نشریه جغرافیا و برنامه ریزی محیطی
سال سی و یکم شماره 4 (پیاپی 80، زمستان 1399)

The landslide as one of the mass movements consists of rapid movement or the slow motion of rock, earth, or the sum of both, on the downstream side under the stress of gravity. Landslides are considered dangerous and catastrophic phenomena so that the identification of landslide prone areas and the production of accurate zoning maps of landslide sensitivity are important topics for risk management studies. One of the most important and widely used methods of studying landslides is zoning. The division of lands into separate areas, as well as the ranking of areas according to the degree of landslide risk, is called zoning. In the present study, the study area is Kowsar County, which has a high potential for landslides in terms of the specific situation of the region, such as topography (mountainous and high basin), high slope, the presence of loose and unstable surface materials on resistant structures and climatic conditions.

The present study is of applied type and its research method is based on remote sensing techniques, GIS, and the use of multi-criteria analysis techniques. ENVI, Ecognition, Arc GIS, Idrisi, and Excel software have been used for image processing and data analysis. Criteria required in this research are slope, slope direction, elevation classes of lithology, land use, soil, precipitation, distance from communication road, distance from the waterway, and distance from the fault, according to the natural and human conditions of the region. Information layers of communication routes and waterway networks were obtained using the map of communication lines and rivers of Ardabil province. Slope layers for slope direction were prepared using the digital elevation model. Using the geological map of Givi (scale 1: 100000), layers related to lithology (rock resistance) as well as faults were prepared. In order to extract the land use of the city, the object-oriented method, the nearest neighborhood algorithm, and Sentinel 2 satellite images were used. To prepare the soil map, the soil map of Ardabil province with a scale of 1:50,000 was used. The rainfall map of the city was also drawn using meteorological and rainfall station data and the IDW interpolation method. In order to perform the steps of MABAC and CODAS algorithms, fuzzy membership functions were used for standardizing the criteria. Then, in order to weight the criteria, the critic method was used.

In this study, distance from the road, distance from the waterway, digital elevation model, distance from the fault, precipitation, land use, slope, aspect slope, soil, and lithology were identified as factors affecting the area. Then, fuzzy membership functions, the above-mentioned elements became fuzzy maps. The following results were obtained with respect to each element:Height: height changes of each region as an effective factor in the creation of mass movements.Slope: the slope is mainly determined in spatial distribution and landslide intensity.Slope direction: gradient orientation plays an undeniable role in the amount and type of weathering of rocks, absorption, receiving solar energy, vegetation concentration, and moisture content.Lithology: the kind of geological formation of each region plays an important role in the development of sliding zones.Distance from fault: the path of potential faults is on unstable points of the earth.Soil: the soil of each region is an effective factor in the creation of domain movements.پPrecipitation: precipitation has an effect on pore water pressure and groundwater-surface, increasing amplitude and displacement and elimination of lateral stresses as a driving factor in landslide occurrence.Distance from waterway: water flowing through the surface (runoff) and water that penetrates the material.Distance from the road: the road is the natural state of the domain and causes vertical gashes in the slope.Land use criteria: certainly, the type of land use always plays a decisive role in environmental changes, especially the creation and intensification of range movements.Based on the zoning done using the MABAC method, 211.99 and 298.85 km2 of the area are in very high-risk and high-risk classes, respectively. Based on the results of using the CODAS method, 106.90 and 222.02 km2 of the area were in high-risk and high-risk categories, respectively. In order to validate the slip potential zoning maps, using CODAS and MABAC methods, a sample of selected high-risk pixels was examined according to the set criteria. Examination of high-risk points showed that these areas were mainly in the slope of 20 to 35%. The road factor plays a very important role in creating slippery movements due to under-passing and removing the heel of the slope and changing the slope of the slopes.

The results of the study indicated the high power of Kosar city in terms of the occurrence of sliding movements. Slope factors, land use, soil, and lithology were the most important factors involved in creating landslides in the study area. Also, the results of comparing the models showed that the MABAC model provided a larger area of landslide risk than the CODAS model. It is expected that the results of this study will pave the way for better and more scientific management of competent managers and planners in this field.

