Journal of Environmental Studies
Year:2014 | Volume:39 | Issue:4 (68)|Papers Count:19

Introduction: Historic cities and neighbourhoods in Iran couldn’t adjust themselves to quick changes of the recent decades and have lost their quality in many aspects. Regardless of different cultural, economic and social conditions, new neighbourhoods have been formed next to old areas of the cities. Although these new areas welcom ed new functions, they couldn’t provide suitable environments for their residents. This paper intends to promote the environmental quality and people satisfaction of living in neighborhood by recognizing and prioritizing the main environmental quality factors which have effect on satisfaction of living in neighborhood. Ghotb-E-Ravandi neighborhood where is developed in the last few decades was selected for this study. This neighborhood is located adjacent to historical fabric of Kashan City, in center of Iran.

Introduction: Mountainous region of Tuchal, with a height about 3962 meters above sea level, is located in north of Tehran, capital of Iran. With regards to population growth, and increasing urbanization, and air pollution issues, it is known as one of the most important recreational area for health recovery and relaxation among people living in Tehran. As these spaces are known as public goods with free access, most of the visitors are not informed from its real utility and values. This usually decline efficient and optimum use of these spaces and causes their degradation. The economic values of natural recreational regions not only increase their conservation by users, but also create more accurate information for decision makers to improve properly other natural regions. It can also be effective in forecasting requirements, omitting deficiencies and developing tourism industry in the recreational areas.Materials and methods: In this study, recreational value of Tuchal region is estimated with contingent valuation method from 227 respondents. The method is used in open-ended way. Two stages method of Hickman has been chosen to recognize factors affecting on decision in willingness to pay in first stage and other factors affecting on deal of willingness to pay in the second stage. Required data was gathered via questionnaires and personal interview with 227 visitors. After deletion of incomplete responses and protest zeros, 47% of respondents were willing to pay entrance fee for recreational use of the region. Table 1 show estimation results of Tobit Model for willingness to pay for recreational use of Tuchal region.

Introduction: Nowadays, environmental pollution is one of the main challenges in the world. Therefore, in addition to the policies and measures within their borders, countries prefer international organizations in the field of environmental issues. Previously it was thought that economic growth causes an increase in income and will lead to improved quality of life. However, the high growth rate of the world economy in the last few decades with reduced environmental quality puts the environmental pollution in the spotlight in the globe. In most studies in the literature on the investigation of economic factors effects on environmental pollution, these factors have been limited to economic growth and energy consumption. This study investigates the impact of macroeconomic variables such as economic growth, energy consumption, environmental pollution and an index of financial development on countries with different level of income (low, medium, high) during the period of 1980-2010. We apply a dynamic panel data approach with Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimate methodology. Recent empirical studies show that the relationship between environmental degradation and per capita income level is similar to the turn-down U (primary Kuznets curve). The message of Kuznets hypothesis is that economic growth is the cause of infection and its treatment. In recent years we have witnessed a backlash economy for changes in financial statement which emphasizes the important role of financial markets. A variety of ways to finance the economy is moving toward the gates. But, there is a dichotomy in this case. Degree of economic and financial development decreases the environmental degradation. The results of some studies show that financial liberalization and the adoption of policies to financial openness and liberalization to attract higher levels of R&D might reduce the environmental degradation. In this study, however, we are interested in checking what the effect of financial development index is on the environmental pollution.

Introduction: Ecological vulnerability is a common term that can be used in different hierarchical levels (animate, population, community, ecosystem, and landscape). Ecological vulnerability evaluation has lots of applications in environmental sciences such as EIA, risk assessment and environmental monitoring. This represents the importance of the evaluation. This paper aimed at assessing ecological vulnerability of the protected area of Touran (in East of Iran) using a combination of three methods of overlay, i.e., reciprocal effects matrix, AHP, and EA. So far, a large number of researches have been published about these methods around the world and Iran, as well. Some works in Iran are “Degradation Model” and Jabbarian's work which has innovations in objectifying ecological vulnerability assessment with reciprocal effects matrix approach. We can also point to zonation of environmental vulnerable and sensitive areas in west of Fars Province with method of fuzzy logic approach and AHP. Different methods have been used around the world to assess ecological vulnerability. Some of these methods are FAHP and compound the methods of AHP and GIS and also Multiway Data Analysis (MDA) for detecting relations between indicators, Reciprocal of Fractal Dimension (SPCA) and compounding ecosystem sensitivity and landscape pattern. More diverse indices have been used in the field of ecological vulnerability, so far. Some of these indices are ecological Sensitivity (ES), Natural and Social Pressure (NSP), Ecological Recovery Capacity (ERC) and the others related with landscape such as Reciprocal of Fractal Dimension (FD), Isolation (FI) and Fragmentation (FN). In this paper, indices of Ecological Sensitivity are used because these data are available in Iran.

