• Energy Research
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In this research, By using data envelopment analysis method and output distance functions to decomposes energy productivity change into four components; technical efficiency change, technological change, changes in capital to energy ratio and labor in energy ratio In the industrial sector of the country Iran during the period 2014-2004. To this end, the output-axis data envelope analysis method has been used with the assumption of constant returns to scale. The results show that the effect of changing the ratio of capital to energy is a major factor in reducing the of energy intensity in the industrial sector of the Iran, changes technological progress, changes labor- energy ratio and changes technical efficiency drove up energy intensity in most industries.

Background and purpose: The popularity of fermented beverages is increasing due to the preservation of food value and health characteristics of the product during fermentation. Kombucha is a probiotic and beneficial fermented beverage obtained from the social coexistence of bacteria and osmophilic yeasts in a sweetened black tea environment with sucrose. Sucrose is hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose by the invertase enzyme produced by the yeasts in the Kombucha consortium, and fructose is converted to ethanol and carbon dioxide by the yeasts. Despite the excellent health benefits of this drink, it can sometimes be controversial due to the increase in ethanol levels and the issue of halal quality. Results: The final concentration of ethanol alcohol in kombucha varies depending on parameters such as the species of microorganisms present in the solution, temperature, fermentation time and the initial sugar consumption. Using measurements such as controlling the amount of consumed sucrose, regular aeration during the fermentation process, using green and black tea as a substrate, using certain species of microorganisms to reduce the amount of ethanol produced, reducing the pH of the solution during the process and using Alternative sources of sucrose with lower sweetness such as honey and berry juice, can reduce the amount of ethanol produced in kombucha by 0.5%. Conclusion: Kombucha with an alcohol content of less than 3% is considered a non-alcoholic beverage. Using simple and practical solutions, the amount of ethanol produced in the Kombucha solution can be significantly reduced and the miraculous properties of this drink can be benefited.

In recent years, human activities induced increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) which caused global warming and climate change. Climate change is anticipated to cause negative and adverse impacts on water systems throughout the world. Higher temperatures are expected to lead to a host of problems. These include melting snowpack, altering both the intensity and frequency of precipitation, increasing evapotranspiration and else. (Delghandi, 2016). Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is a key hydrological variable quantifying a major water loss from catchments and basins, which can be used to calculate actual evapotranspiration (ETa), scheduled irrigation and prepare input data for hydrological models. The irrigation water requirement basically represents the difference between the crop water requirement and effective precipitation. The only factors affecting ETo are climatic parameters as water is abundantly available at the reference evapotranspiring surface (Allen et al., 1998). The first of climatic parameters is air temperature. As temperature increases, evapotranspiration also goes up. Some study conducted to indicate climate change impact on ET (e.g, Behmanesh et al., 2015; Sheidaeian et al., 2015; Babaeian and Kouhi, 2012). In this study, climate change impacts on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and precipitation deficit (PD) were studied from 2010 to 2099 in Semnan region. The objective of this study was to examine the climate change impact on the ETo regarding the uncertainty of Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCM) and Greenhouse Gases Emission (GHG) scenarios.

The occurrence of wind erosion and the spread of dust particles can be regarded as one of the most important and threatening environmental factors. Climate change and the frequency of droughts have played an important role in exacerbating or weakening these events. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the trend of changes in four important climatic elements (precipitation, temperature, wind speed and relative humidity) and dust storm index (DSI) in Qazvin city using the Mann-Kendall pre-whitened test and to determine the relationship between them based on the multiple linear regression method. Assessment of the meteorological drought status based on two standardized precipitation index and standardized precipitation, as well as the evapotranspiration index and analysis of their effect on activity level of dust events, was the other objective of this study in the study area. For this purpose, after preparing and processing the climatic data and calculating the dust storm index, the trend of changes and the relationship between climatic parameters and dust events were investigated. The results showed that the changes of trend in the annual precipitation and relative humidity in Qazvin city were increasing, while the trend of annual changes in the wind speed and the mean air temperature was a decreasing one. Investigation of the monthly changes in the dust events also showed that there was a sharp decrease in the occurrence of wind erosion and the spread of domestic dust particles only in July. On a seasonal scale, with the exception of winter that has been reported without trends, in other seasons, the intensity of these events was significantly reduced. The effect of the meteorological drought on wind erosion was estimated to be 11% at the confidence level of 99%. In general, these findings indicate a decreasing trend of land degradation and desertification caused by wind erosion in Qazvin.

