Detection and object-based classification of offshore oil slicks using ENVISAT-ASAR images

The aim of this study is to propose and test a multi-level methodology for detection of oil slicks in ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) imagery, which can be used to support the identification of hydrocarbon seeps. We selected Andrusov Ridge in the Central Black Sea as the test study area where extensive hydrocarbon seepages were known to occur continuously. Hydrocarbon seepage from tectonic or stratigraphic origin at the sea floor causes oily gas plumes to rise up to the sea surface and form thin oil films called oil slicks. Microwave sensors like synthetic aperture radar (SAR) are very suitable for ocean remote sensing as they measure the backscattered radiation from the surface and show the roughness of the terrain. Oil slicks dampen the sea waves creating dark patches in the SAR image. The proposed and applied methodology includes three levels: visual interpretation, image filtering and object-based oil spill detection. Level I, after data preparation with visual interpretation, includes dark spots identification and subsets/scenes creation. After this process, the procedure continues with categorization of subsets/scenes into three cases based on contrast difference of dark spots to the surroundings. In level II, by image and morphological filtering, it includes preparation of subsets/scenes for segmentation. Level III includes segmentation and feature extraction which is followed by object-based classification. The object-based classification is applied with the fuzzy membership functions defined by extracted features of ASAR subsets/scenes, where the parameters of the detection algorithms are tuned specifically for each case group. As a result, oil slicks are discriminated from look-alikes with an overall classification accuracy of 83% for oil slicks and 77% for look-alikes obtained by averaging three different cases.     

Morin protects against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in rats: an investigation into different signal pathways

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The presented study investigates the effects of morin against toxicity induced by acrylamide (ACR) in the brains of Sprague Dawley rats. In this...     

Where is the gray side of green growth? Theoretical insights,policy directions,and evidence from a multidimensional approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Addressing the geographical relocation of the pollution-intensive gray side of low-carbon green production, our study analyzes potential determinants...     

Effects of the lichen Peltigera canina on Cucurbita pepo spp. pepo grown in soil contaminated by DDTs

Lichens consisting of a symbiotic association of green algae or cyanobacteria and fungi are found in a variety of environmental conditions worldwide. Terricolous lichens, located in soils, affect the living and lifeless environment of the soil due to their effective secondary metabolite and enzymatic content. Terricolous lichens can increase the biological, chemical, and physical usefulness of soil. However, their effects in ensuring the bioavailability of contaminated soil are not known, especially on soil pollution caused by DDTs (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDT). This research focuses on the effect of terricolous lichens on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo spp. pepo) grown in soil contaminated by DDTs, utilizing their secondary metabolite and enzymatic contents. Firstly, Peltigera canina, a terricolous lichen species, was added to soil contaminated by DDTs as powdered and intact thallus. After lichen addition to soil, zucchini was planted in. The oxidative stress and antioxidative enzyme activities of zucchini were measured. According to the results, P. canina treatments have a positive effect on the growth and development of zucchini, although oxidative stress was observed. Also, it was determined that powdered application had more effective results than intact thallus application.

     

Insights into the Viscoelastic Peculiarities of Cyanobacterial Extracellular Polymeric Substance (EPS)

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) can be defined as renewable, high molecular weight polymeric materials produced by bacteria and microorganisms....     

Adsorption of Malachite Green from Aqueous Solution Using Hydroxyethyl Starch Hydrogel Improved by Graphene Oxide

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - This study is the first report of the preparation of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) hydrogels rapidly crosslinked with divinyl sulfone in a single step and...     

Inverse effects of Polyacrylamide (PAM) usage in furrow irrigation on advance time and deep percolation

The positive effects of Polyacrylamide (PAM), which is used as a soil conditioner in furrow irrigation, on sediment transport, erosion, and infiltration have been investigated intensively in recent years. However, the effects of PAM have not been considered enough in irrigation system planning and design. As a result of increased infiltration because of PAM, advance time may be inversely affected and deep percolation increases. However, advance time in furrow irrigation is a crucial parameter in order to get high application efficiency. In this study, inverse effects of PAM were discussed, and as an alternative solution, the applicability of surge flow was investigated. PAM application significantly increased the advance time at the rates of 41.3-56.3% in the first irrigation. The application of surge flow with PAM removed this negative effect on advance time, where there was no statistically significant difference according to normal continuous flow (without PAM). PAM applications significantly increased the deep percolation, 80.3-117.1%. Surge flow with PAM had significantly positive effect on the deep percolation compared to continuous flow with PAM but not compared to normal continuous flow. These results suggested that irrigation planning should me made based on the new soil and flow conditions because of PAM usage, and surge flow can be a solution to these problems.     

The nexus between remittances,natural resources,technological innovation,economic growth,and environmental sustainability in Pakistan

Globally, the issues about sustainable development are on the increase. Moreover, these issues are rising every day in Pakistan, as remittances are increasing, technology innovation is ambiguous, natural resources are degraded, and economic expansion might pose serious challenges to the environment. Thus, this research looks at how remittances, natural resources, technological innovation, and economic growth affect carbon dioxide (CO₂₎ emissions in Pakistan by controlling energy consumption and urbanization from 1990 to 2019. The Bayer and Hanck test of combined cointegration discloses a cointegration between remittances, natural resources, technological innovations, economic growth, and CO₂ emissions. Moreover, the autoregressive distributive lag model (ARDL) proposes a significant positive association between remittances and CO₂ emissions in the long run, indicating that the increase in remittances distresses the environmental performance of Pakistan. Our study confirms that natural resources decrease CO₂ emissions while technological advancement, economic progress, energy use, and urbanization increase CO₂ emissions. In addition, the results of robustness checks by employing fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares are parallel to the conclusions of ARDL estimations. Furthermore, the frequency causality test results show that remittances, natural resources, technological innovation, economic growth, energy use, and urbanization cause CO₂ emissions at different frequencies. Therefore, to achieve the sustainable development goals, appropriate policy repercussions can be developed toward advanced and environmentally sustainable sources of energy.

     

Predictive modelling and seasonal analysis of water quality indicators: three different basins of Şanlıurfa,Turkey

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The objective of this paper is twofold. First; we demonstrate the application of data mining techniques to predict quality indicators (TDS, Hardness,...     

The effect of micro-SiO2 and micro-Al2O3 additive on the strength properties of ceramic powder-based geopolymer pastes

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this study, the effect of micro-SiO2 (S) and micro-Al2O3 (A) additives on the strength of geopolymer pastes was investigated. Micro...