Papers by Javad Nematollahi
Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences
Surface water in Gilan province is assessed in order to determine its hydrogeochemistry and irrig... more Surface water in Gilan province is assessed in order to determine its hydrogeochemistry and irrigation water quality using 55 water samples. In this regard, concentration of major ions and physicochemical parameters including
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
This study investigates the occurrence, distribution, and potential ecological risk of trace elem... more This study investigates the occurrence, distribution, and potential ecological risk of trace elements (TEs) along with the hydrogeochemical characteristics of coastal surface water collected from the southern Caspian coasts in the Mazandaran province of Iran. Eighteen coastal water sites were sampled and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and ion chromatography to determine concentrations of TEs and major ions, respectively. Mean concentrations (µg/l) of TEs in the water followed the order: Al (154.3) > Fe (73.6) > Zn (67.8) > Mn (29.9) > Cu (5.7) > Mo (3.7) > Cd (2.8) > Se (2.3) > V (1.9) > Co = As (1.8) > Sb (1.2) > Pb (0.6). TEs displayed high variations within samples, reflecting many sources that control their concentrations in the coastal water. Most TEs displayed elevated concentrations in the east and west of the study area. The Na-Cl water type in the majority of investigated sites indicates excess alkaline elements and strong acid anions relative to alkaline earth cations and weak acid anions. Considering the saturation states of minerals, carbonate and evaporite minerals are oversaturated and unsaturated in surface water, respectively. Compositional interrelations between aqueous species showed that reverse cation exchange may have occurred. The excess SO42− content, derived from irrigation return flow and domestic greywater, probably plays a crucial role in the mobilization and transport of Zn and Pb by binding to sulfate ligands and forming aqueous complexes. Ecological risk assessment of TEs revealed that water in the majority of sites is safe in terms of As, Se, Pb, and Cd content, and unsuitable with respect to Zn and Cu. Acute and chronic toxicities of Cu and Zn are reported in several sites, thus coastal water cannot be used for fishery and protecting “nature reserve” purposes. However, industrial activity and tourism are safe to be conducted in most coastal water sites.
Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2020
In the original publication of the article, the footnote of Table 6 was incorrectly inserted for ... more In the original publication of the article, the footnote of Table 6 was incorrectly inserted for Table 5. The original article has been corrected. Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Science of The Total Environment, 2022
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Science of The Total Environment, 2021
This study investigates, for the first time, the concentration, distribution, fate and chemical c... more This study investigates, for the first time, the concentration, distribution, fate and chemical composition of microplastics (MPs) in urban and industrial soils of Ahvaz metropolis, SW Iran. MP concentrations ranged from 100 to 3135 and 80 to1220 unit·kg-1 in urban and industrial soils, respectively, with corresponding means of 619 and 390 unit·kg-1. The most contaminated urban sites were located in the city center. Precisely these areas were affected by insufficient sanitation infrastructure including sewer systems, surface runoff collection and sewage treatment, and also high traffic loading in a commercial zone. MPs were found in various shapes, colours and sizes. In particular, microfibres (white-transparent and < 250 μm) were the most abundant MPs found in urban (70%) and industrial (55%) soils. Based on the weathering observed in the MPs, a large number of them originated from the fragmentation of other plastics and could have been photobleached. Polyethylene terephthalate and nylon were the dominant polymers in the MPs found in both industrial and urban soils and they could originate from textiles and tyres.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021
This study assesses the occurrence of trace elements (TEs) in sediments of the southern Caspian S... more This study assesses the occurrence of trace elements (TEs) in sediments of the southern Caspian Sea. A total of 16 shoreline sediment samples and 15 seabed sediment samples along five coastal transects were studied. The mean concentration of TEs follows the order of Zn > V > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Sb > Mo > Cd. The TEs had an uneven, heterogeneous distribution within the shoreline and seabed sampling sites. This is due to that the study area comprises a large number of different pollution sources, also different sediment physicochemical characteristics. Levels of individual TEs within the seabed sediment transects were higher where their shoreline sites had higher concentrations, reflecting that the coastal sites play an important role in diffusing the contaminants towards the sea. The main anthropogenic source of TEs in this highly populated region, especially in the western part, is likely a large number of discharge points of greywater entering the sea. In addition, dominant fishing industry, tourism, intense agriculture, and textile and paper industry, as well as several other commercial activities, contribute significantly to the overall loading of TEs. Based on the statistical analyses, the organic matter and mud fraction had a strong explanatory value for the spatial variation of Cu, while oxyhydroxides of Fe and Mn had good explanatory factors to govern the spatial variation of other TEs. Pb and Zn had a relatively high partition coefficient (Kd), reflecting the affinity of these elements to be sorbed to the sediment phase. Cd and Sb had lower Kd, tending to remain in the aqueous phase. Geochemical indices indicated high enrichment of Cd, Sb, Zn, and Pb at a number of sampling sites, reflecting potential local sources of contamination. The Sisangan recreational area was identified as the most contaminated site. From a public health perspective, the non-carcinogenic risk of TEs was significant only at this site. The carcinogenic risks of Pb(II) and As(III) in adults, and Pb(II), Cd(II), and As(III) in children, were tolerable.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2021
This study assesses the frequency, distribution, characteristics, and chemical composition of mic... more This study assesses the frequency, distribution, characteristics, and chemical composition of microplastics (MPs) in the gut of highly consumed fish species, namely leaping mullet (Chelon saliens), common carp (Cyprinus carpioi), and Caspian kutum (Rutilus caspicus), in the southern Caspian Sea biome. Fibers are found to be the only shape of MPs. Black MPs and polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate polymers are dominant. MP frequency is highest in leaping mullet's gut, while kutum specimens exhibited the lowest MP frequency, reflecting that leaping mullet is a neritic species and thus highly exposed to MP influx in shallow coastal water, while the other species are benthopelagic. The estimated condition index reflected a significant difference between the species, implying that MPs may pose adverse health impacts on leaping mullet and common carp, with no undesirable effect on Caspian kutum. No significant relationship exists between biological parameters and the MP frequency in the fish gut.
