Environmental Sciences
Year:2019 | Volume:17 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:17

Introduction: So far, several studies have been carried out all over the world on the development of appropriate indicators for the emission of hydrocarbon contaminants and several indicators have been presented in this regard. These indicators are divided into internal and external categories. External indices determine the source of hydrocarbon pollution based on the ratio of metals in the oil, such as the ratio of nickel to vanadium. In contrast, indigenous indices, namely aromatic and aliphatic compounds, are used mainly for the propagation of hydrocarbon contamination. Because of the difference in reactivity, solubility, and thermodynamic properties between some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons isomers, they can be used to determine the source of hydrocarbon pollution. Material and methods: In many studies on hydrocarbon contamination, only one of the aliphatic or aromatic compounds in the water, soil and sediment environment is investigated. However, in this study, for the determination of hydrocarbon contamination in the south of Tehran, aromatic and aliphatic compounds were investigated in all water, soil, and sediment environments. To determine the amount of contamination, 33 samples of water, soil, and sediment were collected. After collection, the samples were immediately transferred to the laboratory and extraction of hydrocarbon compounds was done. Water samples were collected from wells, aqueducts, surface waters, and canals. Soil samples were obtained from surface and 50 cm depth of agricultural land, and primer soil and sediment samples were collected from sediments accumulated in canals, aqueducts and surface waters. Results and discussion: In this study, 16 important PAH compounds that are declared as carcinogenic by the US Environmental Protection Agency and aliphatic compounds (C8-C40) were studied. The average concentration of PAHs compounds in water samples was 2127. 72 ppb ranging from 5 to 147125. 56, in soil samples was 6715. 7 ppb, ranging from 5 to 446642, and in sediment samples was957. 77 ppb ranging from5 to11992. 02. As for aliphatic compounds (C8-C40), their concentration in water samples was 39. 50 ppm with a range of 5-785. 2, in soil samples was 1110 ppm with a range of 5-16160/74, and in sediment samples was1751. 13 ppm with a range of 5-30497. 37. The presence of hydrocarbon contamination in the south of Tehran showed that petroleum pollution is petrogenetic. According to these results, the most contamination was observed in samples around the pond of oil waste and samples near the oil pipelines, where the hydrocarbon contamination can penetrate into the groundwater and the soil. Also, the oil pollution in the area was not limited to the oil refinery, but part of it was related to the liquefied gas collection from the city and transportation to the canals to use for irrigation of agricultural land. Regarding the comparison of concentrations of PAH and aliphatic compounds, the highest concentrations of PAHs were found in water and sediment, respectively, and the highest concentrations of aliphatic compounds were in the soil, sediment, and water, respectively, respectively. Due to the fact that the hydrocarbon compounds in the water column are deposited into the channel deposits and these channels are periodically dredged by farmers in the region, there is no possibility of accumulation of high levels of hydrocarbons in these environments. For this reason, the highest concentrations are in the soil environment. Conclusion: The results of measurement and analysis of oil hydrocarbons in water, soil, and sediment environments showed that oil pollution is petrogenetic. Most of this pollution is related to oil spills from Tehran refinery and the other reason is the collecting channels of urban surface runoff, which are contaminated with petrogenetic petroleum compounds that lead to the south of Tehran.

Introduction: In recent years, the ‘ Anthropocene Working Group’ under Jan Zalasiewicz’ s direction, has played an extremely significant role in the explanation of the ‘ Anthropocene epoch’ from a scientific point of view, by publishing numerous articles on this issue. Among the authors of these papers, Vidas is one of the most important lawyers who has published papers concerning the relationship between the Anthropocene and international law. This article aimed to explain introductory subjects about the Anthropocene and their connection with environmental law, which has no history in the Persian language literature. Material and methods: In this paper, the latest scientific data along with new approaches used by environmental lawyers will be studied. Recent global environmental changes suggest that the Earth has arrived at a new geological epoch under the influence of mankind. ‘ Biodiversity’ and ‘ climate change’ are two subjects that are mostly protected by environmental law in this new epoch since they are severely affected by the consequences of changes in the Earth’ s ecosystem. Results and discussion: Many lawyers believe that environmental law and governance issues are the result of the ‘ Holocene’ stability, and understanding the relationship between human beings and the environment seemed relatively simple and the centrality of humans and governments was fixated. While in the Anthropocene epoch, there is less stability and predictability, and in order to restore the integrity to the Earth’ s ecosystem, giving centrality to human governments must be replaced with an ‘ eco-centric’ approach in international and national laws. Conclusion: One of the principles that should be emphasized in international treaties is taking responsibility for the conservation of the environment’ s integrity. If the principle of ‘ sovereignty over natural resources’ is a Jus Cogens in international law, then the state’ s responsibility towards the ‘ conservation of natural resources’ and ‘ safeguarding the ecological integrity’ should be a strong obligation. This paper proposes that a declaration on fundamental principles of environmental law should be presented, in which some guiding principles regarding the rights and duties of humankind in relation to the environment in the new epoch could be codified.

