The strain gradient approach to predict necking in tube hydroforming

A stress-based forming limit diagram for necking prediction which is based on the strain gradient theory of plasticity in conjunction with the M–K model has been represented and used in tube hydroforming. In this study, the finite element model for bulge forming of straight tube has been constructed and verified with published experimental data. The adaptive simulation technique is based on the ability to detect the onset and growth of defects (e.g., wrinkling, and bursting) and to promptly readjust the loading paths. Thus, a suitable load path has been obtained by applying Adaptive Simulation Method in ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL).     

Assessment of the current municipal solid waste management system in Tehran,Iran: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - With over 9 million population, challenges of waste management system (WMS) of Tehran can offer some lessons to other middle-income cities. Despite...     

Application of pier waste sludge for catalytic activation of proxy-monosulfate and phenol elimination from a petrochemical wastewater

This investigation aimed to remove phenol from real wastewater (taken from a petrochemical company) by activating peroxy-monosulfate (PMS) using catalysts extracted from pier waste sludge. The physical and chemical properties of the catalyst were evaluated by FE-SEM/EDS, XRD, FTIR, and TGA/DTG tests. The functional groups of O–H, C–H, CO₃^2?, C–H, C–O, N–H, and C–N were identified on the catalyst surface. Also, the crystallinity of the catalyst before and after reaction with petrochemical wastewater was 103.4 nm and 55.8 nm, respectively. Operational parameters of pH (3–9), catalyst dose (0–100 mg/L), phenol concentration (50–250 mg/L), and PMS concentration (0–250 mg/L) were tested to remove phenol. The highest phenol removal rate (94%) was obtained at pH=3, catalyst dose of 80 mg/L, phenol concentration of 50 mg/L, PMS concentration of 150 mg/L, and contact time of 150 min. Phenol decomposition in petrochemical wastewater followed the first-order kinetics (k> 0.008 min^?1, R²> 0.94). Changes in pH factor were very effective on phenol removal efficiency, and maximum efficiency (≈83%) was achieved in pH 3. The catalyst stability test was performed for up to five cycles, and phenol removal in the fifth cycle was reduced to 42%. Also, the energy consumption in this study was 77.69 kW h/m³. According to the results, the pier waste sludge catalyst/PMS system is a critical process for eliminating phenol from petrochemical wastewater.

     

A systematic review and meta-analysis of lead and cadmium concentrations in cow milk in Iran and human health risk assessment

The aim of the current research was to systematically review and summarize the studies that evaluated the concentration of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in cow milk in different regions of Iran and to perform a meta-analysis of the findings. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of Pb and Cd through milk consumption in adult and child consumers were assessed. As a result of a systematic search in the international and national databases between January 2008 and October 2018, 17 reports involving 1874 samples were incorporated in our study for meta-analysis. The pooled concentrations of Pb and Cd were estimated to be 13.95 μg mL−1 (95% CI 9.72–18.11 μg mL−1) and 3.55 μg mL−1 (95% CI − 2.38–9.48 μg mL−1), respectively, which were lower than the WHO/FAO and national standard limits. The estimated weekly intake (EWI) of Pb and Cd through consuming milk was 16.65 and 7 μg day−1 for adults of 70 kg and 45 and 34 μg day−1 for children of 26 kg, respectively, which was well below the risk values set by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The maximum target hazard quotient values (THQs) of Pb and Cd were 5.55E−5 and 5.55E−5 for adults and 5.55E−5 and 5.55E−5 for children, respectively, which were lower than 1 value, suggesting that Iranian consumers are not exposed to non-carcinogenic risk through consuming milk. Moreover, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of Pb estimated to be 2.96E−04 in adults and 1.0E−03 in children, indicating that consumers in Iran are at threshold carcinogenic risk of Pb through consuming milk (ILCR > 10−4). Therefore, planning and policy making for the sustainable reduction of these toxic metals in milk, particularly in industrial regions of Iran, are crucial.     

