JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

Phytoremediation models are important to understand the processes governing phytoremediation and the management of contaminated soils. Little effort has been made for evaluating the potential of the phytoremediation of metals based on the mathematical models. Therefore, the purpose of this study was modeling the phytoremediation of the nickel-contaminated soils. For this purpose, a model was recommended for estimating the rate of the phytoremediation of nickel from the soil by means of relative transpiration reduction and concentration of nickel in the plant functions. To evaluate the model, soil was contaminated with different levels of nickel by nickel nitrate. Then, the pots were filled with contaminated soil and Basil (ocimum tenuiflirum L.) seeds were planted. To avoid the dry tension, the pots were weighed and irrigated to the point of field capacity (FC) at short time intervals (48 hours). The plants were harvested in four times. At each harvesting stage, the relative transpiration values and nickel concentration in the soil and plant samples were measured. The performance of the model was evaluated by statistical methods such as Maximum Error, Root Mean Square Error, Coefficient of Determination, Efficiency of Model and Coefficient of Residual Mass. Results demonstrated that in the case of nickel contamination in soil, changes in the relative transpiration of Basil can be measured by the two proposed models and the linear model (R2=0.94) has a better performance compared to the nonlinear one (R2=0.84). Also the model obtained from the combination of linear function and nickel's concentration in soil has a relatively good (R=0.7) fit with the measured values of the remediation rate of nickel in soil.

Water quality assessment is important in late years coincide white decreas quantity it. The Zayande-Rood's Dam Lake is one of the important water resources that supplies drinking water for human populations in Isfahan, This lake also supplies water resources for agricultural sections of these provinces. Five points were determined as the sampling stations. Samplings were performed from May, 2013 to March, 2014 in seven steps, once every forty five days in for seasons (two times in each season). The water quality parameters (DO, NO₃, NO₂, EC, pH, hardness, TDS, NH₄, BOD5) were measured in all the stations and stages, and then water quality indexes were calculated. According to the results of this study, the water quality of the Zayande-Rood's Dam Lake estimated as good (50-100), with using WQI index. WQI index maximum was in summer (84.63) and minimum was in autumn (66.4). Considering the importance of the Zayande-rood's dam lake as a supplying resource of drinkable water of Isfahan. It seems that further attention in the lake watershed management is needed in order to protect water quality.