نشریه علوم و تکنولوژی محیط زیست
سال بیست و یکم شماره 11 (پیاپی 90، بهمن 1398)

Drinking water supply is an important environmental challenge throughout the world. Water pollution with nitrate is a serious human health hazard in Iran. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the applicability of synthesized zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles in removal of nitrate from water emphasizing on the influence of pH variation on performance of nanoparticles.

ZVI nanoparticles were synthesized in the laboratory and measured for dimension with Transition Electron Microscopy (TEM) before using in the experiment. Impact of ZVI nanoparticles dosage on the removal of nitrate from water was also examined in this study.

Results indicated that performance of ZVI nanoparticles in the removal of nitrate is greater in acidic environment compared to neutral and basic state. In addition, pH increased over the course of the experiment at initial acidic and neutral states.

 Discussion and Conclusion

Application of small amount of ZVI nanoparticles can reduce nitrate content in water significantly. The principal fraction of removal reaction was achieved at initial stages due to acidic condition. Results of the present study showed application of small amounts of ZVI nanoparticles can reduce nitrate concentration in waster scales significantly.

Phenol and its derivatives are toxic to all living organism and are found in oil refinery wastewater. Isolation and identification of bacteria from oil refinery wastewater is important to identify aromatic compounds degrading bacteria. The aims of this study were isolation and identification of bacteria from Tehran oil refinery wastewater treatment system and determine amount of phenol degradation by these bacteria.

This experimental study was conducted by using two series of activated sludge samples collected from Tehran oil refinery wastewater treatment plant. Adaptation of bacteria to phenol was done by culturing in growth medium containing phenol at 30°C in incubator. After that isolation and identification of bacteria was done according to standard method. Isolated bacteria were cultured in growth medium containing different concentration (0.5- 1.2gL-1) of Phenol. Bacteria growth was assayed by measuring optical density at 600nm. Concentration of Phenol in the medium growth solution was measured by spectrophotometric method using 4- Amino antipyrine as color reagent at 510 nm.

Pseudomonas, Acintobacter, E.coli, Enterococcus and Enterobacter spps were isolated from oil wastewater treatment plant. Pseudomonas spp. completely removed 0.9gL-1 of Phenol, Acintobacter and E.coli removed 0.7 gL-1, Enterococcus and Enterobacter removed 0.5 gL-1 of Phenol from growth solution. 

Discussion and conculation:

 Pseudomonas spp. isolated from oil refinery wastewater treatment plant has highest phenol removal rate in shorter contact time than other isolated bacteria.

Water quality is one of the issues that are directly related to the health and personal and public health of the society, and monitoring the water and providing its health conditions is of great importance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the microbial quality of drinking water in Abadeh in 2015 and to compare its quality with national standards and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In this study, 122 water samples for microbial measurement and 3864 water samples for chlorimetry were analyzed from water network of Abadeh city during 2015-2016. Multiple tube fermentation method and colorimetric method were used to determine fecal and total coliform bacteria and residual chlorine, respectively. Finally, all data were analysed by one sample T-test, Chi-Square, Mann-Withney, Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson Correlation Matrix.

The results showed that the total coliform was 0 MPN/100ml in 98.36% of all samples and the fecal coliform was 0 MPN/100ml in 100% of all samples by microbial analysis and the residual chlorine were desirable in 78.0% of the samples and meet the expectations of national and international standards. Winter and summer showed the lowest and greatest amount of residual chlorine, respectively. On the other hand, the results showed significant negative associations between the amounts of the residual chlorine of the water with the presence of coliform bacteria in the water. 

Discussion and Conclusion:

The microbial index of drinking water of the Abadeh city is lower than the standard limit of the WHO microbial Index and the national standard. As a result, the quality of drinking water of the city is desirable.

Due to the increase of this phenomenon, current study focuses on the climate and statistical analysis of dust storms in Iran during 2015.

Hourly data of meteorological code are used in this study. The software WRPLOT VIEW was utilized to plot wind rose. For Synoptic analysis of the storm, data information of middle and upper atmospheres including sea-level pressure data and geopotential height of 500hP surface was received from NCEP/NCAR database, and their circulation patterns were obtained. In order to determine the trajectories of dust storms, the air parcel tracking model HYSPLIT was applied.

The maximum dust events were occurred in Zabol during 2015. Highest wind speed and severest loss of vision were observed at Zabol station on 6 July. The masses of dust were entered to Arak and Fasa from the west and northwest of Iraq and to Zabol from Afghanistan. Records of sea-level and middle-atmosphere circulation database on 21 July 2015, that showed the severest loss of vision in Fasa, revealed the presence of a low-height system over Russia and a high pressure system over the north black sea. A low pressure system was observed over Pakistan which its tabs were extended to the east and south regions of Iran. 

