The overall goal of this study is investigating the environmental impacts of using wastewater effluent of industrial states in irrigation of green space. For this purpose, industrial state of Shokouhieh in Qom Province in central of Iran was selected as a case study. Firstly, the quality and quantity of inputting wastewater into refinery and outputting wastewater effluent were measured on important parameters of pH, TDS, TSS, COD, BOD and wastewater temperature in refinery laboratory of industrial state of Qom Shokouhieh during 12 months from March 2012 to March 2013. Then analysis of chemical, biological and physical indicators of irrigation wastewater (effluent) and measurement of heavy metals were done in June 2012 and January 2013 according to the standards instruction for the water and wastewater treatment. Also, heavy metals, EC, pH, and Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, k+ of soil of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhieh were studied. Then, Rapid Impact Assessment Method (RIAM) and Entropy Method were used to analyze the data. In Rapid Impact Assessment Method, socio-cultural, physicochemical, biological and economic environments get the highest negative impacts respectively. In Entropy Method after weighting the environmental factors, public health and other disease parameters with the weight of 0.147, soil chemical properties with the weight of 0.136, soil toxicity with the weight of 0.126 were allocated the first rate up to the third rate respectively. After comparing the results of these two methods with each other, the main limitation of using wastewater effluent of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhie in irrigation of green space is entering chemical pollutants (nitrate) into groundwater, salinity and toxicity of soil of industrial state and endangerment of workers and labors public health who work in industrial state of Qom Shokouhie (specially the labors who exposure directly with the wastewater effluent and labors work in refinery).
During the past decades, rapid industrial developments in different countries have been putting an increasing pressure on the water resource requirement in the island country [
Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state by 995 hectare extent located at 12 kilometers of Tehran-Qom old roads at center of Iran. This industrial state located at 42 - 34 geographical longitude and latitude at north and 51 - 50 at east and it is the nearest town to Qom in Iran. The state’s refinery based on two modulus and working with 2000 square meter average capacity at day. The refinery method of this industrial state is synthetic. Some part of the refined sewage of this industrial state are using for green space irrigation and the rest of that are using for industrial section after some advanced refinery stages. The green space of this industrial state contained green belt around town, boulevard, sidewalk that have 125 hectare extent. The used water in green space of industrial sate is about 1500 square meter. The source of used water of industrial state’s green space is industrial state’s water network. Also, state’s green space irrigation system is drop wise model. There are 10 kinds of non-productive broadleaf trees in the industrial sate. The total number of these trees is 41,854 and none of them is in endangered red list. The fruitful trees in this state are 4 trees and total of them are about 14,970 trees. The vinifera visit and punicagranatum are at low risk of extinction. The oleaeuropaea and pistca trees are not at endangered list. The perennial shrub of Qom Shokouhie industrial state is 11 trees and total of them are about 69,045 and among them, tamarix has a low risk of extinction in the red list, but other shrubs are not at red list. The needle leaf trees in Qom Shokouhie industrial state are 5 trees and total of them are about 10,540. The Cupressus arizonica and Juniperus horizontalis monech are at low risk. The produced water volume of existent wells are 50 liters at second and mentioned wells are activated during 26 days of months and the produced water volume are about 3745 square meter at day and some part of that considered as losses (due to aging of state network, about 20 percent of water network considered as losses). 1400 meter of water are using in industrial state. Rest of that are using for green space irrigation and this amount is about 1500 square meter.