Mountain parks are recreational environments in open spaces, which are considered pleasant places to spend leisure time and seek new experiences in interaction with nature. The popularity of these desirable areas of tourism can lead to increased visits to the environment and, consequently, increase the pressure on environmental resources. Therefore, researchers, professionals, and environmental practitioners attempt to find solutions to protect natural resources. In this regard, environmental behavior has recently received special attention as a tool to increase the sustainability of tourism attractions. Some previous studies have shown that when people feel attached to an environment, they tend to contribute to the protection of the environment through their behavior. On the other hand, according to the findings of some studies, those park visitors who generally feel more responsible for the environment, are more likely to engage in park-specific pro-environmental behaviors.Sofeh Mountain Park with an area of more than 39 hectares located in the city of Isfahan, is a significant place of entertainment and recreation for citizens and domestic and foreign tourists. With the development of space, facilities, and tourism services in this natural environment, as well as the increasing number of visitors to this unique mountain park, the issue of environmental protection becomes of considerable importance and necessity. Given that the behaviors of visitors in the visited environment directly affect all aspects of environmental sustainability, the present study investigates the effect of visitors’ place attachment and their general pro-environmental behaviors on the park-specific pro-environmental behaviors.

The present study, through studying a sample of 400 visitors to Sofeh Mountain Park in Isfahan city, has examined the effects of place attachment and general pro-environmental behaviors on the park-specific pro-environmental behaviors. The required data for the research were collected through a questionnaire in November 2019. The questionnaire consisted of two sections, including general attributes of respondents and the main part consisted of a set of questions regarding visitors’ place attachment and pro-environmental behaviors, which mainly adopted from Halpenny (2010). This part of the questionnaire was composed of 41 questions, of which 16 were about three dimensions of place attachment including place identity (6 items), affective attachment (6 items), and place dependence (4 items). Thirteen items measured general pro-environmental behaviors, and 12 questions were related to the park-specific pro-environmental behaviors. Analysis of data was conducted by applying some statistical tests and using SPSS software. Given that all values of skewness and elongation of the variables are in the range -2 to +2, parametric statistical tests including Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used.

The findings showed that general pro-environmental behaviors and two dimensions of place  attachment (place identity and place dependence) had a statistically significant and positive effect on park-specific pro-environmental behaviors in such a way that 56.3% of the variance of park-specific pro-environmental behaviors was explained by mentioned variables. Accordingly, it can be interpreted that if people consider themselves committed to the protection of the environment and also if they develop a sense of place identity and place dependence towards the park environment, they will be more concerned about protecting the environment of Sofeh Park. As a result, their behavior will be supportive of the park environment.The findings of this study on the effect of place attachment on pro-environmental behaviors are in line with the findings reported by some researchers, for example, Saif (2017), Abedi Sarvestani (2014), Halpenny (2010), Walker and Chapman (2003), Raymond et al. (2011), Ramkissoon et al. (2013), Buta et al. (2014), and Ramkissoon and Mavondo (2017). However, some contradictory findings reported by a number of researchers makes the generalization of the findings of the present study questionable. It is worth mentioning that the differences in findings can be due to the difference in the conceptualization of place attachment and pro-environmental behaviors that should be examined in future studies.

Overall, the findings of the present study showed that both place attachment and general pro-environmental behaviors positively influenced park-specific pro-environmental behaviors. However, the general pro-environmental behaviors were more powerful than place attachment in explaining and predicting the park-specific pro-environmental behaviors. These findings can be considered in the planning and management of Sofeh Mountain Park and similar recreation environments. On the one hand, the positive effect of place attachment on the park-specific pro-environmental behaviors implies that the deeper sense of place identity people develop toward the environment, the more favorable visited environments are in providing the tourism and recreational functions desired by the visitors.Some factors can play a positive role in strengthening the visitors’ place attachment. For example, security, safety, landscape beauty, lighting quality, services and amenities, a variety of recreational activities, and park's well management. Providing enough information about the unique features of the park can also be effective in creating a sense of attachment to the park. In addition, by providing opportunities for individuals’ participation in the park improvement and conservation programs, their sense of place attachment can be strengthened. The results also showed that people who generally are committed to doing pro-environment activities are concerned about preserving the park environment as well. Accordingly, one of the effective ways to develop pro-environmental behaviors in all environments is to strengthen people’s sense of responsibility and commitment to the environment. In this regard, raising the level of knowledge and awareness of people about the importance of the environment and various ways of protection can be effective, which, of course, requires in-depth research and studies.