Review of environmental aspects and waste management of stone cutting and fabrication industries

Iran is the second largest stockholder of construction stones with 10 % of world production ;and there are more than 4000 stone cutting and fabrication industries (SCFIs). In the processing of raw stones, a considerable part of stone is turned into waste. Generated wastes include excess parts of different stones and sludge. The present paper reviews the state of SCFIs waste management using multiple data sources including site, analysis of effluent and sludge samples, and conducting interviews with people who are involved in 286 SCFIs in Qom and Tabriz. The results revealed that currently almost 35 to 52.5 % of raw stones were converted to solid wastes depending on stone cutting and processing methods, type of stones and their quality, which seemed a high percentage. Also, the effluents between 0.8 and 2.8 m³ were generated per ton of processed stone. Based on the analysis of heavy metals with atomic absorption spectroscopy, sludge samples contained a considerable amount of Pb, Cu, Cr, and Cd. It was also found that the lack of specific recycling, reuse and disposal programs and suitable supervision has led to uncontrolled disposal of stone wastes and sludge in different areas. However, there are good opportunities for reuse and recycling of the SCFIs wastes.     

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and total mercury in two fish species (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Esox lucius</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus</Emphasis>) in Anzali Wetland,Iran

The Anzali Wetland is one of the most important ecosystems in the north of Iran, and parts of it were registered as a Ramsar site in 1975. However, even though, due to many problems, including eutrophication produced by inflow of excess nutrients and organic materials, the wetland was also listed on the Montreux Record indicating the need to take urgent remedial action. This study was conducted to study the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total mercury (THg) in two fish species (Esox lucius and Carassius auratus) as bio-indicators of the ecosystem condition in eastern part of Anzali Wetland. The sampling was carried out in six different periods between years 2009 and 2010. The results showed that the amounts of PCBs in the muscle of northern pike were below the detection limit of gas chromatography, whereas the average concentration in goldfish was 0.449 mg/kg wet weight. Some possible reasons for the higher levels of PCBs in goldfish in comparison with pike have been discussed. No significant (p < 0.05) correlation was observed between PCBs and biological factors (weight, length, lipid content) for both species. On the other hand, the mean concentration of THg in the muscle of pike and goldfish were 182.22 and 75.27 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Although these concentrations were below US-EPA criterion for human consumption (0.3 mg/kg), it pointed up a significant deterioration of the ecosystem condition during the past years. Finally, statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between THg with weight and an insignificant correlation with length for pike specimens.     

Evaluation of vehicular emissions reduction strategies using a novel hybrid method integrating BWM,Q methodology and ER approach

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Road transportation is the main source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Iran. Different road transport emissions reduction strategies (RTERS) can...     

Preparation and investigation of poly(methylmethacrylate) nano-capsules containing haloxyfop-R-methyl and their release behavior

Abstract

In this study, the preparation and characterization of haloxyfop-R-methyl herbicide loaded in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) nano-capsules by emulsion polymerization and its release behavior were investigated. The chemical characterizations of PMMA/haloxyfop-R-methyl nano-capsules were confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy method, and the surface morphology was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Also, the herbicide loading and encapsulation efficiency were analyzed for the herbicide-loaded nano-capsules. The release rate of PMMA/haloxyfop-R-methyl nano-capsules was determined by UV-visible spectroscopy. The thermal properties and thermal stability of nano-capsules were explored by the thermal gravimetric analysis method. The diameter of the nano-capsules was in the range of 100–300?nm. Increasing the amount of herbicide in nano-formulations significantly affected the surface of the nano-capsules and reduced their surface smoothness. Triton-X100 was identified as the best surfactant for the preparation of nano-capsules, and the sample containing the lowest herbicide content showed the best performance in terms of encapsulation and loading efficiency. This sample showed a steady-state release rate during the six days.     

A novel approach based on non-parametric resampling with interval analysis for large engineering project risks

The issue of risk assessment has been always the matter of debate in large engineering projects (LEPs). The assessment is an indispensable means for the projects to accomplish their objectives. It is firmly accepted that LEPs are particularly subject to more potential risks than other business activities because of their complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. These characteristics are often conducive to small sample sizes of the gathered risk data in practice. Consequently, traditional statistical techniques cannot contribute significantly to analyze the risk data. The non-parametric resampling technique, namely bootstrap, has been used subsequently to solve numerous complicated problems and evaluate the accuracy of a parameter estimator in situations where commonly used techniques are not valid. It is also more natural, applicable and simple to estimate the risk data in an interval form under decision-making process by considering the concept of safety by professional experts in LEPs. Hence, in this paper, a new approach based on bootstrap technique with the interval analysis is presented in the context of the project risk assessment. The proposed approach not only plays an important role in reducing risk data and saving time but also is more economical. A real case study is conducted to illustrate the applicability of the approach. Finally, the comparison results indicate that the proposed approach outperforms the traditional technique in terms of the accuracy and efficiency.