The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental effects of Iran Qom Shokouhieh industrial state of wastewater effluent in irrigation of green space. Firstly, the environmental impacts of the project was identified, according to studies on environmental effects of using industrial wastewater effluent for irrigation of green space and agriculture in Iran and in other countries and based on technical, environmental and field studies including visiting and identifying the site and its affected environment. Then some interviews were done by industrial organization employers and workers and labors of Qom Shokouhie industrial sate, respectively. The entering and existing of wastewater effluent quality and quantity of state’s refinery was determined on important parameters of BOD, COD, TSS, TDS, PH and the wastewater temperature from March 2012 until February 2013. Then chemical, biological and physical analysis of important parameters of wastewater effluent and heavy metals measurement was done from July 2012 until January 2013. Measuring stations are inputs and outputs of wastewater that are measured once per month. Finally, the heavy metals, EC, pH, and some anions and cations in the soil like Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ were measured at Tehran Research Institute. The spectrophotometer tool was used for anions measurement, flame photometer was used for cation’s measurement and atomic absorption tool was used for measuring heavy metals. All testing and sampling condition are done based on standard methods for water and wastewater treatment. Rapid Impact Assessment Method with RIAM BASIC Software and Entropy Method was performed to review the environmental effect of using industrial wastewater effluent of Iran Qom Shokouhie for green space irrigation. Diagram 1 shows the processes of measuring environmental effects of using industrial wastewater effluent in Qom Shekoohie industrial state—Iran.
Location of the studying area
Diagram 1. Processes of measuring environmental effects of using industrial wastewater effluent in Qom Shekoohie industrial state— Iran.
This method was performed by Pastakia in 1998 and some specific standards were used in this method as an important criterion [
Entropy method has an important implication in social science, physic and information theory. When the decide matrix’s data are completely distinct, so we can use entropic method weight’s measurement. Above idea based on this fact that however an amount dispersal of an index is more, so that index is more importance. The information theory’s entropy is a misgiving measure that stated by distinct possibility distribution
Firstly, the quality indexes were changed to quantity indexes, then, existent information in matrix was changed to
First step: no scaling by norms
Then
Second step: indexes weights measuring
Now, calculating the deviance degree:
Third step:
Deviance degree
Fourth step:
As
After studying on rare elements, the amount of Na+, Cl− and B− is more than state’s plants need, so, this condition decrease plants growing and deforming them.
Nobody lives around of this state. Phosphor, nitrogen and potassium in the wastewater effluent are at standard concentration, so instead of using chemical fertilizer that has an adverse effect on environment, it can be used from industrial wastewater effluent for irrigation green space due to its nutrients (phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen). The total coli form and fecal coli form in the wastewater effluent is about MPN/100ml > 2400. This amount is so high. The data shows that the highest risk is toward labors who work in industrial state.
As shown in
. Results of inputting and outputting of wastewater effluent of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state in the year of 2013-2012 (July & January)
Result Examination | Row | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Limitation Standard | Outputting Waste (2013-January) | Inputting Waste (2013-January) | Outputting Waste (2012-July) | Inputting Waste (2012-July) | Scale | Examination | ||
0/1 | 0.02> | 0.02> | 0.02> | 0.02> | mg/l | Ag | 1 | |
0/05 | 0.02> | 0.01> | 0.015> | 0.015> | mg/l | Cd | 2 | |
0/05 | 0.1> | 0.08 | 0.05> | 0.05> | mg/l | Co | 3 | |
1 | 0.05> | 0.30 | 0.057 | 0.208 | mg/l | Cr | 4 | |
3 | 0.241 | 10.703 | 0.073> | 2.444 | mg/l | Fe | 5 | |
A little | 0.001> | 0.001> | 0.001> | 0.001> | mg/l | Hg | 6 | |
1 | 0.086 | 0.821 | 0.150 | 0.437 | mg/l | Mn | 7 | |
0/01 | - | 0.15> | 0.01> | 0.01> | mg/l | Mo | 8 | |
2 | 0.074 | 0.085 | 0.028 | 0.03 | mg/l | Ni | 9 | |
1 | 0.14> | 0.14> | 0.14> | 0.14> | mg/l | Pb | 10 | |
5 | 0.2> | 0.38 | 0.2> | 0.2> | mg/l | Al | 11 | |
2 | 0.3752 | 2.7409 | 0.154 | 0.636 | mg/l | Zn | 12 | |
0/2 | 0.02> | 0.02> | 0.042 | 0.085 | mg/l | Cu | 13 | |
0/01 | 0.02> | 0.01> | 0.0003> | 0.0003> | mg/l | As | 14 | |
By using pH meter tool, the pH of soil was measured. This amount was about 7.55 ohm. Then, by EC measure tool, the soil electrical conductivity
By considering performed
The increased of soil’s alkalinity that happens due to the salinity of wastewater effluent, contributed Swelling and dispersion of clay minerals and also will damage buildings structure and decrease soils permeability.
