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Environmental risk management associated with the development one of oil fields in southwestern Iran using AHP and FMEA methods Полный текст
2024
Mahboobeh Cheraghi | Abdolreza Karbassi | Seyed Masoud Monavari | Akbar Baghvand
Nowadays risk management is intended to be a solution in project management to deal with the risks and events that may occur in an industrial project. The risk management is a process that is able to identify, analyze risks and determine strategies to reduce the effects of that. Also, most managers are challenged, especially when they are supposed to choose between multiple solutions to a problem. In this project we have tried to use the FMEA and AHP techniques to evaluate the environmental risk posed by Ahvaz oil field development as well. List of aspects and environmental impacts of completed construction and operation phases and the scoring were based on the criteria mentioned methods. The level of risks were at three levels: low, medium and high, respectively. For the construction phase from all 35 rated risks 5 were high-level, 19 were medium-level, and 11 showed a low level of risk. Operation phase from all 29 risks 4 were high-level risk, 15 were medium risk and 10 were low-level. In the end, strategies for reducing environmental pollutants in construction, operation and management phase and in the framework of manpower, vehicles, materials and operations are provided.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Assessing the Spatio-temporal variation of water quality over time at Malelane area in the lower catchment of the Crocodile River, Mpumalanga, South Africa Полный текст
2024
Karabo Concelia Malakane | Thabang Maphanga | Benett Siyabonga Madonsela | Terry Takalani Phungela | Babalwa Gqomfa
Freshwater is a limited resource experiencing accelerated contamination in several nations due to various reasons, including both natural and human-induced influences such as climate, topography, mining, industry, and agriculture. South Africa is characterized by water scarcity, a condition exacerbated by its status as a developing nation. Consequently, the country has the dual task of safeguarding water quality while simultaneously striving to enhance water supply and sanitation infrastructure. This study aims to assess the impact of agricultural activities on the water quality of the Crocodile River by using physiochemical tests and a water quality index tool. The grab sampling methodology was utilized on-site to collect water quality parameters which were analysed at a SANAS (South African National Accreditation System) laboratory. Statistical analysis was performed using the Seaborn software due to the extensive dataset contained in the present study. Highest concentrations of NO2+NO3 were recorded in the Autumn season between 2020 and 2022 with levels ranging between 1,2 to 0.7 mg/l. While spring and summer of 2018 and 2019 recorded the lowest concentration of NO2+NO3 at <0.4 mg/L, the low concentrations could be due to the dilution of the summer rainfalls as compared to the high concentrations that were recorded in the drier season of the year leading into winter. This could also explain significant concentration of PO4 (0.35 mg/L) that were recorded during the winter of 2016. The findings indicate that throughout the autumn of 2017 and spring of 2019, the reported ammonia nitrate concentration exceeded 0.225mg/L. The WQI results revealed that the water quality at Malelane is regular at a value of 62.18, which suggests that the quality of the water is average to below standard.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Land degradation intensity mapping using environmental factors and Sentinel-2 derived spectral indices in an arid region in south of Iran Полный текст
2024
Mohamamd Ebrahim Afifi | Raoof Mostafazadeh
To mitigate land degradation and desertification as an environmntal issue, it is crucial to monitor land degradation intensities, identify influential factors, and implement necessary measures. This study utilized remote sensing data and logistic regression modeling to assess desertification in Larestan County. Multiple indicators were considered in this study, encompassing climate factors (such as rainfall, evapotranspiration, and aridity index), groundwater indicators (including electrical conductivity, chloride content, sodium absorption ratio, and groundwater level decline), soil indicators (such as EC, texture, and organic matter content), land use and land cover (LULC) type, and wind erosion. The logistic regression model was employed to identify the most influential factors contributing to desertification. The findings revealed different risk classes: a small low-risk class in the eastern and southern regions covering 2.4% of the total area, a moderate-risk class in the foothill-plain areas covering 38.3% of the total area. The high-risk class of desertification is mainly concentrated in the central part of the study area, adjacent to regions with moderate risk. It is characterized by relatively large patches, particularly in the southwest of the interior plains, covering approximately 1,980 hectares, which accounts for 7.9% of the total area. The concentration of high-risk desertification in specific areas highlights the urgent need for proactive measures to preserve the environmental balance and sustainability of the study area.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Evaluating the impact of source separation on the quality of biodegradable municipal waste (A case study: District 8 of Karaj city, Iran) Полный текст
