Iran has mountainous landscapes and half of its surface is occupied by highlands. Moreover, Iran is an arid country and deserts are located at lower altitudes. Most metropolitan areas are positioned in mid-altitudes between mountain and desert. Cities grow upwardly toward the highlands under pressures of urbanization and desertification. Foothill ecotones are a zone between upland mountains and midland plains. Upwardly sprawl of urban centers has transformed the structures and functions of these ecologically strategic belts. In this article, we analyzed the transformational trend of the ecotonal zone in the southern slopes of the central Elburz (Tehran-Karaj urban region). Landsat 7 ETM+ (2000) and 8 OLI (2013) are used to monitor spatial and temporal variability of landscape metrics. The land covers are grouped into four classes: vegetation cover, open space, built area, and water body. Seven landscape metrics are used including: NP, CAP, MPS, AW-MPS, MNND, PARA, and TE. Our results indicate that NP, AW-MPS, TE, and PARA increased whereas CAP and MPS decreased. These results are a sign of the fragmentation process across the ecotonal strip.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of silver sulfate (AgSO4) as a toxicant in goldfish (Carassiusauratus). One hundred and forty-seven live specimens of C. auratus were obtained and exposed to 1, 10, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm of AgSO4for 96 hours. There was one control group (no AgSO4) and three replicates. The physicochemical properties of water and the following parameters were constant: pH: 7.56±0.45 (TS1); temperature: 19±1°C; hardness: 293±2.35 ppm and dissolved oxygen: 8.80 ±0.06 mg L-1 (DO-5510). LC1, LC10, LC30, LC50, LC70, LC90 and LC99 were calculated in 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. For assessing the impact ofAgSO4 on physiological responses of goldfish hematological indices, blood glucose and cortisol levels were measured. Results showed that LC50 96-h of AgSO4 for goldfish was 687.81 ppm. In addition, the use of AgSO4induces a significant decrease in MCHE after 48 hours, MCV and MCH after 96 hours and lymphocyte after 96 hours in contrast to the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, increased lymphocyte was significant after 24 hours exposure (P<0.05). In addition, glucose increased significantly at P<0.05 with time increase24 hours after experiment but this (). In conclusion, the study showed that acute toxicity of AgSO4induced hematological alterations in goldfish and offers a tool for the evaluation oftoxicity-derived alterations.

The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of socio-cultural practices on the water quality of River Ganga at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand State, India. The physico-chemical parameters that contributed to the temporal variation and pollution in the river were identified in this study. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Cluster analysis (CA) were used in the identification of anthropogenic factors (industrial, urban sewage, agricultural, land use and mining activities) and natural factors (soil erosion, weathering). The results of this study show that total coliform, fecal coliform, nitrate, sodium, phosphate, sulphate, TDS (Total dissolved solids), temperature, BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand), calcium and chloride are parameters significantly contributing to pollution load.

The purpose of this article is to present the development of a wind farm, with a condition monitoring system (CMS) based on control charts as the algorithm, centred on a new index, to prevent soil pollution by oil spills in wind farms. To this end, temperature sensors can be considered as one of the more significant sensors to be employed in this study, because the information obtained with regard to anemometers and electrical power output counters can be employed by the control system. As a result, among the other variables, oil temperatures sampled in multipliers used in the wind turbines of a real wind farm were employed. Statistical analyzes were developed and the relationship between wind farm maintenance (usually related to wind farm oil spills) and oil temperature was obtained. Furthermore, a practical case study, centered in the statistical process control, based on the low-cost sample variable was developed and showed that this new procedure would improve deficiencies in the maintenance process, thus, reducing the failure detection time under low sensor cost, as also the related soil pollution.

A comprehensive evaluation of the residual levels of Organochlorine insecticides (OCIs) in the sediment cores of Cochin Estuarine System (CES) is highlighted in this research article. It assessed the distribution pattern and impact of these xenobiotics in this environmental niche. Fifteen persistent organochlorine compounds (OCs) were quantitatively analysed in the six sediment core samples collected from specific sites of CES, during November 2009. Among these contaminants, residual levels of HCH, Cyclodienes and DDT were the dominant entities. According to the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), the higher concentration of these persistent toxicants found in the CES was enough to pose ecological risk to the bottom dwelling consumers. This study provides a better understanding of these trace organics in the environment and could develop more effective strategies for protecting this vulnerable ecosystem from further pollution. Further, sediment screening bioassays can also be conducted for both sediment quality evaluation and identification of existing potent toxicants.

Municipalities in developing countries spend the highest proportion of their annual budget on unsatisfactory solid waste management service. Until recently, solid waste management services in Ethiopia were mainly the responsibilities of municipalities, which culminated in inadequate service provision. Thus, the integration of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) by the government has recently being considered as an option. Participation of MSEs in SWM started in 2003/04 in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia and expanded to other cities following the proclamation of a National Solid Waste program in 2007. This review is aimed at identifying the role of MSEs in solid waste management in selected cities, including the opportunities and challenges for future directions. Limited resources and lack of support, perception and awareness of the community, inadequate training, unorganized fee collection strategy and limited revenue were among the challenges identified. The benefits and potential opportunities include organized and quality service delivery, environmental protection and safety, job opportunity, willingness to pay and social equity. In conclusion, the findings in this review show the importance of MSEs in solving solid waste management problems. However, the challenges need due considerations and appropriate interventions such as legalization of the informal sector, clear working guidelines and regulations, close support and monitoring, and transparent system in general.

