The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by altering the type of blowers in the wastewater treatment system of Abuzar hospital in Ahvaz during the first and second quarters (6 months). In every month, inlet raw wastewater, aeration tank one, and effluent were sampled in one week (Saturday-Friday), which resulted in harvesting a total of 42 samples. Then, they were assessed based on the techniques provided in the book entitled "standard methods for evaluating water and wastewater", and data were evaluated through employing statistical analyses. The average removal efficiency of total and organic phosphorus, phosphate, and ammonia in the effluent was respectively determined 46.47, 34.45, 18.14, and 68.49 before starting up a new aeration system, which reached 69.36, 76.21, 65.09, and 96.53 during the second period, respectively. In addition, the average concentration of nitrate varied from 21.79 to 44.11 mg/l, while that of nitrite changed from 0.04 to 0.03 mg/l. Further, an increase (39.19 to 67.19%) was observed in the average nitrogen removal efficiency in effluent. Based on the results, EAAS process was efficient in eliminating nitrogen and phosphorus by using the helicoidal pumps of aeration blowers and regulating aeration rate. Thus, aeration plays an effective role in activated sludge systems despite the microorganism diversity in aeration tank sludge. The produced effluent was consistent with Iran national standards in terms of the parameters under study, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, and can be discharged into the environment.

The purpose of this study is to achieve the effective components and criteria in the design of green residential settlements with an environmental protection approach in Mashhad. The research method is applied and in terms of implementation is descriptive-analytical. Using the TM sensor and LANDSAT satellite, satellite images of the study area were prepared and modeled by superimposing data related to energy consumption through GIS tools and Arcview software to final synthesis and mapping. Then, using the opinions of experts to extract and prioritize the appropriate components and criteria from each of the mentioned systems. Data were analyzed by structural equation method with least squares approach and Smart - PLS2 software was used for final analysis. Then, after explaining the components and criteria, according to the available data, the optimal limit (10% -20%) for 10 components was proposed as a scenario. Then modeling was done through Design Builder software. The results showed that a total of 4 categories of macro variables have been identified as the main components affecting energy consumption, which are: "management", "environmental performance", "economic performance" and "social performance" variables, all of which have divergent validity. Also, 11 topics and 61 criteria were extracted and explained as components for assessing the sustainability of residential buildings. Finally, it was found that with the implementation of energy optimization strategies, the heating system will be reduced by 36%, the cooling system energy by 41% and the total cooling and heating energy by 38% compared to the base state.

The most important objectives of the present study include finding a legal solution to prevent the spread of coronavirus, compensation for damages caused by the negligence of human factors, determining the basis for this responsibility, and the rate of compensation for these damages. The present study, through library and field studies, made it possible to compensate for the damage caused by the spread of coronavirus infections. Pollution caused by a human is one of the most important environmental law challenges. Neglect of the human factor has caused losses due to the spread of this disease. In the present study by preparing a researcher-made questionnaire, the opinion of lawyers specializing in the field of civil responsibility was also inquired. The results of the research show that by resorting to the "risk theory" and the "fault assumption" basis, the rights of the victims of the Coronavirus can be better secured. At present, legal systems are not sufficiently determined to compensate the victims of the Coronavirus. While environmental jurists believe that strict rules and regulations should be applied to combat the spread of coronavirus infection and to impose compensation for damages caused by negligence in observing health standards on its human factors. In Iran, several juridical and legal rules are a good basis for preventing the spread of coronavirus and human infections.

Sound pollution is known as one of the main disturbances in urban environments. The purpose of this study is to measure the sound level during sports competitions in the vicinity of settlements. For this purpose, Azadi Sports Complex was selected as the largest sports space in the IRAN and the measurements were performed cross-sectional and in two different times, which included days without sports competition and after the end of the sports competition. Measurements were used 5 times by KIMO-DB100. All measurements were made to determine the sound pressure level in network A. The mean data (Leq) was the basis for drawing the maps. To do this, the pattern of changes was entered into the Arc map software and based on the Inverse Distance Weighting method. The results showed that the minimum sound level on the day without exercise was 50 dB and the maximum sound level measured at this time was 80 dB. On the day of the race, the minimum and maximum sound levels were 55 dB and 95 dB, respectively. On a non-racing day, large sections of the study range have sound levels of 50-65 dB, indicating relative calm and compliance with outdoor sound standards. However, on the day of the match and after the spectators left the stadium, none of the sound level stations showed less than 75 dB. This situation continues for about 3 hours after the end of the game and until the study area of spectators and their cars is completely emptied.

