Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management Publication (original) (raw)

Papers by Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management Publication

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban river valleys are so important with regard to their benefits and... more BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban river valleys are so important with regard to their benefits and functions, including air temperate, microclimate creating, landscape, fresh water supplement. Urban development over considering environmental issues, population density, constructions, solid waste or effluent discharging, especially in quantitative and qualitative river boundaries and land taking of their beds, are significant reasons to decline cities functions and ecosystems degradation. So, natural ecosystems should be restored and a thorough strategic planning is necessary for their conservations. METHODS: With regards to managerial aspects involving ecological, spatial, economic, socio-cultural, and managerial-executive dimensions integrated management model has been recommended for Farahzad River Valley in Tehran city as a case study via Urban River Survey and Geographic Information System. Finally, effective and efficient strategically management plan was suggested by implementing SWOT, QSPM and Analytical Hierarchy Process. FINDINGS: Amongst 12 identified strategies regulation settings, "correlation between green space and the surrounding park", and "preventing the increase of residential" and "the expansion of recreation" are prioritized as most significant strategies, scores have been calculated 5.616, 5.589, and 5.375 on QSPM matrix or 0.256, 0.192, and 0.133 by AHP method, respectively. CONCLUSION: in overall, systemically, multi dimensional and holistic decision of river valleys environmental management is a magnificent example that provides essential tools to urban planners. Environmental and ecological approaches of the model are counted as a main key of succession to sustainable development achievement and its advantage to other past studies.

International journal of …, 2010

Résumé/Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common ubiquitous compounds found in soils d... more Résumé/Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common ubiquitous compounds found in soils due to natural and anthropogenic productions, which are a threat to agricultural ecosystems. The present study aims to evaluate the efficiency of poly aromatic ...

Fertilizer plant waste carbon slurry has been investigated after some processing used as efficien... more Fertilizer plant waste carbon slurry has been investigated after some processing used as efficient adsorbent
for the fast removal and rapid adsorption of dyes and phenols using columns. The results reveals that the adsorbent
developed from carbon slurry is carbonaceous in nature and having appreciable surface area (380 m2/g) can remove dyes
both cationic (meldola blue, methylene blue, chrysoidine G, crystal violet) as well as anionic (ethyl orange, metanil
yellow, acid blue 113), and phenols (phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol) fruitfully from
water. The column type continuous flow operations were used to obtain the breakthrough curves. The breakthrough
capacity, exhaustion capacity and degree of column utilization were optimized and evaluated from the plots. The results
obtained revealed that the degree of column utilization for dyes falls in range from 60 to 76% while for phenols was in
the range 53-58%. The exhaustion capacities were quite high as compared to the breakthrough capacities and were found
to be 217, 211, 104, 126, 233, 248, 267 mg/g for meldola blue, crystal violet, chrysoidine G, methylene blue, ethyl
orange, metanil yellow, acid blue 113, respectively and 25.6, 72.2, 82.2 and 197.3 mg/g for phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-
chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol, respectively.

Reforestation is one of the Philippines’ government efforts to restore and rehabilitate degraded ... more Reforestation is one of the Philippines’ government efforts to restore and rehabilitate degraded mangrove
ecosystems. Although there is recovery of the ecosystem in terms of vegetation, the recovery of closely-linked faunal
species in terms of community structure is still understudied. This research investigates the community structure of
mangrove crabs under two different management schemes: protected mangroves and reforested mangroves. The transectplot
method was employed in each management scheme to quantify the vegetation, crab assemblages and environmental
variables. Community composition of crabs and mangrove trees were compared between protected and reforested
mangroves using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and analysis of similarity in PRIMER 6. Chi-squared was used
to test the variance of sex ration of the crabs. Canonical Correspondence Analysis was used to determine the relationship
between crabs and environmental parameters. A total of twelve species of crabs belonging to six families were identified
in protected mangroves while only four species were documented in reforested mangroves. Perisesarma indiarum and
Baptozius vinosus were the most dominant species in protected and reforested mangrove, respectively. Univariate
analysis of variance of crab assemblage data revealed significant differences in crab composition and abundance between
protected mangroves and from reforested mangroves (P<0.05). Canonical correspondence analysis showed that soil
texture was found to greatly affect the distribution of crab assemblages and mangroves (P<0.05). Environmental factors
and human intervention had contributed to the difference in crab assemblages in mangrove ecosystems.

