Index-based Approach in Relation to Built-up and LST Dynamics; A Study of Lahore, Pakistan: Index-based Approach in Relation to Built-up and LST Dynamics; A Study of Lahore, Pakistan

In 21st century, cities outpaced in size and also in density due to development of economic sector.Consequently, the wide spread expansion of urban areas is resulting in the loss of productive green cover and waterbodies. Therefore, realizing this alarming situation, the present study is aimed to investigate and evaluate the pattern ofurban expansion by considering two major land cover types (i) built-up area (ii) other classes (vegetation, waterbody,soil etc.) during the last six years (2015-2020). For this study Sentinel imagery was acquired from USGS EarthExplorer, while Modis Terra images were acquired from World View NASA. New built-up area index (NBUI),normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), worldview water index (WV-WI) and land surface temperature (LST)were calculated in order to analyze variations in Lahore’s major land cover types and its varying temperature patterns.Spatial analysis presented the obvious impacts of land development on Lahore. NBUI indicated that the built-up areahas increased drastically from 34.0% in 2015 to 84.2% in 2020; NDVI analysis depicted a decline from 0.76% to0.73%, in the green spaces of Lahore during the study period; WV-WI portrayed inconsistent values of water bodies, agift of massive rise in the built-up area in Lahore. LST results presented that the temperature was 42.21°C in 2015,which simultaneously increased and recorded at 49.51°C in 2020. The increase in LST exhibited the alarming situationfor urban environment and can become threat to increase the air pollution level in Lahore. Therefore, this study willserve as a snapshot for policy makers to control the menace of unplanned urbanization by formulating stringent policiesto protect environment

Comparative Analysis of Trace Elements Found in Commonly Used Vegetables Irrigated By Fresh And Waste Water in Karachi, Pakistan: Comparative Analysis of Trace Elements Found in Commonly Used Vegetables Irrigated By Fresh And Waste Water in Karachi, Pakistan

Use of municipal waste water (both treated and untreated) has now become a common practice in urban andperi-urban areas. Mostly vegetables in urban cities like Karachi are being irrigated by sewerage water. In this study acomparison of sewage and fresh water-irrigated vegetables has been made with respect to trace metals. Among commonlyused vegetables, green onion, cabbage, pumpkin, eggplant, bird’s eye chili and okra were selected. Two sets of thesevegetables were collected, one from local farm where irrigation was done with well water and other set of samples wascollected from Malir, Karachi where irrigation was done with waste water. Samples were analyzed for heavy metals i.e.K, Na, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Fe, and As by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. It showed that both sets of samples were foundto contain metal concentrations beyond the limits set by WHO/EU. Apart from tomato, the concentration of only Cd wasnear the standard value for both sets. Similar results were obtained for K except for pumpkin in which the concentrationfor waste water irrigated samples was fairly high. Amount of Cu and Fe were moderately higher than the standard in bothsamples. Arsenic in all the samples was considerably high while maximum concentration was obtained for Pd against thelimits. These findings suggest waste water irrigated vegetables pose high risk to human health. The concentrations of Asand Pb were high in fresh water samples possibly, the well water may contain metals, therefore it is important to knowthe source

Methane and Coal Dust Problem in Underground Coal Mining and Alternative Ventilation Techniques: Methane and Coal Dust Problem in Underground Coal Mining and Alternative Ventilation Techniques

Methane and coal dust explosions are among the most important risk factors that cause fatal occupationalaccidents in underground coal mining. One of the most important reasons for these explosions is inadequate orunfavourable ventilation conditions. In cases where the generally used classical ventilation systems are insufficient,attempts are made to continue ventilation with classical methods instead of some methods that may be considered asalternatives, and these methods often lose their applicability due to high costs. In this study, methods that emphasize theirapplicability as alternatives in risky situations are proposed and the results of some study examples are evaluated