The commitment to ethical frameworks is accepted in all groups and professional communities to improve the conditions for achieving common goals and values. In developed countries, professional ethics codes of urban planning have been developed and are constantly being revised and reformed, including the United States (AICP), Australia (PIA), the United Kingdom (RTPI), Canada (CIP), and others. These codes are accompanied by compulsory programs for implementation, and various courses are held to train and promote the professional behavior of planners.Despite the attention of various professions in Iran to the preparation of professional ethics guidelines, in urban planning, given the history of planning and development programs, this issue has been neglected and no effort has been made to develop professional ethics guidelines for Iran’s urban planning. None of the upstream documents of urban planning address the issue of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning. In urban planning and urban development projects, the sensitivity and impact of decisions will be on a large part of the society due to the dependence of projects on the components of communication, purposefulness, and manpower. This study aims to analyze the dimensions of the process of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran and discovering the dimensions and process, formulating patterns and relationships between dimensions, achieving a perspective and explanatory narrative to the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran. The questions on which this research is based are as follows: How is the process of preparing a professional ethics guideline for urban planning in Iran analyzed? What are the dimensions and factors influencing the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran? How can the patterns and relationships between dimensions be formulated in the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran? What are the perspective and explanatory narrative of the dimensions of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran?

Among the most popular research paradigms, including Positivist Approaches, Interpretive Approaches, and Critical Approaches, the approach of this research is interpretive, and its method is the grounded theory. In addition to understanding the phenomenon under study, this method also emphasizes the development of a theory appropriate to it. According to the main question and aim, the selected version of grounded theory for this research is dimensional analysis provided by Leonard Schatzman. The dimensional analysis provides a good opportunity for research in this field by paying attention to the ‘whole’ of what is involved in the phenomenon or situation under consideration. According to the subject and aim of the research, the interviewees were defined into three general categories, including those who had experienced the process of preparing and approving urban plans, those who were involved and experienced in the implementation and monitoring of plans, and the academic community of urban planning. A number of the most experienced people from each category were selected based on availability. In this study, in-depth interviews were selected as the data gathering tool because the participant gained experience by being in the position and in this process, the researcher discovers the meanings.In the present study, nine interviews were conducted. According to the dimensions that emerged from each interview, new people were selected for the next interview. After nine interviews and dimensionalizing as a step-by-step process, two hundred initial dimensions emerged. At this stage, according to the common features and by examining and comparing them, nine main dimensions emerged, and other dimensions were included as a subset and characteristics of these dimensions.

Based on the findings of applying dimensional analysis and based on the evidence gathered in this research, the critical mass was identified in five main dimensions: attitude towards the public culture of the society, attitude towards the administrative and organizational culture, attitude towards the laws and plans, attitude towards the change and attitude towards the religion, ethics, history and civilization of Iran. An explanatory narrative was presented following this central dimension and perspective and its relation to other dimensions.

According to the final perspective and explanatory narrative, it seems that if there is to be any change in Iran's urban planning system, including the development of guidelines for professional ethics in urban planning, the perspective and central dimension is paying attention to the prevailing attitude towards Iran’s urban planning system, as well as the existing attitude and belief in the effectiveness of guidelines and laws in Iran. Other dimensions and factors must be analyzed considering this perspective and the central dimension.