Estuaries are well known for their potential in removing metal from fresh water to provide micron... more Estuaries are well known for their potential in removing metal from fresh water to provide micronutrients
to aquatic life. In the present investigation, we have tried to bring out the metal removal potential of estuaries
during accidental spills. For this purpose artificial river water containing high concentration of Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb
were mixed with sea water at different salinity regimes. Water samples were taken from a station on the main branch of
Tajan River that flows in to the Caspian Sea. For this purpose, solutions with a concentration of 5 mg/L of each studied
metal (Mn,Cu, Zn, Pb) were prepared in Tajan River water. The salinity regimes include 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11 ppt. It was
noted that metal concentration decreased by increasing salinity. Metals were flocculated at different rates: Cu (88%) >
Ni (86%) > Pb (84%) > Mn (74%).Thus, as average about 80% of total elemental content flocculates. Hence, it was
concluded that a large amount of micro nutrients is carried by the river and flocculated in the estuary where the river
water mixes with the sea water which may play a vital role in supplying nutrients to the aquatic animals. Cluster
analyses have shown that Mn and Ni are governed by EC, pH and salinity.

India is rapidly urbanizing and the class I cities contribute more than 72 percent of the total s... more India is rapidly urbanizing and the class I cities contribute more than 72 percent of the total solid waste
generated in urban areas. However managing solid waste scientifically has become one of the biggest challenges in front
of state and local authorities. Limited space for dumping and skilled manpower is a constraint for managing the solid
wastes. Illegal dumping outside cities and unscientific processing often leads to foul odor generation, leachate contaminating
the water streams and spreading of germs detrimental to public health and society. Globally environmental scientists are
looking for innovative and sustainable methods for recovering the useful components from waste consisting of value and
can be reused. Presently several waste to energy projects have gained popularity across the world. Unfortunately none
of these practices have gained popularity in India and further motivated in pursuing the present study. The objective of
the study is twofold. First authors assessed the current status of solid waste management practices in India. Secondly
the leading barriers are identified and interpretive structural modeling technique is performed to identify the contextual
interrelationships between leading barriers influencing the solid waste to energy programs in the country. The dependence
and driving power of the barriers are further analyzed. Finally the conclusions are drawn which may assist policy
makers in designing sustainable waste management programs.

This study investigated the microbial community in a full scale anaerobic baffled reactor and seq... more This study investigated the microbial community in a full scale anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing
batch reactor system for oil-produced water treatment in summer and winter. The community structures of fungi and
bacteria were analyzed through polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and Illumina highthroughput
sequencing, respectively. Chemical oxygen demand effluent concentration achieved lower than 50 mg/L level
after the system in both summer and winter, however, chemical oxygen demand removal rates after anaerobic baffled
reactor treatment system were significant higher in summer than that in winter, which conformed to the microbial
community diversity. Saccharomycotina, Fusarium, and Aspergillus were detected in both anaerobic baffled reactor and
sequencing batch reactor during summer and winter. The fungal communities in anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing
batch reactor were shaped by seasons and treatment units, while there was no correlation between abundance of fungi
and chemical oxygen demand removal rates. Compared to summer, the total amount of the dominant hydrocarbon
degrading bacteria decreased by 10.2% in anaerobic baffled reactor, resulting in only around 23% of chemical oxygen
demand was removed in winter. Although microbial community significantly varied in the three parallel sulfide reducing
bacteria, the performance of these bioreactors had no significant difference between summer and winter.

The current investigation presents the role of gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) seeds as an effect... more The current investigation presents the role of gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) seeds as an effective
biosorbent for remediating chromium(VI)), a toxic heavy metal pollutant commonly found in effluents from tanneries
and relevant industries. Biosorption was affected by pH, temperature and initial metal concentration. Furthermore,
there is a need to understand the holistic effect of all variables to ascertain the best possible conditions for adsorption,
therefore, these factors were considered and a total of 17 trials were run according to the Box Behnken design. Quadratic
model had maximum R2 value (0.9984) and larger F value (1109.92). From the Analysis Of Variance table and R2 value,
quadratic model was predicted to be the significant model with the best fit to the generated experimental data. The
optimal parameters obtained from the contour plot for the maximum removal of chromium(VI) were initial metal
concentration of 60 mg/L, pH value of 2, and temperature of 27°C. Under these conditions, maximum removal of 92%
was obtained. Thus this biosorbent substantially eliminates chromium(VI) under optimized conditions, enabling its use
in larger scale.

