فهرست مطالب

Environmental Resources Research - Volume:10 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2022

Journal of Environmental Resources Research
Volume:10 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2022

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1402/02/17
  • تعداد عناوین: 12
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  • Hassan Malvandi *, Somaye Azimi, Mina Sarvary Korojdeh Pages 153-164

    In order to determine the mercury content in muscle of roach (Rutilus rutilus) and its potential risks when consumed, samples of the fish were caught in two important fishing areas, Bandar Anzali and Bandar Torkaman. The mean concentration of mercury was 438 and 61 µg Kg-1 dw for Bandar Anzali and Bandar Torkaman, respectively. The maximum allowable fish consumption rates were respectively 0.57 Kg per week and 10.86 meals per month for Bandar Anzali and 2.74 Kg per week and 52.47 meals per month for Bandar Torkaman. Hazard quotient (HQ) values for fish samples in both regions were less than one. Correlation results showed no significant relationship between morphological parameters and mercury concentrations in muscle tissue in either region, although there was a significant negative correlation when the samples from both regions were pooled together. The concentrations of mercury in fish in both Bandar Anzali and Bandar Torkaman areas were lower than world standards. Overall, fortunately, the mercury levels in the fish were unlikely to have adverse effects on the health of fish or consumers, although continuous monitoring of contaminant levels is necessary due to the chemical properties of mercury and the frequent introduction of other contaminants into the waters in these areas.

    Keywords: Pollution, Heavy metals, Contamination, Fish, Index
  • Ali Mastouri *, Shaban Shataee Jouibari, MohamadHadi Moayeri, Yasser Maghsoudi Mehrani Pages 165-182

    Landslide hazards are relatively frequent in the mountainous regions of Northern Iran. This research aimed to utilize the potential application of a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) to evaluate and map landslide susceptibility in the Arabdagh forests, Golestan Province, Northern Iran. A ground truth landslide map including 78 points was prepared using aerial photographs and high-resolution satellite images and field surveys. The landslide influencing factors maps were produced and used as independent layers in the analysis. The landslide susceptibility map of the study area was produced by weighted linear combination (WLC) model based on AHP weights of factors. The resulting landslide susceptibility map was classified into five relative susceptibility zones according to the natural break method very low, low, moderate, high, and very high with an area of 5.1%, 26.1%, 31.7%, 24.4%, and 12.8% of the total study area, respectively. The validation of the susceptibility map was performed using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC). The validation results showed an AUC of 0.852 (85.2%) with a standard error of 0.036. The susceptibility risk in the areas covered by shrub and herb where high and very high, respectively.

    Keywords: Landslide Susceptibility, Multi-Criteria Decision, Making (MCDM), AHP, Arabdagh Forests
  • Vahid Aranian, Hamid Niknahad-Gharmakher *, Chooghi Bairam Komaki, Hossein Kazemi Pages 183-194

    Rangeland improvement and restoration increases the quantity and quality of forage production and optimizes the amount of livestock products. Land suitability assessment is an activity towards selection of the best sites for a specific plant species plantation. Application of optimal methods for accurately locating places for rangeland plantation, considering rangeland potential and characteristics, leads to long-term sustainable economic benefits. Nitraria schoberi is a drought-resistant species that is important in stabilizing of sandy soils and soil erosion control. Finding appropriate plantation sites for this species can play important role in the improvement of degraded-winter rangelands. In this research, the geographic information system and two methods of classic and fuzzy logic were used to locate areas suitable for this plant. According to the ecological requirements of N. schoberi, the layers for the classic method were grouped into two suitable and not suitable categories but for the fuzzy method we defined four classes for the layers including not- suitable, moderately suitable, suitable and highly suitable. Then, by combining the classifieds layers, the final maps were obtained using Boolean and fuzzy logic method. The results demonstrated that low precipitation, as well as, high salinity and temperature are the most limiting factors that must be considered in N. schoberi plantation projects. We found that the fuzzy logic gives better and more accurate results than the classic method, so it is recommended for selecting suitable areas for rangeland species plantation.