Introduction: Ecotourism is a form of tourism that emphasizes on nature’ s attractions and it mostly revolves around getting in touch with nature and its dependence on the concept of sustainable development, creation of educational and ecological opportunities, and appreciating the mother Earth. Considering the concept of ecotourism sustainable development, assessment of ecological capability and identification of natural capacities of each region along with a proper planning may lead to sustainable and continuous utilization of the nature, as well as creating employment and earning income. Dena County is located in the north of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province with an area of 1577 km2. Due to its rare and valuable natural phenomena, this county has a great potential in tourism attraction that can host tourists and nature lovers in all seasons. Material and methods: Multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDMs) allow different criteria to be applied simultaneously in determination of the best option and the most appropriate condition. The Analytical Network Process (ANP) is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods with non-linear structure and two-way relationships. In this study, after analyzing the relationships between different indicators of ecotourism development and determining their relative weight using ANP, we identified the potential areas for ecotourism development using Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method. It is common to use fuzzy series theory with the WLC method to standardize the criteria. Results and discussion: According to the structure of the decision making of the ANP, the index of landslide sensitivity with relative weight of 0. 3 and the geographical direction with relative weight of 0. 014 had the highest and lowest significance, respectively, among the indicators reviewed in identifying potential areas of ecotourism development in the study area. Based on the relative weight extraction of 17 indicators of ecotourism, from ANP and their integration with WLC method, the largest area of ecotourism classes was suited to the appropriately qualified class (S2), relatively suitable (S3), completely appropriate (S4) and inappropriate (S1). Conclusion: In most decisions, managers demand the optimization of several indicators instead of one index. Obviously, these indices are not comparable due to different scales, and even in some cases they are mutually opposite, so that an increase in one indicator decreases the other. Therefore, in decision making with multiple criteria, we usually look for an option that offers the most benefit to all criteria. In the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) weighting method, the dependence of criteria, indicators, and options is linear, bottom-up or up-down. In this study, it was determined that the dependence of the effective indicators on the development of ecotourism was bilateral and formed a network with a nonlinear system (feedback system), which in this case, the theory of networks should be used to calculate the weight of the elements. Similar to other previous studies, the results of this study also showed that the combined use of fuzzy logic and the ANP method in determining the preference and weight of criteria relative to each other provided more logical and flexible conditions for WLC evaluation. Comparing the results of this study with other studies showed that the indicators affecting the development of ecotourism varied in different regions.

Introduction: Conservation of biological diversity, as our intangible natural heritage, promotes the sustainability of agricultural systems. In this regard, the development and protection of homegardens, as a production system that protects agricultural biodiversity, is essential. The species richness of garden crops has made home gardens suitable places for their in situ protection. Accordingly, this study evaluated the status of homegardens in Khalkhal (Iran) by assessing their agrobiodiversity indices and factors (e. g., socio-economic) affecting garden crops. Material and methods: In order to assess the biodiversity of homegardens in Khalkhal County, seven villages were selected by cluster random sampling based on the population of the villages. Data from homegardens were collected using a questionnaire, face-to-face interviews with 150 farmers, and direct observation of home gardens in the summer of 2016. Data were extracted and processed before the analysis and the qualitative data were encoded and entered into Excel software. Pearson and Spearman's rank correlations coefficients, regression coefficients and cluster analysis as well as frequency and mean were calculated using SPSS V23. Results and discussion: The results showed that the villages of Majre with 61 species and Ghezel Dargh with 31 species had the highest and lowest levels of species richness, respectively. There were no significant differences between villages based on the Shannon-Weiner index. The maximum and minimum Shannon values were calculated in Guransarab (1. 99) and Lanbur (1. 11) villages, respectively, and the average Shannon-Wiener value was 1. 57. The results also revealed that 57% of the gardeners earned their main income from other sectors and received no income from horticulture or beekeeping. In addition, as incomes from other sectors increased, the tendency to maintain homegardens decreased. Our findings indicated that socio-economic factors and certain aspects of home gardens may affect their biodiversity and biodiversity indices. For example, the socio-economic factors of age, education level, number of household members, level of participation of women, years of experience in gardening, working hours in the garden, and knowledge of the benefits of the plant species increased the values of the biodiversity-related indices. Furthermore, the characteristics of a homegarden, such as area, incorporation of domesticated plants and short distances to sales centers were the major factors influencing the increase in biodiversity-related indices. Conclusion: The results indicated that awareness-raising measures and education, economic supports such as the establishment of farmers’ markets, branding their products and designing suitable irrigation systems for home gardeners should be taken into account in future management plans.

