Showing 1096 results for Ro
N. Pourabdollah, M. Heidarpour, Jahangir Abedi-Koupai,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Hydraulic jump is used for dissipation of kinetic energy downstream of hydraulic structures such as spillways, chutes, and gates. In the present study, the experimental measurements and numerical simulation of the free hydraulic jump by applying Flow-3D software in six different conditions of adverse slope, roughness, and positive step were compared. It should be noted that two turbulence models including k-ε and RNG were used for numerical simulation. Based on the results, simulation accuracy using the RNG model was more than the k-ε model. The statistical indices of NRMSE, ME, NS, and R2 for comparing the water surface profile were obtained at 34.3, 0.0052, 0.995, and 983 for the application of the RNG model, respectively. Also, using the RNG model, the values of these indices for the velocity profile were obtained at 14.92, 0.127, 0.9982, and 962, respectively. In general, the error of the simulated water surface and velocity profile were obtained at 5.31 and 12.4 percent, respectively. Moreover, the maximum error of the numerical simulation results of D2/D1, Lj/D2, and Lr/D1 was ±12, ±12, and 16%, respectively. Therefore, the use of Flow-3D software with the application of the RNG turbulence model is recommended for numerical simulation of the hydraulic jump in different situations.
F. Meskini-Vishkaee, A.r. Jafarnejhadi, M. Goosheh, B. Delsooz Khaki, M. Javadzadeh,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
One of the most common approaches for farm irrigation management is using soil readily available water and allowable depletion coefficient. The objective of this study was to determine wheat crop response coefficients, critical moisture content, and soil allowable depletion coefficient using a physically based method in three dominant soils under wheat cultivation in Khuzestan province. Treatments included full irrigation and water stress at three levels low, moderate, and high. The highest and lowest values of wheat crop response coefficient were related to silty clay loam (Ky=1.26) and clay loam (Ky=0.96), respectively. Critical soil moisture content was observed in loam soil (0.25 cm3cm-3)> silty clay loam (0.23 cm3cm-3)> clay loam (0.22 cm3cm-3), respectively. Despite the higher critical moisture content in loam, the most soil allowable depletion coefficient was also calculated in loam (0.54). Soil allowable depletion coefficient in silty clay loam and clay loam were 0.44 and 0.42, respectively. The results confirmed the simultaneous effects of soil and plant properties on the availability of soil water for the plants.
S. Azadi, H. Nozari, S. Marofi, B. Ghanbarian,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
One of the strategies for agricultural development is the optimal use of irrigation and drainage networks, which will lead to higher productivity and environmental protection. The present study used the system dynamics approach to develop a model for simulating the cultivated area of the Shahid Chamran irrigation and drainage network located in Khuzestan province by considering environmental issues. Limit test and sensitivity analysis were used for model validation. The results showed the proper performance of the model and the logical relationship between its parameters. Also, the cropping pattern of the network was determined in two modes of non-stepwise and stepwise changes to determine the optimal cultivated area of the Shahid Chamran network with environmental objectives and minimize the amount of salt from drains. The results showed that the amount of optimized output salt from the network has decreased in both non-stepwise and stepwise changes compared to the existing situation in the region. The total output salt in the current situation, from 2013 to 2017, was obtained at 2799, 2649, 2749, 2298, and 2004 tons.day-1, respectively, in the stepwise changes, are 2739, 2546, 2644, 2223, and 1952 tons.day-1, and finally, in the non-stepwise changes, are 2363, 2309, 2481, 2151, and 1912 tons.day-1. The results showed that the non-stepwise changes due to considered limitations have been more successful in reducing output salt than the stepwise changes. The analysis of the results showed the model's success in optimizing and achieving the desired goals. The results showed that the present model has good accuracy in simulating and optimizing the irrigation network, cropping pattern, and defining other scenarios.
