صابر قاسمی

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of greater concern among petroleum hydrocarbons due to their toxicity, low evaporation, resistance to microbial degradation, and high tendency to form deposits. Oil spills usually hurt soil biodiversity. Most soils containing bacteria that can absorb high amounts of hydrocarbons may have the ability to reduce aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Researchers have concluded that soil containing 2-3% crude oil has the highest number of microorganisms compared to typical soils. It is also reported in research that 8 months after soil contamination with oil, oil-degrading bacteria grew 10 times and accounted for about 5% of the soil microbial population. The presence of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil leads to major changes in its physicochemical and biological properties. For example, with the entry of sewage, the TDS of the soil usually increases, which leads to a decrease in soil fertility. According to Aniagor et al., oil pollution remains in the soil for more than a hundred years. Soil pollution with petroleum substances is considered one of the world's environmental problems. The accumulation of oil pollutants in the environment has caused a lot of challenges because the soil contaminated with these compounds is unfavorable for agricultural, industrial, or recreational purposes, and it is also considered a potential source for polluting surface and underground water. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the level of contamination and assess the biological risk of soil to polycyclic aromatic compounds in the Ahvaz oil field using ERL, ERM, and TEF indices.

The current descriptive-applied research was conducted in 1402. The studied area includes the soil of 4 oil centers (an oil exploitation, a desalination unit, an oil rig, and an oil pump house) in the southwest of Iran. Samples were taken from 20 locations within 4 oil centers (5 samples within each oil center) with three repetitions. For this purpose, topsoil was removed from 20 stations in the study area using a grab van with a cross-sectional area of 0.1 square meters using a winch tool from a depth of 10 to 14 cm.

Results of Concentration of PAH in soil samples

The total amount of PAHs among the sampling areas ranges from 9.87 to 2632.688 μg/kg, with an average of 2373.44 μg/kg. The average concentration of compounds with low molecular weight (LMW two and three rings) is 347.152 μg/kg and the average concentration of compounds with high molecular weight (HMW four, five, and six rings) is 60.24 μg/kg. In general, the classification based on the total concentration for PAHs in sediments includes 3 groups: if the total concentration is more than 500 μg/kg as highly polluted, the total concentration is between 250 and 500 μg/kg is moderately polluted and if the concentration is less than 250 μg/kg If it is a kilogram, the pollution is insignificant. Qualitative effects guidelines are also used to correlate effects and total and individual PAH chemical concentrations. Based on this, 30.4% of the stations had very high pollution, 15.17% of the stations had moderate pollution and the rest had low pollution levels.
It was determined that the cyclic aromatic Indene[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IndPy) with 13.47 has the lowest average PAH and the cyclic aromatic Phenanthrene (Phen) has the highest average PAH with 721.54 μg/kg in the studied area. Also, it was found that Fluoranthene (Flu) and Acenaphthene (Ace) have the lowest ERM. It should be noted that the ERM index could not be calculated for the rest of the cyclic aromatics. Based on the results, Anthracene (Ant) and Acenaphthene (Ace) have the lowest ERL. It should be noted that the ERL index could not be calculated for the rest of the cyclic aromatics. High concentrations of PAHs in soil can have harmful effects on the environment and human health. Due to their lipophilic properties, these compounds are easily accumulated in fat tissues and are transferred to living organisms through the food chain. Studies have shown that some PAHs can be carcinogenic and increase the risk of various types of cancer by causing genetic changes in cells. In addition, the presence of PAHs in aquatic environments can lead to a decrease in water and soil quality and affect aquatic life by affecting biological processes such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Continuous and accurate monitoring of PAH concentration in soils and waters near oil centers is of great importance. This monitoring can help identify sources of pollution and assess environmental risks. Also, the development and implementation of pollution management programs that include the use of cleaner technologies, improvement of wastewater treatment processes, and leakage control can help reduce the pollution load of PAHs. Education and increasing public awareness about the dangers of PAHs and the importance of protecting the environment are also other necessary measures in this field.

