A study on the determination of the natural park’s sustainable tourism potential

The surface site of Yesilyuva Nature Park encompasses natural, social, economic, and cultural characteristics and has become a marker of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. To support the preservation of this site, promotional activities should be planned. In this study, because of tourism and related opinions of residents and visitors alike in terms of their natural determination, an important cultural and historical feature is aimed at evaluating the tourism potential of Yesilyuva Nature Park. This framework is designed to establish prospective tourism sustainability. As a result, Yesilyuva Nature Park’s natural and cultural properties have been determined to be suitable for sustainable tourism activities using geographic information systems (GIS). This protection in the field, which balances sustainability and landscape design, will provide for the development of tourism activities. In the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and survey, residents and visitors reported that the most important feature of the Yesilyuva Nature Park was its natural beauty. Visitors often come to observe traditional and natural life and to engage in tourism activities. All the data, which includes maps derived from GIS, represents landscape planning for sustainable tourism areas in Yesilyuva Nature Park.     

Determination of Au(III) and Pd(II) ions by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in some environmental samples after solid phase extraction

A simple and sensitive solid phase extraction method was developed for simultaneous separation and preconcentration of gold and palladium ions with N-(4-methylphenyl)-2-{[(4-phenyl-5-pyridine-4-yl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio]acetyl}hydrazine carbo thioamide complex on Amberlite XAD-1180 resin before their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Some analytical parameters such as HNO₃ concentration of the sample solution, amount of complexing agent, sample volume, eluent type and volume, effects of foreign ions and adsorption capacity of the resin were investigated for quantitative recovery of gold and palladium ions. The effects of some anions and cations were also examined. Under optimum conditions, the detection limits for gold and palladium ions were found to be 0.29 and 0.19 μg L^?1, respectively. The preconcentration factor for gold and palladium was 250. After being validated by standard addition and analysis of standard reference material, the procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of sea and stream water, anodic slime, gold ore, soil and electronic waste.     

Offshore wind power potential of the Black Sea region in Turkey

Majority of the studies on offshore wind power potential assessment is limited to the examination of the wind speed only. This study examines the offshore wind power potential of the Black Sea coastal region in Turkey based on location selection criteria including territorial waters, military areas, civil aviation, shipping routes, pipelines and underground cables, social, and environmental concerns. Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) is used to do the statistical analysis of wind speed and wind direction data for 20 locations in the Black Sea coastal region. WAsP results are then elaborated based on the location selection criteria for better assessment of offshore wind power utilization. The study reveals that there are limited numbers of locations for offshore wind power generation in the Black Sea region in spite of its long coastline. Moreover, there is a high need for a zoning change for Amasra shores in order to utilize high offshore wind power potential of Amasra. Our finding suggests that location selection criteria other than wind speed should definitely be considered for better assessment of the wind power potential of a region.     

Potential utilization of burned wood in manufacture of medium density fiberboard

The potential utilization of burned wood in the manufacture of medium density fiberboard (MDF) was investigated. For this aim, the MDF panels were made of various mixtures of burned pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.), unburned beech (Fagus orientalis L.) and oak (Ouercus robur L.) woods under commercial conditions in an MDF company. The mixture ratio of the unburned beech and oak woods to the burned pine wood were 50/50 wt%. The mixing ratios of burned wood chips with unburned wood chips were 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0, %, respectively. A commercial urea–formaldehyde resin was used as a binder. The physical properties measured in the investigation included density and thickness swelling, while the mechanical properties examined were bending strength, modulus elasticity, internal bond, screw holding ability perpendicular to the plane of panel, and janka hardness perpendicular to the plane of the panel. Surface roughness and color of the panels were also measured. The results indicated that all the panels met the mechanical properties of general-purpose MDF requirements of EN 622-5. The surface roughness of the MDF panels containing burned wood decreased with increasing burned wood content but remained higher than the control panels. The dimensional stability of the MDF panels decreased with the incorporation of burned wood fibers as compared with the control MDF panels.     

Risk Assessment of 26 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Compounds in Parkıng Garages

The aim of this study was to determine the level of 26 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at parking garages and to provide the necessary annual information based on occupational inhalation exposure and non-occupational inhalation exposure, which carry risks for the environment. For this purpose, 22 samples were collected continuously from both gas and particulates phase PAHs from two parking garages at Konya City Center, Turkey. The exposure-based risk of these samples was evaluated using concentrations of the carcinogenic PAH compounds. None of the 26 PAHs measured had values exceeding the recommended exposure limits (RELs) standard values for inhalation rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Exposure levels of gas and particulate PAHs for the occupational group and the public (children and adults who spend time in shopping centers) were found to be 0.07–28.24 μgm^?3 and 0.05–5.753 μgm^?3, respectively, representing levels two to four times higher than those at the control site. Maximum daily inhalation of B[a]Py was estimated at 1.33 ngd^?1 for exposure of the public and as 274 ngd^?1 for the occupational group. It is believed that traffic makes a substantial contribution to the PAH profile, which had relatively high concentrations of naphthalene (Napth) and coronene (Coro). Highly carcinogenic dibenzo(a,l)pyrene (B[al]Pyre) was found in the ambient air at two parking garages. Napth and phenanthrene (Phen) were the main compounds found in nearly all the tested samples. In this study, benzo[e]pyrene (B[e]Py) was used as a reference for PAHs because its concentration is stable and does not change seasonally. Considering the importance of these compounds in relation to human health, the aim of this work was to characterize and quantify the more toxic PAHs in parking garages. Conducting PAH sampling and their chemical analysis is very costly and labor intensive. This study produced data that can be a powerful tool for environmental forensics.     

