The impact of land use
changes on urban
Vegetation using remote
sensing
[email protected] 0351 7212414
Mahdi Shadan*
*
Key words: Urban environment, Land use changes, Vegetation
cover, Remote sensing
Abstract
In urban areas,
overpopulation has turned many agricultural lands into residential, commercial
and industrial ones. These changes have had such undesirable effects on urban
environment as a decrease in vegetation and an increase in temperature.
Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of land use changes for the
proper management of urban areas.
Remote sensing
technique can provide good information about land use changes in a short time.
It can also be used to study the past changes in land use to predict the future
changes.
The main
objective of this study was to develop a methodology for monitoring land use
changes in urban areas using satellite data and remote sensing technique.
In a case study,
four cities in the
The results of
this study indicate spatio-temporal changes of urban vegetation in the last
decade.
The effect of turbochargers on CNG buses
fuel consumption and emitted
pollutants
Saman Chehrazi
Faculty of Environment, Science and
Research Branch, Islamic
Key
Words: substitutional fuels, environment, turbocharger,
emissions of transportation, CNG
Abstract
According to
scientific studies, vehicles contribute to almost 70 percent of emitted
pollutants, which is mainly due to the consumption of fossil fuels. Considering
the problems of air pollution and the environmental consequences caused by such
fuels as gas-oil and petrol consumed by public and private vehicles, the number
one priority of certain countries including
Environmental assessment of
Jafar
Nouri
Department of Environmental Health Engineering,
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Bijan Maghsoudlou
Kamali
Department of Environmental Management, Graduate
Key Words: strategic environmental assessment
(SEA), screening, policy, SWOT matrix
Abstract
The present
investigation deals with the quality of capacity building and institutional
strengthening of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in the industrial
field as well as determining the environmental strategies for industrial
sustainable development in
The study of wastewater treatment
system efficiency of
Sahand dairy products factory,
Ali
Torabian
Faculty of Environment,
Mahdi Borghei
Akbar Rajabi*
*Faculty of
Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic
Key Words: dairy wastewater, anaerobic and
aerobic treatment, fixed bed treatment system
Abstract
The aim of
this project is to study the wastewater treatment system of Sahand dairy
products factory and to provide a solution for the problem. The existing
wastewater treatment system in this factory is an anaerobic and aerobic system,
where the aerobic system is an extended activated sludge.
This study
had two phases as follows:
Phase One: This phase lasted from February 1, 2003 to September
1, 2004.
Based
on the integrated sampling, the companys wastewater was estimated to be
approximately 100m3 per day. In this phase, the efficiency of
anaerobic treatment system was investigated. The parameters measured in this
study were BOD, COD, NO3, PO4, TS, OIL, and grease. After the samples were
analyzed, the removal efficiency of the organic elements turned out to be low
for the anaerobic system in winter.
Phase Two: This phase lasted from September 1, 2004 to December
29, 2004.
To
increase the efficiency of the anaerobic system, a fixed-bed was installed. As
a result of the improvement of the system, the following findings were obtained
for the two years of 2003 and 2004:
-
An increase in the BOD removal
efficiency from 30% to 61.4%
-
An increase in the COD removal
efficiency from 45% to 64.6%
-
An increase in the NO3
removal efficiency from 58.5% 82.8%
-
An increase in the TS removal efficiency
from 63.8% to 67.9%
-
For the PO4 removal
efficiency, no significant difference was observed.
The
results for the aerobic system after its improvement are as follows:
- An increase in the BOD removal efficiency from
83% to 90.5%
- An increase in
the COD removal efficiency from 82.2% to 92.2% - An increase in the TS removal efficiency from 72% to 80%
- For the PO4 and the NO3
removal efficiency, no significant difference was observed.
The modeling of leached petroleum
hydrocarbons
in water and soil resources
Majid Ehteshami
Ramin
Ahmadnia
Key Words: modeling, petroleum hydrocarbons, soil and water
resources, leaching
Abstract
Due to the
growing population and oil-dependent industries, the demand for oil products
has risen. The increase in oil production, and consequently the higher
consumption rate together with the careless use of oil products have aggravated
the contamination of water and soil resources, which in turn has led to
serious, and sometimes irreparable, harms to the environment.
