Landfill siting for municipal solid waste using remote sensing and geographic information system integrated analytic hierarchy process and simple additive weighting methods from the point of view of a fast-growing metropolitan area in GAP area of Turkey

Literature analysis of the location selection studies related to the waste facilities within MCDM approaches

The increase in waste and related environmental problems is one of the major problems compromising health and environmental quality in urban and rural areas. There are a number of policies that can be implemented to reduce waste, but since it cannot be completely eliminated, recycling and disposal facilities for waste will always be required. Researchers and professionals are currently grappling with the issue of where to locate waste facilities. In the light of all this information, a literature review is presented so that researchers can easily access and systematically review previous studies on the waste facility location selection problem. At this point, in order to reduce the reviewed studies to a reasonable level and to conduct a more organized research, this literature research has conducted within the framework of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches, which is one of the most applied methods in location selection problems. The subsequent strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis delves into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the field, offering a concise guide for future research in waste facility location selection problem. The SWOT analysis highlights the strengths of global environmental awareness and versatile MCDM approaches, while addressing weaknesses in emerging technology integration and potential biases. Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and integration of sustainability metrics provide strategic pathways, but threats such as regulatory changes and limited funding underscore challenges. This analysis serves as a concise guide for future research in waste facility location selection.

Bottled water quality assessment through entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and pollution index of groundwater (PIG): a case study in a fast-growing metropolitan area in Türkiye

The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of water collected during wet and dry seasons of Şanlıurfa and to expand and improve understanding of the pollution status and drinking quality of bottled water used for drinking purposes. To do so, an entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and a groundwater pollution index (PIG) were used to evaluate data on physicochemical parameters related to drinking water quality standards. The parameters related to bottled water quality were evaluated with Piper and Ternary diagrams. The calculated EWQI values ranged from 7.78 to 29.74 in wet season whereas 11.63 to 32.20 in dry season. Overall, EWQI data showed that all of water samples were suitable for drinking. Similarly, the values of PIG varied from 0.09 to 0.3 in wet season but 0.1 to 0.26 in dry season, which also showed that all water samples from the study area were suitable.

Determining optimal solar power plant (SPP) sites by technical and environmental analysis: the case of Safranbolu, Türkiye

Solar energy is among the sustainable and renewable energy sources that has become an important and inevitable part of our lives today. It is of great importance to consider economic, environmental, and social factors in determining the installation locations of solar power plants (SPP). In this study, we aimed to determine suitable areas where SPP can be established in Safranbolu District by using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), which is one of the multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method together with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to enable the decision-makers to express their preferences in approximate or adaptable ways. The criteria addressed in the technical analysis process were also determined by supporting the basic principles of impact assessment systems. Within the scope of the environmental analysis, the relevant national and international legal frameworks were also examined and the legal constraints were identified. Thus, in the process of determining the optimal areas for SPP, it has been attempted to produce sustainable solutions that are expected to have minimal impact on the integrity of the natural system. This study was carried on within a scientific, technical, and legal framework. According to the results obtained, the Safranbolu District had low, medium, and high sensitivity properties for SPP construction, and the areas suitable for SPP construction provided medium and high sensitivity of 10.86% and 27.26% correspondence detected according to the Chang (Eur J Oper Res 95(3): 649-655, 1996) and Buckley (Fuzzy Set Syst 17(3): 233-247, 1985) methods, respectively. There are very suitable areas for SPP installations in the central and western parts of Safranbolu District, and there are also areas suitable for SPP installation in the northern and southern parts of the district. Thanks to this study, suitable SPP establishment areas were determined for the under protection in a location in Safranbolu where clean energy is needed. It was also observed that these areas do not conflict with the basic principles of impact assessment systems.

Sensitivity analysis of significant parameters affecting landfill leachate generation rate

A landfill was designed to evaluate leachate quantity's governing factors using the HELP model. As a case study, the proposed methodology was tested in the Nazlou Landfill, Urmia, Iran. Indeed, the main objective was to illuminate the efficacy of executive parameters defined in the model. Lack of the final cover layer in the pre-closure period affects leachate generation as precipitation enters directly into the waste layers and changes their moisture constituents. Concerning the occurrence of the heaviest precipitation condition in the last 30 years in the pre-closure period, leachate leakage might increase to 0.23 m³/tonne of waste. Due to changes in the layers' initial moisture, the effect of precipitation on leachate generation lasts till the landfill post-closure and would change the drained leachate from 0.083 to 0.089 m³/year-tonne of waste (this amount is generally neglected in the leachate collection system design). During pre-closure, the heaviest precipitation causes an increased generated leachate by 37.59% in the first post-closure year, which is vital especially in landfills with limited capacity treatment plants. The impact of operating conditions involves the landfill leachate generation up to different years. However, over five years of averaging, the precipitation trend was consistent with the leachate leakage. Based on the different scenarios defined regarding the meteorological conditions and design parameters, if the geomembrane layer was removed from the final cover, the leachate quantity will be increased by 79.38%. Replacing 76 cm of dense clay can overcome this challenge.