S. Afshari, H. Yazdian, A. Rezaei,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Awareness of the types of vegetation changes and human activities in different parts has particular importance as basic information for different planning. It is very difficult and expensive to collect information about the continuous changes in vegetation cover by conventional methods. Therefore, the use of new technologies such as remote sensing is very beneficial. The objective of the present research was to introduce the appropriate vegetation index and determine the vegetation cover of the Abshar network. NDVI, EVI, SAVI, and MSAVI vegetation indices were calculated from 2000 to 2021 every year and monthly in the Google Earth Engine system using Landsat 7 satellite images of the ETM+ sensor. Also, the SPI drought index was calculated using the precipitation statistics of Kohrang station in Excel software. The results of the comparison of four indices showed the superiority and higher performance of NDVI compared to the other three indices for detecting vegetation changes. Then, vegetation changes were calculated. The results showed that the trend of agricultural development in the Abshar network is downward and has a direct relationship with precipitation and the SPI drought index. Also, the results indicated that the SPI drought index was equal to -1.73in 2008, which showed a severe drought in the region. Comparing these results with the vegetation area showed that the vegetation area was 35721 hectares in this year and the year after the drought (2009), the vegetation area was 22950 hectares. Therefore, there was a decrease in precipitation and a sharp decrease in the SPI index in 2008, which led to a sharp decrease of 35% in the vegetation area in 2009.
V. Rahdari, A.r. Soffianian, S. Pormanafi, S. Maleki,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Industrial development is necessary to create employment and achieve welfare. Nevertheless, due to the important environmental effects of these uses, it is necessary to consider the environmental issues in industrial area land allocation. The current research used the multi-criteria evaluation method and the combination with fuzzy concepts to investigate the land capability for industrial development in the Plasjan sub-basin in the Zayandeh-rood river basin. Evaluation criteria were determined by literature reviewing and using experts' knowledge, and standard applying fuzzy method via proportional functions and weighted using the hierarchical method. The combined classification of satellite images prepared the land use and land cover map. Then, the standardized criteria were combined in the form of a weighted linear combination and the industrial development capability model was prepared for this area and classified into five land capability classes. The results showed that environmental considerations have the most weight with 0.23, and geological and soil texture criteria have the least weight with 0.06. According to the results, only 213 hectares of the region were allocated for industrial and mining use at the time of the study. In comparison, 2325 hectares of the region have very high industrial potential which shows the capability for increasing industrial areas. Also, the highest class of land capability was related to areas without the capability for industrial development with an area of 246375 ha, equivalent to 60% of the entire region, which shows the importance of conservation of the important functions of this region in water supply and ecological resources.
T. Mohammadi, V. Sheikh, A. Zare, M. Salarijazi,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
A quantitative study of groundwater resources and accurate monitoring of changes over time, especially in areas facing limited water resources, is considered essential for proper management and sustainable exploitation of these resources. Golestan province, one of the semi-arid provinces of Iran has faced a drop in the groundwater level and an increase in the salinity of the groundwater due to the excessive withdrawals from the groundwater table and the reduction of atmospheric precipitation in the past few years. Gorgan Plain with an area of about 4727 square kilometers is one of the largest plains in Iran and the most important plain of Golestan province in terms of water supply for agricultural and drinking purposes. In this plain, there is a network of piezometers and observation wells that include continuous monthly measurements for more than 30 years. The objective of this research was to investigate the changes in the groundwater level of shallow (30 years (1989-2018)) and deep (22 years (1997-2018)) wells. The Man-Kendall method was used to reveal the trend and Pettitt, Normal Standard, and Buishand methods were used to identify sudden change points in a time series of groundwater levels in 49 shallow wells and 12 deep wells. The results of this research showed that the groundwater level in most of the studied wells had a significantly decreasing trend at a significant level of 5%. Also, the largest amount of groundwater loss was in the southern and southwestern parts of the plain, which can be attributed to a large amount of water taken from the wells due to their proximity to urban areas and some local conditions such as the proximity of the wells of this area are located in altitudes and at the entrance border of the aquifer. In the same way, as it rises, the fall decreases in the middle of the plain, and the amount of fall decreases in the northern areas and the edge of the Caspian Sea. It can be related to the proximity to the Caspian Sea and the high water table, and as a result, the inappropriate quality of water and land (high salinity and low fertility), which has caused the water withdrawal from this area to be less.
