahmad akhyani; hamid reza matinfar; hadi asadi rahmani
Abstract
Introduction: Numerous studies have shown that agricultural soil quality evaluation is essential for economic success of agricultural products and environmental stability in rapidly developing regions. Changes in soil quality characteristics are usually controlled by intrinsic factors such as climate, ...
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Introduction: Numerous studies have shown that agricultural soil quality evaluation is essential for economic success of agricultural products and environmental stability in rapidly developing regions. Changes in soil quality characteristics are usually controlled by intrinsic factors such as climate, parent rock and time and dynamic factors (Managerial).For this purpose, evaluation of parameters of soil quality plays an important role in assessing the land management and sustainability of production agricultural systems. The present investigation was undertaken to identify sensivity soil quality parameters against to changes of soil type(foure soil orders inculded, Entisol, Inceptisol, Aridisol and Molisol) and land use(Three land use included, pastureland, forest and agriculture) along a north-south transect with different heat and humidity regimes.Material and methods: The present study was performed in lands of Miami city in Semnan province. The 215 soil samples collection were done in both natural lands (forest and pastureland) and closest from agricultural lands in three different regions along a north-south transect from 0-30 cm depth and in total of 13 soil parameters including physical, chemical and microbiological properties(EC, pH, O.C, T.N.V, CEC, Urease, Betaglocsidase, phosphatase enzymes, Microbial Biomass Carbon, MWD, BD) were determined. Then, in order to determine the effect of land use change and soil type on the studied soil parameters, the statistical methods of principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and regression were used. Results and discussion: The results showed that most of the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil in the northern lands are better than the southern ones due to changes in humidity and temperature regimes (more rainfall and lower temperatures). The trend of the coefficient of variation of most soil features in the three areas studied along the transect shows that the coefficient of variation of most of the studied features is influenced by climate and the coefficient of variation of most parameters has decreased from south to north, which is probably due to the buffer effects of soil organic carbon in the northern regions. Also the results of PCA and FA analysis showed that organic carbon , betaglucosidase enzyme , microbial biomass carbon , MWD and microbial biomass carbon/ organic carbon had higher weight than other soil quality parameters in all of the regions. Also the results of the statistical method of regression study showed, two factors of land use change and soil type can predict more than 55% changes in most soil quality parameters and the total of 14 properties have been investigated , 10 characteristics were relatively controlled by land use type and 4 characteristics by soil type.Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study showed that the two factors of land use change and soil category, except for electrical conductivity, soil reaction, absorbable potassium, cation exchange capacity, and calcium carbonate equivalent, have the greatest effect on changes in soil quality characteristics and physical and biological of soil affected by land use change and chemical properties were affected by soil typ therefore, in order to study the effects of management changes on soil quality attributes , biological and physical parameters are more suitable in the short term.
Original Article
Hanieh Kazemi moayed; Mahdi jalili ghazizadeh khayat; Mostafa Panahi; Zahra Abedi; Hamid reza Ghafarzadeh
Abstract
Introduction: The sludge produced in the oil refinery is very harmful due to the significant volume and complexity of the compounds, and its reasonable disposal is very important for environmental protection and sustainable development. During the effluent treatment process in the oil refinery, contaminated ...
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Introduction: The sludge produced in the oil refinery is very harmful due to the significant volume and complexity of the compounds, and its reasonable disposal is very important for environmental protection and sustainable development. During the effluent treatment process in the oil refinery, contaminated industrial sludge containing toxic substances is produced, which contains polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds and is classified in the group of hazardous wastes.Material and methods: In this study, the life cycle evaluation of disposal methods in two scenarios of landfill and incineration on industrial sludge of oil refinery in Iran has been investigated. Using life cycle assessment softwareand openLCA with CML-Baseline Impact Assessment Model, different environmental impact categories were examined and using weighting and dimensionless method of each effect class in the two defined scenarios, the best scenario has been identified in terms of the environment.Results and discussion: The results from 11 categories including acidification, climate change, reduction of abiotic resources, related to both fossil fuels and factors affecting final reserves, toxicity drinking water, seawater, and soil, eutrophication, human poisoning, ozone layer depletion, and photochemical oxidation have been evaluated. The results showed that the least environmental effects on indicators of human and plant species health are related to the landfill scenario. The sludge incineration scenario, which is sent directly to the incinerator, has been selected as the worse scenario with the highest emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides into the environment.Conclusion: The results of dimension lessness in the two studied scenarios showed that Scenario 1 (Landfill) with a value of 2.94 × 10 -6 and Scenario 2 (waste incineration) with a number of 5.42 × 10 -6 had the most and the least destructive effect on the environment, respectively.
