JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Year:2020 | Volume:22 | Issue:5 (96)|Papers Count:30

Background and Objective: The importance of the northern forests of Iran as one of the most important and largest carbon reserves and its role in atmospheric carbon sequestration in our country is evident. The study of the above ground biomass of these forests is considered as a necessity. In recent years, many studies have been carried out using remote sensing technology and various indices for forest above ground biomass estimations. The purpose of this study is estimating Hyrcanian forests above ground biomass in northern Iran using satellite data (SPOT 6). Method: In this research, above ground biomass of these forests using SPOT satellite images and regression models in three selected regions in the Northern provinces (Asalem, Sardaraboud and Kordkuy) and in 2 altitudes were investigated. After calculating the average above ground biomass per hectare using field plots, three vegetation indices NDVI, RVI and TVI were used to estimate biomass based on satellite imagery. Findings: The results showed that the relationship between above ground biomass values and vegetation indices was linear and the NDVI has the highest level of significance in all parcels and has the highest correlation coefficient with above ground biomass. Therefore, regression relations with NDVI were used in order to map the above ground biomass. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the above ground biomass values between the three main study areas and in the elevation classes between the high lands and the middle land have a relatively large difference. The highest biomass in the Asalem region and the high lands has been observed.

Background and Objective: The presence of hermit crabs in aquatic species and coastal bird’ s food chain and their significant role in environmental remediation highlight the importance of studying these species as biological indicators. Hence, this study assessed the concentration of Lead and Cadmium in sediments of and hard tissue of hermit crabs in KISH Island and compared the results against international standards. Methods: To determine the concentration of Lead and Cadmium, 30 sediment samples and 60 crabs were randomly collected from the south and southeast of KISH Island. By preparation and analysis of specimens, the concentration of heavy metals was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Findings: The mean concentration of lead and cadmium in the sediments of the south and southeast coasts of Kish Island were 63. 20 and 2. 94 mg/kg, respectively, both of which are higher than the sediment quality standards of Canada and NOAA. The mean concentration of lead and cadmium in the hard tissue of Coenobita scaevola were 20. 92 and 2. 09 mg/kg, respectively, which is much higher than the average obtained in similar studies on Persian Gulf aquatic animals. Discussion and Conclusion: The mean concentration of lead and cadmium in the hard tissue of Coenobita Scaevola is much higher than the similar studies on Persian Gulf aquatics. The interaction of lead and cadmium in disrupting growth physiology has been proven. Cadmium has a negative effect on nutrition, growth, survival, and reproductive activities of Coenobita Scaevola.

Background and Objective: Since modifying the outdoor condition has an impact on the indoor conditions, the objective of the present research is to study the central courtyard as a passive solar strategy to create microclimate on a scale of an urban block in Tehran climate. By creating microclimate in the vicinity of the building, its thermal performance could be thus enhanced. In addition to comparing temperature in the courtyard with that of the outside the building, this research also studied the influence of water and plants in forming microclimate. Method: Analysis method is composed of investigating case studies, field measurements and simulation. Findings: According to the measurements conducted in four directions of the courtyard under study and comparing them with the temperature in the lateral street and the mean temperature recorded in Mehrabad Weather Station in the same time frame, the mean temperature of the courtyard was 4. 52 ° C less than that of the street and 4. 01 ° C less than that of Mehrabad Weather Station. Comparing results obtained from cold seasons show that temperature of the courtyard was 0. 9 ° C more than that of the outer space and 1. 4 ° C more than that recorded in Mehrabad Weather Station. Consequently, Memar Bashi Theological Seminary courtyard has functioned as a microclimate. Discussion and Conclusion: with an approximate difference of 0. 3° C, simulation results confirm the microclimate function of Memar Bashi Theological Seminary courtyard. Comparisons between the influence of water and plants have also indicated that in the hot seasons, plant coverage could decrease the temperature by 0. 9 ° C more than what water does.