Anatidae family is considered as a biological indicator of wetlands due to their migratory behavior, wide distribution and high population density. Three wetlands of the Bakhtegan basin, namely Bakhtegan, Tashk and Kamjan in Fars province, are important habitats for Anatidae in the central plateau of Iran. The purpose of this research was to evaluate fluctuations in the wintering population of the Anatidae family in wetlands of the Bakhtegan basin in a long-term period of 52 years from 1967 to 2018.

Data on the population and diversity of waterbirds were obtained from a 52-year census data of the Department of the Environmental of Iran. Results of field studies in 2019 were also used to investigate their current habitat condition, data validation and monitoring of Anatidae populations. Of 21 Anatidae species recorded in Iran, nine species with a population of more than 50 individuals per year and observed at least 20 years, were investigated along with the Vulnerable species (VU) of Common Pochard Aythya ferina. Annual changes in the total population of waterbirds, the number of species in each year, the proportion of Anatidae in the population and the diversity of waterbirds in Bakhtegan wetlands and the statistical trend of population changes of species were analyzed. Trend of long-term changes in the population of Anatidae species were calculated using the RTRIM statistical package and Multi-species Indicators (MSI).

A total of 21 of Anatidae species, including Endangered species (EN) of White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala, Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris (VU) and Common Pochard (VU) and Near Threatened species (NT) of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca were identified in the wetlands of Bakhtegan basin. The average population of Anatidae in a 31-year period (1988–2008) was more than 169,000 individuals, but in the last ten years (2009–2018), it decreased to 6,623 individuals. The highest number of total population was in 1995 with 632,510 individuals and the lowest with 1,135 individuals in 2016. The highest and lowest number of species were in 2000 and 2010 with 13 and 3 species, respectively. The statistical trend of the population changes showed that the Greylag Goose Anser anser faced a steep decline in the long-term with a slope of -21%, the Shelduck Tadorna tadorna with a steep decline (-8.4%), the Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea with a stable population and zero percent, the Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and the Eurasian Teal Anas crecca with a steep decline and slope of -12.1% and -6.5%, respectively. Trend of changes in the last ten years for the Greylag Goose was stable (0.1%), Shelduck with an uncertain state (4.8%), Ruddy Shelduck and Mallard with a decrease and a slop of -3.8% and -9.4%, respectively, and Eurasian Teal with a strong increase (48.9%). The results indicate that Bakhtegan wetlands had a high proportion of waterbirds during the 1990s to the early 2000s, but it has lost its position in the last 15 years. Bakhtegan wetlands used to be the breeding habitat for Marbled Ducks, but there have been no reports of its breeding in recent years.The reduction of water level, drying wet areas and changes in habitat variables have been the most important factors in reduction of the population and diversity of Anatide species.

The Anatidae family has more than 30% of species diversity and more than 53% of the total population of waterbirds in Bakhtegan wetlands. Currently, it is possible for birds to spend the winter in only a small part of Tashk wetland in the area of Gamban spring. Reconstruction, restoration and making continuous and effective protection of the wetland chain of Bakhtegan Basin requires allocating the required water from diverse water sources for its biological sustainability. In the case of increasing the level and depth of these water areas, the possibility of increasing the population and diversity of diving ducks and Mergus species is expected. Due to the importance of the participation of stakeholders in the protection and restoration of wetlands, it is necessary to take action regarding the allocation of biological water rights and participatory protection of wetlands according to the social, economic, cultural and political conditions.

The second richest habitat on the planet after tropical forests is dedicated to coral ecosystems. This ecosystem plays a significant role in balancing the amount of carbon and nitrogen, maintaining coastlines against destruction caused by continuous waves, storms, floods, creating a marine environment, nutrients for the food chain, and also balancing the delicate system of nature. Today, the extraction, exploitation and transportation of oil have left the biggest role in the destruction of the coral coasts of the Persian Gulf. Samples of marine and coastal sediments of Qeshm, Hengam and Lavan coral islands from a depth of about 0-5 cm were randomly collected according to the MOOPAM method and the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons was measured by UVF device in μg/g of sediment. The texture type of sediments indicated that the highest percentage of fine particles (Silt+Clay) in marine and coastal sediments of Lavan Island is 51.58% and 51.01%, respectively. The average detected concentrations of TPH are lower than the environmental risk background value (4 μg/g). The highest concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons is observed in the marine and coastal sediment stations of Lavan Island, which can be due to the facilities and activities of oil and fishing vessels in this island. Also, the assessment of the environmental risk caused by TPH pollution on aquatic organisms using indicators of sediment quality guidelines (SOGs) and contamination factor (Cf) showed that the investigated sediments do not have any adverse biological effects on aquatic organisms. Exploitation, marine transportation, oil spills and its derivatives are considered as one of the main reasons for the destruction and negative ecological effects on the coral reefs of the Persian Gulf, which this challenge of the need to protect the coastal areas and the environment makes marine life more obvious with a sustainable development approach.