Discussion and Conclusion:

Blowing dust in Zabol can have a local dust source. The greatest dust in suspension events in Arak & Fasa with lower wind speed along. Northeasterly winds can cause of Sistan 120-day wind during the cold time of year that its impact will be greater in Zabol. On the day that severest loss of vision observed, most part of the country affected by tabs of high pressure located on the west in Iraq, that have been reached to the center of Iran with its easterly side.

Noise pollution caused by human activities is one of the types of environmental pollution. Anthropogenic noise level is increasing in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. Human activities have acoustically changed aquatic environments over the past decades and anthropogenic noise is now recognized as a ubiquitous pollutant in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Shipping activities, wind mills, pile driving, seismic surveys, naval sonars and fisheries activities are all accompanied by the introduction of anthropogenic sounds in the water.

Here, we investigate how anthropogenic noise impairs behaviour and foraging activities, which has direct and indirect consequences for aquatic species survival and reproductive success.

While a broad range of direct destruction caused by human activities in terrestrial and aquatic habitats is relatively well understood, there is a lack of knowledge about such activities on wildlife and captive species. For example, in laboratory condition, elevated sound levels may affect predator-prey interactions. We still have little understanding of the potentially negative consequences of noise pollution for aquatic life. 

Discussion and conculation:

 Changes in foraging tendency and efficiency may directly and indirectly affect relative species abundance of both predator and prey and induce changes at the community level.

Today, nuclear reactors as a major source of energy in the world, is developing considerably. The main disadvantage of nuclear reactors is producing nuclear waste. This waste is due to the half-life and high environmental impact is radiation poisoning. In this study a new generation of nuclear reactors as ADS introduced where the nuclear waste is used as fuel.

Examining ADS nuclear reactors, the concept of ADS and the main components of this type of reactor and how it works are described.

This new generation of nuclear reactors (ADS) has the ability to convert nuclear waste, including meta-uranium elements and fragments of nuclear fission, into low-risk elements with low half-life and low beam toxicity. Its important advantage over other nuclear reactors is that it is safe.

 Discussion and Conclusions

Given the importance of developing nuclear reactors as a major source of energy production, methods should be used to develop peaceful nuclear technology in the country to maximize its efficiency while minimizing its destructive environmental effects. . The use of a new generation of nuclear reactors (ADS) is one such method.

In this research the object is prediction of suspended sediment load by and artificial neural network (ANN), Sediment Rating Curves (SRC) and regression methodfor BabolrudRiver in Mazandaran province.

The inputs conclude discharge and the output is sediments concentration in time series. The input and output of river have positive procedure for (1979-2013) and 75% of data utilized for training and 25% for tests. For training the network, data that recognize issue conditions were selected and some data for testing,

The results show the concentration of sediment suspended load derived artificial neural network and is close together and regression coefficient is 92.8%, while regression coefficient is 83% for sediment rating curves and 90% for statistical method respectively. 

Discussion and Conclusion

In conclusion, artificial neural network (ANN) has more workability and flexibility for prediction of suspended sediment load to sediment rating curves and statistical methods.

Considering the importance of ARDAK River and dam in supplying drinking water of MASHHAD city as one of the biggest and most densely populated religious city of the world, preserving and maintaining water quality of this river is an essential task for providing water. This case study provides a model for water quality of ARDAK River by using appropriate and relevant tools which could calculate the values of water quality parameters along the entire length of main branches and it can be a beneficial approach for monitoring water responses to various contaminants and also for future decision making.

In this research QUAL2KW dynamic model has calibrated with available previous data (July 2014) and verified by results of field sampling which has been conducted in April 2016 for different aspects of water quality.

Obtained results showed that this model made a good agreement with observed data such as DO, PH, COD and NO3 and it was able to simulate water quality for both river branches.

Abghad branch condition gets better due to less local population and contaminants, moreover agricultural, gardening and rural wastewater has affected both main branches of the river.

Artificial recharge of groundwaterthrough floodwater spreading is an approved method for improvement of groundwater resources. The appearance of sowbug to floodwater spreading system of Gareh Baygon Plain has been changed physic-chemical properties of soil. The main objective of this research is to evaluate soil infiltration rate with activity of sowbugs.