2024
Marjan Potki | Ebrahim Fataei | Ali Akbar Imani | Marjaneh Kharrat Sadeghi
The present study was conducted to determine the effects of source separation training for municipal solid waste on the quality of compostable organic waste at District 8 of Karaj Municipality, Iran. This was an experimental study, the tools of which were sampling and conducting experiments. The research data were collected using cluster sampling. To determine the chemical properties of wet waste, samples were taken from 480 households in 7 neighborhoods of District 8 of Karaj Municipality, followed by laboratory analysis. To measure the quality of compostable organic materials, first, waste from the studied households was received once without providing training and subjected to physical analysis (separation of wet and dry materials). Once again, after providing training, the waste of the studied households was collected separately, wet and dry, from the doorsteps of the homes. From the total wet waste samples taken from each neighborhood, after complete mixing, one sample was taken for chemical analysis and transported to the laboratory. The measured parameters included total nitrate, organic carbon, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, calcium, cadmium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and lead. A t-test was used to obtain the difference between the physical and chemical properties of the wet waste before and after source separation training to households. Data were analyzed using SPSS27 software. Based on the results, there was a statistically significant difference between the values of EC, pH, cadmium, and iron at the level of 5%, as well as between the parameters of copper, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus at the level of 1%, in the pre- and post-training stages. The EC value in the pre-training phase was 9914 μs/cm, which decreased to 7350 μs/cm after training. Calcium levels were 19,674 and 30,898 mg/kg, potassium levels were 24,006 and 18,225 mg/kg, phosphorus levels were 1987 and 3019 mg/kg, and the iron levels were 1804 and 466 before and after training, respectively. The concentration of magnesium in compostable organic waste increased significantly in the post-training phase compared to the pre-training phase. The findings of this study revealed the effectiveness of source separation of municipal solid waste in maintaining the amounts of elements present in compostable organic materials at appropriate levels.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]The role of meteorology factors on urban pollutants (Case study: data analysis of Tabriz city 2012-2022) Полный текст
2024
Fahimeh Banasaleh | Mohammad Ebrahim Ramazani | Ziba Beheshti
In this research, using research-descriptive methods and using data from the years 2012-2022 of meteorology and air pollution in Tabriz city, the correlation of meteorological factors and their effect on the level of air pollution in Tabriz city was investigated and zoning maps were presented. Based on the results of the research, high amounts of CO, NO2, SO2 and O3 pollutants are mostly accumulated in areas 6, 7 and 8 of Tabriz municipality, and these pollutants have different amounts in different seasons and changing the impact of meteorological factors. Investigating the role of climatic elements in the increase of air pollutants in Tabriz city shows the existence of an inverse relationship between pollutants and the increase in altitude and rainfall. The role of wind in the spring and summer seasons leads to an increase in pollutants compared to the wind direction and is almost ineffective in the winter season. As the temperature increases, the amount of carbon monoxide pollutant increases and the amount of sulfur dioxide gas decreases. In general, the examination of the temperature factor shows that the amount of air pollution increases at lower temperatures.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Pesticide residues in boreal arable soils : Countrywide study of occurrence and risks Полный текст
2024
Hagner, M. | Rämö, S. | Soinne, H. | Nuutinen, V. | Muilu-Mäkelä, R. | Heikkinen, J. | Hyvönen, J. | Ohralahti, K. | Silva, V. | Osman, R. | Geissen, V. | Ritsema, C.J. | Keskinen, R.