The research result based on RIAM method shows that irrigation of green space by wastewater effluent refinery has no high negative effects on green space and soil of state (−E). In this study, some of the effects of wastewater effluent were classified in positive groups and some of them in negative groups. Also, as shown in
Finally, the economic costs, public contribution, public ideas, religion, population and immigration in cultural-social environment and other chemical features of soil at physic-chemical environment are located in chang-
. Physical, chemical and biological analysis of inputting and outputting of wastewater effluent of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state in the year 2012-2013 (July & January)
Result examination | Row | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Limitation standard | Outputting waste (2013-January) | Inputting waste (2013-January) | Outputting waste (2012-July) | Inputting waste (2012-July) | Scale | Examination | |||
8.5 - 6 | 7.4 | 3.41 | 8.5 | 3.42 | - | pH | 1 | ||
- | 24.3 | 21 | 24.9 | 21 | C | T | 2 | ||
2 | 2.8 | 2.2 | - | - | mg/l | DO | 3 | ||
700 | 7080 | 7090 | 15,460 | 17,510 | µs/cm | ECw | 4 | ||
- | 5066.4 | 5172 | 12776.8 | 14625.3 | mg/l | TDS | 5 | ||
100 | 20 | 1005 | 13 | 385 | mg/l | TSS | 6 | ||
- | 13 | 982 | 9.1 | 10.5 | ppt | Sal | 7 | ||
50 | 108 | 982 | 10.8 | 982 | NTU | - | 8 | ||
0.5 | 0.040 | 0.015 | 0.229 | 0.372 | mg/l | ABS | 9 | ||
- | 452 | - | 946 | 333.3 | mg/l | T.A | 10 | ||
- | 3.5 | 24.3 | 4.03 | 18.6 | mg/l | O&G | 11 | ||
600 | 1629.49 | 1559.51 | 4774.4 | 5186.3 | mg/l | CL- | 12 | ||
- | 156 | 204 | 100 | 276 | mg/l | Ca2+ | 13 | ||
100 | 51.24 | 122 | 275.7 | 163.48 | mg/l | Mg2+ | 14 | ||
500 | - | - | 3750 | - | mg/l | Na | 15 | ||
- | 780 | 1> | 1120 | 2160 | mg/l | SO4 | 16 | ||
- | 3.90 | 1.12 | 6.90 | 11.3 | mg/l | PO4 | 17 | ||
- | 39.3 | 24.7 | 39.3 | 48.9 | mg/l | NO3 | 18 | ||
- | 1.022 | 0.027 | 5.65 | 5.93 | mg/l | NO2 | 19 | ||
- | 4.20 | 22.5 | 3.7 | 10.75 | mg/l | NH3 | 20 | ||
200 | 156.24 | 4326.2 | 160 | 2500 | mg/l | COD | 21 | ||
100 | 89.4 | 1097.5 | 69.4 | 1940.5 | mg/l | BOD5 | 22 | ||
1000 | 2400< | 2400< | >2400 | 2400< | MPN/100ml | Total coli form | 23 | ||
400 | 2400< | 2400< | >2400 | 2400< | MPN/100ml | Fecal coli form | 24 | ||
. Soil heavy metals of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state
Standard Density | Result of Examination | Scale | Examination | Row |
---|---|---|---|---|
- | 2.75 | mg/kg | Cr | 1 |
150 | 38.26 | mg/kg | Zn | 2 |
30 | 10.7 | mg/kg | Ni | 3 |
- | 4352 | mg/kg | Fe | 4 |
1 | 0.85 | mg/kg | Cd | 5 |
50 | 5.35 | mg/kg | Cu | 6 |
- | 2.6 | mg/kg | Ag | 7 |
- | 3.75 | mg/kg | Co | 8 |
50 | 18 | mg/kg | Pb | 9 |
- | 199.7 | mg/kg | Mn | 10 |
4147.5 | mg/kg | Al | 11 | |
- | 7 | mg/kg | Mo | 12 |
. Soil cations and anions of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state
Result of Examination | Scale | Examination | Row |
---|---|---|---|
11,600 | mg/kg | Ca2+ | 1 |
6537 | mg/kg | Na+ | 2 |
9918 | mg/kg | K+ | 3 |
1569.1 | mg/kg | Mg2+ | 4 |
. Summary of scores with RIAM software-irrigation of green space with industrial wastewater effluent summary of scores
Range | −108 −72 | −71 −36 | −35 −19 | −18 −10 | −9 −1 | 0 0 | 1 9 | 10 18 | 19 35 | 36 71 | 72 108 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | −E | −D | −C | −B | −A | N | A | B | C | D | E |
PC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
BE | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