Background and Objective: Nowadays, due to population growth, the optimal use of land is a paramount importance. For example, in mining areas, a large area is occupied for the mining purpose which sometimes exceeds several hectares. In this regard, the amount of destruction and the environmental harms resulted from mining increases upon the rise of quantity and capacity of mines. On the other hand, since both mineral products and environment are a necessity for humans, one cannot be sacrificed for the other one. So, the logical solution is concurrent development. To this end, the reclamation of areas left after mining could be very effective. Therefore, the purpose of this study is finding a suitable alternative for the reclamation of the Jubon sand mine, by taking into account the potentials of the region to achieve the goal of sustainable development. Method: In this research, firstly the (previous) works done for the reclamation of similar mines were studied, then by examining the potentials of the region, different alternative for mine reclamation were proposed. Then, each of the alternatives was evaluated based on different criteria such as topography, slope, soil type, ownership, access road, beneficiary’ s motivation and etc. Finally, in order to select the most appropriate alternative for mine reconstruction method of Similarity to Fuzzy Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) was used. Findings: Given that deciding on a suitable alternative for mine reclamation is a multi-criteria issue and the criteria are in conflict with each other. On the other hand, in decision-making issues, human thoughts are associated with uncertainty, and this uncertainty influenced the process of decisionmaking. The FTOPSIS method which takes into account all the indicators were very effective. Discussion and Conclusions: Land reclamation and environmental regeneration is an effective way to use land resources economically and help to coordinate people and land in the mining area. Successful and sustainable reclamation requires an interdisciplinary approach that leads to an integrated and effective plan to rehabilitate environmental, hydrological, aesthetic and recreational conditions. Therefore, the need for holistic approach in decision-making and the use of different people with different jobs, specialties, experiences, backgrounds and scientific perspectives, along with the use of multi-criteria fuzzy decision-making techniques can be very effective. Therefore, in this article, in order to determine the appropriate alternative for reconstruction by examining the effective infrastructure factors in reclamation and the use of various scientific resources, among the seven proposed alternatives, considering 17 effective criteria, the alternative of creating a business area was selected as a suitable option.

Background and Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate and design a zero energy building in cold and dry climates. In this study, energy consumption will be reduced by using of the solar-powered systems and techniques for the use of maximum energy from renewable sources. Method: A residential building is evaluated as a case study. This building includes one floor with an area of 100 square meters with 4 people in cold and dry climate of Mashhad in the north east of Iran. For thermal simulation, weather information (temperature, air, sunshine, wind, rain, and sunlight) is obtained from the weather station and climate database and the Meteonorm software. Design Builder software is used to simulate and analyze the dynamic heat of the structure. Findings: The results of this simulation show that 30% of the annual energy consumption of the building, taking into account the principles of inactive design (optimal selection, wall truss, shade, appropriate fitting) will be reduced from 2544. 3 KWh to 1776 KWh. Subsequently, with the annual energy requirement, PVSyst software is designed to design a photovoltaic solar system with an annual energy of 2629. 1 KWh. Discussion and Conclusion: The comparative comparison of equation values by applying a 1. 4 coefficient of confidence indicates that construction of zero-energy building is possible in a cold and dry climate and is created to achieve sustainable and environmentally sustainable.

Background and Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the distribution of heavy metals and evaluating geo-accumulation and contamination factors on these elements in the stream sediments of Shourab Kashmar area. There are indications of some elements such as Mercury, Lead, Iron, and Copper that might be the cause for environmental pollution in this area. Method: After processing of satellite images and performing geological studies, 21 samples of stream sediments were gathered. By determining the salinity, pH, and EC parameters as well as the soil texture of samples, 14 samples were tested in order to study the concentration of heavy metals with the ICP-OS systems in the ZarAzma Laboratory. The collected results were processed and studied using GIS, SPSS, and Excel software. Findings: With the exception of the Silver, Copper, Cadmium, Cobalt, Chromium, and Nickel elements which show some level of contamination, there is no evidence of environmental pollution, in the stream sediments in this area. The amount of pH from 7. 5 to 8. 2 and EC from 0. 3 μ s/cm to 5 μ s/cm and salinity from 150 to 2500 are varying. Discussion and Conclusion: There is a similarity between the distribution of the Nickel, Cobalt, and to some degrees, Chromium in the stream sediments of the study area. This can be related to the volcanic rocks which are mainly intermediate in composition. The Lead and Zinc are mainly concentrated on the north and some towards east of the area, and the Arsenic and Antimony elements in the north and north-west of the study area. The origin of these elements could be connected to mineralization in this area, which has not been focused on so far.

Background and Objective: Spatial distribution of contaminants is essential for soil pollution monitoring and maintaining environmental quality. Therefore this study was carried out for evaluation of Cr and Ni concentrations in soil samples collected from around the Arak III Industrial Estate in 2013 and preparing the zoning map of metals. Method: After selecting 10 sampling stations within a radius of 5 km from the industrial estate, a total of 20 soil samples were collected from topsoils and subsoils. Then some physical and chemical properties of soil were determined. For determination of heavy metals concentration in soil samples, using ICP-OES (Varian, 710-ES, Australia) when soil digestion was complete. All statistical analyses were done by SPSS software, version 18. 0 (SPSS Inc., USA). Also, the spatial distribution maps of elements in soil samples were prepared using IDW method. Findings: The results showed that maximum mean concentration of Cr in topsoils and subsoils samples were found in sampling station II with 15. 50± 1. 97 and 13. 00± 1. 65 mg/kg, respectively, and maximum mean concentration of Ni in topsoils and subsoils samples were found in sampling stations IX and II with 19. 25± 1. 90 and 18. 50± 2. 02 mg/kg, respectively. Discussion and Conclusion: Comparative evaluation of Cr and Ni contents in different studied soil samples showed that the mean concentrations of Cr and Ni in all topsoils and subsoils due to implementation of environmental management of industrial units in Arak III Industrial Estate and minimal use of agricultural inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides were significantly lower than WHO permissible limits for soil contamination.