Introduction: Enhanced consumption of fossil fuels has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is one of the most important causes of urban pollution, as well as global warming. The development of plant cultivation and the creation of green spaces is one of the most effective methods for carbon storage. Several studies have been conducted to determine the ability of different plants to reduce carbon contents of the atmosphere, many of which recognized the high efficiency of some plants in carbon storage. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Petunia hybrida and Tagetes patula in terms of carbon storage, as two key species in Kerman green space developmental projects. Therefore, the results of the present study can be used for urban green space designing with a focus on carbon storage. Material and methods: In this study, the organic carbon content of the samples was determined by an S-N-H-C element analyzer after collecting, weaning and weighing. Subsequently, after surveying the field and taking into account the traffic nodes, the target areas were identified by measuring the highest rates of pollution in certain regions of the Kerman city. Finally, by assessing the green spaces of Kerman, the urban ecological map was prepared for carbon storage. Results and discussion: The results of this research indicated that the carbon storage ability of Petunia hybrida is more than Tagetes patula. Therefore, we suggest that in the western regions towards the center of Kerman city, which had more traffic nodes, Petunia hybrida should be chosen for the development of green spaces. Conclusion: Since the components of green spaces have unique roles in urban spaces, assessing and understanding the potential capacity of green spaces are so crucial for designing suitable programs for reducing the environmental problems of urban spaces. This study showed that by understanding the capabilities of components of green spaces, we can decrease some urban challenges. Consequently, the cultivation and development of Petunia hybrida will cause more carbon storage than Tagetes patula. Considering the benefits that these kind of plants provide, they should be considered in green spaces’ developmental plans.

Introduction: Place attachment is an emotional connection to a specific location or perspective where usually includes physical and social elements (Devine-Wright, 2013). From Hummon's point of view, the community attachment is defined as an emotional investment in one place (Buta et al., 2014). Today, environmental concepts deeply have social implications, and a large part of the people’ s environmental beliefs and behaviors changes under the influence of cultural and social systems (Kalantari et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between community attachment and environmental behaviors considering the role of mediating attachment of the place among residents of Tajrish neighbourhood located in the district One of Tehran. Materials and methods: The present research was a descriptive, analytical-correlational survey. A sample of 284 was selected from inhabitants of Tajrish neighbourhood based on random sampling method. The participants were asked to fill out the research questionnaire whose reliability and validity were confirmed. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using the correlation analysis and structural equation modeling in SPSS-21 and AMOS-21. Results and discussion: The results of standard coefficients obtained from structural equation modeling showed that community attachment can directly and positively predict place attachment (p<0. 01, β =0. 65) and place attachment also can directly and positively predict pro-environmental civic participation (p<0. 01, β =0. 48). Finally, the study findings revealed that community attachment affects pro-environmental civic participation both directly (p<0. 01, β =0. 41) and indirectly, through the mediating role of place attachment, (p<0. 01, β =0. 31). In order to assess the fitness of the model, in this research, fit indices from eight main indicators were utilized. In this study, the relative Chi-square, (CMIN/Df) was estimated at 1. 375, indicating the acceptable condition of the model. The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0. 036 also demonstrated the validity of the model developed in this study. The GFI and AGFI indices, absolute fit indices, should be in the range of zero to one, and values greater than 0. 9 for the GFI index and 0. 85 for the AGFI index indicate the optimal fit of the model. In the model measured in the present study, the value of 0. 990 for the GFI index and 0. 965 for the AGFI index showed a highly favorable fit of the model. For the Increasing Fitting Index (IFI), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), values greater than 0. 9 represent the ideal fit of the model. IFI, TLI, and CFI were, respectively, 0. 996, 0. 990, and 0. 996 in this study. The (Bentler-Bonett) Normed Fit Index (NFI) is based on the correlation between the present variables in the model in a way that the coefficients of correlation between them would lead to high values of the adaptive fit index. The acceptable value of this index should be greater than 0. 9 which was obtained in the present study and is an indication of the confirmation of the research model. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that community attachment has a direct and significant effect on the place attachment and the environmental behavior. On the other hand, community attachment indirectly affects the creation of environmental behaviors in citizens through involving the sense of attachment to the. place; hence, place attachment is considered as an intermediary factor in creating environmentalist behaviors

