Browsing by Author "Daniel Karthe"
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Item Arsenic monitoring in nalaikh’s surface waters particular “bus nuur” lake(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2018-05-31) Sainsanaa Amarsanaa; Ariuntuya Tserendorj; Daniel KartheNalaikh is located in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, known for illegal mining activity. Earlier investigations concerned mining land disturbance and pointed on air, soil and importantly water. Which revealed in unexpected arsenic, which is a highly toxic element, exposure in the Bus Lake. The research is aimed to find seasonal and weather changes of the Bus Lake characteristics and indicating level of toxicity.Item Correction: Sustainability for all? The challenges of predicting and managing the potential risks of end‑of‑life electric vehicles and their batteries in the Global South(Springer Nature, 2023) Luisa Prates; Daniel Karthe; Lulu Zhang; Lili Wang; Jack O’Connor; Halim Lee; Christina DornackUnfortunately the abstract in the original publication is published with errors. This has been now corrected in the original publication.Item Decline and Sustainable recovery strategies for Mongolia’s Tourism sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2021-05-28) Maralgoo Tumenkharaatsai; Daniel Karthe; WackenhutCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as the coronavirus, or COVID, is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic. This phenomenon has affected all people of all levels in many ways. Besides the effect on humanani and individuals, it hits each sector of industries hard. The tourism industry in each country has faced the crisis and decline due to the restrictions and the pandemic of COVID-19. For Mongolia, the tourism sector has been a small contributor to the Mongolian economy due to the lack of tourism management and the development of it. The activities and income of the tourism sector depend on the number of tourists coming to our country. As of the second quarter of 2020, 43,779 tourists visited Mongolia, which is five times less than in previous years.Item Determination of Deoxygenation Rate Constant for BOD Reaction in Mongolia(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2019-05-03) Sanchirgarav Batzorig; Ariuntuya Tserendorj; Daniel KartheThe objective of this study was to estimate the deoxygenation rate constant and the ultimate BOD of WWTP effluent in Mongolia. The deoxygenation rate was determined and tested in April, 2019. The Deoxygenation rate was 0.31 /day which is a bit higher than values from other countries. The ultimate BOD was in the range of 92- 115 mg /L. Biological oxygen demand values did not meet the limits recommended by the Mongolian National standard throughout entire study period. This knowledge of ultimate BOD, the rates of deoxygenation in BOD reaction can be significantly valuable for designing reliable of biological treatment processes in WWTP.Item Evaluation of remote sensing and reanalysis based precipitation products for agro-hydrological studies in semi-arid tropics of Tamil Nadu(2024) Aatralarasi Saravanan; Daniel Karthe; Selvaprakash Ramalingam; Niels SchützeThis study provides a comprehensive evaluation of eight high spatial resolution gridded precipitation products in semi-arid regions of Tamil Nadu, India, focusing specifically on Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Tuticorin, where both irrigated and rainfed agriculture is prevalent. The study regions lack sufficiently long-term and spatially representative observed precipitation data, essential for agro-hydrological studies and better understanding and managing the nexus between 15 food production and water and soil management. Hence, the present study evaluates the accuracy of five remote sensing-based precipitation products, viz. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks – Climate Data Records (PERSIANN CDR), CPC MORPHing technique (CMORPH), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) and three reanalysis-based precipitation products viz. National Center for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis 2 (NCEP2), and 20 European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) Reanalysis version 5 Land (ERA5-Land), Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Application version 2 (MERRA 2) against the station data. Linearly interpolated precipitation products were statistically evaluated at two spatial (grid and district-wise) and three temporal (daily, monthly, and yearly) resolutions for 2003-2014. Based on overall statistical metrics, ERA5-Land was the best-performing precipitation product in Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli, with MSWEP closely behind. In Tuticorin, however, MSWEP 25 outperformed the others. On the other hand, MERRA2 and NCEP2 performed the worst in all the study regions, as indicated by their higher Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and lower correlation values. Except in Coimbatore, most precipitation products underestimated the monthly monsoon precipitation, which highlights the need for a better algorithm for capturing the convective precipitation events. Also, the Percent Mean Absolute Error (%MAE) was higher in non-monsoon months, indicating that these product-based agro-hydrological modeling, like irrigation scheduling for water-scarce periods, may be 30 less reliable. The ability of precipitation products to capture the extreme precipitation intensity differed from the overall statistical metrics, where MSWEP performed the best in Coimbatore and Madurai, PERSIANN CDR in Tiruchirappalli, and ERA5-Land in