Background and Objective: Understanding of how plants respond to a fire is essential to predict the characteristics and distribution of many ecosystems. This research is aimed at identifying, classifying and analyzing plant functional traits that can be used as a means for determining changes in plant communities through the fire at various time intervals. Method: The present study was conducted in the Karsanak region in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province. Six sites with one and five years after the last fire were selected. A stratified random sampling was used. In each plot, after identifying the existing species, the percentage of the cover of each species was estimated and the plant characteristics were measured. Findings: The results showed that vegetative traits such as plant height, production, SLA leaf area index, leaf area and leaf dry weight, composition of Gramineae species, herbaceous plants and shrub, the percentage of plants with class of II and III palatability, percentage of species composition with form of Hemicryptophyte and chamaephyte had a significant difference in fire and control areas. According to Principal Component Analysis, the most effective of trait were SLA leaf area index, palatability of class II, the leaf length, Hemicryptophytes, forbs and long of the leaf which had a direct relationship with five-year fire and one year fire. Discussion and Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that plant traits play an important role in determining the response of plant species to environmental disturbances and hence can influence the process of the post-fire rangeland secondary sequence.

Background and Objective: Antropogenic heavy metals discharge in to the precious environment has been a key burden of modernity. Excess trace elements have driven the fertile soil and water mediums in to unstable and fragile states in many countries. In recent years bio-remediation approaches via various plants species, has been highlited as prior strategies in soil pollution control. Method: The present study aims to assess phytoremediation of Pharagmites australis (common reed) for lead contamination in constructed wetland. Experimental design was performed in an entirely randomized plan having two factors and three replications. Accordingly lead and levels of metal stress were obtained. Findings: According to indoor expriments results, any increment in lead concentration enhances rootshoot metal absorbing. However, impressive accumulation of heavy metals was in roots and its translocation and accumulation in shoot was reported in lesser portions. Results of regression analysis showed concentration increment of lead in P. australis organs under these metal stress condition which was fixed as a quadratic function with R2 >90 (p<0. 01). Discussion & Conclusion: P. australis showed high relatively resistant to lead stress. High accumulation capacity for metals in roots and low heavy metal translocation factor were observed during the present study.

Background and Objective: Environmental education on energy resources is one of the best methods to improve the quality of the urban environment. Present study carried out to investigate the effect of environmental awareness and education on optimization of energy consumption pattern on household sector and its relationship with age and gender of the citizens. Method: The present study was conducted in the fall of 2017. This study was the descriptive-survey method. The statistical population was the citizens of District 6 of Tehran Municipality. The sample size was calculated 390 people using Cochran's formula. The sampling method was randomized and data collection method was questionnaires. Research data processed using SPSS statistical software version 22, where analytical and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Findings: The average score of environmental knowledge of the citizens of Tehran Municipality No. 6 was 4. 21 (out of 5). So, the studied samples have a moderate to high environmental attitude and behavior. There was no significant difference between environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of men and women in this region while the age variable showed a significant effect on the level of environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of citizens of Region 6. Discussion and Conclusions: There is a significant relationship between environmental knowledge and behavior and environmental attitudes and behavior. It is recommended to perform effective regional education methods for improving the attitude and environmental behavior of the residents of this region.

Background and Objective: Brown bear (Ursus Arctos) is classified as a Least Concern (LC) species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but its population and distribution have decreased during last decades. This study was carried out to assess the habitat suitability for Brown bear and the effective factors affecting its distribution in Naposhteh-Chai watershed. Method: Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) approach available in MaxEnt software was used for the habitat suitability modeling of this species from autumn 2015 to autumn 2016. Information layers determined as affecting variables on this species include the slope, aspect, elevation, land use, water resources, human development variables (villages and roads) and climate. Findings: Results showed that 24. 4 percent of Naposhteh-Chai watershed were suitable for Brown bear. Based on habitat suitability map, Brown bear preferred elevation range of 1000 to 2100 meters and slope of 10 to 60 percent. Furthermore, existing of densed forests, farmlands, water sources, villages and also aspect and climate, are important factors in the presence of this species. Discussion and Conclusion: Results of model evaluation using the area under the curve (ROC= 0. 970) showed that prediction of this model are much more accurate than random conditions. Brown bear suitable integrated habitats, are located in Makidi, Oskolu, Naposhteh and Bala Sang areas. Prevention of tourism development in the suitable habitats of Brown bear, and, determination of corridors and movement routs of the species outside of the Naposhteh-Chai watershed in future studies were suggested in the route of this research.