The present work was carried out to evaluate the removal of p-nitrophenol by adsorption onto oliv... more The present work was carried out to evaluate the removal of p-nitrophenol by adsorption onto olive
cake based activated carbon having a BET surface area of 672 m²/g. The batch adsorption experimental results indicated
that the equilibrium time for nitrophenol adsorption by olive cake-based activated carbon was 120min. The adsorption
data was modeled by equilibrium and kinetic models. The pseudo- first and second order as well as the Elovichkinetic
models were applied to fit the experimental data and the intraparticle diffusion model was assessed for describing the
mechanism of adsorption. The data were found to be best fitted to the pseudo-second order model with a correlation
coefficient (R2=0.986). The intraparticle diffusion mechanism also showed a good fit to the experimental data, showing
two distinct linear parts assuming that more than one step could be involved in the adsorption of nitrophenol by the
activated carbon. The equilibrium study was performed using three models including Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin.
The results revealed that the Temkin equilibrium model is the best model fitting the experimental data (R2=0.944). The
results of the present study proved the efficiency of using olive cake based activated carbon as a novel adsorbent for the
removal of nitrophenol from aqueous solution.

In recent decades, necessity to protect environment has been a serious concern for all people and... more In recent decades, necessity to protect environment has been a serious concern for all people and
international communities. In appropriate development of human economic activities, subsistence dependence of the
growing world population on nature decreases the natural diversity of ecosystems and habitats day by day and provides
additional constraints for life and survival of wildlife. As a result, implementation of programs to protect species and
ecosystems is of great importance. The current study was carried out to implement a comprehensive strategic environmental
management plan in the Mond protected area in southern Iran. Accordingly, the protected area was zoned using multi
criteria decision method. According to the numerical models, fifteen data layer were obtained on a scale of 1:50,000. The
results revealed that 28.35% out of the entire study area belongs to nature conservation zone. In the following step, in
order to offer the strategic planning using strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats method, a total number of
154 questionnaires were prepared and filled by the relevant experts. For this purpose, after identifying the internal and
external factors, they were weighted in the form of matrices as; internal factor evaluation and external factor evaluation.
Analytical hierarchy process and expert choice software were applied to weight the factors. At the end, by considering the
socioeconomic and environmental issues, the strategy of using protective strategies in line with international standards as
well as a strong support of governmental national execution with a score of 6.05 was chosen as the final approach.

The major aim of the present study was to investigate elements (Fe, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) concentration ... more The major aim of the present study was to investigate elements (Fe, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) concentration in
sediment and different tissues of Phragmities australis and Typha latifolia in Hor al-Azim Wetland southwest of Iran.
Sampling of sediments and aquatic plants was carried out during spring and summer 2014. Results showed that the
mean concentrations of chemical elements in Phragmities australis in root and stem-leaf were as follows: iron: 4448
mg/kg, nickel: 28 mg/kg, lead: 8 mg/kg, vanadium: 10 mg/kg and zinc: 15.5 mg/kg in root and Iron: 645 mg/kg, nickel:
15 mg/kg, lead: 4 mg/kg, vanadium: 4 mg/kg and zinc 16 mg/kg respectively. Also, the mean concentrations of iron,
nickel, lead, vanadium and zinc in roots of Typha latifolia were 8696 mg/kg, 34 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 19 mg/kg and 27 mg/
kg respectively. The mean concentrations of iron, nickel, vanadium, lead and zinc in stem-leaves of Typha latifolia
were as follows: 321 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 7 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg and 14 mg/kg respectively. The mean concentrations of iron,
nickel, vanadium, lead and zinc were as: 40991 mg/kg, 65 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 31 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg respectively in
surface sediment of the study area. Concentration pattern of the elements in sediment were as: Fe>Ni>Zn>V>Pb.
The highest concentration of the elements in the plant was seen in the roots. Also, Typha latifolia can uptake more
concentration of elements than Phragmities australis. Based on the enrichment factor, nickel in summer had the
highest enrichment factor values among the elements studied and it has a moderate enrichment.

Water is a unique natural resource among all sources available on earth. It plays an important ro... more Water is a unique natural resource among all sources available on earth. It plays an important role in
economic development and the general well-being of the country. This study aimed at using the application of water
quality index in evaluating the ground water quality innorth-east area of Jaipur in pre and post monsoon for public
usage. Total eleven physico–chemical characteristics; total dissolved solids, total hardness,chloride, nitrate, electrical
conductance, sodium, fluorideand potassium, pH, turbidity, temperature) were analyzed and observed values were
compared with standard values recommended by Indian standard and World Health Organization. Most of parameter
show higher value than permissible limit in pre and post monsoon. Water quality index study showed that drinking
water in Amer (221.58,277.70), Lalawas (362.74,396.67), Jaisinghpura area (286.00, 273.78) were found to be highly
contaminated due to high value of total dissolved solids, electrical conductance, total hardness, chloride, nitrate and
sodium. Saipura (122.52, 131.00), Naila (120.25, 239.86), Galta (160.9, 204.1) were found to be moderately contaminated
for both monsoons. People dependent on this water may prone to health hazard. Therefore some effective measures are
urgently required to enhance the quality of water in these areas.