Introduction: Groundwater quality study is one of the important tools for the sustainable development of a region and provides crucial information for managing water in different sectors. In recent years, water withdrawal from Iran's aquifers has reduced the groundwater quality in most of the plains. This research was conducted to investigate the groundwater quality of Seydan-Farooq plain for agricultural and drinking purposes and also mapping some effective chemical parameters in these two sections. Material and methods: In this research, the results of chemical analysis of twelve wells in 2016 were used. First, groundwater type and hydrogeochemical facies were determined. Factors controlling groundwater chemistry were determined using Gibbs diagram and plot of Ca+Mg versus SO4+HCO3. To classify water for irrigation, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (%Na), magnesium ratio, corrosivity ratio, and permeability index were used. Then, the map of some important parameters for irrigation water was prepared. To classify water for drinking purposes, chemical parameters were first compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Next, some important parameters for drinking such as total dissolved solids, total hardness, and chloride ion concentration were compared with existing standards and their effects on human health were discussed. Then, the map of these parameters for the study plain was prepared. Finally, the quality of water for drinking purposes was evaluated using the Schoeller diagram. Results and discussion: The distribution pattern of samples in Durov diagram indicated the tendency of some samples to reach the end of the hydrogeochemical evolutionary cycle. As such, the bicarbonate type was changed into chloride type in a short time. Based on Gibbs diagram and the plot of Ca+Mg versus SO4+HCO3, rock-water interaction and dissolution of carbonate rocks were the main factors changing the groundwater chemical quality of the plain. According to SAR value, all samples fell in the excellent category which is suitable for irrigation and there is no risk of soil alkalinity. While in terms of salinity (EC), they are acceptable in the agricultural sector. Based on the percentage of sodium, samples were categorized as excellent, which are suitable for irrigation. According to the permeability index, all samples, except for one sample, showed good irrigation quality and did not change the soil permeability. In the majority of samples, the magnesium ratio was less than 50, which is suitable for irrigation. Comparison of chemical parameters with the WHO guidelines showed that none of the parameters exceeded the permissible limit. Comparison of TDS and chloride in samples with other existing standards showed that only one sample was brackish, which is not suitable for drinking purposes. Based on the groundwater hardness, water of the study plain was classified as high hardness water. According to the Schoeller diagram, the water quality of the study plain was classified in the good category. Conclusion: According to the hydrogeochemical results, water-rock interaction and weathering of carbonate minerals are the main factors in changing water chemistry. Since the majority of rocks recharging the aquifer are calcareous, it seems obvious that calcium and bicarbonate ions are dominant in the groundwater. In all samples, except those wells with possible saltwater intrusion, parameters such as salinity risk, SAR, sodium solution, and permeability index were acceptable for irrigation and there was no risk of soil alkalinity. Aquifer recharge by limestone-dolomite and dolomitic rocks in some regions has increased the magnesium ratio of groundwater in about 40% of samples. It has also increased the groundwater hardness. None of the chemical parameters exceeded the permissible limit set by the WHO and Schoeller diagram indicated that the water quality of the study plain was classified in the good category.