Background and Objective: Rivers water quality study can be a great help to water-resource management and planning. This study was conducted to investigate the water quality of Chehelchay River using the IRWQISC. Method: In this study, water samples were collected from seven different stations along Chehelchay River during a period of 6 months. In order to use IRWQISC, the physicochemical and biological some parameters were measured. After calculating the IRWQISC values for each station, the changes in the IRWQISC values were investigated along river. Then, the results of IRWQISC were compared drinking water and agriculture water standards. Findings: The results of this study showed that Chehelchay River water was situated in a relatively good quality category based on the IRWQISC. IRWQISC diminished in the flow direction from the upstream sampling point to the outlet of basin resulting in a reduction in water quality of river. Results also showed that there is a direct relationship between IRWQISC and the rate of discharge so that the value of IRWQISC increases with increasing the rate of discharge. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the average IRWQISC index was better than summer season in spring. Flow changes and IRWQISC index indicate a direct relationship between them, with a slight increase in the rate of fluctuation. Comparison of parameters used in IRWQISC with drinking water and agriculture water standards showed the Chehelchay River water is suitable only for agriculture uses and it cannot be used for drinking purposes. Results showed that water purification must be performed to remove fecal coliform and reduce turbidity of water before using as a drinking water source.

Background and Objective: Rapid urbanization and vast changes in land cover have disrupted the urban green patches environmental structure and functions. Identifying and understanding these changes is necessary to improve the urban green patches situation in any place. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to evaluate the changes of green patches of Gorgan City using landscape metrics, remote sensing and geographical information system techniques. Method: In this research, Landsat satellite images for 1987, 2001, and 2014 have been used to provide land use/cover maps of Gorgan City. After conducting the preprocessing, classification of the images was done using the supervised method and the maximum likelihood algorithm. Then the maps were reclassified in three classes namely built-up areas, green patches and other land uses. Afterwards, in order to investigate the changes in urban green patches, landscape metrics including Class Area, Number of Patch, Mean Patch Size, Mean Size Index and Edge Density was used. Findings: Findings show that from 1987 to 2014, green patches, especially agricultural and forest lands, has been decreased and built-up areas has been increased. During these 27 years, built-up areas have increased approximately 15/86 km2 and green patches have decreased approximately 6/53 Km2. Also, the analysis of landscape metrics shows a decrease in the number and size of green patches due to fragmentation and disintegration. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of 27 years’ green patches dynamic in Gorgan City show that the green patch of the city has been significantly reduced and fragmented. Therefore, studying urban green patch changes using new ecological approaches and methods, is necessary in any urban planning.

Background and Objective: The economic growth model can examine the direct and indirect effects of human capital on economic growth. One of the indirect factors is environmental pollution. But in the meantime, one should not overlook the limitations of the advocates of this theory, such as the Impact of Human Capital Utilization on reducing environmental pollution, in order to achieve goals and policies similar to those of developed economies. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of human capital on Kuznets’ emphasized relationship, the threshold relation of environmental pollution and economic growth. Method: Therefore, using the data from 14 countries in the MENA area for the period 2000-2016, the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) or dynamic data panel method was used to test the hypothesis. Findings: The relationship between environmental pollution (CO2 emissions) and economic growth is nonlinear and the Kuznets curve hypothesis in the selected research sample confirms the existence of an inverse U-shaped relationship between economic growth and pollution emissions. Higher the human capital with the current level of greenhouse gas emissions, lead to the higher economic growth in selected countries. Discussion and Conclusion: Increased growth due to the accumulation of human capital can play a moderating role on the negative relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth of the selected research set. With the increase of human capital at any level of environmental pollution, the threshold point of the negative relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth is delayed. In other words, as knowledge-based and human capital-based development increases the negative relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth is moderated.

Background and Objective: Urban parks are considered as public spaces and the basic rights of citizens; paying attention to opinions and wishes of citizens is a necessity in their satisfaction of environmental factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the security factor as one of the environmental quality factors from the user’ s point of view in urban parks, which can guarantee the citizens' satisfaction in urban spaces using. Method: This study is an experimental research with functional goal and a survey method with gathering data by distributing questionnaire in urban parks. In this study security indicators are based on the CPTED theory. The number of statistical samples was 175 (users over 15 years old). Data analysis has been performed using SPSS and multiple regression analysis has been used to predict the contribution of each sub-indicators in security satisfaction. Findings: The results of the partial correlation test between the factors with considering other factors indicate a significant relationship between security and aesthetic factors, meaning and aggregation, and no significant relationship between security and structural and physical factors, and behavior patterns. The aggregation factor has the strongest relatinship to security. Also, the indicators presented in the security factor are affected by different degrees. The gender variable has no significant difference in the mean of security, but the variables of age, marital status, educational level and occupational status have affected average satisfaction in security. So that people with a higher average age, married, graduate and house wife have higher expectations of security than other groups in their subset. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study can help managers, planners and urban designers in implementing appropriate models to create safe urban parks that meet the preferences of users. So they can implement spaces according to the needs of users by considering the wishes and priorities of each group.