EO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Summary of scores with RIAM software—irriga- tion of green space with industrial wastewater effluent
ing areas of small negative effect (−A). The 3 parameters of surface waters quality, surface water quantity and rare animals’ species were not influence by wastewater effluent and remained at unchanged area (N). The underground water quality is one of the positive effects of project that is in meaningful positive effects area (+D). Then, its effect on green spaces, sewage, agricultural aspects and soil productivity are located in positive effects changing area (+B). Finally, the physical features of soil and land ecosystem are located at small positive effect area (+A). As obtained numbers in different receptive environment showed, the most negative effects of green space irrigation by wastewater effluent are related to social-cultural, physicochemical, biological and economical environments respectively. This difference is not considerable.
As shown in
The result shows that the most negative effect of irrigation without any filtration of wastewater effluent is re-
Summary of the scores with RIAM software—irri- gation of green space without industrial wastewater effluent
. Summary of the scores with RIAM software—irrigation of green space without industrial wastewater effluent summary of scores
Range | −108 −72 | −71 −36 | −35 −19 | −18 −10 | −9 −1 | 0 0 | 1 9 | 10 18 | 19 35 | 36 71 | 72 108 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | −E | −D | −C | −B | −A | N | A | B | C | D | E |
PC | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
BE | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
EO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
lated to physic-chemical and cultural-social environments. However, this difference is not remarkable. The wastewater effluent using has not negative effect on economic environment because this option has no any cost is spending on wastewater effluent filtration.
As shown in
Considering environmental effects of wastewater effluent using by RIAM and entropy method and comparing both result with each other, it shows that the cultural-social, physicochemical, biological and economical environments had received the most negative effects respectively. The important limitable elements are entering chemical pollution (nitrate) to underground waters and water ecosystems, soil salinity and toxicity of industrial state, changing soil permeability and chemical features, threatening the endangered species of state including Vitis vinifera “Punica granatum” tamarix, Cupressus arizonica, Juniperus horizontalis, endangering public health
. Final result with entropy method
W10 | W9 | W8 | W7 | W6 | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.136 | 0.147 | 0.126 | 0.084 | 0.063 | 0.115 | 0.105 | 0.052 | 0.094 | 0.073 |
. Final result from the last step of entropy method
Factor | Weight | Degree |
---|---|---|
Public health and other parameters | 0.147 | 1 |
Soil chemical property | 0.136 | 2 |
Soil toxicity | 0.126 | 3 |
Soil salinity | 0.115 | 4 |
Water quality | 0.105 | 5 |
Soil physical properties | 0.094 | 6 |
Water quantity | 0.084 | 7 |
Soil permeability | 0.073 | 8 |
Soil fertility | 0.063 | 9 |
Cultural and economic effects | 0.052 | 10 |
and increasing disease parameters among employers specially the labors who are in contact with wastewater effluent and effect on economic parameters (cost of wastewater treatment).