As technology evolves in many countries around the world, the need for energy is increasing, which is especially important in developing countries such as Iran, because sustainable energy is needed to develop the process of sustainable development. Due to the geographical location of Iran and having a large number of sunny days, using solar power at the scale of the power plant helps provide sustainable energy. According to the radiation map provided by the Iranian New Energy Organization in East Azerbaijan province, there is enough potential to build a solar power plant. Due to the ability of neural networks to solve complex problems, the present study has used a combination of spatial decision-making system, GIS environment, and artificial neural networks to identify potential areas for solar power generation. The data used in the study include solar radiation, precipitation, sunshine hours, temperature, altitude, slope, LULC, distance from roads, and distance from cities. Based on these criteria, training data were obtained and trained using the Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm of FFB, CFB, and MLP networks.According to the results, the CFB network, with form 9,6,1 and RMSE values 0.084 and 0.061 for training and test data, was selected as the most suitable network and with the results obtained from this network, the location was determined. The results were classified into five classes, with about 15% identified as very favorable for the construction of photovoltaic solar power plants in East Azerbaijan Province.

In this research, we are looking for zoning of photovoltaic solar power plants using an artificial neural network in East Azarbaijan province. Since artificial neural networks need training data to perform the calculations, the criteria are weighted first through ANP, and then by using the weights obtained for the criteria, the training layer for network training is created. Using the training layer, all three FFB, CFB, and MLP neural networks have been trained to obtain the appropriate network and optimal structure.Environmental criteria are selected based on the parameters of the construction of photovoltaic solar power plants. Given that the locating process is a multi-criteria decision problem between different parameters and criteria, therefore, the software must be selected that supports both the vector model and the raster model. It also can implement multi-criteria decision-making rules. Based on this, ArcGIS 10.6 software was used for data preparation, layer preparation, and integration. Super decision and Matlab software have also been applied to the process of analyzing network decision making and artificial neural networks.

The structure of neural networks is such that by changing the number of hidden layers and its neurons, the change of the stimulus function and training algorithm of the network structure is changed and affects the output of the model. Therefore, determining the optimal structure of the network is based on trial and error, and using the evaluation criteria and comparing the results, the optimal model is modeled with the least error. However, we should be careful that if the error rate is very close to zero in the evaluation of the training results, there is a possibility of over-fitting, which means that the network created will only be suitable for the training set and adding new data will not yield a satisfactory answer.Matlab software was used to simulate the structures of different artificial neural networks and determine the optimal structure. For the present study, three FFB, CFB, and MLP neural networks with different structures have been created so that all three networksemploy the Lonberg-Marquardt training algorithm with back-propagation error (trainlm). The number of neurons ranged from 1 to 15 and the number of repeats between 10 and 700. For the FFB and CFB networks, the tansig and purelin transfer functions and for the MLP network, the hardlim and hardlims transfer functions are investigated.According to the simulations, the optimal CFB network structure is 9,6,1 with 9 input neurons and 6 middle neurons, with MSE and RMSE values for the training data 0.006, 0.084 and for the test data 0.004, 0.061, the optimal FFB network structure as 9,5,1 with 9 input neurons and 5 middle neurons, with MSE and RMSE values for training data 0.11, 0.107 and for test data 0.012, 0.111 and the optimal structure of the MLP network as 9,9,1 with 9 input neurons and 9 middle neurons, with MSE and RMSE values for the training data 0.007, 0.085 and for the test data 0.006, 0.079 have been selected. Based on these results, the CFB neural network with the structure of 9,6,1 has the best performance among the networks. For this reason, the photovoltaic solar power plants in East Azarbaijan province have been located with this network.The final map was classified into five descriptive classes using the results obtained. According to the classification, about 7.7% were in the very undesirable class, 28.4% in the undesirable class, 27.6% in the middle class, 20.6% in the desirable class, and 15.5% were in the very desirable class.