Background and Objective: Evaluation of the probability of water cooler contamination in hospitals to determine the water quality has important role in social safty. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is considered as an opportunistic pathogen, since it is possible to grow with minimal nutritional requirements, it can grow in water bodies containing very little food such as tap water. This ability has led to their continuous presence in the hospital environment. The main objective of this study was to determine the rate of contamination in few of Tehran's hospitals water-cooling devices in terms of contamination with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Method: This is an experimental study and the stages of work were based on observation and test in the laboratory. Water samples were sampled in two seasons (autumn and winter) in 100 samples from five hospitals in different regions of Tehran. At first, the samples were transferred to the laboratory in a compartment filled with ice gel at 4 ° C, and then the tubes containing different media were kept in an incubator at 37 ° C for 24 to 48 hours. Then, the samples were examined for nutritional needs in terms of growth rate, carbohydrate usage by possible bacteria through oxidation or fermentation, glucose fermentation pathways, and determination of the bacterial power in the use of citrate, the presence of enzyme oxidase and catalase, the presence or absence of Enterobacteriaceae species and Salmonella was examined using culture media and specific tests. Data analysis was done descriptively using excel and SPSS software. Findings: As a result of the research Bacillus species were identified. Also, in the tested specimens, pseudomonas susceptible to Aeruginosa species and the suspected alcaligenes species of Faecalis were also identified. Discussion &Conclusion: The temperature has a significant effect on the growth of the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, and a high temperature of 37 ° C leads to the increase in growth rate, and in low temperature of 4 ° C during sunlight in cold weather (autumn and winter), the bacteria could not be detected in water coolers.

Background and Objective: In fact, ecotourism is a responsible tourism to natural environments that preserves environment and stabilizes local community. Since nowadays, man does not take a responsible approach towards nature and environment, the assessment of ecological potential as a strategy for rational use of land is necessary. Method: In this study, considering the region ecological potential for tourism, implementation of planning model for this usage and zoning the regions which have potential for tourism is carried out. From the viewpoint of the goal, this research is functional and considering study style, it is descriptive and analytic (cross – sectional). As a result, to give weight to the criteria, ANP-DEMATEL interactive multi criteria decision making model was used and to standardize the criteria, fuzzy logic was used. Then by applying weighted linear combination (WLO) layers were combined together and a distribution map were extracted for the areas that have potential for tourism. Findings: The results showed 73. 1 % of the region is suitable for ecotourism development and only 11. 4 % of the region doesn't have the potential which is located in sloping areas. Discussion and Conclusion: Finally, we can conclude that ANP-DEMATEL integration of hybrid models with fuzzy logic ensures superior performance on the location of recreational areas and effective solution to help provide assessment team to decide this.

Legal protection of the right to the environment is a tool to achieve environmental protection. The right to a healthy environment is widely recognized in the constitutions of developing countries. However, the non-compliance of upstream documents such as the constitution, general policies of the system and development programs, and the lack of integration of these laws in compliance with the environment are among the challenges in this area. In the constitution, in principle 50, environmental issues are emphasized and a roadmap is drafted. In this principle, environmental protection is considered a public duty. The issue of environment has been considered by planners and politicians in various development programs. Knowing how much of a program's tasks have been accomplished can lead us to better planning in the future. In this article, it was tried to extract the provisions related to the field of environment from the development programs and to examine the actions taken in that field. The results of the research show that in the development programs in the field of environment, either some of the programs were not implemented at all or if they were implemented, they were very incomplete, so they did not have the necessary efficiency. There are challenges in the field of environment that should be looked at critically in order to reduce the problems of this sector in addition to solving the challenges. The legal system of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based both in thought and in practice on the implicit acceptance of human rights to a healthy environment, but in order for this recognition and foundation to enjoy full practical benefits, various governmental institutions, including legislative, executive and judicial, must They are working to improve the current situation.