The amount of
the leached contaminants, the flow path, the contaminants traveling time in
soil and water resources, and the concentration of pollutants in various depths
are the main points the policy-makers need to determine.
In this study,
the researchers utilized a model called RITZ (Regulatory and Investigative
Treatment Zone Model) to model the oil products leaching into the soil and
groundwater resources. This model is used not only to evaluate the leaching
process, but it also helps us to locate the contaminated zone and to measure
the pollutants concentration. For the calibration of the model, the output
data from the RITZ model were compared with the laboratory data as reported in
the previous studies. The obtained high correlations and the other results are
shown in different tables and graphs.
The
evaluation of health conditions of food supply and distribution centers in Bam
after the earthquake
Gholam Reza Jahed Khaniki*
Amir Hossein Mahvi*
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Key Words: food supply centers,
environmental health, food safety, earthquake, city of
Abstract
At 5:27 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2003, an
earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck the city of
This cross-sectional study was
conducted in order to learn about the health conditions of the food supply and
distribution centers after 9 months past the quake. To this end, a checklist
and certain forms were prepared. The checklist included such parameters as the
water supply system, sources of water, types of building, wastewater disposal
condition, types of floor, air-conditioning and lighting conditions, screens,
valid health cards, trash cans and disposal, the condition of water-closets and
baths, refrigerators and freezers, cold rooms, and personnel. Using simple
random selection techniques, 67 active shops were studied: 17 grocery stores,
13 fast-food places, 11 butcheries, 10 dairy shops, 7 chicken stores, 2
bakeries, 2 restaurants, 2 ice-cream shops, 2 food distribution centers, and 1
confectionary. The results showed that
58.2% of these centers had piped water 7.5 % had water tanks, and 34.4 % were
without a water system. Moreover, 52.2 % of food supply centers were made of
bricks, 34.3 % were temporary conex containers, and 13.4 % were tents.
Furthermore, 44.8 % of these places discharged their wastewater into ground
wells and the remaining 55.2 % did not discharge their wastewater hygienically.
The conditions of solid waste collection and disposal, water-closets and baths,
freezers, and the personnel needed modification and improvement.
Minimization of sludge
produced in wastewater
treatment plants by activated sludge methods
Siamak Boudaghpour*
Seyed Ahmad Mirbagheri*
Omid Mirza Fashami*
*Faculty of Civil
Engineering,
Key Words: activated sludge, dissolved oxygen,
sludge loading, biological floc, modeling, optimization.
Abstract
In the
present world, in which all people force themselves to follow the environmental
regulations, environmental assessment is necessary.
For
all big projects, there are some challenges in the field of wastewater
treatment, specially the activated sludge system. These challenges are about
the production and the disposal of excess sludge produced in wastewater
treatment plants.
Minimization
of sludge production in wastewater treatment plant with the activated sludge
system by the optimization of treatment parameters is the aim of the present
study. For this purpose, a pilot laboratory was installed in the civil
engineering department of
The results
obtained form sampling and laboratory tests were noticeable: the excess sludge
production reduced by raising the oxygen concentration in the mixed liquid.
Also, a decrease in the loading of the sludge entering the aeration tank
resulted in a decrease in the produced sludge. Finally, a mathematical model
for the simulation of activated sludge flocs and the description of the effects
of the above-mentioned parameters was developed.
Review
Article
Kyoto protocol, challenges
and opportunities
Nastaran
Rahimi
Department of Environment, Energy Planning
Bureau, Ministry of Energy
E-mail:
[email protected], [email protected]
Energy Planning
Bureau, Ministry of Energy
E-mail: [email protected]
Key Words:
Since 1992, the Convention of Climate
Change (UNFCCC) and the
The economy in
The Convention and the Protocol, the
economic and environmental models for
The effect of salt stress on some of
the ecophysiolgic and biochemical properties of the pistacia mutica
Hamid
Noorani Azad*
Farshid
Kafilzadeh*
Hamid
Mohammadi*
*Faculty of Biology, Islamic
Nour
Addin Goodarzian
Faculty of Chemistry, Islamic Azad university,
Key
Words: pistachio, salinity, protein, and sugar
Abstract
In this study ,
the physiological and biochemical properties of the plant pistacia mutica were
evaluated at six salinity levels (o, 25, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl ) using
a completely randomized design. The growth analysis, protein assey, and soluble
sugars in the plants organs and in the whole plant were also considered.