With the advancement of industry and the development of new technologies, population growth in many countries of the world has increased the consumption of electricity. Also, all developed and developing countries have realized the fact that to maintain their international status, they need to provide sustainable energy, especially electricity, from non-fossil energy sources. As societies become more aware, the limitations and harms of using fossil fuels have become more apparent, forcing countries to source some of their electricity needs from other energy sources, such as renewable energy sources. Iran, like all developing countries, is no exception. Due to the geographical location of Iran and having 300 sunny days, the use of solar energy in both large and small sectors contributes to sustainable energy supply.In this study, the authors have tried to combine the existing methods for location namely the use of spatial decision-making systems and GIS, to use new methods such as artificial neural networks to identify potential areas for the construction of photovoltaic solar power plants in East Azarbaijan province. To accomplish this, based on the criteria for the construction and location of photovoltaic solar power plants, environmental factors include solar radiation, precipitation, sundial and temperature as climate criteria, elevation and slope as physical and land use criteria, distance from roads, and distance from cities are considered as economic criteria. Based on these criteria, training data was obtained through ANP, and along with this data, and LM training algorithm was performed to train FFB, CFB, and MLP networks.Based on the MSE and RMSE evaluation criteria, the CFB network with the structure of 9,6,1 was selected as the most appropriate network and the results were obtained from this network. After preparing the final map, it was determined that solar photovoltaic power plants could be built in the province.

Many studies in the field of mental health suggest that the ordinary state of mind is significantly lacking mental awareness. It means that humans spend most of their time immersing themselves in memories or dreaming future. The concept of mindfulness is a topic that has become a concern of researchers in psychologyin recent years. The short definition of mindfulness is the awareness of current experience, its acceptance, and enjoyment. Despite the extensive research in the field of the psychological concept of mindfulness, the lack of mindfulness problems during the perception of the physical environment has been less discussed. In this regard, the main purpose of the present study is to present a model of mindfulness in urban natural recreational spaces. The operational purpose of this research is to prioritize the criteria of mindfulness in order to evaluate other similar environments and improve the quality of such spaces.

In line with the defined objectives, the authors of the present study planned a non-probable (purposive) sampling of pedestrians in the two natural recreational spaces of Tabriz: El Goli and Oun ibn Ali. The authors sampled 93 cases in the first space and 57 cases in the second space (total  150 cases). In the next step, by focusing on the context of the interviews, the necessary codes were extracted. These codes were then transformed into 6 main categories and 18 subcategories to make the model of mindfulness in the natural recreational spaces. The validity of the model was confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis technique in LISREL software. Finally, the AHP technique was used to prioritize the categories and subcategories. The rating process was based on the relative frequency of categories in the interviews and average scores of thirteen native experts in the field of architecture and urban planning.

To obtain the categories and subcategories of mindfulness in the naturalenvironment, two questions were asked: 1) Why do you choose this natural environment for hiking or leisure and the overall enjoyment of the present?; and 2) What qualities or features of this natural environment have made you attracted to it? The findings of the present study indicate that six main categories including ‘feeling of relaxation’, ‘vitality and vivacity’, ‘beauty of nature’, ‘spirituality and the possibility of discovering the environment’, ‘intimacy of space’, and ‘greatness and glory of the space’ are the most important factors in attracting pedestrians and motivating them to mindful thinking about natural environments. Each of these categories also includes several subcategories. Factors such as the ‘possibility of avoidance of concerns’, ‘possibility of moving and water landscape’, ‘quality of nature and green space’, and ‘possibility of walking’ are important sub-categories that play a significant role in raising the awareness of citizens. Such factors form the model of mindfulness in Tabriz’s natural recreation areas. It is worth mentioning that the validity and reliability of the model were confirmed by the convergent construct validity technique and composite reliability technique, respectively. Also, the fitness of the suggested model for the second-level confirmatory factor analysis and first-level confirmatory factor analysis was confirmed in the 95% confidence level.

The results of the present study show that ‘the feeling of relaxation’ is the most effective criterion to induce a sense of mindfulness and pleasure in the present time. Other criteria are as follows: ‘beauty of nature’, ‘intimacy of space’, ‘greatness and glory of the space’, ‘vitality and vivacity’, and finally ‘spirituality and the possibility of discovering the environment’. It should be noted that the criteria and sub-criteria extracted from the mindfulness model are not only used to evaluate the quality of other natural environments but can also help planners, designers, and executors of natural landscapes to enhance their projects.