Background and objective: The climate change phenomenon affects water storage in aquifers through changes in rainfall volume. In this study, the aim is to estimate the average groundwater level using the most appropriate geostatistical method and then investigate the relationship between groundwater index and one of the drought indices on monthly and annual scale in order to specify the importance of rainfall in groundwater recharge. Method: The watershed of this study was Sharifabad watershed located in Qom province with an aquifer area of 27035/2 hectares. There are 16 observation wells in this area. In this study, during the period of 1384-1384, the water level of observation wells in the area was investigated using variogram models. The average water level was determined using the best model per year, then the SWI index at the watershed was calculated. The SPI index, one of the drought indicators, was also used to investigate precipitation variation and then, using Pearson coefficient, the correlation of these indices was investigated on monthly and annual scale. Findings: The results showed that among the variogram models that were used to interpolate the monthly water level data, Kriging model is the most appropriate. Also, Pearson correlation coefficient between SWI and SPI indicators is not significant on monthly basis at confidence level of 99% in both observations of Mozafarabad and Alborz. Moreover; this correlation coefficient on the annual scale is not meaningful either. Discussion and Conclusion: In this study, the insignificance relationship between SPI and groundwater index in the study area indicates that precipitation has a small proportion in groundwater recharge in the water balance of these areas on monthly and annual scale. Therefore, it can be concluded that the most part of rainfall is out of reach due to excessive evapotranspiration and is not able to recharge the aquifer in the region.

Background and Objective: In recent years, the water level of Lake Urmia has been increasingly reduced and a huge amount of sediment and salt has remained in its bed. Due to the geology around the lake as well as the effluents and sewage that have entered the lake, harmful elements have entered the lake water. With the regression of the lake, the complex contaminants in the water have been transferred to the sediments and salts of the lake bed, which in case of possible conversion of these sediments and salts containing hazardous elements into fine dust, will affect the surrounding areas. In this study, the content of heavy harmful metals (As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, Co, Mn, V, Cd and Hg) and radioactive materials (Th and U) in sediments and salts of Lake Urmia were evaluated. . The purpose of this study is to identify and study the source of contamination of harmful elements in sediments and residual salts in the dried bed of the semi-eastern part and between the passage of Lake Urmia. Method: To investigate, sampling of sediments and surface salts of the lake was done from the eastern and middle part of the lake and the samples were geochemically evaluated and statistically analyzed. Findings: Comparison of the results of the obtained concentrations with the average crust showed that the elements As, Cu, Ni, Co, Hg, Cd, Th and U in the region are more than the average crust. Discussion and Conclusion: The studied elements were examined by statistical evaluations such as correlation coefficient, cluster analysis and factor analysis. The results of all three methods were consistent with each other. According to these results, the origin of U and Hg elements is geology and the origin of other human elements. The main sources of human pollution are from urban and industrial effluents and sewage in the areas around the lake.

Background and Objective: The purpose of this paper is simulationg of gasification and steam cycle of Tehran waste power plant in order to achieve and identify the parameters affecting the efficiency and output of power plant. The information obtained through this simulation, in addition to being used to increase the productivity and efficiency of Tehran power plant, can be used as valuable information in other waste power plants of the country should also be employed. Method: By considering the obtained data from Process Flow Diagram, actual operation condition of this plant, the analyses of Tehran’ s urban waste and using Aspen plus software as the simulating and modeling tool. The developed simulation model has been validated by using actual operating condition of the plant and also the experimental results of the verified papers. Findings: The result shows that the moisture content and the composition of the inlet MSW have significant impact on the output power of this plant. The findings indicate that a 10% reduction in the moisture content of inlet MSW cause an increase of 30% in output power. Also, by increasing the wood and the green waste in the combination of inlet MSW, the output power will be reduced. Discussion and Conclusion: Generally, MSW has low thermal value due to its high percentage of biological ingredients. Therefore, identifying the factors which are affecting the efficiency and power output of the power plant is essential and important. In this regard, the simulation shows that the high percentage of wood-containing compounds and green waste in the input waste will reduce the output power of this plant. As a result, implementing necessary measures to reduce the amount of moisture content of incoming waste as well as achieving the combination with the least amount of wood and green waste will increase the efficiency and the output power of this plant.

Background and Objective: Zarghan Industrial Zone (Northeast of Shiraz) is under the influence of various sources of air pollution. In this study, the health risk assessment of permanent residents of Zarghan and the estimation of the incidence of cancer and non-cancerous diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with BTEX, and the results have been compared with similar studies and international standards in this field. Method: Using BTEX measurements from Zarghan air in previous studies, cancer and non-cancer risk assessments have been performed using valid scientific methods (IRIS-USEPA) in permanent residents of Zarghan. Findings: The highest cancer risk of benzene has been calculated in refinery stations (1. 61 4 4-10) and Imam Square (5. 39-10 5-10). Also, the highest cancer risk of ethylbenzene was obtained in the stations of Industrial Town 1 (6. 47-10 6-10) and refinery (6. 23-10 6-10). Considering the average concentrations of BTEX in Haydan station inside Zarghan city, the hazard ratio (HQ) for all pollutants in this study, separately and in total (HI) is less than "one". Discussion and Conclusion: These contaminants in the present concentrations do not pose an obvious non-cancerous risk to the people of Zarghan. The highest cancer risk is related to 3. 81-10 5-10 benzene and 4. 32-10 6-10-10 ethyl benzene. In order to reduce the risk of cancer to an "acceptable" number for carcinogenic pollutants in this study (benzene, ethylbenzene) according to the WHO (1-10-10) benzene concentration should be from 5. 10 g / m3 (mean measured concentration) to g / m3μ 1. 34 is reduced.