Introduction: Determining the response of plant species to environmental gradients is an important issue in the analyses of vegetation communities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the most important environmental factors shaping the occurrence of Dactylis glomerata in Takab rangelands. Material and methods: Eighty four plots (1m2) were placed random-systematically along the azimuth of the studied area. In each plot, the presence of the species was recorded and one soil sample at the depth of 0– 20 cm was collected. Some soil physical and chemical properties including soil moisture, texture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon percentage, and the percentage of total nitrogen were measured in the laboratory. Data analysis was performed by Rver. 3. 0. 2 statistical software. The binomial distribution of the Huisman – Olff-Fresco (HOF) function was used to fit the curve of species response to environmental gradients. Results and discussion: The results demonstrated that the altitude variable is the most important environmental factor affecting D. glomerata distribution. Moreover, the optimal ecological amount of this variable for D. glomerata is 2100 m above sea level. After altitude, slope (%), soil organic carbon (%), soil total nitrogen (%), and soil moisture content were the most effective factors on the distribution of D. glomerata. Conclusion: In general, D. glomerata was more distributed in the lower slope of mountainous areas with high soil organic matter and moisture content.

Introduction: Land use changes in coastal areas of Gilan Province in recent decades have caused problems such as forest and wetland degradation, soil erosion, biodiversity reduction, and increased environmental pollution. This region is important in terms of its unique features and human use of this environment for a variety of residential, industrial, and recreational activities. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the changes and factors influencing them, and predict the changes process in the future to prevent irreparable damages to the environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the land use changes in Gilan Province during a 20-year period (1996-2016) and predict changes for the next 30 years based on the integration of the artificial neural network of multilayer perceptron and Markov chain model using the Land-change Modeler. Material and methods: Landsat 5 and 8 (TM) and (OLI-TIRS) satellite images were used for the years 1996, 2006 and 2016. Land cover maps were prepared for five classes in the forest, grass, agriculture, water, and residential resources using the Maximum Likelihood method. Land use changes and then modeling the transmission potential were explored using multilayer perceptron algorithm of artificial neural network using 13 independent variables and obtained 7 sub-models for modeling land use change for 2016 and then using Markov chain method, land use map for the year 2016 was predicted with a coefficient of Kappa 0. 98. Finally, the land use pattern of Gilan Province was simulated for 2046. Results and discussion: The results obtained from the analyses of land use changes in the first period (1996-2006) indicated that residential land use with the 7702. 72 hectares increased the most among other users. In these changes, agricultural land use had the largest share, where 7663 hectares of this land turned into residential areas. In the second period (2006-2016), residential land use, as in the previous period, with the annual change of 633. 7 hectares, had the most significant change in this period. In the whole study period from 1996 to 2016, the residential land reached from 12157. 57 hectares in 1996 to 26197. 59 hectares in 2016, which agricultural lands had the largest share in the conversion of the built-up areas. Conclusions: The process of land use change suggests that this trend has begun from the past and will continue in the future. So, the results of the detection of changes from the predicting land use for the next 30 years would indicate an increase in residential use and a decrease in the area of agricultural lands, forests, and grasslands. According to these results, timely and accurate evaluation of these changes lead to better decision making and planning.

Introduction: Today, the agricultural sector is dependent on energy consumption in order to respond to the growing demand for food and etc. The efficient use of inputs in agriculture lead to the sustainable production and help to reduce the fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emission and save financial resources. Furthermore, detecting relationship between the energy consumption and the yield is necessary to approach the sustainable agriculture. It is generally accepted that many countries try to reduce their dependence to agricultural crop productions of other countries. The being Independent on agricultural productions lead to take more attention to modern methods and the objective of all these methods is increasing the performance with the efficient use of inputs or optimizing energy consumptions in agricultural systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of inputs and production performance, energy inputs and energy consumption, energy indices, and the environmental impacts of wheat production systems. Material and methods: This study was carried out in Ardabil province of Iran. To achieve these objectives, data were collected from 100 irrigated wheat farms selected from three counties including Parsabad, Bilesavar, and Ardabil during 2017-2018 using a random sampling method. Energy consumption in wheat production was calculated based on direct and indirect energy sources including human, diesel fuel, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, irrigation water, electricity and wheat stalk. Energy values were calculated by multiplying inputs and outputs per hectare by their coefficients of energy equivalents. Renewable energies include machinery, wheat stalk, chemical fertilizer while non-renewable energy consisted of machinery, chemical fertilizer, electricity and diesel fuel. Energy values were calculated by multiplying inputs and outputs per hectare by their coefficients of energy equivalents. Results and discussion: The results indicated that the total energy input was 38755. 34 MJ ha-1, of which approximately 37. 38% and 19. 04% were produced from nitrogen fertilizers and diesel fuel, respectively. Approximately 39. 03% of the total energy inputs used in wheat production was the direct energy, while the remaining 60. 12% was indirect. Also, the results showed that energy use efficiency for grain production and biological yield of wheat was 1. 67 and 1. 99, respectively. Energy efficiency was estimated 0. 116 and 0. 142 MJ Kg-1. Total emissions of CO2, N2O, and CH4 from wheat farms were 1271. 52, 517. 14 and 1. 65 kg ha-1, respectively. Gross value of production and Total production cost Was obtained 52268792 and 39015747. Benefit-cost ratio was obtained 1. 52 and fixed and variable production cost were 54. 45 and 45. 6, respectively. Conclusion: The global warming potential was estimated 161620. 14 kg CO2e ha-1. Direct, indirect, renewable, and non-renewable energy forms had positive impacts on the output level. It seems that management systems based on a low input system, including organic fertilizers, No tillage and minimum tillage, could be regarded as an alternative management strategy for reducing problematic environmental impacts.

