Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management

Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in groundwater resources of Konaro area, Iranshahr, SE Iran: implication for ophiolitic rocks impact

2025-01-06T09:49:17+02:00

This study, it has been attempted to investigate the heavy metals pollution in groundwater resources of Konaro area. Accordingly, eight representative groundwater samples from wells and qanat were collected in December 2017 from rural settlements commonly used for irrigation and drinking. Analysis of lead, zinc, iron, chromium, copper and nickel as heavy metals was conducted by the ICP-MS approach. The results of analyzes indicate that the concentration of heavy metals in the groundwater of the study area is lower than the permissible limit. Results of HEI, HPI, and Cd contamination indices show that 62.5% of samples in the Konaro area fall into the medium pollution group, and the rest of the samples fall into the low pollution group due to their heavy metals content. Studies show that all samples of groundwater in the Konaro area have low to moderate contamination and that the overall contamination rate is not dangerous. Correlations between heavy metals indicators demonstrate that HPI is strongly correlated with HEI and Cd also HEI with Cd. Therefore, it is evident that all of the indices are important and reliable to study the risk of heavy metals pollution in the Konaro ophiolitic area. Pollution evaluation indices and statistical analysis confirm that the low to medium level of heavy metals in Konaro groundwater samples is owing to the lack of acidity, poor agriculture and poor urbanization around the river and thus the lack of contamination of the aquifer.

Factors of visual organization effective on the protection of vernacular landscapes in the foothill villages

2025-01-21T18:30:11+02:00

As the cultural heritage of a country, the texture of vernacular villages is the main factor that forms the vernacular landscape. These textures provide visual values that play a determinant role in presence and residence continuity in rural areas. However, many vernacular landscapes of foothill villages in Iran have become problematic due to interferences and a lack of proper management mechanisms. It is essential to formulate a theoretical framework for parameters affecting the vernacular landscape protection to handle the development process and preserve this precious heritage. This is an exploratory study in terms of nature and is descriptive-survey research in terms of data collecting method. The statistical population comprises 31 experts in architectural and rural fields who were interviewed through a non-random network method. The techniques used in this study include content analysis, Delphi, and correlation, and the collected data are analyzed using SPSS software through Q factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. The results show that 9 factors can be extracted based on the priorities and mental patterns of the experts for visual organization: adaptability, coordination and orderliness, visibility, comfort, permeability, compatibility, legibility, attractiveness, and landscape. Among the mentioned factors, the higher explained variance percentage (14.097%) belongs to adaptability. According to the obtained results, 99.4% of variations in the vernacular landscape have been explained by these 9 factors among which, visual attractiveness and visibility have the highest effect on vernacular landscape protection in foothill villages with impact coefficients of 0.318 and 0.279, respectively at the significance level of 99%.

GIS based ground water assessment of Nilakkottai Taluk, Tamil Nadu, India: hydrogeochemistry and statistical perspective

2025-02-04T12:48:54+02:00

Water quality is imperative for drinking and agriculture purposes in order to meet the increasing requirements for water. The systematic assessment of groundwater quality in Nilakkottai Taluk, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, was performed. In order to ascertain the quality of the study area’s groundwater, various water quality indices, spatial distribution maps, multivariate statistical analysis, and hydrofacies diagrams have been contemplated. 40 samples were collected and analysed for 20 water quality parameters, using the standard techniques. The quality results of the irrigation analysis showed that the groundwater samples were satisfactory for agricultural use. The deduction of four principal components denotes that hydrogeochemical processes and anthropogenic inputs were the main controlling factors. The durov plot demonstrated the dominance of Ca-HCO₃ type groundwater, indicating a weathering process through fresh water recharge. This study insisted that majority of the samples satisfactory for crop yield and need to be protected from further contamination.