The aim of this study was to identify the type and frequency of microplastic particles in the soft tissue of banana shrimp species on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Five stations along the west coast of Bandar Abbas with different levels of industrialization and urbanization were selected. A sampling station on the beach of Bandar Moallem was also selected as a control sample. Preparation and digestion of samples for separation of microplastic particles using flotation method were performed after collection and biometrics of biological samples. Then the properties of microplastics such as shape, color, size and type of particles were examined by microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-FTIR. To ensure the accuracy of the measurement and the recovery rate of the proposed method, spike matrix samples were prepared and analyzed under the same method as for the original samples. The identified forms included fiber, part and film that fiber and film microplastics were the highest and lowest forms detected in the studied species, respectively. The detected particles were classified into three categories: 0.25-45, 25-250 and 250-500 micrometers. Most of the particles (66%) were in the size range of 0.45-25 micrometers and had black and blue colors. In addition, the polymers of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene and polyamide were the most common polymers identified. The average frequency of microplastics in the studied samples of banana shrimp on the west coast of Bandar Abbas was 2.57±1.23, and on the coast of Bandar Moallem was 1.57±1.15. The results of correlation analysis showed that there is a positive correlation between the frequency of microplastic particles in the soft tissue of the studied samples and their body size (weight and length) at the level of 0.01. All the samples contained microplastics, which due to the fact that banana shrimp plays an important role in the food chain of the people in this region, can potentially cause many health problems in the long run.

Persian Salamander (Persian Brook Salamander Paradactylodon persicus) is one of the unique genetic treasures of Iranian amphibians whose Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran are the last end of its southwestern distribution in Asia. Until 2019, two separate species including the Iranian Salamander P. persicus in the west and center and the salamander of Gorgani P. gorganensis in the east of Hyrcania were introduced, but based on the NGS and phylogenetic sequencing data, these salamanders are classified as the single species of the Iranian salamander Paradactylodon persicus. The eastern population is Critically Endangered (CR) and the central and western population is Near Threatened (NT) on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is necessary to planning of conservation programs. Based on the guidelines proposed by Species Survival Working Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN/SSC), this research identifies the threats and provides management plan in the form of strategic programs for the conservation  and management of the Iranian Salamander population. The most important threats to the species include sample collection, the presence of domestic and wild animals, destruction of springs, lack of water resources (decreased water flow) and easy access to the habitat. The most important strategies for the conservation and management of Iranian Salamanders is 1) to identify threats and provide solutions to reduce the effects of each threat on the species and habitat, 2) identify new habitats, monitor the population and assess the status of the habitat, 3) scientific studies on various biological and ecological aspects, and create a database and 4) raising the level of awareness, knowledge and attracting the participation of stakeholders in the conservation of the species and habitat. The results of this study will be used in the management of Iranian Salamander habitat and population, reducing the effects of threats, revising management plans and developing cooperative conservation.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in the conservation of Baluchistan black bear in the south of Kerman province using the quantitative and qualitative approaches and presenting the sustainable strategic management program for conservation of this species. Using questionnaire, a list of internal and external environmental factors was compile. The relative importance of these factors was weighted and the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) matrix were drawn and then, the various initial strategies were quantified with the formation of the strategic planning matrix. A total of 11 internal strengths, 4 internal weaknesses, 5 external opportunities and 4 external threats were identified. The final score of the internal factors matrix (IFE = 2.01418) shows that, the weaknesses are more than the strengths and the score of the external factors matrix (EFE = 2.07462) shows that there are more threats than opportunities in solving the conflict problem. The results of the SPACE matrix showed that the defensive strategies should be used for the protection of the Black bear in the south of Kerman province. Implementation of environmental assessment studies for development projects in the Black bear habitats was determined as the first modified solution.