The land of Iran has undergone major orogenic activities in different geological periods. The effects of these orogenic movements during the Quaternary period have led to a large number of young and dynamic faults. The movements of the earth floors along these ruptures have been associated with major environmental changes in the regions, and these movements and the resulting changes have continued to the present day. In the meantime, the neo-tectonic structure studies the geological, vertical, and horizontal movements of the earth's crust that occurred in the recent geological past and may continue to this day. The range of mountains up to the movements of individual faults (dimensions of several kilometers). The effects of new construction activities, directly and indirectly, affect the shapes of the earth's surface and in addition to creating different shapes and forms, they also control their shape and position. Therefore, due to the effect of neoplastic factors on the formation of land surface shapes, in recent years, neoclassical factors have been significantly proposed as one of the major tools in determining how landforms in regions evolve. According to the above cases, the purpose of the present study is to evaluate the tectonic activity in the northwestern Zagros with an emphasis on the Lat index to achieve the seismicity of the region in the form of catchments. In addition, the present study attempts to evaluate the relationship between the seismicity of these basins and morphotectonic indices analytically.  

In the present study, in order to evaluate the tectonic status of the studied basins from the digital model of 30 m altitude SRTM, topographic maps 1: 50,000, 1: 100,000 maps of the region as well as information about the epicenter of earthquakes that occurred in the region during the years 1900 to 2018, were used as the main data collection tools. Also, ArcGIS software (in order to extract basins and prepare final maps) and SPSS (in order to perform calculations related to indicators) were used for the analysis of the data. This research has been done in 3 stages. In the first stage, the seismicity of the basins has been evaluated using the location of seismic centers. In the second stage, the tectonic status of the basins has been investigated using 8 geomorphological indicators. Using the correlation index, the relationship between the tectonic activity of the basins in terms of different indices and the epicenters of the earthquakes has been evaluated. In fact, the assessment was that first the basins were ranked in terms of the number of seismic centers, and the basins with the highest number of seismic centers were ranked first. Also, based on the results obtained from each index, each basin was given a rank. Finally, the correlation between the rank of each basin in terms of the number of seismic centers and their rank in terms of geomorphological indices were evaluated.  

The seismicity of the studied basins showed that from 1990 to 2019, 131 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 3 Richter occurred, of which 7 earthquakes were between 3 and 4 Richter, 114 earthquakes were between 4 and 5 Richter, and 8 Earthquakes were between 5 and 6 Richter. One earthquake was between 6 and 7 Richter and also 1 earthquake was more than 7 Richter (earthquake from the herd on November 12, 2017). Also, the results indicated that among the studied basins, the Zemkan basin with 36 earthquakes (including seismic from the herd) and the Alvand basin with 31 earthquakes, had the highest number of seismic centers. In this regard, they are considered as active tectonic basins. Also, the evaluation of the tectonic status of the basins in terms of geomorphological indicators indicated that in terms of inverse topographic symmetry index (T) and drainage basin asymmetry index (AF), the Razavar basin was the most active basin. In terms of the hypsometric integral index (Hi) and longitudinal river gradient index (SL), the Merg basin was the most active basin. In terms of basin shape indices (Bs), river sine (S) and branching ratio (Br), Jigran, Leila, and Gavarod basins had more active tectonic status, respectively.  

The results of the seismicity assessment of the basins showed that from 1990 to 2019, among the studied basins, the Zemkan basin with 36 earthquakes (including seismic from the herd) and Alvand basin with 31 Earthquakes had the highest number of seismic centers. In this regard, they are considered as basins with active tectonic status. Also, the results of the Lat index showed that Gheshlagh, Razavar, and Qarahsoo basins with an average score of 1.75 had the lowest average score and were the most active basin. The Alvand basin with an average of 2.25 points had the highest average score and the lowest activity. In the present study, using correlation, the relationship between the tectonic status of basins and earthquakes in the region was evaluated. The results of the evaluation indicated that there was no relationship between the number of earthquakes and the tectonic condition of the basins in terms of different indicators. In fact, except for the drainage density index of the basins, which had a correlation coefficient with the number of earthquakes in the basins (0.583), other indicators had a coefficient of less than 0.5. Therefore, using the number of earthquakes, it is not possible to assess the tectonic status of the basins.