Nitrogen use efficiency and life cycle of root nodules in alfalfa after different mineral fertili... more Nitrogen use efficiency and life cycle of root nodules in alfalfa after different mineral fertilization and soil cultivation practices were studied. Field trial was conducted in the Institute of Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria on leached chernozem subsoil type and no irrigation. The next treatments were tested: i) for fertilization as follows: N0P0K0 (control); N60P100K80 (an accepted technology); N23P100K35 (nitrogen was applied 1/2 in first year of growing and 1/2 in third year); N23P100K35 (nitrogen was supplied pre-sowing); N35P80K50, and Аmophose - 250 kg/ha, calculated at fertilizing rates N27P120K0; ii) for soil cultivation as follows: soil loosing 10-12 cm, plough at depth 12-15 cm, 22-24 cm (an accepted technology), 18-22 cm and 30-35 cm. It was found that soil cultivation and mineral fertilization had effect on nitrogen use efficiency and life cycle of root nodules in Alfalfa. Nitrogen use efficiency was found to be highest at N23P100K35 and plough at the depth of 22-24 cm. Life cycle of root nodules was the longest at N35P80K50 and plough at the depth of 18-22 cm. The better root mass to nodule number ratio was found at N23P100K35 and plough at the depth of 22-24 cm.

This research aims to apply a model to the study and analysis of environmental and natural resour... more This research aims to apply a model to the study and analysis of environmental and natural resource costs created in supply chains of goods and services produced in Thailand, and propose indicators for environmental problem management, caused by goods and services production, based on concepts of sustainable production and consumer behavior. The research showed that the highest environmental cost in terms of Natural Resource Materials was from pipelines and gas distribution, while the lowest was for farming coconuts. The highest environmental cost in terms of Energy and Transportation was for iron and steel. The highest environmental cost in the category of Fertilizer and Pesticides was for oil palm. For Sanitation Services, the highest environmental cost was movie theaters. Overall, the lowest environmental cost for all categories, except Natural Resource Materials, was for petroleum and refineries. Based on the cost index, coconut farming gained the highest Real Benefit to the farm owner, while pipelines and gas distribution had the lowest Real Benefit. If Thailand were to use a similar environmental problem indicator, it could be applied to formulate efficient policy and strategy for the country in three areas, namely social, economic, and environmental development.

Although water and land pollution are very dangerous, air pollution has its own peculiarities due... more Although water and land pollution are very dangerous, air pollution has its own peculiarities due to its transboundary dispersion of pollutants over the entire world. In any well planned urban set up, industrial pollution takes a back seat and vehicular emissions take precedence as the major cause of urban air pollution. In the present study, Air pollution tolerance index was calculated for various plant species growing at two sites Nagal village at Sahastradhara Road and the Clock Tower (the experimental site) of Dehradun city, India. The leaf samples were collected from 7 commonly present tree species. The results showed significant effects of various air pollutants on the vegetation in terms of four biochemical parameters analysed. Four physiological and biochemical parameters, which are leaf relative water content, Ascorbic acid content, total leaf chlorophyll content and leaf extract pH were used to compute the air pollution tolerance index values. Statistically significant difference was observed between control and experimental group for Ascorbic acid, t(6)=-4.848,p=.003. Paired t test for air pollution tolerance index between the two groups showed a statistically significant difference, t (6) = -4.548, p=.004. On the basis of air pollution tolerance index values for above mentioned seven tree species, Eucalyptus globus exhibited the highest degree of tolerance at all the sites followed by Ficus religiosa > Mangifera indica > Polyalthia longifolia > Phyllanthus emblica > Citrus limon > Lantana camara.

Compared with USA, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, etc., marine debris research in China has re... more Compared with USA, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, etc., marine debris research in China has received less attention and few studies have attempted to quantify the abundance and mass of marine debris. In this paper, the abundance, composition and source of beached marine debris, and debris collection system and frequency as well as dustbins’ conditionwere investigated in Duodaohai, Wanpingkou, Shanhaitian and National Forest Park beaches of Rizhao City from June 1 to 10, 2013. Based on these surveys, following conclusions were obtained: In four coastal beaches surveyed, the mean number and weight densities were 25.91 items/100m2 and 341.39 g/100m2, respectively. Most of the BMD in the aforementioned beaches originated directly from land sources. There were two kinds of debris collection systems in these beaches at present; dustbins sometimes were not enough to be used in the swimming period.We hope that our study will be helpful to raise the level of environmental consciousness among people and to expand their anti-debris activities.