This research was aimed to investigate the concentration of heavy metals (including copper, vanadium, lead, and nickel) in water, sediment, muscle, and liver tissues of Sillago sihama living in the Khour-e-Mousa, Khuzestan province. Samples were picked randomly from three stations during winter and summer and the concentration of heavy metals was measured using atomic absorption spectrometry (flame and flameless GF AAS). Based on the results, the bioaccumulation index (BI) of liver tissue for these four elements was measured 183.33, 0.05, 0.29, and 2.35 in winter, and 21.7, 0.07, 0.25, and 1.05 in summer, respectively. Moreover, the BI for muscles was measured 130, 0.02, 0.07, and 1.45 in winter and 18.3, 0.02, 0.07, and 0.49, in summer, respectively. The results showed that there was a significant linear relationship between the concentration of heavy metals in sediment with their accumulation rate in muscle and liver tissues of Silver sillago. According to the results of this study, the ecological risk potential index (RI) was however rated low at the ecological risk range, since, Khour-e-Mousa is known as one of the most sensitive ecological and environmental areas and there are signs of an increasing trend of metal pollution. It raises serious concerns for the region in terms of ecology and public health.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of environmental responsibility and environmental participation among the residents of rural areas in Bandar Abbas county, which was conducted by survey and field methods. Sample size was determined based on the Cochran’s formula and the required data were collected through questionnaires. A total of 366 questionnaires were completed in a stratified-random manner. The research questionnaire was designed in two parts: environmental participation and environmental responsibility, using the 5-points Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaires, calculated by test-retest and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the participation and environmental responsibility questionnaires, were 0.79 and 0.86 respectively. Results showed that economic, social and cultural participations with the score of 14.37, 13.70 and 12.96 respectively, have the highest scores in rural communities. Among the dimensions of responsibility, human rights responsibility with an average of 19.43 was the highest score among the residents of rural areas, followed by legal responsibility (18.6), intellectual and internal (17.37) and operational (16.85) responsibility. Comparison of participation and responsibility in rural areas of Bandar Abbas showed that there is no significant difference between different rural areas (P ˃ 0.05). The rural residents are active and involved in environmental protection, showing people's attention to the natural environment of the region.

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cr and V) in soil and evaluate the potential environmental risk of heavy metals in the surface soils of Assaluyeh-Bandar Abbas gas condensates pipeline base. For this purpose, 10 stations were randomly selected in a longitudinal transect and soil sampling was performed. Acid digestion of samples was performed and after their filteration, the concentration of each heavy metal was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy thriugh calibration solutions. According to the results obtained, the mean concentrations of pb, Ni, Cr and V heavy metals in the study area were be 7.4±1.4, 42.5±2.4, 53.6±5.9 and 19.7± 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. As the findings of this work were all in the permissible level provided in national environmental standards, it was proved that the construction of the pipeline did not result in heavy metal contamination in the environment. However, human activities may have increased the concentration of metals. In this study, significant correlations were observed between Pb and V (P<0.01) and Cr and V (P<0.05) and also between Ni and Cr (P<0.05). The results of calculating geoaccumulation (Igeo), modified concentration degree (mCd) and potential ecological risk indices showed that the soils of studied areas were as unpolluted soil, very low pollution and low potential ecological risk categories, respectively.

The aim of this study was to compare the richness, diversity, and evenness of soil macrofauna and the factors affecting it during the growing and dormant seasons in Amygdlus scoparia Spach stand in the protected area of Geno located in Hormozgan province, Iran. After the selection of a half-hectare stand of Amygdalus scoparia in the Geno protected area, 10 soil samples were randomly collected in the depth of 15 cm, under the crown of trees in growing and dormant seasons in order to measure physiochemical characteristics and identify soil macrofauna and their relations. After macrofauna separation, samples were transferred to the laboratory for physiochemical analysis. All variables were compared across two seasons using T-Test analysis (p <0.05) and the correlation of variables was analyzed using Pearson correlation (p <0.01). The results showed that all soil properties (nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and temperature) except electrical conduction and soil acidity in the growing season were significantly higher than those in dormant season. The frequency and biomass of macrofauna in the growing season were 1060 in m2 and 5.9 mg.m-2, respectively, comapred to 90 in m2 and 0.7 mg.m-2 obtained for dormant seasons. Further, the indices of Margalef, Menhinick, Simpson, Shannon and Waever, and evenness Pielou and Hill in growing season (2.55, 2.15, 0.79, 1.77, 0.89, and 0.93) were significantly higher than those in dormant season (0.23, 0.53, 0.09, 0.13, 0.49, and 0.19, respectively). Soil macrofauna frequency along with biodiversity, richness, and Pielou evenness indices showed positive and significant correlations with organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and soil temperature.