    Keywords: Locating, Nitraria schoberi, Classic logic, Fuzzy logic, Rangeland rehabilitation
  • Hassan Rezaei *, Roghayeh Motalebi, Aliakbar Hedayati, Ali Kord Rostami Pages 195-208

    Phenol is one of the hydrocarbons identified as a priority pollutant by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Phenol and its derivatives have wide applications in a variety of industries and is known as an important pollutant in industrial wastewater. As conventional phenol removal methods are often expensive, there is a need for a low cost and environmentally friendly method to remove this pollutant. The purpose of this study is to examine the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions using chitosan nanoparticles. We experimented phenol removal in batch system with absorbent dose (0.01- 0.4 g/l), pH (3-8), contact time (5-120 min), phenol concentration (5-50 mg /l) and temperature (15-40°C). Based on the results, the optimal levels of concentration, pH and adsorbent dose were 50 mg/L, 4 and 0.05 g/L as parameters for use in subsequent steps. After 35 minutes, the absorption system was in equilibrium and then there was no significant change in the phenol absorption, and after 60 minutes, the absorption rate decreased. Removal efficiency of phenol at 35°C demonstrated its highest amount. According to the findings, due to the characteristics such as degradability, regeneration ability, low cost, and acceptable adsorption efficiency, chitosan nanoparticles could be used to remove phenol from water contaminated with oil compounds.

    Keywords: Nano-chitosan, Phenol, Adsorption, Aromatic compounds
  • Hossein Mirzaei * Pages 209-220

    The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of vermicompost on heavy metals accumulation in plants and soil irrigated with contaminated water at the Campus of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Razi University. The research was carried out in two treatments, using vermicompost and no vermicompost (control) in three replications on the accumulation of copper, iron, zinc, cadmium and manganese in roots, shoots and fruits of tomato and okra plants as well as in two soil layers (0-30 and 30-60 cm). The results indicated that vermicompost application significantly increased the amount of metals in most parts of tomato (fruit: Cu 10.1 , Fe -11.86 , Mn 5.97 ; leaves: Fe 8.4 , Zn 9.73 , Mn 2.97 ; root: Mn - 5.56 ) and okra (fruit: Cu 6.73 , Fe 9.98 , Zn -7.18 , Mn 3.06 ; leaves: Fe 9.51 , Zn 6.63 , Mn 3.84 ; root: Cu -9.7 , Fe -10.2 , Zn - 14 , Mn -7.12 ). Although vermicompost treatment increased the amount of metals in the soil but it was not significant and only in the first layer the Zn 6.33 showed a significant increase. Also, vermicompost prevented moving of metals into the soil. Therefore, simultaneous use of vermicompost and irrigation with contaminated water is not recommended due to increase in heavy metals content in different parts of the studied plants and soil.

    Keywords: Copper, Iron, Zinc, Cadmium, Manganese
  • Pouyan Dehghan Rahimabadi, Reyhaneh Masoudi, Esmail Heydari Alamdarloo, Hassan Khosravi *, Hossein Azarnivand Pages 221-236

    Groundwater (GW) are important sources of fresh water for the agricultural sector in Tashk-Bakhtegan and Maharloo basin in Fars Province, Iran. In this study, data were collected from 420 groundwater samples to assess the suitability of groundwater for irrigation using hydrogeochemical properties. The groundwater quality (GWQ) was evaluated using 15 hydrogeochemical indices, namely Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Magnesium Hazard (MH), Salinity Hazard (SH), Chloride (Cl- ), Permeability Index (PI), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Potential Salinity (PS), Total Hardness (TH), Kelley’s Ratio (KR), Sodium Percentage (SP), Chloro-Alkaline Index I (CAI-I), Residual Sodium Bicarbonates (RSBC), Synthetic Harmful Coefficient (K), and Base Exchange Index (ܚ૚ ), along with Meteoric Genesis ૛ܚ) Index ). The results of these indices indicated that the GWQ was totally different in the north and south of the study area. Water sources were mainly acceptable for irrigation based on SAR, MH, SH, Cl- , TDS, PS, TH, KR, SP, CAI-I, and K indices in the northern parts, while it showed limitations for use in the agricultural sector in most southern areas. Based on PI and RSBC indices, GWQ is entirely acceptable for irrigation all over the basin. According to the results of ܚ ૚and ܚ૛ indices, GWQ belongs to Na+ -HCO3 - and shallow water percolating types in the northern parts, while it belongs to Na+ -SO4 2- and deep water percolating types in the southern parts. Agriculture and rangelands are mainly located in the center toward north of the basin, where the GWQ is more suitable for irrigation. Besides, GWQ needs to be improved in southern parts and remediation measures are proposed to make it more usable for irrigation purposes.