The principle of economically optimal design of water conveyance and water supply systems has been one of the major concerns of researchers and designers for along time. In order to design a hydropower plant many combinations of headrace tunnel, penstockand surge tank sizes may be selected.The designalternative that has a maximum benefit-cost ratio is the one which must be sought. be selected that has the maximum benefit-cost ratio. In this paper, unsteady flow analysis is performed initially to get maximum pressures in headrace tunnel and penstocks and maximum water elevation in surge tanks. Based on these results structural design of headrace tunnel, penstocks and surge tanks is done. Total cost of the project is then calculated. Having calculated the head at turbines, sales of power and revenues are determined to get the benefit-cost ratio. It is obvious that for every selected size of involved structures, hydraulic and optimization analyses should be done. The genetic algorithm optimization technique is utilized for optimal design of headrace tunnel, penstocks, and surge tanks. The benefit-cost ratio is considered to be the objective function in the optimization analysis. The hydraulic and optimization analyses have been linked in an iterative procedure to develop a general model for optimal design of hydropower plant projects. The accuracy and convergence of the developed model have been quite satisfactory.

Introduction In recent years human activities induced increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Increases in [CO2] caused global warming and Climate change. Climate change is anticipated to cause negative and adverse impacts on agricultural systems throughout the world. Higher temperatures are expected to lead to a host of problems. On the other hand, increasing of [CO2] anticipated causing positive impacts on crop yield. Considering the socio-economic importance of agriculture for food security, it is essential to undertake assessments of how future climate change could affect crop yields, so as to provide necessary information to implement appropriate adaptation strategies. In this perspective, the aim of this study was to assess potential climate change impacts and on production for one of the most important varieties of wheat (chamran) in Khouzestan plain and provide directions for possible adaptation strategies. Materials and Methods: For this study, The Ahvaz region located in the Khuzestan province of Iran was selected. Ahvaz has a desert climate with long, very hot summers and mild, short winters. At first, thirteen GCM models and two greenhouse gases emission (GHG) scenarios (A2 and B1) was selected for determination of climate change scenarios. ∆P and ∆T parameters at monthly scale were calculated for each GCM model under each GHG emissions scenario by following equation: Where ∆P, ∆T are long term (thirty years) precipitation and temperature differences between baseline and future period, respectively. average future GCM temperature (2015-2044) for each month, , average baseline period GCM temperature (1971-2000) for each month, , average future GCM precipitation for each month, , average baseline period GCM temperature (1971-2000) for each month and i is index of month. Using calculated ∆Ps for each month via AOGCM models and Beta distribution, Cumulative probability distribution function (CDF) determined for generated ∆Ps. ∆P was derived for risk level 0.10 from CDF. Using the measured precipitation for the 30 years baseline period (1971-2000) and LARS-WG model, daily precipitation time series under risk level 0.10 were generated for future periods (2015-2045 and 2070-2100). Mentioned process in above was performed for temperature. Afterwards, wheat growth was simulated during future and baseline periods using DSSAT, CERES-Wheat model. DSSAT, CERES4.5 is a model based on the crop growth module in which crop growth and development are controlled by phenological development processes. The DSSAT model contains the soil water, soil dynamic, soil temperature, soil nitrogen and carbon, individual plant growth module and crop management module (including planting, harvesting, irrigation, fertilizer and residue modules). This model is not only used to simulate the crop yield, but also to explore the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity and irrigated water. For model validation, field data from different years of observations were used in this study. Experimental data for the simulation were collected at the experimental farm of the Khuzestan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center (KANRC), located at Ahwaz in south western Iran. Results and Discussion: Results showed that wheat growth season was shortened under climate change, especially during 2070-2100 periods. Daily evapotranspiration increased and cumulative evapotranspiration decreased due to increasing daily temperatures and shortening of growth season, respectively. Comparing the wheat yield under climate change with base period based on the considered risk value (0.10) showed that wheat yield in 2015-2045 and 2070-2100 was decreased about 4 and 15 percent, respectively. Four adaptation strategies were assessed (shifting in the planting date, changing the amount of nitrogenous fertilizer, irrigation regime and breeding strategies) in response to climate change. Results indicated that Nov, 21 and Dec, 11 are the best planting dates for 2015-2045 and 2070-2100, respectively. The late season varieties with heat-tolerant characteristic had higher yield in comparison with short and normal season varieties. It indicated that breeding strategy was an appropriate adaptation under climate change. It was also found that the amount of nitrogen application will be reduced by 20 percent in future periods. The increase and decease of one irrigation application (40mm) to irrigation regime of base period resulted in maximum yield for 2015-2045 and 2070-2100, respectively. But, reduction of two irrigation application (80mm) resulted in maximum water productivity (WPI). Conclusions In the present study, four adaptation strategies of wheat (shifting in the planting date, changing the amount of nitrogenous fertilizer, irrigation regime and breeding strategies) under climate change in Ahvaz region were investigated. Result showed that Nov, 21 and Dec, 11 were the best planting dates for 2015-2045 and 2070-2100, respectively. The late season varieties with heat-tolerant characteristic had higher yield in comparison with short and normal season varieties. It indicated that breeding strategy was an appropriate adaptation strategy under climate change. It was also found that the amount of nitrogen application will be reduced by 20 percent in future periods. The increase and decease of one irrigation application (40mm) to irrigation regime of base period resulted in maximum yield for 2015-2045 and 2070-2100, respectively.