S. Esmailian, M. Pajouhesh, N. Gharahi, Kh. Abdollahi,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Awareness of the number of changes in runoff and sediment on different slopes can be useful in modeling the production of runoff and sediment. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the production of surface and tunnel runoff and sediment in saline and sodic soils on different slopes. Saline-sodic soil was collected and transported to the laboratory. Laboratory experiments were performed on a soil bed in a rectangular flume at three different slopes (5%, 10%, and 15%) under simulated rain (30 mm/h) for one hour. An analysis of variance was used to investigate the effect of slope on runoff and sediment production, and the means were compared using Duncan's test at the five percent level using SPSS version 26 software. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the slopes of the runoff (P<0.001) and sediment (P<0.001). In the first minute of the experiments, due to the lack of moisture in the soil, the amount of runoff was low, but over time, the amount of runoff increased. It is because the pores are blocked by the dispersion of soil particles owing to the presence of sodium ions, which ultimately leads to a decrease in permeability. Similarly, in the last few minutes, outflow from the tunnel was observed, and this flow occurred only on slopes of 10% and 15%. The amount of sediment was also low in the first few minutes, which could be related to the low amount of runoff and the lack of sediment particle removal. Nonetheless, after the lapse of time, its amount increased, and the primary reasons were reduced permeability, increased runoff, and removal of fine particles from the soil surface.
A.r. Emadi, R. Fazloula, S. Zamanzad-Ghavidel, R. Sobhani4, S. Nosrat-Akhtar,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
As one of the most necessary human needs, groundwater resources play a key role in the economic and political processes of societies. Climatic and land-use changes made serious challenges to the quantity and quality of groundwater resources in the Tehran-Karaj study area. The main objective of the present study is to develop a method based on individual intelligent models, including adaptive neural-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), gene expression programming (GEP), and combined-wavelet (WANFIS, WGEP) methods for temporal and spatial estimation of total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) variables in the groundwater resources of the Tehran-Karaj area for statistical period of 17 years (2004-2021). The results showed that
combined-wavelet models have higher performance than individual models in estimating three selected variables. So that the performance improvement percentage of the WANFIS model compared to ANFIS and WGEP model compared to GEP, taking into account the evaluation index of root mean square error (RMSE) were obtained (23.713%, 18.018%), (12.581%, 33.116%), and (6.433%, 12.995%) for TH, TDS, and EC variables, respectively. The results indicated a very high spatial and temporal compatibility of the estimated values of the WGEP model with the observed values for all three qualitative variables in the Tehran-Karaj area. The results showed that the concentration of qualitative variables of groundwater resources from the north to the south of the study area has an upward trend for all three qualitative variables. In urban areas, pollution caused by sewage and population increase, as well as in agricultural areas, the use of chemical fertilizers and their continued infiltration into groundwater resources and
over-extraction of groundwater resources aggravate their pollution. Therefore, in the study area, climatic changes and the type of land use are strongly related to the quality of groundwater resources.
S. Gholizadeh Tehrani, S. Soltani Koupai, R. Modarres, V. Chitsaz,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Drought is one of the most destructive and important climate phenomena, whose effect is usually more important on a regional scale. The importance of this phenomenon is more evident in the Karkheh basin due to its size and important role in providing the country's water resources. We aim to monitor hydrologic drought using the accurate calculation of standardizes streamflow index (SSI) in one month time scale based on fitting frequency distribution to monthly data and goodness of fit test for each station in Karkheh basin for 30 years (1986-2016). The findings of this research showed that the generalized Pareto distribution was selected as the most appropriate distribution in most months, unlike the previous research that fitted and used only the Gama distribution on the data. The time series of the standard flow index indicated the occurrence of super-drought in 2008 to 2015 years. Also, the significant impact of the construction of hydraulic structures upstream of the basin on the average flow rate was observed in some stations. The results of direct and annual monitoring of the drought situation showed that the Karkheh basin has experienced hydrological drought in recent years, and the drought trend is increasing.