Pollution of wetlands is important because, in addition to damaging the ecosystem of a wetland and destroying living organisms, it can also be dangerous to the health of people living nearby. The entry of chemical fertilizers, municipal sewage, hazardous hospital and industrial wastewater into the wetlands, as well as the disposal of waste in their vicinity, can contaminate the wetland. One of the most important factors that put wetlands in a serious danger and has a very destructive effect on their fauna and flora is biological pollution caused by human activities and land use. Wetlands’ water resources often contain chemical impurities. These impurities are caused by air pollution, soil pollution, or pollutants caused by human activities that are discharged into the environment in the form of solid and liquid waste. In addition to human activities affecting wetland pollution, the natural conditions prevailing in the wetland area are also effective in the chemical composition of wetlands. The rocks above each wetland determine the chemical composition of its water and soil resources.The central wetlands of Iran, including the Mighan Arak wetland, are mostly saline and their salinity has reached the groundwater aquifers of the adjacent plains due to human interference. This phenomenon, which has been a kind of human pollution under the advancing salinity front in aquifers, is seen in most coastal aquifers and central aquifers in Iran. Arak Mighan wetland is one of the wetlands of central Iran that is salty. Local and migratory birds, local animals, and aquatic animals benefit from the Mighan wetland. The most important water sources that feed the wetland are groundwater, treated wastewater from the city of Arak, and surface runoff in the wet months. The purpose of this study is to identify the chemical and biological pollutant variables of wetland water in comparison with drinking standard water to identify chemical and biological pollutant variables and to determine the most important natural and human sources of pollution in wetland water pollution using multivariate statistical analysis.

Arak watershed with an area of ​​5500 Km2 is a closed area. About 62% of the area is covered by highlands, 36% by plains, and 2% by the Mighan wetland. The average annual temperature and rainfall in Arak are 14º and 350 mm, respectively. The wetland consists of two parts: the island in the center, and the lake around the island which has an average water depth of half a meter. The Mighan wetland alluvium with a thickness of 300 meters is located on the limestone rocks of Cretaceous formation. Thirty-two water samples in the fall of 1397 (2018) from different uses (6 island samples, 6 lake samples, 10 agricultural well samples, 1 sample of Amlah company, 2 industrial effluent samples, 4 Arak urban sewage samples, and 3 repeated samples to determine the results tests) were taken from the lagoon and surrounding water resources. The measured variables included: electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfate, fluorine, nitrate and phosphate, bicarbonate, BOD, and COD. The accuracy of the data was about one milligram per liter.The data were analyzed using Excel, Statistica, RockWare, and ArcGIS software. Among the various variables, 11 of the chemical and biological variables were selected and their concentrations in saline and freshwater were compared with the international drinking standards.