Background and objective: Studying photocatalytic activities, some factors including the concentration of the pollutant, the amount of photo-catalyst, pH, and calcination temperature affect the process of eliminating the pollutant from aquatic solutions. Using an experimental design, it is possible to eliminate the unnecessary factors and determine the optimal conditions. Method: The Ag, Co/TiO2 Nano-particles for eliminating methyl orange has been evaluated. The four main variables involved in the process of elimination of methyl orange are the original concentration of the pollutant, the doges of photo-catalyst, pH, and calcination temperature. So arraying four factors changes at 3 levels. Therefore, considering the surface conditions for optimization and for determining the effect of each factor, totally 9 experiments are needed. Findings: The effect of the operational parameters include the original concentration of the pollutant, the amount of the photo-catalyst, pH, and calcination temperature, was optimized through experimental design. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the experiments on photochemical degradation of Methyl Orange using Taguchi method showed that the greatest effect is related to original concentration of the MO and the amount of the Nano-catalyst.

Background and Objective: Today, Companies can use different supply chain paradigms to achieve better performance and improve their competitiveness. Lean supply chain is one of these paradigms that focuses on eliminating waste along the chain. On the other hand, the lean approach emphasizes three dimensions of economic, social and environmental along the chain and can lead to sustainability in supply chain. In fact, sustainability refers to a good balance between economic development, social assets and environmental issues. Due to the importance of the oil and gas industry in our country, the implementation of a lean supply chain based on sustainability in active organizations in this area is very important. Method: In order to conduct this study that has been carried out in one of the largest companies operating in the offshore sector, first, by reviewing the literature and opinion poll at the experts, the ten factors that lead to lean supply chain were identified. Then, using an interpretive structural modeling approach, the research framework was developed. Findings: in this framework, "management and leadership" as the most influential and the two factors, "minimization of delivery time" and "flexibility" were determined as the most influential factors. Discussion and Conclusion: Accordingly, the "management and leadership” was the basis of this framework and should be much considered. Finally, some suggestions were made to achieve lean procurement process with sustainable approach in the offshore sector of the oil and gas industry.

Background and Objective: Development of aquaculture and the necessity to comply with environmental standards reveal the need to study the potential adverse effects of this industry. One of the most devastating effects of aquaculture would be water pollution caused by the discharge of untreated effluent from fish farms into the host aquatic ecosystems. Accordingly, the present study was performed to assess the contamination caused by trout farms on water quality of Haraz River in northern Iran. Method: For this purpose, a total number of 24 physical and chemical water quality parameters were sampled from 15 stations over a one-year period based on the standard methods. The maps of Topography, Geology, Hydrology, Soil, Land use, and access roads of the study area were prepared and studied. Furthermore, the pollutant sources, including fish farming pools, agricultural fields, residential areas, industries, and hot water mineral springs, located within the boundaries of the study area were also identified. Findings: The results showed that concentration of BOD, NO3-, and PO4 at the stations 7 and 10 was very high. The reason for this can be proximity of several fish farms close to each other. . Moreover, the concentration of DO in the mentioned stations showed a substantial decline that may be due to increased consumption of oxygen due to proximity of multiple fish farms in these stations. Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, the results confirm the considerable impact of fish farms on the quality of surface water resources in the study area. This highlights the need to take the necessary management measues to control pollutants from the industry in the from of environmental guidelines and regulations.

Background and Objective: Soundscape as one of the non-visual aspects of urban landscape requires assessment and redesign that needs evaluation of soundscape and identification of problematic areas and then taking the action according to the precise assessments. Naghshe-Jahan square as an urban space that embraces people from different ages and social groups should be assessed in terms of soundscape quality. Method: The research aimed at assessment of the soundscape quality of Naghshe-Jahan square through frequency classification in octave band. St-8851 sound meter was used for field assessments. 429 points in grid mode was assessed and logarithmic sum of low, mid and high frequency bands was calculated and presented in the form of GIS maps with precise spatial coordinates. Findings: By examining the frequency spectrum of single noise sources, different audio domains in the field were determined based on high, mid and low frequency bands. Discussion and Conclusion: Results showed that in the low frequencies, the alignment map was almost homogeneous. At mid frequencies, the pass of horses around the central pool and the entrance of the Qaisariyye Bazar were of high levels, indicating the density of the mid-frequency sound sources, such as human sounds. In high frequencies only the vehicle and gharry paths and water bodies had high sound pressure levels due to the concentration of sound sources with friquencies higher than the 4000 Hz. Finally, strategies and policies were introduced based on the results.