Tuticorin. This study offers crucial guidance for managing water resources in agricultural areas, especially in precipitation data-scarce regions, by helping to select suitable precipitation products and bias correction methods for agrohydrological research.Item Forest Management In Mongolia – A Review Of Challenges And Lessons Learned With Special Reference To Degradation And Deforestation(2019) Alexander Gradel; Gerelbaatar Sukhbaatar; Daniel Karthe; Hoduck KangThe natural conditions, climate change and socio-economic challenges related to the transformation from a socialistic society towards a market-driven system make the implementation of sustainable land management practices in Mongolia especially complicated. Forests play an important role in land management. In addition to providing resources and ecosystem functions, Mongolian forests protect against land degradation. We conducted a literature review of the status of forest management in Mongolia and lessons learned, with special consideration to halting deforestation and degradation. We grouped our review into seven challenges relevant to developing regionally adapted forest management systems that both safeguard forest health and consider socio-economic needs. In our review, we found that current forest management in Mongolia is not always sustainable, and that some practices lack scientific grounding. An overwhelming number of sources noticed a decrease in forest area and quality during the last decades, although afforestation initiatives are reported to have increased. We found that they have had, with few exceptions, only limited success. During our review, however, we found a number of case studies that presented or proposed promising approaches to (re-)establishing and managing forests. These studies are further supported by a body of literature that examines how forest administration, and local participation can be modified to better support sustainable forestry. Based on our review, we conclude that it is necessary to integrate capacity development and forest research into holistic initiatives. A special focus should be given to the linkages between vegetation cover and the hydrological regime.Item Hygienic assessment of surface, ground and drinking water in The Kharaa River Basin(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2018-08-10) Bolor-Erdene Ochirbold; Daniel Karthe; AriuntuyaThe Kharaa river basin is ranked in the 5th of 29 river basins in terms of the economic importance and industrial production in Mongolia. However, this river basin has one of the smallest total area basins which is 26th of 29 river basins (1). As several research studies, there have been resulted that the Kharaa River Basin (KRB) is one of the highest populated river basins in Mongolia because of agricultural and industrial activities. Most drinking water source of inhabitants is provided by groundwater which is fed by KRB and livestock is mostly using surface water (2). Until recently, data on the hygienic quality of water resources in the KRB was limited and it was hardly found openly.Item In- and outdoor air pollution in Bayankhoshuu district, UB(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2019-05-07) Nomuun Batbaatar; Daniel Karthe; Gunther StehrThis thesis is finished in cooperation with the Clean Air-Ger (GLEAR) project, led by Prof. Dr.-Ing Gunther Stehr, therefore data for this study is collected from the pilot area of GLEAR project which is located at the Baynkhoshuu ger district. This thesis assesses the indoor and outdoor air quality measurements produced by 3 different monitoring devices, DustTrack, Sensedge and online database (OpenAQ), and to reach a scientific evaluation on impacts and effects of ESP using that information. The main focus of the measurements were fine dusts, the PM2.5 (atmospheric particulate matter that have diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) and PM10 (atmospheric particulate matter that have diameter of less than 10 micrometers) quantity, in μm/m3 , which are known as its adverse and dangerous effect on human health due to its size. Although the common source for the particulate emissions is predicted to be Ger area furnace, loose debris and diesel motor of old cars, the relative work for source appointment has not taken place during the study period. From the collected measurement, effective reduction of particulate matter by ESP can be observed. However further development and studies are needed where the fuel use and other possible activities that trigger dispersion of fine dust into the atmosphere are observed and controlled. The comparison between indoor and outdoor air quality indicates the pollution reaches its peaks during certain time period on each location due to pollution source active time period.Item Introduction to ISO 21001:2018-EOMS to Mongolian universities and colleges: opportunities and challenges(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 0022-10-28) Urangoo Turbat; Daniel Karthe; Gerhard WackenhutThe ISO 21001:2018 – Educational organizations – Management systems for educational organizations, seeks to provide help to hundreds of millions of learners all over the world, and with millions of educational organizations to evaluate the degree to which they meet the requirements of learners and other stakeholders, and to improve their ability to do so [1]. The ISO 21001 standard follows the high-level structure, where clauses 4 to 10 (Context of the organization, Leadership, Planning, Support, Operation, Performance evaluation, and Improvement) present the requirements for a management system for EOMS [2].Item Manganese Pollution in