Electro-oxidation of the dye azure B: kinetics,mechanism, and by-products

In this work, the electrochemical degradation of the dye azure B in aqueous solutions was studied by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), electro-Fenton, and anodic oxidation processes, using Pt/carbon-felt and boron-doped diamond (BDD)/carbon-felt cells with H₂O₂ electrogeneration. The higher oxidation power of the electro-Fenton (EF) process using BDD anode was demonstrated. The oxidative degradation of azure B by the electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constants of the oxidation of azure B by ^?OH were measured according to pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The absolute rate constant of azure B hydroxylation reaction was determined by competition kinetics method and found to be 1.19?×?10⁹ M^?1 s^?1. It was found that the electrochemical degradation of the dye leads to the formation of aromatic by-products which are then oxidized to aliphatic carboxylic acids before their almost mineralization to CO₂ and inorganic ions (sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium). The evolution of the TOC removal and time course of short-chain carboxylic acids during treatment were also investigated.     

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes: today and tomorrow. A review

In recent years, new advanced oxidation processes based on the electrochemical technology, the so-called electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), have been developed for the prevention and remediation of environmental pollution, especially focusing on water streams. These methods are based on the electrochemical generation of a very powerful oxidizing agent, such as the hydroxyl radical (^?OH) in solution, which is then able to destroy organics up to their mineralization. EAOPs include heterogeneous processes like anodic oxidation and photoelectrocatalysis methods, in which ^?OH are generated at the anode surface either electrochemically or photochemically, and homogeneous processes like electro-Fenton, photoelectro-Fenton, and sonoelectrolysis, in which ^?OH are produced in the bulk solution. This paper presents a general overview of the application of EAOPs on the removal of aqueous organic pollutants, first reviewing the most recent works and then looking to the future. A global perspective on the fundamentals and experimental setups is offered, and laboratory-scale and pilot-scale experiments are examined and discussed.     

Assessment of imidacloprid toxicity on reproductive organ system of adult male rats

In the current study it was aimed to investigate the toxicity of low doses of imidacloprid (IMI) on the reproductive organ systems of adult male rats. The treatment groups received 0.5 (IMI-0.5), 2 (IMI-2) or 8 mg IMI/kg body weight by oral gavage (IMI-8) for three months. The deterioration in sperm motility in IMI-8 group and epidydimal sperm concentration in IMI-2 and IMI-8 groups and abnormality in sperm morphology in IMI-8 were significant. The levels of testosterone (T) and GSH decreased significantly in group IMI-8 compared to the control group. Upon treatment with IMI, apoptotic index increased significantly only in germ cells of the seminiferous tubules of IMI-8 group when compared to control. Fragmentation was striking in the seminal DNA from the IMI-8 group, but it was much less obvious in the IMI-2 one. IMI exposure resulted in elevation of all fatty acids analyzed, but the increases were significant only in stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The ratios of 20:4/20:3 and 20:4/18:2 were decreased and 16:1n-9/16:0 ratio was increased. In conclusion, the present animal experiments revealed that the treatment with IMI at NOAEL dose-levels caused deterioration in sperm parameters, decreased T level, increased apoptosis of germ cells, seminal DNA fragmentation, the depletion of antioxidants and change in disturbance of fatty acid composition. All these changes indicate the suppression of testicular function.     

Integrated Assessment Modeling of Atmospheric Pollutants in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Part I: Hourly and Seasonal Ozone

Abstract

Recently, a comprehensive air quality modeling system was developed as part of the Southern Appalachians Mountains Initiative (SAMI) with the ability to simulate meteorology, emissions, ozone, size- and composition-resolved particulate matter, and pollutant deposition fluxes. As part of SAMI, the RAMS/EMS-95/URM-1ATM modeling system was used to evaluate potential emission control strategies to reduce atmospheric pollutant levels at Class I areas located in the Southern Appalachians Mountains. This article discusses the details of the ozone model performance and the methodology that was used to scale discrete episodic pollutant levels to seasonal and annual averages. The daily mean normalized bias and error for 1-hr and 8-hr ozone were within U.S. Environment Protection Agency guidance criteria for urban-scale modeling. The model typically showed a systematic overestimation for low ozone levels and an underestimation for high levels. Because SAMI was primarily interested in simulating the growing season ozone levels in Class I areas, daily and seasonal cumulative ozone exposure, as characterized by the W126 index, were also evaluated. The daily ozone W126 performance was not as good as the hourly ozone performance; however, the seasonal ozone W126 scaled up from daily values was within 17% of the observations at two typical Class I areas of the SAMI region. The overall ozone performance of the model was deemed acceptable for the purposes of SAMI’s assessment.     

Kinetic behavior of anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen in aqueous medium during its degradation by electrochemical advanced oxidation

The electrochemical abatement of the drug ibuprofen (2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid) from aqueous solution has been carried out by anodic oxidation. The electrolyses have been performed at constant current using a small, undivided cell equipped with a Pt or thin-film boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and a carbon-felt cathode. The results have shown that ibuprofen has been destroyed under all the conditions tested, following pseudo-first-order kinetics; however, BDD enables higher removal rates than Pt, because the former produces greater quantity of ^?OH. Using BDD anode, the pseudo-first-order rate constant increased with applied current and when NaCl replaced Na₂SO₄ as supporting electrolyte, while it is almost unaffected by ibuprofen concentration. Mineralization of ibuprofen aqueous solutions was followed by total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. After 8 h of electrolysis, TOC removal varied from 91 % to 96 % applying a current in the range of 50–500 mA. The reaction by-products were quantified by chromatographic techniques, and in particular, aliphatic acids (oxalic, glyoxylic, formic, acetic, and pyruvic) have been the main intermediates formed during the electrolyses. The absolute rate constant for the oxidative degradation of ibuprofen have also been determined, by competition kinetic method, as 6.41?×?10⁹ M^?1?s^?1.