Introduction: A dust aerosol index (DAI) algorithm based on measurements in deep blue (412 nm), blue (440 nm), and shortwave IR (2130 nm) wavelengths using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations has been developed. Measurements made in the short-wavelength segment, such as the deep blue or ultraviolet section, are well-detectable in the desert area. Using short-range waves, the visual retention of fine-grained mass data, especially in desert areas, was carefully monitored. The western and southwestern Iran are always exposed to dusty systems due to its vicinity to the deserts of neighboring countries. With regard to the fact that most of the spectral indices proposed for the identification of dust have been tested and implemented based on satellite indicators for desert areas, these indicators and their related thresholds for complex topography areas need more accurate analyses. Therefore, in the western and southwestern Iran, which are mountainous with a diverse vegetation, it is necessary to test and evaluate dust detection methods. Material and methods: The study area included Khuzestan, Ilam and Kermanshah provinces, which is about 107307 square kilometers. In this study, MODIS L1B data from the Aqua satellite was used for dusty days on May 18 and June 25, 2013 and 2015. Before performing spectral calculations on various products, the data of this sensor was preprocessed, which included geometric correction of images, mask cloud and water masks with ENVI and the conversion tool module. After preprocessing (georges, separating the study area, and water mask, and cloud cover) the satellite data, the retrieved spatial radiance of TOA was normalized using satellite data considering the sun's conditions for each wavelength. Results and discussion: In general, it was found that all AOD maps generated from the direct method showed a very good spatial distribution of the local aerosol pattern compared to other methods. As expected, the retrieved AOD map from the L1B spectrum showed that the spatial distribution of the local AOD was very clear. The DAI index algorithm simulates the high-spectral dependence of the atmosphere in the blue wavelength for different surface and atmosphere conditions with a fully tested copy of the radiation-transfer code of-6 S, which is a trusted tool for measuring particle pumping over the oceans, different surfaces of the earth, and clouds. Conclusion: Unlike some of the dust detection algorithms that are carried out using measurements in the infrared thermal band, the advantage of this algorithm to detect dust is the use of spectral scattering, reflection of the surface, and absorption of dust in the air. The advantage of using measurments in the blue wavelength (410 to 490 nm) is to recover the optical properties of the aerosol.