This study has been conducted in Kowsar aquifer management of Gareh Bygone plain. One of the floodwater spreading systems named Bisheh Zard1 was selected. This system has 6 sedimentation basins. The second sedimentation basin was chosen and divided to 11 plots. Infiltrability of 11 paired plots was determined utilizing the double ring method.

Results showed that the appearance of sowbug that make hols with 7 milimeter and average one meter depth improve the soil physical properties and enhance the infiltration rate about 7.2 centimetres per hours and showed a significant difference at the 1 % level. The burrowing macro fauna, including the sowbug, form channels that facilitate accelerated flow of water towards the aquifer.

 Discussion and Conculation:

 This study approved that sowbug has a great effect on infiltration water to crusted soil that occurs by floodwater spreading. Sowbugs burrows have a marked effect on surface infiltration of water through the soil. The present research state that sowbug can be as useful agent for controlling of crusted soil from fine clay in sedimentation basinsform channels that facilitate accelerated flow of water towards the aquifer and increase the life time of floodwater spreading systems after 30 years and Gareh Bygone Plain desert has been changed to a evergreen forest.

Population growth and excessive consumption of natural resources for the continuation of economic welfare, in addition to destroying the ecosystem has caused a shortage of life on the planet is vital to prevent any shortage of access to natural resources continue. This article estimates the ecological footprint of water and energy consumption (electricity and natural gas) of the household sector in the 22 districts of Tehran and estimates the environmental capacity of the mentioned resources. 

Analysis method

Estimating the ecological footprint of water and energy (electricity and natural gas) used in the household sector of Tehran refers to the negative relationship between the continuity of household activities and the ecological gap of the mentioned sources, which according to the results and their analysis, ecological gap more than 4 million hectares of water, electricity and natural gas consumption are available in the household sector of Tehran.To find the impact of practical solutions to reduce the ecological gap using SPSS software and Cochran test and also developing a questionnaire related to the use of resources in household,the most important factor in reducing the ecological gap is identified.

Based on the results obtained and their analysis, the ecological gap of over 4 million hectares is due to the excessive use of water, electricity and natural gas in the household sector of Tehran. After estimating the ecological gap, questionnaires were distributed to clarify the causes of household waste loss. According to the statistical society, in the assessment of the questionnaire, the population of the 22nd household in Tehran was considered to be 2 million and 830thousand households.To create uniformity of analysis, the households were based on a population of 3, Then through the Cochran formula, 1100 households were sampled and they were randomly selected.

 Discussion and conclusion:

The results of the questionnaire showed that the most important factor in reducing the ecological gap and having the optimal use of water in the household sector is reducing water consumption for washing cars,the most important factor for creating optimal power consumption in the household sector is using energy-saving bulbs.The most important factor for creating optimal consumption of natural gas in the household sector is the use of double-glazed windows and the least effective factor is the use of gas heaters proportional to the area of the houses.

Determining the true value of environmental resources is important because of their performance and environmental services and their optimal management. Economists have recently recognized the role of natural resources and the environment in human well-being, and have made great efforts to value environmentally friendly goods and services. Maroon Beach Park in Behbahan is one of the important resorts in this city. The purpose of this study is to estimate the recreational value of Maroon Coastal Park using the conditional valuation method.  

The results showed that the average of WTP for person to visit the park is 3243/7 Rials and households’ WTP is 133510/70 Rials.

Daily, monthly and annual average concentrations map were prepared according to the daily data of these pollutants in the years 93 and 94. As a result, spatial and temporal analysis of distribution of PM 2.5 and PM 10 contaminants in Tehran was made .

Discussion and Conculation:

The results show that willingness to pay for use of recreational is low.

Environmental responsibility as an important aspect of social responsibility is a necessary condition for survival and success ban and banks are trying to invest in activities that can improve the conditions of society and protecting the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate suppliers based bank's environmental social responsibility to reduce emissions in both industrial and macroeconomic production levels.

In this study to investigate the contemporaneous, long-run and dynamic effects of facilities granted by the banking system to the private sector on the emission of environmental pollutants at two levels of industrial production (industry sector) and aggregated economic activities (macroeconomic), the structural VAR method (SVAR), Bootstrap Standard Error (BSE) and Blanchard-Quah Decomposition (BQ) is used.

The results of contemporaneous and long-term effect matrixes in macroeconomic SVAR model shows that, A financial shock (with the size of a standard deviation) due to Bank support facilities to aggregated economic activities and from disturbance term of DLTLOA, led to a 0.0387 percent increase in the level of environmental emissions in the first period, but in the long run has no significant effect on the level of emissions. In addition, the result of industrial sector shows that a financial shock, led to a 0.0397 percent increase in the level of environmental emissions in the first period and its long-term impact on the level of environmental emissions is 0.0695 percent incensement. Estimation of dynamic effects also shows that in both industrial sector and the macroeconomic level, all shocks led to emissions incensement.