Industrial dust has a significant effect on the environment of mines, which leads to an increase in illness among workers. To decrease the impact of dust on the climate, a wet spraying system is useful for controlling dust in mining companies. In this paper, by using the wet (water) spraying system, dust control in the area of the crusher and pellet plant (discharge tower) has been investigated by Goharzamin Iron Ore company. Goharzamin Iron Ore company has an essential role producing of steel in Iran. There are a 15 million tons gyratory crusher, three iron concentrate plants with an annual capacity of 6 million tons, and a pelletizing plant with annual capacity of 5 million tons. The dust was controlled in the gyratory crusher area of Goharzamin Iron Ore company by using a wetting spraying system. Results showed that the rates of PM10 for the east, west, north and south sides of the gyratory crusher and also the center of this system are equal 851.2, 647.5, 643.9 and 781.2, and 1116.3 μg/m3, respectively. Foremore, after turning on the wet spraying system in this area, these values are reduced to 128.3, 112.8, 115.9, 123.7, and 189.9 μg/m3, respectively. The results showed that the water spray system in the gyratory crusher area reduced the PM2.5 (Particulate matter) and PM10 particles by 67% and 80%, respectively.

The present study was conducted to identify and prioritize origami components affecting facades of high-rise buildings to explain the role of origami algorithm in improving urban landscape quality and reducing visual pollution. The research had an exploratory nature, and used the method of descriptive-survey data analysis. The research design was carried out in three steps, documentary analysis, Delphi survey and semiotic analysis. A panel of experts (n = 15) was considered as specialists in urban planning, architecture and urban design. Data were analyzed by statistical tests, SPSS-22 software and MAXQDA 2020 software. A hypothetical model of high-rise building made in RHINO software using Grasshopper plugin was applied for simulation. The results of the questionnaires revealed the effects of 18 components on the facade of high-rise buildings and also 12 components on the improvement of urban landscape quality. The findings indicated a correlation between overall dimensions of origami algorithm and urban landscape quality, and showed that the components of ârepetitionâ, âdetailsâ, âgeometryâ and ârhythmâ were most related to the origami algorithm, thereby highlighting the strong impact of the origami algorithm on improving urban landscape quality. According to the simulation results, among the components affecting urban landscape quality, âView compositionâ had the largest contribution with the correlation coefficient of 130, followed by âColorâ and âBalance and symmetryâ with the coefficients of 120. The end of this classification included the component âposition of openingsâ with the coefficient of 2.

Microplastics (MPs) in soil undergo different aging processes such as photoaging, mechanical abrasion and biodegradation, leading to alterations in the surface properties of MPs. In this study, we investigated the adsorption-desorption of chlorpyrifos (CPF) on pristine and UV light-aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable (Bio) MPs that were derived from plastic mulch films. We also tested the bioconcentration of pristine and aged MPs (LDPE- and Bio-MPs aged under UV light and LDPE-MPs aged in three different soils) associated with CPF by earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris). The results showed that UV-aged MPs showed higher CPF adsorption capacities than pristine MPs, with the adsorption capacities at 184.9 ± 5.3, 200.5 ± 1.8, 193.0 ± 8.7, and 215.9 ± 1.1 μg g−1 for pristine LDPE-, UV-aged LDPE-, pristine Bio- and UV-aged Bio-MPs, respectively. The desorption rate of CPF from UV-aged LDPE-MPs within 48 h was lower than the desorption from pristine ones (28.8 ± 7.7% vs. 40.0 ± 3.9%), while both pristine and UV-aged Bio-MPs showed very low CPF desorption rates. A 4-day Petri dish experiment showed that UV-aged MPs were significantly less concentrated in earthworm casts than pristine counterparts (52% and 36% lower for UV-aged LDPE- and Bio-MPs), while UV-aged MPs with adsorbed CPF were concentrated significantly more than UV-aged MPs without CPF. Interestingly, LDPE-MPs aged in soil with a high carbon, nitrogen, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio were significantly more concentrated in earthworm casts than pristine LDPE-MPs. In conclusion, UV-aged MPs acted as stronger vectors for CPF than pristine MPs. The bioconcentration of MPs differed significantly due to microplastic aging, as well as the combined effect with CPF. Moreover, LDPE-MPs aged in soil with enriched carbon and nitrogen were significantly concentrated in earthworm casts. Further studies on the environmental behaviours of aged MPs associated with other pollutants in soil, especially soils high in carbon and nitrogen, are needed.