S. Najmi, M. Navabian, M. Esmaeili Varaki,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
The increasing need for water resources and controlling the discharge of wastewater into the environment shows the necessity of wastewater treatment. Green methods such as constructed wetlands and phytoremediation use biological processes in the environment for wastewater treatment. Considering the effect of cultivated constructed wetland performance from wastewater quality and climatic factors, the objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of hybrid and subsurface vertical and horizontal wetlands to improve the biological and chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater treatment plant in Rasht City. The effect of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia plants on the treatment performance was investigated. Wastewater retention time in wetlands varies from monthly in winter and weekly in spring and summer. The results showed that the performance of wetlands in reducing biological oxygen demand (BOD) was more than chemical oxygen demand (COD). Plants improved the performance of the wetland by more than 50%, but no significant difference was observed between the performances of the two plants. The arrangement of the plant's cultivation was not effective in the amount of biological and chemical oxygen removal. The hybrid wetland was able to improve the wastewater quality twice as much as the vertical wetland. Comparing the concentration of the effluents from the wetlands with the standards showed that the effluents from the hybrid wetlands could only be used for agricultural consumption.
M. Eskandari, M. Heidarnejad, A. Egdernezhad,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
The formation of vortices behind the gates of diversion dams is an operational challenge. Such vortices lead to vibration and corrosion in the gate, reducing the lifetime and raising the operational cost of the dam. This study investigated these vortices and their formation. It was found that the gate or cutoff wall was not the only explanation for the vortices; the closed side gates also contribute to vortex formation. Furthermore, an increase in the gate width reduced vorticity; the vortex size experienced a 200% reduction as the gate size increased by 200%. The cutoff wall diameter was another determinant. An increase in the cutoff wall diameter raised vorticity. The vortices increased by 50% as the wall diameter increased by 150%.
M. Abtahi, M. Khosroshahi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Biological operations to combat wind erosion must be carried out in the calm bed of dunes, which is often challenging due to high-velocity winds. Therefore, the necessary precondition for stopping the movement of sand is to create obstacles in the path of their movement, protecting newly planted vegetation from wind damage and ensuring stability during the initial years. In this project, various methods of preventing wind erosion, including creating a windbreak to reduce wind speed below the erosion threshold and sand spraying to increase the wind threshold, were evaluated in the dunes of Abuzidabad, Kashan, under severe wind erosion. The windbreaks used include mesh with a percentage of 50% porosity in a checkerboard with dimensions of 2.5 * 2.5 m, and cottonwood harvested from cotton fields in a grid of 5 * 5 meters. The height and distance of the windbreaks were calculated using the wind threshold speed and the maximum wind speed of the region. Sand spraying was tested on dunes and clay-salt panes with 50% and 30% density. To compare the rate of soil displacement in the above and control treatments, graded wooden indicators up to a height of one meter of sediment traps were used. In addition, the effect of net windbreak on the percentage of successful establishment of the Holoxylon sp. plant compared to the control was investigated. In this study, the cost of each method was calculated separately and compared with the cost of spraying oil mulch. The results showed that 50% sand spraying, in addition to having the best performance in stabilizing sands and preventing the formation of dust, as well as stability, also has a lower implementation cost than other methods. Therefore, the 50% sand spraying method is introduced as the best method to stabilize and prevent erosion at the lowest cost and also environmental compatibility.