Mining-Influenced Rivers and Lakes: Current State and Forecast under Climate Change in the Russian Arctic(2022) Vera A. Matveeva; Alexey V. Alekseenko; Daniel Karthe; Alexander V. PuzanovMining regions in different parts of the world have been associated with the significant pollution of water, sediments, and soils by manganese and other chemical elements. This study assessed the degree of geochemical transformation caused by open-pit extraction and processing of mineral resources in the Kovdorsky District of Murmansk Oblast, 20 km from the Russia–Finland border. A second objective was to predict further changes co-driven by industrial pressure and high climatic instability in the polar region. The field study involved sampling water and sediments from virgin background streams and from the tailings storage facility, settling ponds, rivers, and lakes affected by ore mining and disintegration. Laboratory analyses included the study of elemental composition, redox potential, alkalinity and acidity, organic matter content, and other geochemical characteristics for a better understanding of pollutant migration patterns. We revealed elevated levels of potentially toxic elements in surface waters and bottom sediments which pose a risk to the human health via the household and drinking water supply. Pollution with manganese (Mn) was found to be the major environmental issue. Its natural presence in the river water was overridden a hundredfold by anthropogenic enrichment. This is problematic as Mn is easily bioaccumulated, which can lead to unwanted ecotoxicological effects, and—in the case of prolonged exposure to high doses of Mn and its compounds—to detrimental human health impacts. We believe that the changing climate may raise the water flow and thus expand the area of the hydrochemical anomaly. On the other hand, the activation of self-purification and dilution processes could lead to decreasing environmental Mn concentrations.Item Mining Sector Contribution to the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Local Development Fund: A Case Study of Zaamar district, Mongolia(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2020-06-08) Jantsannyambuu Jamiyandorj; Daniel Karthe; Oyuntuya ShagdarsurenThe main goal of this thesis is to study the effectiveness and efficiency of the Local Development Fund in Zaamar soum, with special focus on the interaction between the local government and the local community. The purpose of the LDF is to create conditions for a transparent and accountable governance by collective decisions with the participation of citizens and the local governor. During the research, unexpected feature was Zaamar soum had their own unique fund which called Development Support Fund. Both LDF and DSF were analyzed and suggestions were conducted in the thesis. Moreover, optimization of public spending was created in order to improve current utilization.Item Morphological and genetic assessment of sympatric lenok species (genus Brachymystax) in the Onon River, Mongolia(2023) Andrew Kaus; Michael Schäffer; Stefan Michalski; Matthias Pitsch; Daniel Karthe; Dietrich BorchardtThe genus Brachymystax is represented by three putative species that disjointedly inhabit the major river basins of central and northeast Eurasia. Brachymystax lenok and B. tumensis have been regularly misidentified throughout their range, including across sympatric populations in the upper Onon River of Mongolia. This research has focused on Mongolia’s understudied lenok populations by conducting detailed morphometric measurements and genetic analyses to confirm key metrics for accurately distinguishing between these cryptic species. While there are slight differences in colouration and patterns including size and density of their defining black spots, four key metrics were found to be significantly different between the species including gill rakers counts, snout length, lateral line scale counts and body depth. Brachymystax tumensis was also typically heavier than B. lenok at the same length. These results were supported by genetic analyses which clustered the two species into separate clades and displayed unique haplotypes for the Mongolian populations. Initial investigations of diets and gonad maturation indicated an ecological and spatial separation of these sympatric species. The current study is important for these recreationally targeted species which require further research and species-specific management measures to ensure their threatened populations are conserved in Mongolia for the future.Item Plastic in the environment of Nalaikh(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2020-06-08) Bat-Erdene Purevsuren; Daniel Karthe; EnkhjargalPlastic is one of the most produced material in the world due to its flexibility and cheap cost to produce and plastic production has been growing since 1950 and expected to keep on growing. Once plastic product is used and becomes waste plastic becomes problem to the environment. First of all, shear amount of the plastic and plastic accumulation due to slow degradation of plastic and additionally plastic waste causes problems such as entanglement, ingestion, leaching. On top of negative environmental impacts plastic waste is a health hazard as well. This thesis assesses impact of the plastic waste in Nalaikh by evaluating amount of landfilled plastic waste, recycled plastic waste, plastic waste directly disposed to the environment and impact of different methods to deal with plastic waste trough material flow analysis based on literatures and assumptions. Currently Nalaikh has population of 37608, where majority of the population is living in Ger area. Waste