Introduction: investigation in genetical diversity are an effective tools for conservation of valuable, rare and endangered species. up until now, few studies have been conducted on the ecology of freshwater crabs in Iran and so their conservation issues are not fully known. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of the true crab, Potamon elbursi, from the eastern lakes of Tehran. Material and methods: The genetic structure of P. elbursi crab was investigated from the eastern rivers of Tehran Province using microsatellite markers. In order to study the genetic diversity within populations, 10 samples were caught with hand-operated net in different parts of Jajroud, Hablehrood and Lar rivers. Samples were first assessed for morphological variations using appropriate keys. Molecular identification of species was performed by COI gene sequencing. Then, the characterization of microsatellite loci (i. e., hxx3, Gagt4, Ga1, Ga2, and hxx2) was done using primers from Longpotamon yangtsekiense. Allelic abundance, expected/ observed heterozygosity, true alleles abundance, and genetic diversity were assessed using AMOVA at p= 0. 01 level. Using images of the stained polyacrylamide gel, the molecular weight of the PCR product bands and the size of alleles were measured using Lab Image v. 3. 3. 3 software. The allele frequency, expected and observed heterozygosity, number of actual and effective alleles in microsatellite loci, genetic diversity, and AMOVA test were calculated at 0. 01 probability level in Gene Alex software. The MEGA software v. 5. 5 was used for plotting the phylogenetic tree. Result and discussion: The results showed that the COI sequences of all specimens were identical with those of P. elbursi, which was also confirmed by morphological analysis. The hxx2 and Ga1 positions with 7 alleles and Gagt4 with 3 alleles had the highest and lowest allele number among all heterozygote sites, respectively. The results also showed that the populations of this crayfish had a small intrinsic diversity. The observed and expected heterozygosity among the sampling stations at tetrad loci ranged from 0. 100 to 0. 51 and 0/81. 0. 515-0. 810, respectively. Conclusion: Molecular identification methods may be useful for finding the exact lineage of the species and confirming morphological identification methods. In this study, in all samples from all locations and all loci, the observed heterozygosity was lower than the expected heterozygosity.

Introduction: Increasing concentrations of heavy metals in the environment have raised serious environmental concerns. Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy elements in organisms and it has no biological role. So far, little research has been done on the status of heavy metals in pistachio orchards and factors affecting them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cadmium extracted with DTPA in soil and other soil physical and chemical properties in agricultural soils of Rafsanjan using stepwise regression and artificial neural network modeling. Material and methods: In this study, 140 soil samples from two depths of 0 to 40 and 40 to 80 cm were collected from pistachio orchards in six regions of Rafsanjan suburb. Soil characteristics including available Cd and Zn concentration measured using DTPA, P concentration by Olsen method, percent of sand, clay and silt by hydrometer method, and pH and electrical conductivity of soil saturated extract by pH meter and EC meter, respectively, were measured. In order to investigate the relationship between available Cd and physical and chemical properties of the soil, stepwise regression and artificial neural network (multi-layer feed forward) were used. Results and dissussion: The results showed a significant and positive correlation between phosphorus and clay content and soil cadmium, a negative and significant correlation between Cd-DTPA and pH and clay percentage, and a positive correlation between available Cd and available Zn, total Zn, and total Cd. The results also showed that both modeling methods are accurate in estimating soil cadmium concentration, although the neural network model was more accurate. The R2 and root of mean square error for the neural network model were 84. 3% and 0. 01% for the test data, and 27. 2% and 1. 43% for the stepwise regression model, respectively. Also, cadmium concentration showed the highest sensitivity to zinc concentration and other parameters such as clay, pH, phosphorus, EC, and sand were in the next order of importance, respectively. These results confirm that due to the consumption of zinc containing fertilizers and the increased consumption of phosphate fertilizers which have high impurity in the amount of cadmium, an increase in soil cadmium concentration is observed in the pistachio orchards. Conclusion: Zinc and phosphorus fertilizers used in pistachio orchards have a significant impurity of cadmium that can cause soil contamination by cadmium due to its long-term use and absorption of this toxic element in pistachio plant and fruit. Therefore, while complying with national and international standards in the production and import of fertilizers, the use of these fertilizers should be optimized by analyzing and interpreting the results of soil and leaf analysis to reduce the risk of pistachio fruit contamination to cadmium.