Exploration of Shallow Geothermal Energy Aquifers by Using Electrical Resistivity Survey in Laki Range Jamshoro district Sindh, Pakistan: Exploration of Shallow Geothermal Energy Aquifers by Using Electrical Resistivity Survey in Laki Range Jamshoro district Sindh, Pakistan

Geothermal water is increasingly used around the world for its exploitation. Bulk electrical resistivitydifferences can bring significant information on variation of subsurface geothermal aquifer characteristics. Theelectrical resistivity survey was carried out in Laki range in lower Indus basin in the study area to explore thesubsurface geothermal aquifers. The Schlumberger electrode configuration with range from 2 m to 220 m depth wasapplied. Three prominent locations of hot springs were selected including Laki Shah Saddar, Lalbagh and Kai hotspring near Sehwan city. After processing resistivity image data, two hot water geothermal aquifers were delineated atLaki Shah Sadder hot springs. The depth of first aquifer was 56 m and its thickness 38 m in the limestones. The depthof second aquifer of 190 m and with thickness of 96 m hosted in limestone. In Lalbagh hot springs two geothermalaquifers were delineated on the basis of apparent resistivity contrast, the depth of first aquifer zone in sandstone was insandstone 15 m and thickness 12 m, while the depth of second aquifer was 61m and thickness was 35m. In Kai hotsprings two hot water geothermal aquifers were delineated. The depth of first geothermal aquifer was 21m andthickness was 18 m and the depth of second aquifer was 105 m and thickness was 61m present in sandstone lithology.Present work demonstrates the capability of electrical resistivity images to study the potential of geothermal energy inshallow aquifers. These outcomes could potentially lead to a number of practical applications, such as the monitoring orthe design of shallow geothermal systems

Microbial Contamination in Drinking Water of Saggiyan-Lahore, Pakistan: Microbial Contamination in Drinking Water of Saggiyan-Lahore, Pakistan

The present study was carried to evaluate the physico-chemical parameters and microbial contamination ofdrinking water in the area of Saggiyan, Lahore. The tested water samples (S1-S30) were found to contain 199.6-402mg/L TDS, 196-260 ppm EC, 196-260 ppm Hardness, 0.8-17 NTU turbidity, 169-290 mg/L alkalinity, 0-0.1 ppbarsenic and 0-0.1 ppm fluoride contents. 95% of the water samples were found contaminated with fecal coliforms while27% of the samples had shown the presence of E. coli. Though the physico-chemical parameters of most watersamples were found in the safe limits of WHO, however, the presence of microbial contamination rendered it nonsuitable for drinking purpose

Sediment Characterization and Monsoonal Impact on Beach Morphology at the Three Beaches along the Karachi Coast, Pakistan: Sediment Characterization and Monsoonal Impact on Beach Morphology at the Three Beaches along the Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Sediment characteristics plays important role in the determination and functioning of coastal ecosystems.The present study is an attempt to evaluate the variability in sediment characteristics of the three beaches: Clifton,Sandspit and Buleji, at the Karachi coast. The samples were collected during pre-monsoon and south-west monsoonseasons to evaluate the seasonal differences. The sediments of the three sites showed variations in moisture content,organic matter and grain size. The highest mean moisture (27.17%) and organic contents (3.5 %) were recorded fromthe sediments of Clifton. The maximum fraction of sediments (> 80 %) consist of fine to very fine sand at all studiedsites. The sediments of Clifton were high in very fine sand fraction and low in coarse sand fraction as compared toSandspit and Buleji. The sediments of all the three studied sites are moderately sorted, negatively coarse-skewed andshowed leptokurtic distribution. The studied beaches of Clifton, Sandspit and Buleji shows dissimilarity in sedimentcharacteristics as indicated through Cluster and PCA analysis. The monsoonal influence on sediment characteristicswas also observed at all the three studied beaches. The strong wave action during SW monsoon season results in thedeposition of the coarser sediments at the high tide level thus increasing the steepness of the beaches