Introduction: The Urban Heat Island is a phenomenon whereby cities become warmer than the surrounding suburbs. In other words, there is a temperature difference between the cities and their surrounding areas. Generally, the UHI effect is a result of excessive and unplanned growth of urbanization. The behavior of artificial urban texture in terms of absorption of short-wave and long-wave radiation, transpiration, releasing of anthropogenic heat, and blocking prevalent wind is significantly different from that of the rudimentary nature. Hence, the Bowen Ratio in the cities alters and the sensible heat increases. Surface geometry, on the other hand, decreases wind speed in urban regions that plays a significant role in formation of UHI. Since the energy balance inside a city is altered, UHI intensity may change. This means UHI intensity is not spatially and temporally similar in different cities. It must also be noticed that UHI formation in a city usually has diurnal or seasonal patterns which are mostly affected by synoptic weather conditions. There are three main synoptic and local climatology parameters that affect UHI formation: Air Pressure Systems, Cloudiness, and Wind Speed. Under stationary high pressure system conditions temperature differences between urban and rural areas become large.

Introduction: Today, one of the most prominent health and environmental problems of cities is ascending trend of solid wastes. This must be managed and the institutionalization of phenomena such as recycling, composting, and so on from municipal solid waste must be taken into consideration. In Iran, there is no essential management in collection, disposal and recycling of over 40 thousand tons of the waste per day which approximately 70 percent of them can be recycled into compost with thousands of plastics, papers and cartons. Thus, the waste are buried in the excess trend or scattered around cities. Usually based on the weight and physical composition of municipal solid wastes, we can say that most components of municipal solid wastes after organic solid wastes and an important part of municipal and industrial solid wastes in most parts of the world are paper wastes. While amount of recyclable paper waste generated in Iran is considerable, but only a small part of that is recycled and the remaining is exerted as garbage. While, it is possible to recycle the most part of the paper waste for the production of paper with high quality. In the recent decades, with growing public awareness of the dangers of uncontrolled harvesting of hardwood resources, increasing prices of raw materials for paper production, decreasing the forest area in some major areas of wood production and resistance of organizations and environmentalists against the dameges, there are increasing demands towards the recycling of consumed paper in order to meet the needs for paper.

Introduction: Rivers are always important features of the natural world. They perform vital function in agricultural, navigational, cultural, civilized andr ecreational associations. Mankind through his long history has tried to control behavior of the rivers to change its effective elements for a stable situation. The first studies in this field date back to the “Aristotle” and “Archimedes” and the related applied studies refer to the applied matters about water and rivers in Chinese, Iranian, and Egyptian era. Those presented the great engineering services and management methods to the world. In the last centuries “Leonardo da Vinci”, “Guglielnini” and “Frisi” published the first findings about water and rivers. The first classification about rivers based on relative degree of stability was carried out by Davis and after that by miller & wolman, Schumm, Horton, Brierly & Fryirs. There are lots of researches and theories about geomorphology of rivers and their changes in the publications of the scientists.

Introduction: Organizations try to have a safe and healthy work environment without any pollution and damages. Health Safety Environment (HSE) system is a tool for improving health, safety, and environmental conditions in all industrial and non-industrial development programs. The system uses all human and financial resources to provide people with a safe environment without any risk (Farshad et al., 2006). Hydrocracker unit in refinement of Oil Company of Bandar Abbas is an important refinement unit. Its activities may cause many environmental and hazardous problems. The purpose of this study is to assess the situation of health, safety, and environment by Environmental Failure Mood and Effect Analysis (EFMEA) to minimize the negative effects and provide a risk management program. Failure Mood Effect Analysis emerged for assessment of safety in systems is used to detect any possible defects in systems and subsystems based on quantitative analyses. This was modified in some ways into EFMEA as a qualitative method.

Introduction: BTEX is a group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. Benzene is released to the atmosphere by both natural and anthropogenic activities. Benzene is emitted to the atmosphere mainly through the petroleum and petrochemical industries. The chronic exposure to benzene may cause damage to kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, and nerves and also degrade DNA. Benzene is a group (I) carcinogen. Toluene is used in many industries as a solvent. The exposure to low-tomoderate levels of toluene can cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea and hearing loss. The exposure to high levels of toluene can cause permanent brain and speech damage, unconsciousness and even death. Ethylbenzene is used in the petrochemical industries.

