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Volume XVIII |

Risk assessment of consuming aromatic hydrocarbons (The case study: Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi of Huralazim Wetland in Iran)

Abstract: Background and goal: Aromatic hydrocarbons are one of the most important environmental pollutants in the environment. These compounds, even at very low concentrations, have carcinogenic and mutagenic properties and are quantitatively and qualitatively known as compounds that have entered all parts of the environment due to human activities. This research studies the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in the predominantly fish (Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi) in Huralazim wetland and calculates the risk of consuming this fish by a human.Materials and Methods: In the spring of 2018, 210 fish were collected from 4 reservoirs (7 stations). The analysis of 16 hydrocarbon compounds was carried out using the GC-FID (Shimadzn-14A) equipped with a capillary column (RTX-5).Results: The highest concentration of oil-based hydrocarbons was in fish of station 7 (43.93 ± 2.70 mg/kg) and its lowest concentration was at station 1 (9.52 ± 3.06 mg/kg). The highest carcinogenesis incidence rate was 1.13 at station 7 and the highest mutation rate was 23.49 at station 5. The gradual carcinogenesis rate of Benz [a] pyrene was 0.00003 to 0.0029 and n in general, through Huralazim Wetland it was 0.0027. The gradual mutation risk assessment for Benz [a] pyrene was estimated as 0.055 (which ranges from 0.034 to 0.061).Conclusion: According to the standard of mutant and carcinogenic compounds [5], it can be said that the daily consumption of fish in this wetland increases the risk of cancer and mutagen in the consumer population. Measures have to be taken to reduce the consumption of caught fish which are exposed to pollution in Huralazim Wetland, in order to minimize the risk of gradual cancer or mutagen, especially in the natives of that area.

Volume XVIII |

New application of fuzzy logic algorithm in GIS for land classification

Abstract: Population growth and disorganization of urban planning have led to unsuitable city development in the center of Iran. Suitable region recognition for urban land develop-ment is an important step towards future planning. In the present study, fuzzy logic algorithms (OR, And, Sum, Prod-uct and Gamma) were used within GIS in order to identify valuable land for appropriate residential development. Moreover, effective factors of urban land development (elevation, slope, aspect, geology, land use, drainage net-work, main and bypass roads, distribution of urban and rural areas, and fault line layer) were examined on fuzzy analyses to find the most effective ones. The results showed that, by considering the regional priorities and constraints, the best operator was Gamma, with a power of 0.9. According to this, 74 percent of the total regions are located between less and the least valuable lands and the remaining surfaces (i.e. 26% of the region) were classified from valuable to the most valuable lands. The sensitivity measurement of the layers used in the study showed that fault and distribution of urban and rural layers were the most and the least effective layers on region recognition (i.e. by 25.83% and 3.29%, respectively).

Volume XVIII |

Post-Communist Urban Ecologies of Romanian Medium-Sized Towns

Abstract: The post-communist policies on urban restructuring were the driving force in redundant and marginalized spaces’ reproduction in all Romanian cities and towns. The paper investigates post-communist urban ecologies and derelict urban environments in Romanian small-sized municipalities, since these issues remain peripheral in the contemporary research on post-communist urban identity formation of the cities. The research was conducted in the town of Lugoj of Romania, from 2012 to 2016. It bases on empirical data provided by ethnographic analysis, quantitative approach and qualitative investigation. The results unveil a massive decline of some urban areas managed by post-communist policies on urban regeneration, with negative consequences, risk potential and derelict landscapes threatening the local urban welfare. Therefore, these marginal places request further enhancement urban policies to reduce their negative results claiming for more attention by the side of local governments.

Volume XVII |

Study of Landscape Evolution in North Koel River Basin, Jharkhand, India: Tectonic and Structural Implications Based on Hypsometric Analysis

Abstract: Hypsometry is widely used for inferring tectonic effects and erosion status of landscapes. Tectonics, structural inhomogeneity, lithologic differences, and climatic variations lead to topographic undulations discerned into discrepancies in the values. Hypsometric index (and curve), indicative of frequency distribution of proportional elevation with the respective proportional area, is used as a tool to describe characteristics of landscape morphology, lithological variability, and degree of fluvial dissection. Many workers have used to infer comparison of rates of erosion with tectonic uplift rates. However, there are many other factors reported to influence topographic undulations other than tectonics which lead to a variety of hypsometries. Morphotectonic index, hypsometric integral, calculated using digital elevation models (DEMs) in GIS environment has been widely used for inferring tectonic effects, status of erosion, and structural controls. The present study is conducted in the North Koel River basin. This river rises in the Ranchi plateau and joins the Son River a few miles north-west of Haidarnagar, is the right bank tributary of the Son River. Along its entire course of flow, North Koel river (260 km) flows through plateau region mostly formed of metamorphic rocks. Hence, structural control seems to be the primary control on the landscape evolution of this sub-basin. In this study, hypsometric integral (and curve) has been calculated for third order and upper order streams to look whether this morphotectonic index shows any sign of tectonic, structural, or lithologic control on the landscape evolution in the North Koel River basin.

Volume XVII |

Application of Wireless Sensor Networks in Flood Detection and River Pollution Monitoring

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a system for river monitoring based on wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. This system consists of sensor nodes that periodically measure several environmental parameters such as flow rate, water level, rainfall and pollution level. Each type of sensor node has two threshold values and measured data is compared with them at the end of the reporting interval. Based on the current situation in WSN and measured data velocity sensors can use three different frequencies of reporting. Simulation of river monitoring system is done using Matlab software tool and the results of river mainte-nance during one WSN life cycle are presented. Two possi-ble hierarchical system architectures are considered and their performance is compared. The optimal system archi-tecture for this WSN application is discussed based on the obtained results.