Background and Objective: Considering the effects that educational open spaces have on students and users of such environments, the study aims to provide guidelines for designing children’ s open spaces in primary school based on Promotion of learning and Emotional intelligence. Method: This research is an attempt to identify the factors affecting promotion of learning and emotional intelligence from teachers and designers point of view in school yards to draw the correlation between factors in an analytical model. In this research after setting up the contents of the content table and the questionnaire, the sample size based on Klein's views reached 326 users. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 22 using R factor analysis and model was developed by Amos. Findings: Among the responses of teachers and school designers to the questionnaire, eight factors can be identified. In such a way that for about 72 percent of respondents, a reality has been commonly understood. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the research show that the effects of natural elements on self-fulfillment, spaces with cultural functions, environments for multisensory play for different ages, the relationship between space and flexible furniture, the semi-private spaces (with supervision), the relationship of various spaces with the presence and learning of children in schoolyard, the relationship between open and closed spaces, the relationship between flexibility and spatial diversity with physical and psychological comfort, can affect schools open spaces to enhance emotional intelligence and learning process.

Background and Objective: In modern houses connection to nature is faded out and their habitats are approaching towards degrading their surrounding environment. This research investigates the ways by which we connect to nature as one of the principles of environmentally sustainable development in housing and also seeks to answer the questions that what the characteristics of nature-compatible housing are in order to fulfill the objectives of environmental sustainability. Method: Data collection was conducted through library resources, the analysis of qualitative and descriptive study was conducted to analyze their content. In this regard the components, principles and key sentences bases of the three spheres of sustainability, nature and housing were extracted. After that components and points obtained were classified. Then, in order to achieve the aimed housing characteristics, the components correlation to each other and their implementation was analyzed by authors. Eventually a list of measures necessary to achieve these characteristics was finalized. Findings: the results indicate that it is necessary to considering measures to communicate directly with nature, restoring the natural environment and conserving natural resources, reducing energy consumption and increasing exposure to sunlight, reducing environmental pollution, harmonizing form-shape of the building with the environment and appropriate materials selection and their implementation in the home design process one. Discussion and Conclusion: It seems by considering the constant presence of nature in the organization of housing spaces, preservation of existing vegetation, respecting the natural shape of the site and so on is able to design housing which maintains and strengthens the relationship between people and nature. This in turn falls in line with the principles of environmental sustainability.

Background and Objective: Nowadays, pollution of aquatic ecosystems with toxic metals, especially mercury, is one of the major concerns of the world. The use of nano-adsorbents is a novel high-performance method for removing heavy metals from aqueous media. In this study, in order to remove of Hg (II) from aqueous solutions and chloro-alkali wastewater, amine functionalized-Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 nanocomposite was synthesized. Method: As-synthesized nano-composite was characterized by thermo-gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The nano-composite was used for removal of Hg (II) ions from aqueous solution and chloro-alkali wastewater in batch system. Findings: The maximum equilibrium adsorption capacities for Hg (II) ions from aqueous solution 137. 45 mg/g were calculated. Percentage of mercury removal from real wastewater was estimated about 55%. Sorption of Hg (II) ions with Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 agreed well to the Langmuir isotherm model, confirming a monolayer adsorption. Desorption study showed that adsorbed metals could easily be desorbed from the adsorbent by 0. 8 M HCl for Hg(II) ions, that the desorption percentage efficiencies was reduced from first to fifth cycle times about 15 %. Discussion and Conclusion: The results showed that the synthesized nanocomposite in this research has a relatively high adsorption capacity for Hg (II) ions adsorption, also according to its recyclability and reusability, the application of this adsorbent in wastewater treatment system could be reasonable in terms of the economic aspect.

Background and Objective: Intervention of vernacular communities in natural patterns forms vernacular landscapes. Consequences of climate solutions and use of vernacular materials can be observed in development of settlements in these landscapes. However, agreement between natural and man-made pattern has not been investigated so far. Therefore, the current study assesses level of matching the mentioned issues. Method: In this study, qualitative method along with interference approach is used based on analysis of Iranian vernacular landscapes (Abyaneh, Masouleh, Kandovan and Oraman vernacular landscapes). Finding: The results indicate that the development patterns of urban services such as public streets, settlements, and similar cases matches with natural growth patterns. Discussion and Conclusion: Results of this study emphasize that landscape designers should recognize natural patterns associated with natural disturbances, and thence set their design strategies. For the sake of simplicity, the mentioned process is called as ecological design, which results in agreement between natural and man-made patterns.