Spontaneous Combustion in Coal Stockpiles with Different Particle Sizes: Spontaneous Combustion in Coal Stockpiles with Different Particle Sizes

In this study, the spontaneous combustion behavior of stocks created with coals of 3 different particle sizes (0-18/18-28/25-100 mm) was examined for 2 months and the results were analyzed. For this purpose, daily temperaturechanges in the stockpiles were recorded by means of temperature measurement probes placed in the stocks designed in2x3x10 m size. According to the results obtained; Coal stocks with grain sizes of 18-25 and 25-100 mm started to catchfire before the end of the first month of storage. While no open flame ignition was observed in the stock with the finestgrain size (0-18 mm), at the end of the 2nd month, a temperature increase was observed only at a single point accordingto the wind direction

Determination of Impact of Mining Operations on Accidents and Diseases at Work in Turkey: Determination of Impact of Mining Operations on Accidents and Diseases at Work in Turkey

Today, due to the rapidly developing technology, new production techniques are used to utilize naturalresources more efficiently. The rapid change and competition conditions brought about by technology cause occupationalaccidents as a result of some deficiencies and negative situations in working life. In this study, the situation of miningactivities in 5 different classes within occupational accidents was evaluated by using the statistics of Social SecurityInstitution of Turkey (SSI) between the years 2010-2019. In addition, the current situation of mining activities in termsof occupational accidents and occupational diseases in other sectors was analyzed by examining the data of 5 other sectorstogether. The results of present study reveal that occupational accidents, related deaths and workday losses are high inthe mining sector among other sector

Evaluation of the Performance of Drilling Machines in the Aegean Lignite Corporation (Türkiye) by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHS) and TOPSIS Method: Evaluation of the Performance of Drilling Machines in the Aegean Lignite Corporation (Türkiye) by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHS) and TOPSIS Method

Multi-criteria decision making techniques are designed to enable better selection when it comes to complexdecisions involving various parameters. When a complex problem is mentioned, statements with immeasurable andcontradictory criteria such as efficiency, performance, safety, reliability, cost, and economy are understood. One of theknown purposes of the multi-criteria decision analysis approach is to assist the people who are responsible for organizingand synthesizing such information that makes them feel confident in taking a decision, and to minimize potential decisionafter regret by ensuring satisfaction when all criteria and factors are considered. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHS) iswidely used in solving complex problems involving more than one criterion. The AHP method is based on a hierarchicalsystem consisting of many goals, criteria and alternatives. TOPSIS method can be applied directly on the data withoutmaking a qualitative conversion

Mapping Alteration Zones for Detection of Economic Minerals using Integrated Tools in District Lower Dir, Northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: Mapping Alteration Zones for Detection of Economic Minerals using Integrated Tools in District Lower Dir, Northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The study area is the part of Lower Dir which is geographically situated in the NW of Khyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince, Pakistan. Geologically this area lies in the western part of the well-known Kohistan Island Arc. It representsthe best exposure to subduction-related island arc and has been regarded as the prominent metallogenic belt that hosts avariety of various minerals. The area has experienced various tectonic episodes in the past and altered the rockassemblages which developed the huge potential of copper and other precious base metals. To detect and monitor thesealteration zones, remote sensing techniques coupled with field observation were evaluated in the current study.Landsat-7, Landsat-8, and Sentinel-2B images were processed under the shelter of Principal component (Crostatechnique) analysis to demarcate the separate alteration zones. It was confirmed from the results that the signature ofthe mapped alteration zone reflects the ground truth observation of copper mineralization in the target area.Furthermore, remote sensing signatures were correlated with the petrographic details which also confirmed thesealteration zones. Spectrometry of the selected samples also delineates the same signature which is best fitted with theremote sensing data. From our current analysis, we suggest that a principal component technique in terms of medium tohigh-resolution remote sensing data is more beneficial for mineral exploratio