Science of The Total Environment, 2021
This study examines for the first time the characteristics and human exposure of microplastics (M... more This study examines for the first time the characteristics and human exposure of microplastics (MPs) in settled indoor dust in schools. An average of MPs•g of dust-1 were detected in settled indoor composite dust samples from 28 schools in Shiraz. White-transparent microfibres with lengths 500-1000 µm were the most abundant type of MP found among the samples examined. Polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene MPs were dominant across all types of MP found including microfibres. MPs had generally smooth morphology with sharp or regular edges which could have been released to the environment as primary MPs. Among all sampling sites, higher concentrations of MPs were found in the south and centre of the city. These were areas affected by high population density, high traffic load and high presence of industrial units and workshops. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed a positive strong correlation between sampling sites and MP physical characteristics. The PCA plots revealed that MP sheets and fragments were prevalent in sites in the North of Shiraz, whereas microfibres were mainly associated with sites in the South. The levels of MPs in the South of Shiraz were greater than in the rest of the country and the wind direction and topography were found to be important factors affecting the MP distribution observed. Compared to other population groups, elementary school students had relatively high exposure risk to MPs. This study reveals that microfibres are widespread in Shiraz' schools and pose a high exposure risk to MPs for young students.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2020
Soil and the dominant plant species in the vicinity of Khatoon Abad copper smelter in Kerman prov... more Soil and the dominant plant species in the vicinity of Khatoon Abad copper smelter in Kerman province of Iran are examined to determine contamination, bioavailability, and ecological-health risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) based on 23 collected soil samples and 13 Artemisia siebri plant species. Cu, Mo, As, and Sb display a significant level of enrichment in soil. Ecological risk assessment shows that Cu, As, and Cd pose the highest ecological risk. The results of PTEs fractionation reveal that, on average, Cu, As, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Mo are mostly distributed between non-residual fractions reflecting higher mobility and potential ecological risk, while Cr, Ni, and Co are significantly distributed within the residual fraction, and do not pose a serious ecological risk. Mobility factor suggests high bioavailability of Cu for plants followed by As, Cd, Pb, Mo, Co, Ni, and Cr. Biological accumulation coefficient displays higher phytoavailability of Mo and Cd. PTEs transfer within plant follows the order of Mo > As > Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Cr > Cd. The results of phytoavailability indicate the high tendency of Cd to bioaccumulate in Artemisia's root, while Mo, As, and Pb tend to translocate towards Artemisia's shoot. Calculated hazard index and incremental lifetime cancer risk revealed that As poses the highest noncarcinogenic health risk, and As and Pb pose the greatest carcinogenic health risk in both adults and children.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2020
This study assesses the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in coastal and sea surface sediments, a... more This study assesses the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in coastal and sea surface sediments, as well as water samples, collected from the coastal region of the southern Caspian Sea, Mazandaran province, Iran. A total of 32 sediment and 10 water samples were studied. The mean concentration of MPs was 15 units kg-1 in the sediments and 710 units m-3 in the coastal water. Fibers constituted by far the dominant MPs in both media, accounting for 97% of the MPs in both sediment and water samples. The MPs were mainly black in color. The dominant size of MP particles in sediment samples was between 250 and 500 µm, while the fraction >1000 µm dominated in the water samples. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and nylon (NYL) were the main polymers and/or copolymers composing MPs in both sediment and water samples. The MP particles had a relatively smooth surface morphology, although signs of weathering were observed. The number of MP particles in sediment and water samples showed a general decrease from west to east in the study area. This may be reflecting the spreading of MP loading from the outlets of Sefidrud, Tonekabon, Chalus, the major rivers entering the Caspian Sea just west of the study area, and the overall decrease in the spatial distribution of touristic and fishery activity. The main sources of MP particles could be local emissions from a large number of domestic wastewater effluents and urban surface runoff due to high population density, and industrial and fishing activities in this region. This study indicated that MP particles, based on their characteristics and chemical composition, are circulated between coastal waters, and shore and sea surface sediments of the Caspian Sea, leading to their uneven distribution in the different depths. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work studying the distribution of MP particles in sea surface sediments and also the most comprehensive on MPs in shoreline sediments and coastal waters in the southern Caspian Sea.
In order to identify natural and anthropogenic pollution in Gowatr bay (also gowadar bay), the di... more In order to identify natural and anthropogenic pollution in Gowatr bay (also gowadar bay), the distribution of heavy metals in the surface and different depths of marine and intertidal sediments was studied. For this purpose, 17 surficial sediment samples, and 5 sediment cores were collected, and compared with local background concentration. The results of surficial distribution of heavy metals indicate that maximum concentration of Copper and Zinc, Lead, and Nickel is related to Pasabandar harbor, sandy coast, and mudflats of Mangrove jungle, respectively. Calculated correlation coefficients indicate good positive correlation between Iron, clay fraction and potentially toxic metals, especially; Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni. Heavy metals distribution at depth was determined in five sediment cores. Sixty percent of sediment cores display surficial Pb enrichment, while Ni and Co are concentrated at depth. According to geo-accumulation factor (Igeo), zinc and copper show heavy contamination in Pa...
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Papers by Javad Nematollahi