Pesticide residues in boreal arable soils : Countrywide study of occurrence and risks Полный текст
2024
Hagner, M. | Rämö, S. | Soinne, H. | Nuutinen, V. | Muilu-Mäkelä, R. | Heikkinen, J. | Hyvönen, J. | Ohralahti, K. | Silva, V. | Osman, R. | Geissen, V. | Ritsema, C.J. | Keskinen, R.
Large volumes of pesticides are applied every year to support agricultural production. The intensive use of pesticides affects soil quality and health, but soil surveys on pesticide residues are scarce, especially for northern Europe. We investigated the occurrence of 198 pesticide residues, including both banned and currently used substances in 148 field sites in Finland. Results highlight that pesticide residues are common in the agricultural soils of Finland. A least one residue was found in 82% of the soils, and of those 32% contained five or more residues. Maximum total residue concentration among the conventionally farmed soils was 3043 μg/kg, of which AMPA and glyphosate contributed the most. Pesticide residues were also found from organically farmed soils, although at 75–90% lower concentrations than in the conventionally farmed fields. Thus, despite the application rates of pesticides in Finland being generally much lower than in most parts of central and southern Europe, the total residue concentrations in the soils occurred at similar or at higher levels. We also established that AMPA and glyphosate residues in soil are significantly higher in fields with cereal dominated rotations than in grass dominated or cereal–grass rotations. However, risk analyses for individual substances indicated low ecological risk for most of the fields. Furthermore, the total ecological risk associated with the mixtures of residues was mostly low except for 21% of cereal dominated fields with medium risk. The results showed that the presence of mixtures of pesticide residues in soils is a rule rather than an exception also in boreal soils. In highly chemicalized modern agriculture, the follow-up of the residues of currently used pesticides in national and international soil monitoring programs is imperative to maintain soil quality and support sustainable environment policies.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Pesticide residues in boreal arable soils: Countrywide study of occurrence and risks Полный текст
2024
Hagner, Marleena | Rämö, Sari | Soinne, Helena | Nuutinen, Visa | Muilu-Mäkelä, R. | Heikkinen, Juha | Heikkinen, Jaakko | Hyvönen, Juha | Ohralahti, Kalle | Silva, Vera | Osman, Rima | Geissen, Violette | Ritsema, Coen J. | Keskinen, Riikka | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3617-2712 | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4366-3085 | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7965-6496 | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8991-0830 | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-774X | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4025-637X | 4100110610 | 4100110610 | 4100211210 | 4100110510 | 4100111010 | 4100310610 | 4100111010 | 4100110610 | 4100110510 | Luonnonvarakeskus
Large volumes of pesticides are applied every year to support agricultural production. The intensive use of pesticides affects soil quality and health, but soil surveys on pesticide residues are scarce, especially for northern Europe. We investigated the occurrence of 198 pesticide residues, including both banned and currently used substances in 148 field sites in Finland. Results highlight that pesticide residues are common in the agricultural soils of Finland. A least one residue was found in 82% of the soils, and of those 32% contained five or more residues. Maximum total residue concentration among the conventionally farmed soils was 3043 μg/kg, of which AMPA and glyphosate contributed the most. Pesticide residues were also found from organically farmed soils, although at 75–90% lower concentrations than in the conventionally farmed fields. Thus, despite the application rates of pesticides in Finland being generally much lower than in most parts of central and southern Europe, the total residue concentrations in the soils occurred at similar or at higher levels. We also established that AMPA and glyphosate residues in soil are significantly higher in fields with cereal dominated rotations than in grass dominated or cereal–grass rotations. However, risk analyses for individual substances indicated low ecological risk for most of the fields. Furthermore, the total ecological risk associated with the mixtures of residues was mostly low except for 21% of cereal dominated fields with medium risk. The results showed that the presence of mixtures of pesticide residues in soils is a rule rather than an exception also in boreal soils. In highly chemicalized modern agriculture, the follow-up of the residues of currently used pesticides in national and international soil monitoring programs is imperative to maintain soil quality and support sustainable environment policies. | 2024
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Revealing the role of land-use features on macrolitter distribution in Swiss freshwaters Полный текст
2024
Schreyers, L.J. | Erismann, R. | Erismann, S. | Ludwig, C. | Patel, B. | Filella, M. | van Emmerik, T.H.M.