The most positive elements of this method are increasing and saving underground waters, creating green spaces and deserts reduction, decreasing wastewater effluent amount from outside of state, increasing soil productivity and having beautiful ecosystem. Finally, the wastewater effluent using for irrigation of green space has no effect on 3 elements: surface water quality, surface water quantity (because there is no any considerable river around Iran Qom Shoukouhieh industrial state) and rare animals’ species (because there is no any rare animal in state and around that).
From the environmental point of view, in Rapid Impact Assessment Method and after selecting first option (green space irrigation by refined industrial wastewater effluent), all negative effects are (20 parameters) more than positive effects (7 parameters), also, the social and physicochemical parameters have more weights than other parameters in entropic method. This means that the total effects are negative and negative effects were more than positive effects, but these negative effects, by environmental compliance and enforcement strategies will be reduced or eliminated.
From the social point of view, this project is also considered. Nobody lives around the state, so this social justification is only about state workers, guards and specially the labors who work in green spaces. After interviewing by workers, guards and labors showed that the majority of workers (87% to 90%) care about the environmental and health issues.
However the measuring of wastewater effluent reusing for irrigation of green space is new topic, but there are not enough studies performed on environmental impact assessment of wastewater effluent, especially in a specific regional. This paper has been compared with a few examples of issues and trends that are mentioned in the beginning of this article. Jian Xu et al. (2010) found that the important effects of using wastewater effluent in irrigation are related to soil physical and chemical change. Sami Klay et al. (2010) also found that irrigation
. Suggestions for monitoring of effectible different parameters in using Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial wastewater
Essential laws | Monitoring period | Administrative | Problem | Suggestion |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bylaw for effluent quality procedure + FAO guidelines for ions particularly | Seasonally for TDS and monthly for ECw | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Soil salinity of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Measurement of TDS and ECw |
Bylaw for effluent quality procedure + FAO guidelines for ions particularly | Every six month | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Soil toxicity of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Measurement of B, NA, CL metals |
Bylaw for effluent quality procedure + FAO guidelines for ions particularly | Every six month nitrogen and yearly total coli form | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Cuasing problem for underwater of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Measurement of N metal, total coli form and fecal coli form |
Bylaw for effluent quality procedure + FAO guidelines for ions particularly | Yearly | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Effect of heavy metals on soil of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Measurement of Cd, Zn, Pb and Hg metals |
Guidelines of WHO, 1989 | Every six month | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Plants of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Measurement of nematode parasites |
Guidelines of WHO, 1989 | Monthly, seasonally, every six month and yearly | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Endanger the labors health who work in the wastewater treatment system of Qom Shokouhieh industrial state | Clinical examinations, tests, typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera and hepatitis, parasitic worms, fungal diseases |
Guidelines of WHO, 1989 | Monthly, seasonally, every six month and yearly | Management of Iran Qom Shokouhie industrial state | Endanger the labors health who using effluent of Qom Shokouhieh industrial state | Clinical examinations, tests, typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera and hepatitis, parasitic worms, fungal diseases |
by wastewater effluent will increase salinity of soil and change soil structure. The important difference between this research and other researches is that other researches did not use special method for measuring environmental effects and they only compared their finding by existing standards. But in this research, Rapid Impact Assessment Method (RIAM) and Entropy Method were used and the results were compared with each other.
Authors suggest that in the future studies, releasing pollution through wastewater effluent and wastewater treatment facilities and its adverse effects on air quality and public health should be considered.