Investigating the influence of urban green spaces on urban heat island mitigation – taking four districts in Shijiazhuang as an example

2025-02-04T18:30:27+02:00

The primary objective of this scholarly investigation is to elucidate the intricate interplay between the urban heat island (UHI) effect and municipal green spaces. The geographical focus includes the four areas with the highest urbanization rate in Shijiazhuang, China. To conduct this survey, ECOSTRESS remote sensing imagery was acquired during distinct temporal intervals–morning, midday, and evening. The data were collected using the equal-scale city blocks performed by the OpenStreetMap urban network and ECOSTRESS remote sensing images at different times (morning, noon and evening). Surface temperature inversion of satellite images was performed using ArcGIS 10.7 software to obtain surface temperature. The overarching aim was to discern the nuanced impact of urban parks on the surface temperatures of their proximate environs during the summer season. The findings of this investigation revealed that, in order to effectively ameliorate the discernible heat island effect (SUH), rejuvenation initiatives ought to be directed toward sites maintaining a distance from green spaces within the range of 160 to 370 meters. Furthermore, augmentation of green space configurations is recommended in vicinities characterized by building densities falling within the range of 0.2 to 0.3. Notably, in locales marked by high building density, park layouts should adhere to a more regularized design during the renovation process. Additionally, it is advisable to ensure that the spatial separation between distinct urban parks exceeds 900 meters. These empirical insights are poised to enhance the comprehension of urban planners regarding the intricate dynamics through which urban parks exert influence on municipal surface temperatures. Furthermore, the discerned patterns furnish pragmatic guidance for mitigating the heat island effect, thereby offering invaluable recommendations for urban planning endeavors.

The effect of nature-based landscape design on human health and well-being: a thematic synthesis

2025-02-05T18:30:27+02:00

Population growth, high-density living situations, and rapid urbanization lead to environmental change that affects ecosystems, human behavior, and well-being. To design health-promoting urban landscapes, it is necessary to conduct more detailed studies of landscape features. However, there is a lack of review articles discussing specific approaches and factors of landscape design for human well-being in evidence-based landscape research. Therefore, this review aims to explore the research trends and future studies’ direction by adopting a thematic analysis approach. Using ATLAS.ti 23 software, we analyzed 40 literature articles on landscape design and human well-being published between 2018 and 2022. The article attribute findings show the research trends on the topic. Six main themes emerged from the subsequent qualitative analysis: (1) Human-nature Interactions, (2) Health-promoting Design, (3) Integrative Strategies, (4) Landscape Intervention, (5) Perceptions and Restorativeness, and (6) Sustainability. The resulting framework serves to guide landscape designers, urban planners, and researchers to improve the effectiveness of public social, physical, and mental health with feasible measures and design approaches.

Development of a method of surface water content research using ultraviolet rays

2025-02-05T18:30:27+02:00

It is known that the process of water treatment in surface water bodies requires the development of advanced and effective technologies for the destruction of harmful microorganisms and viruses. The aim of the present study is to develop a method for the investigation of surface water content. As a result of the study, the electronic circuit of the purification device using ultraviolet rays was developed. The energy and spectral characteristics were experimentally investigated and the economic efficiency of the ultraviolet ray device was determined, taking into account the basic sanitary and hygienic requirements for the organisation of ultraviolet water disinfection. It is substantiated, that the developed scheme provides safety of conditions of work of the personnel with the equipment.

Recognition and optimization of landscape genes in traditional settlements: a case of Meishan area

2025-02-06T18:30:29+02:00

Traditional settlement landscapes provide vital ecosystem services and represent significant cultural heritage, making their preservation crucial for national cultural development and rural revitalization. This study focuses on Meicheng Town in the Meishan area, utilizing landscape gene theory to classify and identify cultural landscape features. By integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE), the study develops a landscape gene sorting index system, systematically evaluating 16 sub-categories of landscape factors. The results highlight topography and building decoration as dominant features that should be prioritized for preservation. However, areas such as building materials, traditional culture, and folk customs require significant improvement. Additionally, the river and road landscapes present opportunities for enhancement to strengthen the town’s cultural identity and aesthetic quality. The study provides practical recommendations for optimizing Meicheng Town’s landscape, balancing the preservation of traditional elements with modern development needs. This approach addresses gaps in the literature on settlement landscape genes and offers strategies for sustainable rural cultural landscape development.

An assessment of an urban protected area through a space syntax approach: the case of Ordu, Turkiye

2025-02-07T09:09:44+02:00

Traditional architecture, preserved and integrated into urban life, has the potential to become a point of attraction for cities and contribute to their image. The aim of this study is to analyse the configurational characteristics of the urban conservation area and its immediate surroundings, which constitute the historical core of the city of Ordu, and the general condition of the registered architectural examples in the area. The evaluations of the spatial configuration are based on the analyses of connectivity, global and local integration, which are the basic parameters of the spatial sequence method. As a result of the study, it can be seen that the two main traffic arteries of the area, Sıtkı Can Street and Dr Osman Hilmi Memecan Street, have the highest sequence values. Although it can be seen that Sıtkı Can Street, one of these traffic arteries, is more advantageous than other streets in terms of the registered civil architecture stock in the area, it is important that restoration processes should be implemented as soon as possible in order to ensure structural and historical continuity and not to lose the registered civil architecture examples located in different parts of the study area.