Macrolitter, especially macroplastics, (> 0.5 cm) negatively impact freshwater ecosystems, where they can be retained along lake shores, riverbanks, floodplains or bed sediments. Long-term and large-scale assessments of macrolitter on riverbanks and lake shores provide an understanding of litter abundance, composition, and origin in freshwater systems. Combining macrolitter quantification with hydrometeorological variables allows further study of leakage, transport, and accumulation characteristics. Several studies have explored the role of hydrometeorological factors in influencing macrolitter distribution and found that river discharge, runoff, and wind only partially explains its distribution. Other factors, such as land-use features, have not yet been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we provide a country-scale assessment of land-use influence on macrolitter abundance in freshwater systems. We analyzed the composition of the most commonly found macrolitter items (referred to as ‘top items’, n = 42,565) sampled across lake shores and riverbanks in Switzerland between April 2020 and May 2021. We explored the relationship between eleven land-use features and macrolitter abundance at survey locations (n = 143). The land-use features included buildings, city centers, public infrastructure, recreational areas, forests, marshlands, vineyards, orchards, other land, and rivers and canals. The majority of top items are significantly and positively correlated with land-use features related to urban coverage, notably roads and buildings. Over 60% of top items were found to be correlated with either roads or buildings. Notably, tobacco, food and beverage-related products, as well as packaging and sanitary products, showed strong associations with these urban land-use features. Other types of items, however, did not exhibit a relationship with land-use features, such as industry and construction-related items. Ultimately, this highlights the need to combine measures at the local and regional/national scales for effective litter reduction.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Evaluation of microplastic pollution using bee colonies : An exploration of various sampling methodologies Полный текст
2024
Cortés-Corrales, Laura | Flores, Jose Javier | Rosa, Adrian | van der Steen, Jozef J.M. | Vejsnæs, Flemming | Roessink, Ivo | Martínez-Bueno, Maria Jesús | Fernández-Alba, Amadeo R.
Recent research has highlighted the potential of honeybees and bee products as biological samplers for monitoring xenobiotic pollutants. However, the effectiveness of these biological samplers in tracking microplastics (MPs) has not yet been explored. This study evaluates several methods of sampling MPs, using honeybees, pollen, and a novel in-hive passive sampler named the APITrap. The collected samples were characterized using a stereomicroscopy to count and categorise MPs by morphology, colour, and type. To chemical identification, a micro-Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to determine the polymer types. The study was conducted across four consecutive surveillance programmes, in five different apiaries in Denmark. Our findings indicated that APITrap demonstrated better reproducibility, with a lower variation in results of 39%, compared to 111% for honeybee samples and 97% for pollen samples. Furthermore, the use of APITrap has no negative impact on bees and can be easily applied in successive samplings. The average number of MPs detected in the four monitoring studies ranged from 39 to 67 in the APITrap, 6 to 9 in honeybee samples, and 6 to 11 in pollen samples. Fibres were the most frequently found, accounting for an average of 91% of the total MPs detected in the APITrap, and similar values for fragments (5%) and films (4%). The MPs were predominantly coloured black, blue, green and red. Spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of up to five different synthetic polymers. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the most common in case of fibres and similarly to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyamide (PA) in non fibrous MPs. This study, based on citizen science and supported by beekeepers, highlights the potential of MPs to accumulate in beehives. It also shows that the APITrap provides a highly reliable and comprehensive approach for sampling in large-scale monitoring studies.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Water hyacinths retain river plastics Полный текст
2024
Schreyers, Louise J. | van Emmerik, Tim H.M. | Bui, Thanh-Khiet L. | Biermann, Lauren | Uijlenhoet, Remko | Nguyen, Hong Quan | Wallerstein, Nicholas | van der Ploeg, Martine