Decision-making under uncertainty refers to a dilemma when a decision-maker is aware of a variety of potential natural states but lacks adequate information to assign any probabilities of occurrence to them. The uncertainty related to the input parameters is one of the main issues in the majority of decision-making situations. Uncertainty may produce some irrational results, which could make the decision-making process even more challenging. To overcome this challenge, a fuzzy extension of Best-Worst Method (BWM) has been proposed, using trapezoidal fuzzy sets, to combine the advantages of a reduced number of pair-wise comparisons and easy handling of ambiguity. The criteria and alternatives have been evaluated by the proposed Trapezoidal Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (TrFBWM), where the weight of each element is represented by a Trapezoidal Fuzzy Number (TrFN). To verify the coherence of judgment, the consistency ratio is evaluated for TrFBWM. The proposed method is then applied to the location selection of a water treatment plant along the bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam. The obtained results are compared to one previous work and found that the outcomes of the proposed method indicate a good agreement with that. The outcomes of the study provide useful insights for selecting a suitable location for a surface water treatment plant which can also be extended to other service facilities.

Urban morphology impacts micro-climates, solar energy absorption, air flow, wind patterns, energy consumption, and air pollution concentration. Temperature control in public spaces reduces heat island formation, while ventilation corridors potentially improve air quality. However, despite the literature on airflow and urban tall buildings providing valuable insights, further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between airflow patterns and urban high-rise buildings. This research should consider factors such as landscape types, building height, density, and orientation. This research aims to examine airflow patterns in high-rise buildings that are influenced by nearby land use, which can impact ventilation and climate comfort. To investigate these objectives, we utilized the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Predicted Mean Vote Index (PMV) by conducting simulations using ENVI-met software. The results revealed that buildings with narrower widths have better wind warded front conditions, while those with an unfavorable wind angle or a narrow facade are less comfortable. Public spaces that face the wind benefit from improved ventilation. It is essential to consider the optimal arrangement, ventilation, and height of buildings to ensure the favorable airflow. Factors such as the placement of trees, the use of porous walls, water features such as fountains and sprinklers, and the local climate all contribute to creating better wind conditions. Investigating the reciprocal interaction between the landscape, high-rise buildings, and climate comfort could be considered in future research.

Monitoring and managing environmental problems, particularly those impacting human health such as noise and air pollution, are essential. However, the current implementation has certain limitations that need improvement. In the case of noise pollution, accurately computing noise levels requires considering traffic noise propagating in all directions, necessitating the involvement of a 3D building model. Existing methods using raster cells and noise contours are insufficient in achieving high accuracy. To overcome this, we propose integrating a voxelisation approach and 3D kriging, enabling the depiction of traffic noise values for each voxel. In the context of air pollution, wind movement plays a significant role in the dispersion of contaminants. The current practice involves a random selection procedure for wind simulation within the model discretisation. However, we suggest replacing this randomness with a voxel-based model, which not only improves accuracy but also reduces computing time. Thus, the voxel-based model represents the building model in a wind computation environment, facilitating more realistic wind simulation results. This study demonstrates the applicability of the voxelisation technique in two different environmental modeling contexts using the building model of the city building modeling standard. The level of detail (LoD) in the represented building model differs between these approaches. For traffic noise, a low LoD (LoD1) is sufficient to depict exterior buildings accurately. However, for wind simulation, a higher LoD (LoD2) is necessary to accommodate the complexity of buildings and determine appropriate voxel sizes. In conclusion, the proposed improvements in the form of voxel-based modeling techniques offer enhanced accuracy and efficiency in environmental monitoring. The findings of this study have implications for improving the management and reduction of environmental problems, ultimately benefiting human health and well-being.

Paringin District is one of the coal mining areas in South Kalimantan with the exploitation method of open pit mining. This activity opens rock layers containing sulfur, reacting with water and oxygen, spreading sulfide acid into the environment. Analysis of the water quality of the Post-mining Lake in Paringin District is needed based on the biological parameters. The objective aims to analyze the water quality of the Post-mining Lake, Paringin District, based on plankton’s abundance, diversity, and dominance. This research was located in Post-mining Lake, PT. Adaro Indonesia. Data were taken at three sampling points in the pit pond and three depths. Data was taken from 2019 to 2021 using plankton net and analyzed using the enumeration method. The data was processed using the diversity index, dominance index, and saprobic index. Phytoplankton and Zooplankton abundance were dependent on three different depths (p-value>0.05). The most abundant phytoplankton species in all stations was Oscillatoria sp. (>90%) while Nauplius sp. (>30%) for zooplankton. Rainfall in the study area affected the number of individual species very weakly. The highest dominance value of phytoplankton and zooplankton was recorded around the end of 2019 to early 2020 as well as a saprobic index and diversity. Crustacea class considerably exists in all sites, which is Nauplius sp. and Daphnia sp. This situation proved there was a recovery of the plankton population in the lake, no algae blooming and a balance between nutrients and plankton population. In fact, the aquatic habitats are ready to accommodate large ecosystems.