It was observed that scarification
was necessary for seed germination.
The results show that as salinity
increases, the length of the plant stem and the dry matter decrease, but the
fresh matter and the length of the root increase. Salinity also increases the
plants proteins and sugars, the former being considered as an agent for
adaptation and the latter for osmotic regulation against the stress conditions
in the plant.
Comparing phenanthrene-degrading gram
positive bacteria isolated from Noshahr and Amirabad coastal waters in terms of
ecologic modification
Najmeh
Nouri
Department of Microbiology, Islamic
Nour
Amir Mozafari
Reza
Safari
Caspian Ecologic
Key
Words: degrading bacteria, phenanthrene, PAHs bacillus,
corynebacterium.
Abstract
Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among important polluting compounds that
contain Benzene rings in their molecular structure. They enter water ecosystems
from a variety of sources such as Petrochemical industry, urban sewage, ships,
oil spills, and the like. These compounds have been shown to have many harmful effects
on humen beings, including cancer and other serious diseases. One of the
effective methods of decreasing or eliminating PAHs contamination is through
the use of degradading bacteria.
In this study,
phenanthren-degrading bacteria were isolated from southern
Identification of biosurfactant-producing Bacteria
and their use in the removal of oil pollutants
Mohammad Kargar*
Farshid Kafilzadeh*
Nooradin Goodarzian*
*Dept. of Microbiology, Islamic
Ashraf Noohi
Dept. of Microbiology,
Nasrin Moazzami
Key Words: biosurfactant, emulsification, bioremediation,
oil pollutants
Abstract
s
A vast variety of microorganisms secrete
surface-active compounds, hence their name, biosurfactants. The secretion of
these compounds by microbial cells facilitates the absorption of insoluble
substrates. The most valuable application of biosurfactants is in petroleum
industry where they are used for improving quality, facilitating extraction,
and decreasing viscosity.
This
study is aimed at the isolation and identification of biosurfactant-producing
bacteria and the assessment of their potential application in the removal of
oil pollutants.
To this
end, samples from 86 different sites including petroleum wells and sites
polluted by oil compounds were selected. Then 158 strains of bacteria, 10
strains of actinomycetes, 9 strains of molds, and 2 strains of yeast were
isolated from those sites. After that,
using emulsification tests, we studied emulsification capacity of the
isolated strains. As the second step, we demonstrated biosurfactant secretion
by the strains through measuring the surface tension. Finally, through
measuring the surface tension, 9 bacteria strains were selected from the
isolated strains, all of which caused a decrease higher than 20 dyn/cm2 in
surface tension. The induction effect of
biosurfactant secretion in the isolated strains was also evaluated. Among the
important features of the isolated strains, one is their high salt tolerance
and their successful secretion of biosurfactants in a vast pH domain. In this
way, the researchers could demonstrate the proper capacity of the strains in
removing oil pollutants and their application in the microbial enhancement of
oil recovery.
The effect of energy optimization
methods
on polluting gases emitted from
furnaces
Reza
Marandi *
Mir
Esmaeil Masoumi *
*Faculty
of Engineering, Islamic
Hasan
Azadmanesh
Faculty of Engineering,
Key
Words: energy optimization, cracking, furnace
Abstract
Furnace is the main consumer
of energy in petrochemical and refinery processes. Its main use is in heat
cracking and preheat process fluid. The increasing oil prices in the late 20th
century led to the emergence of energy optimization methods.
In this paper, the effect of
different optimization methods on the important environmental factor in
furnaces, i. e., polluting gases caused by the combustion reaction, is
studied.
The main pollution factor in
furnaces which burn sulfur-free gases is the reaction of matters and the
production of NOx. After studying the analyses obtained from a sample furnace,
certain methods were proposed for the optimization of energy and the reduction
of environmental pollutants.
The results show that to
optimize a furnace without using an NOx-reducing device the two methods of
reducing the extra air and pre-heating the air, the extra air is reduced by 33%
and 43%, respectively.