Background and Objectives: Cadmium can enter water resources through the industrial wastewater. It could cause intensivly damages to the liver and kidney of humans. Magnetic iron nanoparticles are used to control and eliminate heavy metals from industrial effluents through the mechanisms of adsorption, ion exchange and electrostatic forces. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles for adsorption of cadmium. Methods: The magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method through the addition of bivalent and trivalent iron chloride under alkaline conditions. Characteristics of nanoparticles including particles structure, composition and size were determined using analytical devices such as XRD, SEM, and FT-IR. For optimization of adsorption process of cadmium, some parameters such as pH, contact time, initial concentration of cadmium, nanoparticles concentration, and temperature were studied under different conditions. Results: It was found that 95% of cadmium could be removedAt pH ≥ 5.6, 10 mg/L initial cadmium concentration, a dose of 1 mg synthesized magnetite nanoparticles, 10 minutes contact time, and 200 rpm mixing rate at 25 °C. The isotherm of adsorption follows the Langmuir model (R2 < 0.995). Maximum capacity of cadmium adsorption was found to be 20.41 mg/g. Conclusion: Magnetite nanoparticles exhibit high capability for removal of cadmium. The nanoparticles synthesized could be used at industrial scale because of having the magnetic property, which make them easily recovered from aqueous solution through applying a magnetic field.