    Keywords: Groundwater Quality, Irrigation, Hydrogeochemical, Agriculture
  • Parisa Amirian, Aeizh Azmi *, Amanollah Fathnia Pages 237-266

    Many rural settlements are influenced by protected areas. The management measures along with social, and economic features of these areas can have both positive and negative effects on the surrounding villages in various forms. The present study aimed to study the effects of protected areas in Iran on surrounding villages. We focused on 8 villages in Songhor, a city in Kermanshah Province, Iran. The villages are near the protected areas of Badr and Parishan. Based on Cochran formula, 250 subjects were considered to fill out the questionnaire relating to the effect of the protected areas on villages. Also, we used a VIKOR model to investigate the effect of the protected areas on villages. We studied the relationship between the distance and the altitude of villages with regard to the protected areas using IDW method. The findings showed that the protected areas had effects on welfare, livelihood, migration, and participation in rural development and the increased inequality. Moreover, the closer the villages were to the protected areas, the more they were affected. The direct effects of altitude were also found.

    Keywords: Natural Protected, Areas of Badr, Parishan, Rural Settlements, Kermanshah, Iran
  • Behzad Hessari *, Morteza Firouzi, Mehdi Jafari Bari Pages 267-278

    Groundwater is one of the main sources of drinking and agricultural water in the Salmas Plain in northwest of the Lake Urmia basin. Recently, boron contamination was reported in the down-plain. Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for human health and plant growth, however high concentration (more than 1.5 mg/l) of boron is very detrimental to agriculture and human health. The present study examined the major water bodies which possibly contribute to boron contamination by identifying the origin of boron contents in the study area. A total of 42 groundwater and surface water samples were collected. The spatial distribution of boron contents showed that contamination occurred mainly in the south where thermal and mineral springs are dominant. An anomalous concentration of boron (more than 400 mg/l) was found at Abgarm thermal springs which discharge directly into the surface waters. The contamination spread over the central and east areas. This is because contamination moves through the faults. The high concentration of boron in this region may be attributed to the rock-water interaction.

    Keywords: Boron, Groundwater, Water quality, Geostatistical approach, Lake Urmia
  • Gholamhosein Moradi *, Elham Operajuneghani, Farnaz Dehghan Benadkuki, Sajad Ghanbari, Mostafa Moradi Pages 279-290

    The housing market and related issues are nowadays global matters that have attracted the attention of planners and policymakers. So housing price estimation is fundamental for public and private investors. The environmental characteristics of a place, such as green space, are one of the determining factors in housing prices. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the effect of green space on the price of surrounding houses in the Ghadir park of Yazd in central Iran. The sample size was determined using Cochran relation. The data have been collected by a questionnaire, referring to real estate agencies and maps. The ordinary least squares regression method and Eviews 9 software were used to analyze the data. Then, a model was proposed for estimating the hedonic price function of the study area. According to the results, from 15 independent variables, reconstruction, number of floors, number of bedrooms, distance to the main street, distance to the city center, and distance to park have a significant relationship with the price of housing units (P≤0.05). The adjusted coefficient of determination (R 2 ) was equal to 0.918. Using the hedonic method, it is concluded that although environmental goods such as parks and green spaces are not exchanged in the market, families pay for them in reality.