Adsorption and transport of levofloxacin (LEV) and ofloxacin (OFL) enantiomers in a matrix containing goethite and natural organic matter (NOM) were investigated using batch and column experiments. In batch studies, competition and enantioselectivity were observed in the adsorption of LEV and OFL. Enantioselectivity upon adsorption was investigated by comparing changes in the enantiomer fraction (EF) (the ratio of LEV to the sum of LEV and OFL remaining in the solution) after and before adsorption. At pH < 7, there was hardly any selectivity in adsorption of OFL and LEV to goethite. At pH > 7, OFL showed a stronger adsorption than LEV to goethite, and this preference remained when NOM samples of Leonardite humic acid (LHA) and Elliott Soil fulvic acid (ESFA) were added. However, when Suwannee River NOM (SRNOM) was added, the preference was reversed, and LEV was adsorbed more strongly. In single systems, the presence of different types of NOM increased adsorption of LEV and OFL, especially LEV. In column studies, preloaded NOM decreased the transport of LEV and OFL through goethite-coated sand. The EF values in the effluent increased with retention time and reached the largest values (0.59–0.72) at around 1.5 pore volume (PV), and then decreased again, reaching a stable value at 5.0–30.0 PV. Both batch and column experiments showed that, fractionation of LEV and OFL occurred during adsorption and transport in the presence of NOM-goethite complexes, which would eventually affect their environmental fate

Although microplastic pollution jeopardizes both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the movement of plastic particles through terrestrial environments is still poorly understood. Agricultural soils exposed to different managements are important sites of storage and dispersal of microplastics. This study aimed to identify the abundance, distribution, and type of microplastics present in agricultural soils, water, airborne dust, and ditch sediments. Soil health was also assessed using soil macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. Sixteen fields were evaluated, 6 of which had been exposed to more than 5 years of compost application, 5 were exposed to at least 5 years of plastic mulch use, and 5 were not exposed to any specific management (controls) within the last 5 years. We also evaluated the spread of microplastics from the farms into nearby water bodies and airborne dust. We found 11 types of microplastics in soil, among which Light Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Light Density Polyethylene covered with pro-oxidant additives (PAC) were the most abundant. The highest concentrations of plastics were found in soils exposed to plastic mulch management (128.7 ± 320 MPs.g-1 soil and 224.84 ± 488 MPs.g-1 soil, respectively) and the particles measured from 50 to 150 μm. Nine types of microplastics were found in water, with the highest concentrations observed in systems exposed to compost. Farms applying compost had higher LDPE and PAC concentrations in ditch sediments as compared to control and mulch systems; a significant correlation between soil polypropylene (PP) microplastics with ditch sediment microplastics (r2 0.7 p 0.05) was found. LDPE, PAC, PE (Polyethylene), and PP were the most abundant microplastics in airborne dust. Soil invertebrates were scarce in the systems using plastic mulch. A cocktail of microplastics was found in all assessed matrices.

The Laurentian Great Lakes represent important and iconic ecosystems. Microplastic pollution has become a major problem among other anthropogenic stressors in these lakes. There is a need for policy development, however, assessing the risks of microplastics is complicated due to the uncertainty and poor quality of the data and incompatibility of exposure and effect data for microplastics with different properties. Here we provide a prospective probabilistic risk assessment for Great Lakes sediments and surface waters that corrects for the misalignment between exposure and effect data, accounts for variability due to sample volume when using trawl samples, for the random spatiotemporal variability of exposure data, for uncertainty in data quality (QA/QC), in the slope of the power law used to rescale the data, and in the HC5 threshold effect concentration obtained from Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs). We rank the lakes in order of the increasing likelihood of risks from microplastics, for pelagic and benthic exposures. A lake-wide risk, i.e. where each location exceeds the risk limit, is not found for any of the lakes. However, the probability of a risk from food dilution occurring in parts of the lakes is 13–15% of the benthic exposures in Lakes Erie and Huron, and 8.3–10.3% of the pelagic exposures in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Erie, and 24% of the pelagic exposures in Lake Ontario. To reduce the identified uncertainties, we recommend that future research focuses on characterizing and quantifying environmentally relevant microplastic (ERMP) over a wider size range (ideally 1–5000 μm) so that probability density functions (PDFs) can be better calibrated for different habitats. Toxicity effect testing should use a similarly wide range of sizes and other ERMP characteristics so that complex data alignments can be minimized and assumptions regarding ecologically relevant dose metrics (ERMs) can be validated.