This study was focused on removal of various parameters in paper mill effluent using a method cal... more This study was focused on removal of various parameters in paper mill effluent using a method called bioremediation by Azolla caroliniana. The experimental investigations have been carried out using Azolla caroliniana for conducting the sorption study with various dilution ratios (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10), pH (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) and biomass (200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 g). The maximum removal percentage of TDS, BOD and COD in a paper mill effluent was obtained at the optimum dilution ratio of 6, pH of 8 and biomass of 800 g. The results of this study indicated that the maximum removal percentage of TDS, BOD and COD in a paper mill effluent was 82.3 %, 88.6 % and 79.1 % respectively. Also, the study focused on uptake of TDS, BOD and COD in paper mill effluent by Azolla caroliniana through bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor. The results of bioaccumulation factor revealed that TDS, BOD and COD in paper mill effluent were adsorbed by Azolla caroliniana. The results of translocation factor revealed that the roots of Azolla caroliniana translocate the TDS, BOD and COD in a paper mill effluent to the shoots of Azolla caroliniana. From the results, this study concluded that bioremediation by Azolla caroliniana could be effectively used for removing TDS, BOD and COD in a paper mill effluent. This study also suggested that Azolla caroliniana may be used for removing various contaminants, not only from paper mill effluent, but also from any other industrial effluents.

The effect of automobile pollution was determined on chlorophyll content of four different tree s... more The effect of automobile pollution was determined on chlorophyll content of four different tree species viz. Azadirachta indica L., Conocarpus erectus L., Guiacum officinale L.and Eucalyptus sp. growing along the roads of the city. Significant changes in the level of chlorophyll “a”, chlorophyll “b” and total chlorophyll “a+b” were found in the leaves of four tree species (A. indica, C. erectus, G.officinale and Eucalyptus sp.) collected from polluted sites (Airport, Malir Halt, Quaidabad) as compared to control site (Karachi University Campus). Lowest concentration of chlorophyll “a”, chlorophyll “b” and chlorophyll “a+b” was recorded in the leaf samples of all tree species collected from Quaidabad site when compared with the leaf samples collected from control site. The highest levels of chlorophyll pigment were recorded in all tree species leave samples collected from Karachi University Campus. Similarly, better levels of chlorophyll “a”, chlorophyll “b” and total chlorophyll “a+b” was observed in all tree species growing at Airport site as compared to plants growing at Malir Halt and Quaidabad sites. This study clearly indicated that the vehicular activities induced air pollution problem and affected on the level of chlorophyll pigments in trees which were exposed to road side pollution.

Oil and pollutants resulting from its extraction and exploitation are considered as one of the se... more Oil and pollutants resulting from its extraction and exploitation are considered as one of the serious problems for human health. Vast oil fields of Ahvaz City located in southern Iran are known as one of controversial subjects in contamination with heavy metals. In this study, oil fields' soils of Ahvaz city (Ab-Teymour) were chemically analyzed in order to determine the concentration of eight heavy elements (Cu, Ni, V, Co, Cd, Zn, Mo and Pb) and intensity of contamination. The area was divided into 12 plots with respect to proximity to drilled oil wells as well as the existing flares. The results show that concentration of studied metals is higher than earth’s crust mean values. According to Muller’s geochemical index, intensity of contamination varies from unpolluted to highly polluted ones. These highly polluted areas require methods such as phytoremediation more than ever. By comparing list of local plants with that of heavy metals absorbing plants and given the local climate, a suitable absorbing plant for each of the existing heavy metals was recommended.

Geothermal investors need to be confident with the methods and results of exploration programs. A... more Geothermal investors need to be confident with the methods and results of exploration programs. Also cutting the upfront cost of geothermal exploration will further encourage investors to consider investment in this emerging clean energy field. Hence, it is of paramount importance to improve prospecting techniques in order to explore where economic concentrations of geothermal energy are to be expected. The current study evaluates different approaches for downscaling thermal data from remote sensing images together with factors in surface and subsurface environment. The paper discusses case studies, the challenge and the way forward for geothermal prospecting as well as practical solutions to discrepancy that faces the mapping and documentation of spatial geothermal anomalies. It also discusses main criteria that should be considered while prospecting for geothermal energy.

International journal of …, 2010