R. Hosseinpour, H.r. Asgari, H. Nikanhad Qermakher, E. Malekzadeh, M.k. Kianian,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The soils of desert areas are mostly low in organic matter and may fluctuate greatly in terms of acidity. Biochars are one of the materials used to improve and modify some soil characteristics. This compound is very resistant to decomposition and remains in the soil for a longer period, reducing agricultural waste and turning it into a soil conditioner. This leads to keeping carbon in the soil, increasing food security, increasing biodiversity, and reducing deforestation. In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the biochar of fodder beet plant waste produced at different pyrolysis temperatures and its physical and chemical characteristics. For this purpose, fodder beet wastes were collected from settlements around Birjand and after being crushed and air-dried, they were pyrolyzed in an electric furnace under limited oxygen conditions at a temperature range of 300-700 degrees Celsius. Then, the characteristics of the produced biochars were performed with 3 repetitions of measurements and statistical analyses with SPSS software. The results of this research showed that the characteristics of biochars changed significantly with temperature change. The highest yield percentage (59%), organic carbon (56.33%), total nitrogen (0.53%), water retention (0.84g/g) at 300 and 400 degrees Celsius, and the highest amount of ash (% 76), acidity (8.21) and electrical conductivity (0.1ds/cm) was obtained at a temperature of 700 degrees Celsius. The percentage of carbon and the efficiency of biochar produced at temperatures of 300 and 400 degrees Celsius were higher than other biochar produced at other temperatures. Biochar produced at 300°C has better characteristics in terms of carbon percentage and acidity efficiency compared to biochar produced at 400°C. Although these differences were not statistically significant, due to biochar production being more economical in terms of energy consumption, it is recommended to produce biochar at a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius.
S. Jalinousi, E. Joudaki, A. Moghadassi, M. Mahdieh,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
This research presents the application of phytoremediation to remove ammonia from effluent possessing high ammonium content and alkalinity in one of the most complex refineries in Iran. The objective of this research was to find new methods to protect and preserve water resources. At first, the algae distribution was investigated. After purifying the samples, Chlorella Vulgaris was selected as resistant algae in the areas that experienced ammonia shocks. A 10-liter container and an airlift photobioreactor with similar laboratory conditions were developed to control biomass production. Experiments were conducted over 20 days and maximum biomass production occurred in the first 16-17 days. Cell density was expressed as dry cell weight in ammonia concentration from 10 mg/L to 500 mg/L. It was also observed that when the Nitrogen content of the culture medium was less than 50 mg/L, ammonia was completely removed in both methods. At a concentration of 10 mg/L, total ammonia in both methods was removed in the first week. At 50 mg/L to 100 mg/L concentrations, about 94% of ammonia was removed in the glass container and about 95% in the bioreactor. In these concentrations, with high ammonia content, the final cell density, and absorption power were significantly low and this was evident at 500 mg/L. Prevention of water evaporation and biomass settling, better control of some vital parameters including pH, temperature, light, and energy intensity, effective mass and heat transfer, and carbon dioxide concentration led to better efficiency of the airlift photobioreactor. A noteworthy point in this result was the extraordinary performance of Chlorella Vulgaris in removing toxic pollutants such as ammonia and possibly using it in the biological systems of sanitary, refineries, and petrochemicals.
M. Salari, V. Rahdari, S. Maleki, R. Karami,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
the countries of Iran and Afghanistan. A long period of drought has happened in this area by human interventions after 1999. The objective of current study is to predict the Hamoun wetland situation in scenarios with and without human intervention using the Markov model-automated cellular for 2019 and the next forty years. Land cover maps of the study area using satellite images for 1987 as a normal year, 1991 as a wet year, and 2019 as a year with human effects were prepared. Then, prediction model for 2019 were prepared using 1987 and 1991 cover layers in four scenarios, prediction models were prepared for the next forty years in normal, drought, and wet conditions. If the natural process of watering of Hamoun wetland continues, lower than 362735 hectares of wetland should become watering in 2019, while, according this year land cover map, less than 50000 hectares of wetland have water. Also, by continuation of the current trend and the effect of human activities in the 40-year models, 11230 hectares of the area will be watering, and if the natural process of the wetland continued using the model of 2019 this amount was equal to 373311 hectares. The results of the research show the completely different situation of the Hamoun wetland in the case of no human intervention in the watering of this wetland in 2019 and the model of the next forty years.