Bakhtegan wetland including Kamjan, Tashk and Bakhtegan are the most important aquatic habitats of waterbirds in the inland of Iran that in recent years, the severe decline in water level and habitat changes have reduced the quality and quantity of habitat for waterbirds. In this study, the trends of biodiversity changes are studied based on the values of waterbird species diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener & Simpson), Species richness indices (Margalef & Minhinick) and species evenness indices (Pielou & Simpson) using the SDR-IV software in the 31 years' period (2018-1998) including two ten-years and one 11-years' time frames.Moreover, the area of alive wetland in the migration season of waterbirds by calculated using the Landsat satellite imagery collected on November to December. Comparison of diversity indices using ANOVA (analysis of variance) at three time intervals showed that there is no significant difference between species diversity indices and Pielou species evenness index (F2,28 = Shannon-Wiener 2.082, Simpson 0.995, Pielou 2.132, P>0.05). The lowest values of the Margalef index were found in the period of 2009–2009 that were significantly different with other previous decade but there was no significantly differences with periods of 1988–1998. The highest value of the richness index of Minhinick and Simpson E were found in the periods of 2009–2019 and were significantly different with previous decades (p < 0.05). The highest of area of alive wetland in the 1990s and the lowest was in 2001 and in the last decade. It seems that fluctuation of water level and decreasing the alive area of Bakhtegan basin wetlands are the most important factors in the changing the values of waterbird diversity. Providing the environmental flow requirement, implementation of comprehensive wetland management programs and establishment of integrated ecosystem management system are the most important strategies for restoring the waterbird biodiversity of the studied wetlands.

This study was carried out to investigate the waterbird community parameters, such as abundance and diversity indices at Hormozgan province eastern wetlands in 2015. In order to perform this study, bird observations at 22 wetland sites were conducted and categorized using direct observation and totally count method by binocular and bird watching telescopes. Furthermore, species diversity, evenness and richness indices were calculated using the Shannon-Wiener’s H, Simpson’s D,Margalef's D, Pielou J′, Brillouin (E), McIntosh (E), and Species Abundance (N)indices. A total of 44582 individuals representing 68 overwintering species from 17 families were recorded. The Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Dunlin (Calidris alpine) were the most abundant species with 20.71 and 11.13% individual observation, respectively. The results of observations showed that the estuaries of Tyab and Meydani hosts the largest number of waterbirds overwintering with 15.26 and 13.66% totally observations, respectively. The highest species diversity were observed in the Mudflats of Bandar Abbas (3.07) and Surgalm (3.03), while Jask Bay (1.64) and Behel coast (1.3) had the lowest number of species diversity. Moreover, the highest species richness were obtained at Khour-e-Namaki (5.44) and Mudflats of Bandar Abbas (5.19). While, the lowest species richness were obtained at Nakhl-e-Ebrahimi (1.49) and Abd-Sedij coast (1.42). Surveys show that the use of both habitats including mudflats and mangrove forest, plays an important role for bird habitat selection. In terms of total species diversity of wetland areas in the east of Hormozgan province, Shannon-Wiener, Simpson and Margalef indices were calculated to be 3.12, 13.20 and 6.26, respectively. Moreover, for total species evenness, Pielou, Brillouin and McIntosh indices were calculated 0.74, 0.74 and 0.82, respectively. At the end, the study showed that due to the importance of eastern wetlands of Hormozgan province for wintering of waterbirds, wise development strategy seem to be inevitable.