Elemental composition of particulate matters around Urmia Lake,Iran

Atmospheric particulate matters and their elements were concurrently measured at two sites located in the north and southeast parts of Urmia Lake from January to September 2013. At both sampling sites, average concentrations of total suspended particulate, particles with the aerodynamic diameter of smaller than 10 µm, smaller than 2.5 µm, and smaller than 1 µm were 260 ± 106, 180 ± 73, 30 ± 8, and 25 ± 7 µg m^?3, respectively. The analyzed water soluble ions accounted for approximately 11%–13% mass concentrations of total suspended particulate and 8%–9% of particles smaller than 10 µm, and the sum of the concentrations of the analyzed elements associated with both ranged from 9 to 41 µg m^?3 (6.5%–9.6% in mass) and 7 to 26 µg m^?3 (5.5%–11.3% in mass), respectively. Thus, particulate matter was composed of a complex mixture of minerals such as halite, quartz, gypsum, hexahydrite, and Bassanite.     

Eco-friendly dyeing of wool using natural dye from weld as co-partner with synthetic dye

Since the last decade, the application of natural dyes on textile materials is gaining popularity all over the world, possibly because of increasing awareness of environment, ecology, and pollution control. In this research, extraction of dyes from weld using soxhlet apparatus has been studied. The color components extracted and isolated from weld plant were characterized by Column Chromatography, Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), NMR, mass, IR techniques. The natural dye extract obtained from the weld was used for the dyeing of wool fiber. The results indicated that the exhaustion rate for the extracted dye increases by 49% compared to the raw dye. This, in turn, leads to a considerable decrease in the amount of the extracted dye used to reach the same desired results. Finally, for comparative studies between synthetic and this natural dye, all dyed specimens were tested for wash and light fastness properties, making weld a viable alternative to synthetic acid dyes.     

Monitoring and assessment of seasonal land cover changes using remote sensing: a 30-year (1987–2016) case study of Hamoun Wetland,Iran

The availability of Landsat data allows improving the monitoring and assessment of large-scale areas with land cover changes in rapid developing regions. Thus, we pretend to show a combined methodology to assess land cover changes (LCCs) in the Hamoun Wetland region (Iran) over a period of 30-year (1987–2016) and to quantify seasonal and decadal landscape and land use variabilities. Using the pixel-based change detection (PBCD) and the post-classification comparison (PCC), four land cover classes were compared among spring, summer, and fall seasons. Our findings showed for the water class a higher correlation between spring and summer (R²?=?0.94) than fall and spring (R²?=?0.58) seasons. Before 2000, ~?50% of the total area was covered by bare soil and 40% by water. However, after 2000, more than 70% of wetland was transformed into bare soils. The results of the long-term monitoring period showed that fall season was the most representative time to show the inter-annual variability of LCCs monitoring and the least affected by seasonal-scale climatic variations. In the Hamoun Wetland region, land cover was highly controlled by changes in surface water, which in turn responded to both climatic and anthropogenic impacts. We were able to divide the water budget monitoring into three different ecological regimes: (1) a period of high water level, which sustained healthy extensive plant life, and approximately 40% of the total surface water was retained until the end of the hydrological year; (2) a period of drought during high evaporation rates was observed, and a mean wetland surface of about 85% was characterized by bare land; and (3) a recovery period in which water levels were overall rising, but they are not maintained from year to year. After a spring flood, in 2006 and 2013, grassland reached the highest extensions, covering till more than 20% of the region, and the dynamics of the ecosystem were affected by the differences in moisture. The Hamoun wetland region served as an important example and demonstration of the feedbacks between land cover and land uses, particularly as pertaining to water resources available to a rapidly expanding population.     

Effects of water shortage in Kabul River network on the plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan

Kabul River is a shared resource of Pakistan and Afghanistan and is a major source of economy for both countries. It is used for irrigation, power generation, fishery, hunting, and recreation. This study explored human-induced impact on Kabul River and its associated wetlands. For an in-depth study, the area situated between the two tributaries of Kabul River, i.e., Shalam and Naguman Rivers, was selected. The focus of the study was to find out reduction in the wetland areas, its causes, and associated impacts. For this purpose, a survey was conducted in 10 villages selected randomly in 10 union councils. The study revealed that anthropogenic activities, such as wetland farming, grazing residential encroachment, and industrial development, have caused severe alteration in the wetland of the study areas. The results revealed that before the 1990s, 33.55% area of the study area was wetland. Due to regular decrease in the flow of the Kabul River System and human encroachment, it has engulfed 68.40% of the total wetland leaving behind only 10.60% wetland. This can be termed as a big ecological disturbance. In the long run, this will have negative effects on both the countries. It is therefore recommended to give proper attention to this important wetland, positioning between Shalam and Naguman Rivers and to conserve it. One of the solutions is to regulate the natural flow of Kabul River.     

An attempt to develop ecotourism in an unknown area: the case of Nehbandan County,South Khorasan Province,Iran

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study is an attempt to develop ecotourism in Nehbandan County, in the South Khorasan Province, Iran, by representing unknown areas that have...     

Controlling energy consumption in residential buildings using air infiltration in humid climates

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Given the ever-increasing people’s need for housing, affordable housing and environmental comfort are important, and the use of inactive design...     

Quantity and quality modelling of groundwater to manage water resources in Isfahan-Borkhar Aquifer

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Groundwater resources are increasingly exposed to significant overexploitation in many parts of the world, markedly in Iran, one of the most arid...