generation pattern is different by a season and during winter majority of the plastic waste is generated by households and during summer majority of the plastic waste is from households and illegal dumping, especially illegal dumping in Terelj national park. Currently it is estimated 610.29 tons of plastic waste is directly disposed to the environment. Population of Nalaikh is expected to keep on growing and as the population grows amount of plastic waste generated is expected to keep on growing and amount of plastic waste disposed to the environment is expected to grow from 1.72tons/day to 2.55tons/day in 2050. To deal with this problem one measure by itself would not have enough impact and combination of multiple methods is required. If multiple methods are used together including recycling plant in Nalaikh amount of plastic waste disposed to the environment is expected to reduce from 1.72tons/day to 0.54tons/day in 2050 and there is potential to supply plastic recycling plant for next 60 years. With current limited knowledge on plastic waste of Nalaikh further research are highly recommended as Nalaikh is currently under a threat of plastic pollution.Item Pollution reduction potential by implementing electrostatic dust precipitators on mongolian small-scale stoves (a pilot study in Ulanbaatar)(2020) Daniel Karthe; Tim Hafer; Byambasuren Battulga; Lodoysamba Sereeter; Gunther StehrThe Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatarexperiences some of the world’s worst air pollution during the winter months, most of it being caused by small coal- and wood-fired stoves which are used for heating and cooking purposes in peri-urban parts of the city. A recent pilot study in Songinokhairkhan District of Ulaanbaatar City evaluated the feasibility of electrostatic dust precipitators (ESP) for reducing particulate matter (PM) emissions from small stoves. This paper focuses on the pollution reduction potentials that would result from a large-scale implementation of ESPs. Using a locally developed low- cost ESP system (which is currently in the process of further improvement), reduction rates ranging between 10 to 50% of the PM emissions (depending on the fuel and combustion conditions) could be achieved. Fitting all or at least a major fraction of the small stoves with such ESPs could reduce PM emissions by an order of several thousand tons per heating season for the whole city. The avoided particle emissions would simultaneously prevent atmospheric pollution by various trace metals and metalloids including As, Cd, Pb and Zn, which are known to be major soil and water pollutants locally, and several other toxic substances. However, this also means that safe disposal strategies must be developed for the fly ash precipitated during ESP operation.Item Redevelopment of ulaanbaatar ger area(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2022-10-31) Nomin Ganbaatar; Daniel Karthe; Gantuya GanbatUlaanbaatar's ger areas are undergoing replanning and redevelopment, but due to compliance with procedures, laws and regulations, lack of funding, and the availability of engineering infrastructure and its capacity, the scope of ger areas has been expanding, air and environmental pollution has increased, and the rights of citizens protected by law to live healthy and in a safe environment continue to be seriously violated, and has reached this point while mitigating solutions are being sought outItem Rehabilitation concept for Nalaikh Mining Licence Area (N MLA): Monitoring of heavy metals in the soils in and around N-MLA.(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2019-05-07) Suvd-Erdene Tsend-Ayush; Martin Knippertz; Daniel KartheThis thesis was focused on the investigation of environmental impacts of Nalaikh small scale coal mining to identification and improve the mitigation measures and geotechnical recommendations for the rehabilitation concepts and further development of environmental management in Nalaikh district.Item Resource conundrum in Mongolia: Soil contamination from coal and copper–molybdenum mining(2024) Enkhjargal Sodnomdarjaa; Martin Knippertz; Daniel Karthe; Alexey V. Alekseenko; Gantuya Ganbat; Wolfgang Römer; Frank LehmkuhlSoil contamination and the resulting ecological disturbances are a common phenomenon in mining areas, including the vicinities of the largest and oldest open-pit mining areas in Mongolia. In this work, the potential ecological risk index (RI), Nemerow integrated pollution index (PIN), and Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) were used to estimate the level of soil contamination with Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cr, and Pb in the top layer of the soils around Baganuur coal mine and Erdenet copper–molybdenum mine. Three different analytical methods were used: portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for the first assessment of samples, and stationary X-ray fluorescence and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy for the confirmation of results in the laboratory. Even though general contamination levels in both study areas were relatively low, some potentially toxic elements were found at contents several times higher than the maximum permissible level (MPL) according to the national standard of Mongolia. In the Baganuur area, Zn was up to 2.8 and As was up to 3.00 times higher, while in the Erdenet area, As was up to 2.4, Cr was up to 1.7, Cu was up to 8.1, and Zn was up to 1.2 times higher than MPL of the national standard in the vicinity to the mining and industrial area. The estimation of the pXRF measurement had generally similar results to the other two laboratory