IntroductionThe problem of energy efficiency is one of the key pillars of economics, especially agricultural sector. In term of energy efficiency, a similar estimation for human actions and their consequents can be applied to the landscape system, which first introduced by Hall et al. (1986), and now referred to Energy Return on Investment (EROI). Many energy analyzes have been done, take into account a social system boundary and an input and output approach. This approach will inevitably hide the system's internal performance inside a black box. Recently, Tello et al. (2016) have proposed a novel approach for analyzing energy at the agricultural landscape scale with the aim of evaluating energy sustainability under multiple EROIs that views the landscape as a set of energy cycles between nature and society.The proposes of this study have been to consideration the theory and methodology of multiple EROIs, to investigate the efficiency of energy flow in Qazvin agricultural landscape and, to examine the relationship between energy efficiency and landscape heterogeneity in order to describe the interaction of landscape structure and energy efficiency.Materials and MethodsThe database of this case study was prepared from 46 counties of Agricultural Organization of Iran and land use map. Agricultural database was created based on agriculture, livestock, and pasture subsystems. Agricultural yield for each crop, number of agricultural, and horticultural labors, number and type of agricultural machinery, amount of fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides, used fossil fuels, electricity, and agricultural waste belonged to the agricultural sub-sector. Census of livestock, livestock and poultry production, livestock and poultry feed, livestock and poultry production, workers and machinery, fossil fuel and electricity needed and livestock waste were collected for the livestock sector. Pasture production used for livestock grazing, amount of livestock manure going back to rangelands were belong to pasture sector.All energy flows were converted to gross caloric value following research by Guzmán et al. (2014). In this method, the calculation of multiple EROIs has replaced the conventional methods of energy efficiency calculation. Landscape heterogeneity calculated using landscape metrics. Correlation coefficient was performed using SPSS between EROIs and heterogeneity.Results and DiscussionThe highest value of FEROI was found in Bashariyate Sharghi with 0.25 and the lowest was in Kharghane Gharbi with 0.018. EFEROI, which is the most similar to the conventional method of energy efficiency, had the highest rate with 0.666 in Bashariate Gharbi and the lowest rate with 0.020 in Kharqan Gharbi. IFEROI was 0.95 in Narjah and the lowest was in Shahidabad with 0.168. Lower IFEROI indicates a higher return biomass in the production system, which seeks to maintain reproduction in the system by closing the biophysical cycles. The highest NPPEROI were reported by Bashariate Gharbi at 1.122 and lowest by Kharqan Gharbi at 0.173.In this study the relationship between the EROIs index and the heterogeneity of the landscape structure was shown. The results have showed the inverse correlation between heterogeneity and energy efficiency, indicating the heterogeneous impact of landscape structure on these indicators. It can be deduced that the heterogeneity created by human in Qazvin province has reduced energy efficiency. To explain this inverse correlation between energy efficiency and the heterogeneity of the landscape, it should be noted that one of the factors affecting efficiency is that may final production come from land uses that needed more input energy and produce less output. By examining the relationship between these indices with land use and land cover of each county, it was found that these indices had their lowest level in dry farming. It means that in Qazvin province, energy efficiency in dry farming is low, and relay on external inputs, which was mainly fossil fuel.ConclusionThis study has explained how the calculation of several energy efficiency coefficients provides more complete information than conventional methods for decision making. The results of this study can be applied in land use planning to integrate energy considerations in planning and comprehensive agricultural development plan.

Background and Objectives: As a green fuel and environmentally friendly energy, biodiesel has recently attracted much attention and efforts are ongoing to optimizing biodiesel production from microalgae’s. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate method of dewatering and drying biomass and selecting a suitable organic solvent for extraction lipids from biomass. Materials and Methods: After culturing Nannochloropsis Oculata in Gillard F/2 medium and reaching at the end of the stationary growth phase, algal biomass was separated from aqueous by centrifuge and drying in three methods: fore, air-dried and lyophilized. Lipid extractions of each sample was performed using soxhlet apparatus and three solvents including diethyl ether, n-hexane and n-pentane. At each stage, the quantity and quality of the extracted lipids was determined by gas chromatography. Results: In all three drying methods, palmitic acid and palmitoleic acid were significantly the main fatty acid composition of microalgae. The fatty acid composition of palmitic acid extracted by diethyl ether was significantly more than the other two solvents. Maximum production of triglyceride was observed in air dried and lyophilized (using diethyl ether solvent) microalgae as 75.03 and 76.72 % of fatty acid respectively. Conclusion: The use of lyophilized method for dewatering and drying of biomass and diethyl ether as solvent for the extraction of lipids from biomass yielded more compared with other methods studied in this paper and would be more efficient in research works related to the production of biodiesel from microalgae’s lipid.

Abstract Background: Increase of nitrate concentration in water sources is becoming a serious problem in many parts of the world. Nitrogen containing compounds released into environment can create serious problems, such as eutrophication of water sources and hazard potential to human health, because it has potency of causing methemoglubinemia disease and cancer. Between recommended methods, biological denitrification is an effective method to remove nitrate from water and wastewater. Materials and methods: In this study, biological nitrogen removal process was evaluated using ethanol, methanol and succinate as different organic carbon sources in batch scale. The different parameters, carbon source, initial nitrate concentration, pH, and inoculated of bacteria were evaluated. Results: The experimental results were showed that bacteria can not use methanol as carbon source. The dinitrifyers bacteria can dissimilate 200 mg/L No3-N, in the optimum condition: 28 ºC, pH 7.2 and initial inoculation of 3×108 CFU/ml, respectively. In the process, produced nitrate-N was less than 1 mg/l. Conclusion: The bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri can use ethanol as carbon source for biological denitrification, but efficiency of succinate was better than ethanol.