Introduction: Degradation of water, soil and environmental resources by the excessive use of chemical materials encouraged researchers to focus on organic farming in recent years. Despite all positive effects associated with the consumption of municipal compost and sewage sludge on the physical and chemical properties of the soil, there are still many concerns about their environmental and health issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the heavy metal accumulation in the soil and plant using different amounts of municipal compost and sewage sludge in a field trial after five years. Material and methods: The field study was conducted in Rudasht Irrigation and Drainage Research Station, Isfahan, Iran. A randomized complete block design with three replications within treatments was employed. The crop rotations were onion, wheat, sugar beet, corn, and onion, so there were two stages of onion cultivation. The treatments were 0 (as control), 25 ton ha-1 municipal compost, 50 ton ha-1 municipal compost, 15 ton ha-1 sewage sludge and 30 ton ha-1 sewage sludge applied per planting during five years. Results and discussion: Application of municipal compost and sewage sludge, especially at higher levels, increased the soil organic matter twice. In addition, the concentration of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb) in the soil increased significantly. Concentrations of available lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the first onion planting stage in the soil were not significant, but in the second onion planting stage the lead (Pb) concentration in 50 ton ha-1 municipal compost increased significantly (from 1. 9 mg kg-1 in control treatment to 5. 62 mg kg-1 in 50 ton ha-1 municipal compost treatment). Application of organic fertilizers increased the essential elements (e. g., N, P, K, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in onion shoot. The highest amounts of nutrient elements in onion shoot were detected in 50 ton ha-1 municipal compost, which was not significantly different than 30 ton ha-1 sewage sludge. In the first stage, the absorption of copper (Cu) by plant shoot was lower than the second stage as a result of increasing concentration of other elements such as phosphorus (P) and competition between various elements. The highest copper (Cu) concentration in shoots was observed in 15 ton ha-1 sludge (5. 4 mg kg-1), which reached to 3. 76 mg kg-1 after five years in the second stage. Application of organic fertilizers at both stages increased zinc (Zn) concentration in the onion bulb. The highest zinc (Zn) concentrations in bulbs were measured in 50 ton ha-1 compost and 30 ton ha-1 sewage sludge treatments (3. 05 and 3. 87 mg kg-1 for the first stage and 4. 25 and 4. 50 mg kg-1 for the second stage, respectively). However, the concentrations of other nutrients such as N, K, Cu and Fe in the onion bulb increased at the second stage. The highest concentrations of N (0. 18%) and Fe (0. 81 mg kg-1) in the bulb were measured in 50 ton ha-1 compost and the highest concentration of Cu (0. 52 mg kg-1) was in 30 ton ha-1 sludge. The concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the plant were undetectable by aotmic absorption in different treatments. Conclusion: Long-term consumption of municipal compost and sewage sludge increased the soil organic matter and improved the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Furthermore, these organic resources increased the concentration of nutrient elements, especially micronutrients including zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), in the plant. One of the main concerns about such organic resources is the possibility of soil and plant contamination by heavy metals. The results of this study showed that the multi-year consumption of these materials did not increase the heavy metal elements such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the soil or plant. Considering the low amount of organic matters in the soil of most parts of the country and the limited availability of various organic resources, using such organic matters in agriculture would be one of the best methods for recycling these materials and would be very important to have sustainable agriculture.

Introduction: Nowadays, many indicators have been developed to assess water quality and ecological classification of rivers based on variations in ecological structure. The goals of the study were assessing the ecological status, the effects of human land use, and the performance of the most common ecological indices for fishes and macroinvertebrates as biological evaluation of the Jajrood River. Material and methods: In the present study, sampling of water, macroinvertebrates, and fishes was done at 10 stations in November 2015. The physical, chemical, and biological parameters including temperature, turbidity, velocity and depth of water, acidity, electrical conductivity, BOD5, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliform were measured on-site or after the sampling. Macroinvertebrates sampling was performed using a Surber sampler with three replications at each station and fishes were sampled using an electrofishing apparatus. Different physicochemical, macroinvertebrates, and fish indices were used to evaluate the integrity of the Jajrood River. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) test was also used to analyze the relationship between macroinvertebrates and fishes with physical, chemical, and biological variables. Results and discussion: Overall, 481 specimens belonging to eight species of fishes and 2435 macroinvertebrates belonging to 15 families were collected. Among all sampled fishes, Oxynoemacheilus bergianus and Paracobitis malapterura had the highest and lowest abundance, respectively. The highest total percentage of macroinvertebrates abundance belonged to the Baetidae family of the order Ephemeroptera and the lowest percentage belonged to the Polycentropodidae of the order Trichoptera. The results of Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that the efficiency of the EPT/CHIR index for macroinvertebrates was better than others. The Karr Biotic Integrity (KBI) that was used for fishes as a water quality index was suitable for the river. Conclusions: The present study was the first one that used both fishes and macroinvertebrates indices with physicochemical parameters for ecological integrity assessment. From the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the urban-rural and agriculture wastewaters and the Latyan dam had the most negative impact on the ecological structure of the river.