The water is concentrated in the Mighan wetland of Arak in the two uses of the ponds (ponds resulting from the extraction of sodium sulfate in the central island) and the lake (around the central island). Uses such as mineral water wastewater, Arak municipal treated wastewater, industrial effluent, and agricultural wells are considered as potential sources of pollution for the water of the Mighan wetland. The high concentration of chemical compounds such as EC, TDS, SO4, and Cl above the drinking standard showed the nature of the salinity of the water in the Mighan wetland. A study of the salinity origin of Mighan water showed that salinizing variables such as SO4 and Cl anions, as well as cations such as Na and K, were related to gypsum and salt rocks in the northern highlands (Ashtian region) of the Mighan area. A similar trend has shown that the dissolution of evaporative minerals from the heights of the Torbat-e Heydariyeh plain and transfer to groundwater has caused all of the plain's waters to be of the sodium chloride and sodium sulfate types. An examination of the inflows of surface water and groundwater to the Mighan wetland showed that the northern waters of the wetland had the SO4-Cl-Na type and the southern waters had HCO3-Ca type. Mixing of surface water and groundwater with the Mighan wetland water has caused the SO4-HCO3-Na-Ca type. The effluent of the Iranian Salt Company (extracting sodium sulfate from the basins of the central island) had high EC, TDS, SO4, and Cl. About 60 percent of the water in the wells around the wetland, which was used for agriculture, was almost salty due to the high EC, TDS, SO4, and Cl. The compatibility of SO4 and Cl agricultural waters was almost salty with SO4 and Cl. The Mighan wetland water indicated the salinity of the region’s wells from the wetland water. A similar trend of groundwater salinization in the Shabestar plain indicated the infiltration of saline water from Lake Urmia into the groundwater aquifer of the adjacent plain.Factor analysis was used to determine the relationship between chemical compounds and to investigate the origin of compounds. In factor analysis, three factors explained 88.9% of the variance. The first factor ( 56.96%) included EC, TDS, SO4, and Cl. Thsecond factor included F, NH3. The third factor included PO4, HCO3. Given the first factor of factor analysis and the effectiveness of variables such as EC, TDS, SO4, and Cl, as well as the increase in this factor in the zoning map to Mighan wetland, it is obvious that the salinity of the wetland and effluent of the company is natural salts, while the salinity of the wells around the Mighan lagoon is the result of  human activity. In the zoning map, the second factor with variables F, NH3 had a focus on the water area of ​​the wetland (island and lake) of Mighan. Also, due to the high share of NH3 (0.91) compared to F (0.84) in factor analysis, the increase in NH3 was the human factor while F was the natural factor. On the other hand, F, SO4, and Na have are found in waters that have been under the influx of brackish water from the Mighan wetland; therefore, F in the water of the wetland has a natural origin. The presence of F in some water of agricultural wells indicated the infiltration of saltwater in the Mighan wetland. On the other hand, NH3 is found in only a small number of water samples in the Mighan wetland (ponds and lakes), which is higher than the standard drinking level. NH3 is a source of organic nitrogen compounds and bacteria. The third factor involved factor analysis of PO4 and HCO3, in which the role of PO4 was more pronounced. The PO4 of Mighan Lake, urban sewage, and industrial wastewater were far higher than the standard. Phosphate was introduced into surface, groundwater, and wetlands through domestic wastewater (containing synthetic cleaners) or agricultural effluents, or industrial wastewater. Phosphorus is one of the essential elements for the growth of algae. More than 70% of the phosphorus compounds in wastewater are due to the use of detergents. Since the concentration of PO4 in treated wastewater is very high, sewage is the source of human pollution in the wetland. On the other hand, the high concentration of PO4 in the water entering the wetland has caused a large growth of plants in the area.The concentration of bicarbonate ions (HCO3) in the water composition of Mighan Wetland Lake and some wells in the southern part of the Mighan wetland was high while its concentration in other waters was lower than the standard. Bicarbonate indicates thepresence of limestone. Due to the dissolution of calcareous and dolomite rocks, bicarbonate compounds have been obtained that have been directed to surface and groundwater. The southern part of the Mighan wetland is composed of Cretaceous limestone and dolomite rocks, which have been the most important source of bicarbonate of water in the Mighan wetland and wells in the region. High levels of bicarbonate ions are natural contaminations that are not controlled by humans.Studies have shown that in saline waters with a chlorine concentration of more than 35,000 mg per liter, even if there are small amounts of organic matter, the amount of BOD and COD is exaggerated. Since the water of the Mighan wetland has a Cl of more than 35000 mg per liter, so BOD and COD in the water of the wetland have not been suitable criteria for biological pollution.

Arak’s treated municipal wastewater, the effluent of the Minerals and Industries Solutions Company, as well as the surrounding groundwater have been the most important sources of human pollution that have the potential to pollute the wetland’s water. Due to the fact that groundwater is located downstream of agricultural lands and large industries, no chemical and biological pollutants from agricultural and industrial effluents have been seen in the water of the Mighan wetland. Arak treated wastewater is the most important source of water entering the wetland, which has introduced phosphate and ammonia into the water of the wetland. Therefore, the water of the Mighan wetland is without chemical and biological pollution and the only effect of the wetland can be the salt forward. This phenomenon is due to the drop in the groundwater level in the region with human intervention. Therefore, basic measures must be taken to raise the groundwater level during the aquifer management operations in the plains around the wetland and to control the drainage of wells and the removal of unauthorized wells.