M. Farzamnia, M. Akbari, M. Heidarisoltanabadi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The agricultural sector depends largely upon water and energy resources to fulfill sufficient water for producing adequate food for the rapidly growing world’s population. It requires great effort to improve water and energy productivity for agricultural products to provide consumers’ health as well as environmental protection. In this study, the volume of irrigated water, crop yield, water productivity, and the consumed energy for onion crops irrigated with sprinkler or surface irrigation methods under farmer management were measured and compared. The measurements were recorded from 2020 to 2021, on 17 farms across Esfahan Province where onion was a main crop in the region. The measured data from the foregoing two irrigation methods were statistically analyzed using t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients. The outcomes revealed that the volume of irrigated water as well as crop yield was greater for surface irrigation method compared to sprinkler irrigation, and the differences were statistically significant. Moreover, water productivity for onions irrigated with a sprinkler irrigation system was significantly higher (p<0.01) in comparison with onions irrigated with the surface method. In addition, the results indicated a significantly direct correlation between the volume of irrigated water and onion yield, whereas a significantly indirect correlation was observed between the volume of irrigated water and water productivity. A significantly inverse correlation was found between the productivity of energy for irrigation and energy consumption; so, an increase in the energy for irrigation resulted in a decrease in energy productivity. Based on the results of this study, the sprinkler method is more effective than the surface for irrigation of onion.
B. Akbari, H. Khademi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Street dust enters the urban environments due to the resuspension of particles smaller than 100 micrometers. The magnetic properties of street dust and their relationship with the concentration of heavy metals have received less attention from researchers worldwide, and not much study has been performed on this issue in Iran. The objectives of this study were: (i) to investigate the spatial and seasonal changes in street dust, and (ii) to determine their relationships with the concentration of selected heavy metals in several cities in the Isfahan province. Sampling was carried out in the first half of the second month of each season including 20 samples from Isfahan city and 10 samples from Natanz, Shahreza, Falavarjan, Khomeinishahr, and Najafabad. The concentration of selected heavy metals was measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer. Also, the magnetic susceptibility values of the samples at low and high frequencies were determined and frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility was calculated. The results showed that the presence of ferromagnesian minerals in the parent materials could be the reason for the high values of magnetic receptivity in Natanz City. However, the high level of this characteristic in the street dust of other cities could be due to human activities, especially in Isfahan city. Based on the results of principal component analysis, the high correlation of the first component with magnetic susceptibility and the concentration of zinc, copper, and chromium elements most likely indicates the absorption of these elements by particles close to superparamagnetic (SP). The high correlation of the second component with frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility and concentration of nickel and cobalt is most likely related to the adsorption of magnetic elements and heavy metals into coarse polyhedral particles that remained on the street floor after the re-deposition of street dust particles. Also, the high correlations between magnetic parameters and the concentration of copper and zinc confirm their anthropogenic origin. On the other hand, low or negative correlations of Pb, Ni, Cr, and Co concentrations with magnetic susceptibility might confirm their natural or non-anthropogenic origin. The higher values of magnetic parameters of street dust in the spring season reflect the significant contribution of magnetic minerals in this season, compared to autumn and winter, and indicate the higher influence of human activities.