    Keywords: Environmental economics, Hedonic pricing model, Park, Non-market services, Urban green space
  • Reza Dehghani *, Fatemeh Dehghani Pages 291-300

    Standard weather station evaluates air-temperature which is a major descriptor of earth environmental condition. Estimation of average daily temperature is one of the main perquisites for agricultural programming and water resource management which is possible by empirical, quasi-empirical and intelligent methods. This study evaluates the application of wavelet neural network (WNN) to estimate the average daily air-temperature in Sari weather station and also compares its efficiency with artificial neural network (ANN). We used thermograph data of Sari weather station for modeling. Relative humidity, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, wind velocity and daily evaporation were considered as network input and air-temperature was considered as network output for the years 2010 to 2020 years. Criteria including correlation coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE), NashSutcliffe (NS) coefficient were used to evaluate and comparison the models efficiency. Results showed that WNN model had better performance than ANN for modeling with the coefficient of determination 0.999, RMSE 0.001 and NS 0.998. In conclusion, results showed reliability of WNN model in estimation of air-temperature.

    Keywords: Air-temperature, Artificial neural network, Estimation, Sari, Wavelet neural network
  • Shaieste Gholami, Ehsan Sayad Pages 301-310

    Functional grouping of nitrogen fixing trees into discrete groups is a good approach to understanding their influence on ecosystem functioning in their new environment. Most of previous studies have reported faster leaf litter decomposition rates of nitrogen fixing than non-nitrogen fixing species. Meta-analysis using published data is the best way for functionally grouping of nitrogen fixing trees from non-nitrogen fixing trees based on litter decomposition rate. Meta-analysis was used for analyzing litter decomposition rate from published data. The data extracted from 5 papers and 16 species that used laboratory method and 27 papers and 41 species that used litterbag method. Leaf litter decay constant (k year-1 ) of the nitrogen fixing trees was not different from non-nitrogen fixing trees. Initial leaf litter quality (N or C/N, lignin/N, Tannin and Phenolics) of nitrogen fixing trees in all studies was higher than non-nitrogen fixing trees. Totally, it could be highlighted that leaf litter decomposition is species dependent and functional grouping of the tree species based on nitrogen fixing ability is not reasonable, although it is apparent that the litter quality of the two groups is different.

    Keywords: Leaf Litter Decay Rate, Litter Quality, Nitrogen Fixation, Meta-analysis, Plantation
  • Mohsen Khalaj, Mohammad Gholami Parashkoohi *, Davood Mohammad Zamani Pages 311-328

    This study was conducted to analyze and model the environmental impacts using artificial neural networks (ANNs) in wheat production systems. Information needed for this study, related to 2021-2022, data was collected from wheat farms in two parts of conventional and conservation cultivation in Qazvin province, Iran. Life cycle assessment using the ReCiPe 2016 method reported three categories of damage to human health, ecosystem, and resources. The resource damage category for conventional tillage irrigation (76.05 USD2013) has significant pollution. The share of seed emissions, On-Farm emissions, and nitrogen emissions affect the categories of damage to human health, ecosystems, and resources, respectively. The results of ANN for environmental impacts in different wheat production showed the structure 9-8-3 with nine inputs, one hidden layer with eight neurons, and three output parameters have been determined as the best structure for conventional tillage irrigation. Also, rainfed wheat cultivation in conventional tillage showed 6-11-3 with six inputs, one hidden layer with eleven neurons, and three output parameters determined as the best structure. The best structure for irrigated cultivation of conservation tillage is 9-6-3. The suitable structure for rainfed cultivation in conservation tillage is 8-4-3, which has one hidden layer with four neurons. According to the results, the ANN can accurately predict the environmental effects of wheat production. By modeling the environmental effects, it can be found that in the future, sustainable production, will have a suitable plan to reduce environmental pollutants.

    Keywords: Ecosystem, Environmental impacts, Life cycle assessment, Wheat farms