 Discussion and Conclusion

The banking sector with the support of sectors of the economy, especially the industrial sector, has failed to play proper role in its serious social responsibility in the area of production with clean technology and methods and in practice, has become financial supporter of unqualified pollutant industries and productions. It seems as improper support structure of the banking system from industries and pollutant producers, to be followed by increasing in environmental emissions, the reform of the banking support structure and facilities, can lead to environmental improvements.

This study aims to achieve a comprehensive assessment on capabilities and feasibility of developing sustainable ecotourism in Dareh-Anjir Wildlife Refuge and Neybaz, using hybrid model SWOT and network analysis.

The questionnaires were completed by thirty experts and indigenous people through snowball sampling. Finally, SWOT matrix used to investigate strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in the field of sustainable ecotourism strategies to deal with these threats and exploit opportunities for sustainable ecotourism were presented. Network analysis (ANP) used to prioritize the internal and external environment factors and rate the final solutions in the form of SO, WO, ST, WT.

The final result from the evaluation of internal and external factors is in the form of an aggressive strategy to make the best use of the opportunities and strengths. The results also showed that diversification strategies, reviewing and defense respectively are in the next ranking. 

Discussion and Conclusion:

The results of the strategies using ANP model shows that aggressive strategy is a priority in the planning for sustainable development of ecotourism in this region and for this should use natural functionality, attractiveness and prospects of the region, and with more advertisement of the region and make international projects such as cheetahs project, ecotourism area maintained and developed. The results of this study can be used in the implementation of protective measures for further administrative ecotourism industry in habitats of Yazd province.

Inundation in urban areas due to dens storm has created many problems for all cities thorough the world. Urban flood hazard zoning may provide useful information for dealing with contingency and alleviating risk and loss of life and property.Therefore, in order to manage urban areas, take relief measures and prioritize areas to solve the problem of floods, the areas that are most affected should be identified.

Vulnerability of urban areas often includes multicriteria that are associated with flooding. One of the methods that are sufficiently accurate and available which can identify flood hazard zoning, is using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) that in this study was used to determine the potential of flood risk in urban area. Six variables include: distance to the main channel, slopes, land use, drainage density, slope of the main channel and elevation was used. After determining paired comparison matrix, layers weight was determined by using the knowledge of experts and experts in the region and finally the map of urban flood hazard were identified.

Hazard Potential Map showed that 8.2% of the areas near to the outlet and located around the main channel are at highest hazard potential.

 Discussion and Conclusion

The results and field investigation showed multicriteria decision analysis is accurate and appropriate method for urban flood hazard zoning and using this method can identify areas with a greater flooding risk.

Land degradation modeling is one of the environmental impact assessment methods that quantitatively represent the effects of human activities. The purpose of applying this model is identifying vulnerability factors and destruction of ecosystems, to prevent further destruction by other project and also to show feasibility of future development to decision markers.

first The study area was partitioned into 94 cells, 1600 ha each and then Fourteen degradation factors were identified along with their intensity using land use map, field observations and expert views. So the determination of ecological susceptibility and physiological density was determined and all cells were classified to 4 categories: recommended for development, zones that require reconstruction, protection and cells hadn't development potential based on fuzzy theory.

The results show that from 94 cells, 22 cells (23.40% of the total area) require reconstruction, 37 cells (39.36% of total area) have no development potential, and 35 cells (37.22% of total area) are recommended for development. 

The effects of destructive activities (which are mainly destructive effects of tourism activities) in the region are obvious, so that destructive activities such as land use change and river pollution to the region on the one hand. They are the main causes of destruction of the 94 cell, 21 cell due to faults and 16 cell due to being in the Binalood protected area, have no development potential. 35 cell are recommended for development in first to third priorities, these cells are in low physiological density area and 22 cell due to high physiological density and severity destructive agents has a high degradation coefficient and need to be reconstructed, and therefore any future development in this area, should be excluded.

In this study, the views of mountaineering sports tourists living in the city of Ilam in the mountainous region of Gachan in order to plan for the development of tourism with emphasis on the security of tourists have been studied.

The research is an applied research, the  methods of data collection is descriptive and analytic, the methods of data analysis is conducted both descriptive and inferential statistics (T & Friedman test).The Statistical Society is consisted of climbing sport tourists of Gachan mountainous area that has been obtained 77 tourists with the use of available sampling or random method.