Rivers are main conduits for the delivery of plastics to the sea, while also functioning as reservoirs for plastic retention. In tropical regions, rivers are exposed to both high levels of plastic pollution and invasion of water hyacinths. This aquatic plant forms dense patches at the river surface that drift due to winds and currents. Recent work suggests that water hyacinths play a crucial role in influencing plastic transport, by efficiently trapping the majority of surface plastic within their patches. However, a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between water hyacinths and plastics is still lacking. We hypothesize that the properties relevant to plastic transport change due to their trapping in water hyacinth patches. In particular, the length scale, defined as the characteristic size of the transported material, is a key property in understanding how materials move within rivers. Here, we show that water hyacinth patches trap on average 54%–77% of all observed surface plastics at the measurement site (Saigon river, Vietnam). Both temporally and spatially, we found that plastic and water hyacinth presence co-occur. The formation of plastic-plant aggregates carries significant implications for both clean-up and monitoring purposes, as these aggregates can be detected from space and need to be jointly removed. In addition, the length scale of trapped plastics (4.0 m) was found to be forty times larger than that of open water plastics (0.1 m). The implications of this increased length scale for plastic transport dynamics are yet to be fully understood, calling for further investigation into travel distances and trajectories. The effects of plastic trapping likely extend to other key properties of plastic-plant aggregates, such as effective buoyancy and mass. Given the prevalence of plant invasion and plastic pollution in rivers worldwide, this research offers valuable insights into the complex environmental challenges faced by numerous rivers.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Cyanopeptides occurrence and diversity in a Brazilian tropical reservoir : Exploring relationships with water quality Полный текст
2024
Arruda, Renan Silva | Jacinavicius, Fernanda Rios | Pessoa Noyma, Natália | Drummond, Erick | Barreto, Davi Almeida | da Silva, Lúcia Helena Sampaio | Huszar, Vera Lucia | Pinto, Ernani | Lürling, Miquel | Marinho, Marcelo Manzi
Microcystins (MCs) are a class of toxic secondary metabolites produced by some cyanobacteria strains that endanger aquatic and terrestrial organisms in various freshwater systems. Although patterns in MC occurrence are being recognized, divergences in the global data still hamper our ability to predict the toxicity of cyanobacterial blooms. This study aimed (i) to determine the dynamics of MCs and other cyanopeptides in a tropical reservoir, (ii) to investigate the correlation between peptides and potential cyanotoxin producers (iii) identifying the possible abiotic factors that influence the peptides. We analyzed, monthly, eight MC variants (MC-RR, -LA, -LF, -LR, -LW, -YR, [D-Asp3]-RR and [D-Asp3]-LR) and other peptides in 47 water samples collected monthly, all season long, from two sampling sites in a tropical eutrophic freshwater reservoir, in southeastern Brazil. The cyanopeptides were assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The biomass of potential cyanobacterial producers and water quality variables were measured. MCs were detected in both sampling sites year-round; the total MC concentration varied from 0.21 to 4.04 μg L−1, and three MC variants were identified and quantified (MC-RR, [D-Asp3]-RR, -LR). Additionally, we identified 28 compounds belonging to three other cyanopeptide classes: aeruginosin, microginin, and cyanopeptolin. As potential MC producers, Microcystis spp. and Dolichospermum circinalis were dominant during the study, representing up to 75% of the total phytoplankton. Correlational and redundancy analysis suggested positive effects of dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and total phosphorus on MC and microginins concentration, while water temperature appeared to favor aeruginosins. A comparison between our results and historical data showed a reduction in total phosphorus and cyanobacteria, suggesting increased water quality in the reservoir. However, the current MC concentrations indicate a rise in cyanobacterial toxicity over the last eight years. Moreover, our study underscores the pressing need to explore cyanopeptides other than MCs in tropical aquatic systems.
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