Assessing the sustainability of supply chains by dynamic network data envelopment analysis: a SCOR-based framework

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The objective of this paper is to assess the sustainability of supply chains by proposing a dynamic network data envelopment analysis (DNDEA) model in...     

Toxic heavy metals and nutrient concentration in the milk of goat herds in two Iranian industrial and non-industrial zones

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work aimed to explore the concentration of nickel, manganese, iron, copper, chromium, and lead in the milk of goat herds in the industrial area...     

Evaluation of Operational National Weather Service Gridded Flash Flood Guidance over the Arkansas Red River Basin

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NWS) flash flood warnings are issued by Weather Forecast Offices and are underpinned by information from the Flash Flood Guidance (FFG) system operated by the River Forecast Centers (RFCs). This study focuses on the quantitative evaluation and limitations of the FFG system using reported flash flood cases in 2010 and 2011. The flash flood reports were obtained from the NWS Storm Event database for the Arkansas‐Red Basin RFC (ABRFC). The current FFG system at the ABRFC provides gridded flash flood guidance (GFFG) system using the NWS Hydrology Laboratory‐Research Distributed Hydrologic Model to translate the upper zone soil moisture to estimates of Soil Conservation Service Curve Numbers. Comparisons of the GFFG and real‐time Multisensor Precipitation Estimator‐derived Quantitative Precipitation Estimate for the same duration and location were used to analyze the success of the system. Typically, the six‐hour duration was characterized by higher probability of detection values than the three‐hour duration, which highlights the difficulty of hydrologic process estimation for shorter time scales. The current system does not take into account physical characteristics such as land use, including irrigated agricultural farm and urban areas, hence, overly dry soil moisture estimates over these areas can lower the success rate of the GFFG product.     

A comprehensive review of heavy metal pollution in the coastal areas of Bangladesh: abundance,bioaccumulation, health implications,and challenges

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The coastal zone of Bangladesh, with a population density of 1278 people per square kilometer, is under serious threat due to heavy metal pollution....     

226Ra concentration in the teeth of habitants of areas with high level of natural radioactivity in Ramsar

The level of natural radiation in some regions of Ramsar, a northern coastal city of Iran, is known to be among the highest levels of natural radiation in the world. 226Ra existing in high concentrations in the soil of this region is washed by underground water and transferred to the surface. In this way, 226Ra enters the food chain of residents and substitutes within the hard body tissues of humans. 226Ra is one of the so-called bone seekers as its metabolic processes in the human body are similar to calcium and remains in hard tissues of body because of its long half-life, and being an alpha emitter causes dangerous effects on human health. The purpose of this study is to determine the concentration of 226Ra in the teeth of residents of these high-level natural radiation areas, compared with a control group. Thirteen teeth in five groups were studied as the case group and thirteen teeth in five corresponding control groups were inspected. The mean values of the activity of 226Ra in the case group and in the control group were 0.32 and 0.18mBqg(-1), respectively.     

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination hazards in nuisance dust particles, in Kurdistan Province, western Iran

The effects of natural andgeochemical factors depending on heavy metal contamination in nuisance dust particles were evaluated. The nuisance dust particles were sampled using passive deposit gauge method for one year from April2010 to March2011 and the obtained samples were measured for the total contents and the contamination levels of Fe, Mn, Cu and As usinggeo-accumulation index (Igeo ), enrichment factor (EF) and the integrated pollution index (IPI). The results showed that, the contamination levels of Fe and Mn based on Igeo values, were uncontaminated (Igeo < 0) (variations of the Igeo index was from -3.11 to -1.751 for Fe, from -0.630 to -1.925 for Mn), while the values of Cu and As were demonstrated to have moderate contamination based on Igeo values (variations of Igeo index was from -1.125 to 0.848 for Cu, and from -2.002 to 1.249 for As). The analysis of EF also revealed minor to moderate enrichment for Mn (1.215-4.214), minor to moderately severe enrichment for Cu (2.791-6.484), and As (1.370-8.462), respectively. The variation of the IPI index also showed low to moderate level of heavy metal pollution in nuisance dust particulates (0.511-1.829). The analysis of the results also approved that the natural processes andgeochemical variables (the changing meteorological parameters) can significantly affect the availability of heavy metals in nuisance dust particles in Western Iran.     

Organochlorine contaminants in the hair of Iranian pregnant women

In the present study, the hair of pregnant women was sampled between November 2007 and January 2008 in Ahvaz and Noushahr cities and the countryside of Noushahr, Iran. They were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α-, β-, and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers and seven polychlorinated (PCBs) congeners (IUPAC Nos. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180). Significant differences between the concentrations of investigated pollutants were found between the locations (p < 0.05). For HCHs, the γ-HCH isomer was measured at higher mean concentrations (6 ng g⁻¹ hair) compared to the β-HCH isomer (0.03 ng g⁻¹), which generally is the most prevalent HCH in biological matrices. Very high mean concentrations of p,p′-DDT in countryside of Noushahr (24 ng g⁻¹) combined with lower values (0.6) of ratio p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT in the hair samples suggest recent exposure to “fresh” DDT in this region. Significant differences in OCPs and PCBs were found between primiparous and multiparous mothers (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between levels of OCPs and PCBs in the hair of Iranian pregnant women and their age. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the organochlorine levels, including HCHs, between mothers who have eaten fish once a week and those who consumed fish more than once per week in Noushahr.     

Investigating green roofs’ CO2 sequestration with cold- and drought-tolerant plants (a short- and long-term carbon footprint view)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In recent years, green roofs have become the subject of increasing interest because of their good aesthetic qualities, energy conservation, and...     

Environmental geochemistry of higher radioactivity in a transboundary Himalayan river sediment (Brahmaputra,Bangladesh): potential radiation exposure and health risks

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study of a downstream segment (Brahmaputra, Bangladesh) of one of the longest transboundary (China-India-Bangladesh) Himalayan rivers reveals...     

Adsorptive removal of ibuprofen to binary and amine-functionalized UiO-66 in the aquatic environment: synergistic/antagonistic evaluation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The removal of ibuprofen (IBP) from the aqueous solution by metal–organic frameworks such as UiO-66, UiO-66-NH2, and a binary MOF...