Introduction: Toxic and dangerous pollution in groundwater is enormous. This assenic pollution is concentrated more than its permissible limits. It can be observed in different countries like India, Nepa l,Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Chili and Mexico. In some places in Iran like Hashtgerd and Kordestan the arsenic pollution has been observed more than the permissible concentration. As the arsenic pollution is increasing, many studies have been done to find different treatment options. Due to rapid removing of the As (V) and As (III) by using Iron Nano particles, this method have recently been considered useful. In this paper arsenic removal process was investigated by using nanoparticles. Based on batch experiments, the influence of Zero-valent iron nanoparticles concentration, tem perature, pH, time, and arsenic initial concentration were observed in arsenic removal process. The results of this study indicated that the Iron nanoparticles have high performance in arsenic pollution removal. Experimental Method The purpose of the current experimental study was to investigate the arsenic remediation process by using iron nanoparticles in batch experiment.

Introduction: Heavy metals are originated from natural or anthropogenic sources. Mining activity, fuel combustion, urban discharge, pesticides, agricultural and industrial activities are considered as the m ain anthropogenic sources of the metals. Generally, more than 90% of the toxic metals load in aquatic systems is bound on solid phase of the aquatic systems such as suspended matter and sediment. Thus, assessment of heavy metals pollution in aquatic sediment is a critical issue that has been studied by many researchers. Anzali International Wetland was registered in Ramsar Convention in 1975 (Ramsar site #40, Wetlands International Site Reference No.: 2IR005). It is located in Guilan Province (between 48°45' and 49°42'E longitude and 36°55' to 37 32'N) and covers 192 Km2 that is considered as the main freshwater coastal wetlands in southern part of the Caspian Sea. Its catchment area with prevalent agricultural activities is about 3610 Km2. Moreover, presence of 41 major factories such as wood and paper mill companies, food industries, metal and related industries, plastics and tires, textile and electrical machines are samples of anthropogenic sources in the study area. In the present study forty one surface sediment samples in January 2011 were collected from Anzali International Wetland to assess metals pollution state and sediment quality zonation. Moreover, metals pollution assessments in the study area were conducted using different existing indices, multivariate analysis approach and GIS tools.

Introduction: Due to shortage of fresh water resources, the quality of impounded water behind the dams become more important than how it was previously as a source of fresh water resource. Thermal regime and dissolved oxygen concentration are factors that affect the quality of water reservoirs. Many lakes show vertical stratification of their water masses, at least for some extended time periods. The atmosphere imposes a temperature signal on the lake surface. As a result, thermal stratification can be established during the warm season as a lake is sufficiently deep. On the contrary, during the cold period, surface coolingfo rces vertical circulation of water masses and removal of gradients in water properties. However, the gradients of dissolved substances like dissolved oxygen may be sustained for periods much longer than one annual cycle. In order to understand the annual cycle of temperature and dissolved oxygen in Shahid Rajaee Reservoir, Ce-Qual-W2 model was used. Study area Shahid Rajaee Reservoir Dam located over the Tajan River almost 40 km south of Sari, Mazandaran, Iran. Construction purposes of this dam is including water supply and regulation of for agricultural activities in Tajan lowland, potable water supply for the population within the plan area, industrial water supply, power generation, flood control, and prevention of the damage by flooding. The dam type is double curvature concrete arch dam and its height is about 133.5 m. reservoir volume is about 165 MCM and was constructed from 1987 until 1997.

Introduction: Annually, heavy metal pollution is increasing in the environment and this eventually causes serious hazards for health of human, animal and plant populations. Heavy metals with their harmful effects are the major pollutants in big cities. Tehran is a big city and faced with this problem. Heavy metals such as arsenic, iron, zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese and nickel exist in the air of Tehran. These polluteants are inhaled by inhabitants and cause serious problems for human body. Among streets, roads and highways of the city, Enqelab Street is one of the busiest and particularly from Enqelab Square to Imam Hossein Square. In this study, the results of measuring heavy metals including arsenic, iron, zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese and nickel in the air of the streetare presented with the health risk assessment from permanent and temporary residents in thearea. Moreover, the risk of developing cancer and non-cancer diseases caused by inhaling the polluted air with heavy metals was also estimated.

Introduction: Due to increase of urbanization and population growth, which cause noticeable changes in the ecological structure of cities, creation of green spaces such as urban forest parks is essential as modulators of urban environment. Urban forest parks are natural or manmade parks that are located within or adjacent to cities and play an important role in ensuring stability of biodiversity. These parks can also provide environmental, conservational and educational functions as well as being used for leisure times. In the recent years, physical development of urban areas of Zahedan and the vital need of citizens for recreational spaces caused this forest park to be a popular and suitable place for leisure time. In this research, Zahedan Mellat forest park was selected top rovide reasonable suggestions and strategies by using quality sort method and visual evaluation approach.