Based on the findings, Men (66 percent) accounted for the highest percentage of respondents and the largest age group of respondents is between the ages of "25 to 44 year". Tourists often have a bachelor's degree level (37.7 percent) and Diploma (22.1 percent). The origin location of the most Mountaineer tourists is the city of Ilam. Employees (8/33 percent) have formed the highest number of respondents. Most tourists (4/84 percent) access to the area Gachan with private vehicle.Tourists visit the area often "with family" (9/51 percent) and "with friends" (1.22 percent). Often of tourists are agreeing to pay 5,000 rials to 15,000 rials in the right input. Tourists have been reported the main motivations and reasons for choosing the region "tourism, sport and health".

Also, hypothesis test results indicate that in general, level of insecurity in Gachan area for tourists is higher than average which can have a negative effect on tourism and sports tourism.

The change in forest cover plays a vital role in ecosystem services, atmospheric carbon balance and thus climate change. The goal of this study is comparison of three procedure of Artificial Neural Network, Logistic regression and Similarity weighted Instance-based Learning (SIM Weight) to predict spatial trend of forest cover change.

In this study, land use maps for the periods 1984 and 2012 derived from Landsat TM satellite imagery, was used. Transition potential modeling using artificial neural network, Logistic regression and Similarity weighted Instance-based Learning and prediction based on the best model using Markov chain model was performed. In order to assess the accuracy of modeling, statistics of relative performance characteristic (ROC), ratio Hits/False Alarms and figure of merit was used.

The results show the accuracy of artificial neural network with the ROC equal to 0.975, the ratio Hits/False Alarms equal to 63 percent and the figure of merit is equal to 12 percent.

 Discussion and Conclusions

Artificial Neural Networks in comparison with Logistic Regression and Similarity weighted Instance-based Learning has higher accuracy and less error in modeling and predicting of forest changes.

The aim of present study was to determining the Economically Optimal utilization Age of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) in Guilan Province.

For this purpose, growth data and the price of Tada pine wood were used. Regression analysis was used to determine the best model of Teda pine growth.

The results showed that the best relationship between volume growth per hectare and age of a growth model is a few third degree sentences. The equation for the price of Teda pine trunks was reduced using its model. Due to the lack of significance of this relationship at the level of 0.05, the average price of standing wood was used in different years. According to the price, annual growth and bank interest rate, the optimal age of Teda pine was obtained according to technical and economic criteria.

Results showed that economically optimum utilization age of Teda pine changes with different discount rates, optimal rotation age follow different trend.

Recently, pollutant particles, in particular suspended particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, have been the most common pollutant in Tehran. One of the most important processes to solve the problem of suspended particles is to obtain appropriate information on the distribution of these pollutants at different time periods. The goal of this study is to propose a spatial approach for modeling and analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of suspended particles based on GIS analyzes.

At first step, PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants was collected from Tehran Air Quality Control Company. Then, the accuracy of different interpolation methods was evaluated. Finally, the IDW method was selected as the best interpolation method for plotting the concentration of these pollutants in Tehran

Daily, Monthly average and annual average concentrations map were prepared according to the daily data of these pollutants in the years 93 and 94. As a result, spatial and temporal analysis of distribution of PM 2.5 and PM 10 contaminants in Tehran was made
Discussion and conculation: According to the performed study, it can be said that the highest concentration of PM10 pollutants is found in the southwest of the city and the highest concentration of PM 2.5 pollutants is found in Shahr-e-Ray and central part of the city.

In the beginning, plants were used only for aesthetic purposes, but today they are used for ecological and economic purposes such as saving energy, improving urban climate, and so on. Since the community of vertical green coverings on the surface of buildings, through facades and green walls, allows to significantly improving the productivity of ecological and environmental benefits, achieving sustainability in the goals of this environmentally friendly technology is essential and in this research is a valuable approach.

Therefore, this study aims to investigate the benefits of using green wall technology to improve thermal performance in an applied research with a combined method and relying on the library method and citing research conducted in the field of green wall technology considering saving energy and the environment.

The results of the study showed that the application of green wall technology in three areas of sustainability, including: social, economic and environmental.

So that green wall technology will bring a wide range of benefits, the most important of which can reduce the temperature in the building from suffering between 1 - 10 degrees Celsius, and saving energy consumption up to 65% in the field of reducing energy consumption and also eliminating environmental pollutants and reducing the destruction of the ozone layer and reducing the effect of urban heat islands, reducing noise pollution and ... in the field of biology the environment pointed out.