M. Baki, J. Abedi Koupai,
Volume 28, Issue 1 (5-2024)
Abstract
The improvement of water consumption efficiency is very significant, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this research, the effects of three hydrogel rates (0, 10, and 50 Mg ha-1) and three irrigation regimes (50%, 70%, and 100% of water requirement) on growth, yield, and oil production of Thymus daenensis were studied in a lysimetric experiment. The process of hydrogel synthesis was performed with sodium alginate as the main bone of the polymer and acrylic acid and acrylamide as monomers with the rapeseed meal biochar was made at 300 ºC. The results showed that the essential oil content produced by the plant was impressed by the hydrogel application. The essential oil content increased with an increase in water deficit, but the essential oil yield decreased in the lysimeters with water deficit compared to the ones without water stress. Besides, the application of 50 Mg ha-1 hydrogel caused a 17% increase in the dry matter and a 12% increase in the plant's height. According to the results of this experiment, the application of hydrogel caused the improvement in most characteristics of the Thymus daenensis in water stress conditions.
A. Zare Garizi, K. Shahedi, A. Matboo,
Volume 28, Issue 1 (5-2024)
Abstract
Water quality characteristics play a crucial role in water resources management, watershed health assessment, and implementing effective management strategies. The objective of this research was to present an overall assessment of the surface water quality in the Gorganrood River Basin to be utilized for developing effective watershed management plans and programs. Various physicochemical water quality data including main anions and cations, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), pH, and total hardness recorded at 25 hydrometric stations across the basin were analyzed and assessed with the Canadian (CCME) Water Quality Index. The mean water quality index for drinking, agriculture, and industrial purposes indicated that headwaters and higher areas generally exhibited better water quality compared to the downstream areas of the basin. Geochemical processes and the introduction of various pollutants during water flow from the headwaters to the basin outlet contribute to a decline in water quality. The highest water quality was observed in the Kabudval and Shirabad stations, whereas the Baghesalian station exhibited the lowest. For drinking water use, hardness, bicarbonate, and chloride were identified as variables contributing to water quality decline in the headwaters and upstream areas. However, these areas predominantly maintained a moderate to good quality for drinking purposes. Conversely, downstream areas experienced a significant deterioration in water quality with higher pollutant levels such as total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate, and sodium, resulting in relatively poor to poor conditions. Approximately 60% of the stations in the basin had excellent water quality for agricultural use, with no limiting factors. Only three stations near the basin's outlet exhibited relatively poor to poor water quality due to elevated chloride levels, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and electrical conductivity. only 28% of hydrometric stations demonstrated good water quality for industrial use. Hardness, pH, and TDS are the main variables contributing to water quality decline for industrial use in the upstream, while downstream areas are impacted by chloride and sulfate. The outcomes of this study hold significant implications for effective water resources management, watershed preservation, and natural resource conservation in the Gorganrood basin. From industry and especially health aspects, however, more detailed investigations are needed, taking into account some other important variables of water quality (including nitrate, total coliform, fecal coliform, etc.).
I. Kazemi Roshkhari, A. Asadi Vaighan, M. Azari,
Volume 28, Issue 1 (5-2024)
Abstract
Due to climate change and human activities, the quality and quantity of water have become the most important concern of most of the countries in the world. In addition, changes in land use and climate are known as two important and influential factors in discharge. In this research, four climate change models including
HADGEM2-ES, GISS-E-R, CSIRO-M-K-3-6-0, and CNRM-CM5.0 under two extreme scenarios RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 were used as climate change scenarios in the future period of 2020-2050. The future land use scenario (2050) was prepared using the CA-Markov algorithm in IDRISI software using land use maps in 1983 and 2020. The SWAT model was calibrated to better simulate hydrological processes from 1984 to 2012 and validated from 2013 to 2019 and was used to evaluate the separate and combined effects of climate change and land use on discharge. The prediction of the climate change impact on discharge showed a decrease in most of the models under the two scenarios RCP2.6 and RCP8.5. The average maximum decrease and increase under the RCP2.6 scenario is 60 and 30 percent, respectively. This significant reduction is greater than that predicted under the RCP8.5 scenario. Examining the combined effects of climate and land use change revealed that the average decrease in discharge in the months of October, November, December, and January under two scenarios is 46.2 and 58%, respectively. The average increase in discharge is predicted to be 47% under the RCP8.5 in the months of April and May in the HadGEM2ES.