Automatic monitoring of treated water released from wastewater treatment plants using model-based clustering with density estimation

2025-02-07T18:30:29+02:00

One of the most promising efforts to fight against the water scarcity threat is to reuse the treated water released from WasteWater Treatment Plants (WWTP). The objective of this paper is to propose an integrated approach for continuously evaluating the performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), with a focus on treated wastewater quality assessment and reuse of treated water for beneficial purposes like irrigation, aquarium, groundwater recharge, and in river water discharge based on pollution level in treated water. This paper implemented a model-based clustering with density estimation to generate the non-overlapped clusters to categorize the clusters. Cluster analysis using the Euclidean distance resulted in three clusters labeled under a specified category of water polluted: non-polluted, lightly polluted, highly polluted or slightly polluted. Unlike standard clustering algorithms like K-means, hierarchical that produce optimized clusters in statistical terms that deviate from naturally categorized clusters, model-based clustering with density estimation operates on the assumption that each data object originates from the mixture of underlying probability distributions. Water quality parameters like suspended solids (SS) have been considered for the analysis. Our experimental results conclusively show the polluted levels of wastewater from WWTP using a model-based clustering approach. The Dataset used in this work has been derived from the wastewater treatment plant located in Manresa, a town of 100,000 inhabitants near Barcelona (Catalonia). The plant treats a flow of 35,000 m³/day, mainly domestic wastewater, although wastewater from industries located inside the town is received in the plant too. In this research, the plant’s behavior over 527 days are under consideration. Model-based density clustering algorithm discovers 3 clusters, with half lying in size range of 14–89 and a maximum size of 352. With the help of natural clusters generated, our results show that out of 445 days, in 352 days, the treated water is almost non-polluted. By this, we can assess the performance of the wastewater treatment plant.

A SDGs-oriented evaluation of the ecological sustainability of international horticultural exposition sites in Chengdu, China

2025-02-11T18:30:34+02:00

This study employs the AHP-entropy weight methodology and a spatial econometric regression model to evaluate the ecological sustainability and its changes between the current situation and the planning scenario at the 2024 Chengdu International Horticultural Exposition in China. The results indicate a notable shift: a reduction in areas of low and highest sustainability and significant expansion in medium levels, which spans 34.04 hm². The transformation of village settlements, wastelands, and farmland into exhibition gardens and water bodies is shown to bolster medium-level ecological sustainability by enhancing rain and flood security and mitigating the risk of flood disasters. The development of Integrated Service areas will lead to an increase in impervious surfaces. The anticipated forest loss, along with declines in vegetation coverage, three-dimensional green volume, and vegetation carbon stock will adversely affect the highest sustainability. The study identifies a robust correlation between ecological sustainability level and quantitative indicators, with regression coefficients ranging from 0.5875 to 0.7148. This analysis provides policymakers with valuable insights and directions for the sustainable planning and development of mega-events.

Sustainable recovery plan for an urban-rural community affected by the Fundão Dam disaster in Brazil

2025-03-13T18:31:07+02:00

The rupture of Fundão Dam spilled contaminated tailings across the Doce river basin, severely damaging municipalities such as the urban Barra Longa and the rural Gesteira. The wave of tailings led to the sediment deposition in rivers margins, causing the loss of riparian forests and cropping areas. Sediment analyses confirmed the presence of toxic compounds (sodium and ether amine) and a very low fertility. In consequence, there was a sharp decline in agro-pastoral production in Gesteira, leading to land abandonment and rural exodus. In the urban area of Barra Longa, the wave of tailings damaged the urban floodplain and the square, which were rehabilitated using grey infrastructure. Alternatively, we proposed a new landscape recovery plan for both Barra Longa and Gesteira based on Nature and Community-based solutions that contemplate the inclusion of green infrastructure, the remediation of toxic compounds, the restoration of soil fertility, permeability and stabilization, riparian forest rehabilitation and the recovery of agro-pastoral productivity, ultimately aiming at reducing the flood risk and land abandonment.