methods based on spatial distributions of heavy metal content. Among the different geochemical indices, the PIN showed a more accurately distinguished spatial distribution of contamination. For example, highly contaminated areas were found in the vicinity of the open pit, the tailings pond and the industrial area based on PIN results: 3.6%–4.9% of the total area in Baganuur and 3.1%–4.9% of the total area in Erdenet. The identified pollution levels emphasize the essential need for soil rehabilitation in mining areas, a key factor for Mongolia's economic development and environmental stability. In addition, the lack of documented soil rehabilitation initiatives underscores the pressing need for enhanced environmental responsibility in the country's expanding mining sector.Item Reviewing changes in mangrove land use over the decades in Thailand: Current responses and challenges(2024) Preeyaphat Chaiklang; Daniel Karthe; Mukand Babel; Lukas Giessen; Carsten SchusserAfter a decline from 367,900 ha to 160,000 ha between 1961 and 1996, there has been a notable recovery of mangroves in Thailand, with an expansion to 277,923 ha by 2020. This review aims to comprehensively analyze not only the historical changes but also the future outlook based on the land use changes within the mangrove ecosystem and the drivers of changes. Combining a systematic literature review with the Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, and Response (DPSIR) framework, we identified key factors that impact mangrove ecosystems in Thailand. Results indicate that previous research mostly focused on ecological outcomes of land use change in mangrove regions while limited attention has been paid to socioeconomic aspects. During 1988–2014, the creation of aquaculture ponds was the dominant threat to mangroves, but this was at least partly mitigated by capacity development for ameliorating the impacts of aquaculture. More recently, from 2015 to 2023, there has been a decline in the number and spatial extent of aquaculture ponds, which other land uses have replaced. This specifically includes mangrove restoration and monitoring, which were motivated not only by efforts for environmental conservation but also incentivized by enhanced biodiversity and carbon neutrality goals. Nevertheless, there are still knowledge gaps concerning the interplay between socioeconomic factors and the intricacies of carbon management. These challenges necessitate a more thorough examination of actors' interests and influences, and considering mangrove ecosystems within a Sustainability Nexus perspective highlights the interconnections among environmental resources (e.g., biodiversity, water security, climate system) and society. The approach emphasizes integrated planning and takes synergies and tradeoffs between different management objectives into consideration, thus allowing for an approach to sustainable development that equally considers human needs and complex environmental systems. Ultimately, addressing the above-mentioned gaps is crucial not only for preserving mangroves but also for advancing Thailand's climate-related objectives and ensuring overall sustainability.Item Soil pollution risks associated to ash disposal and deposition in the ger districts of ulaanbaatar(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2021-05-12) Sarnai Amarbayasgalan; Daniel Karthe; Enkhjargal SodnomdarjaaThe research is aimed to assess soil pollution risks due to ash disposal and deposition in ger districts of Ulaanbaatar. The study continued from November 2020 to May 2021. Ash samples were taken from Nalaikh raw coal ash and Tavan-tolgoi briquette ash, in total 12 samples were assessed. Soil samples were taken from the top soil of Ulaanbaatar, in total 10 samples were evaluated. Main soil pollution analysis indices, ecological impacts and human health impacts were examined in this study. Fly ash of Nalaikh raw coal was strongly contaminated by As and Pb in comparison with fly ash of Tavan-tolgoi briquette. As and Cd concentration on top soil of ger districts of Ulaanbaatar exceeded the permissible limit, however other elements were not listed in MNS 5850:2019. Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) and non-carcinogenic risks to children was beyond USEPA recommended limit under ingestion and dermal contact pathways. For ecological risk assessment, Zn and As in fly ash of both coals showed very strong contamination indexes. Cd, As, and Pb are considered as higher ecological toxicity than other heavy metals in fly ashes. Disposal and deposition of Nalaikh raw coal ash have more adverse consequences than Tavantolgoi briquette ash.Item Study of wastewater treatment based on the DAF for the small-scaled industry(German Mongolian Institute for Resouce and Technology, 2020-06-08) Nandin-Erdene Munkhbat; Ariuntuya; Daniel KartheMost of the Mongolia industry scale is small sized industry comparing other country. Therefore, there is an important need of small scale pre-treatment plant of industrial wastewater in Mongolia. As nowadays requirement for protecting environment, all small scale industry have to install WWTP before discharge the wastewater into environment and sewerage network. The wastewater treatment plant at a poultry slaughterhouse comprises a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system. The DAF system at small-scale industries especially poultry wastewater treatment is designed to remove high concentration of organic pollution such as FOG, BOD, COD and TSS. Formulated on the literature, the DAF operation of the system removal efficiency at 300kPa pressure, PAC coagulation and anionic polymer is shown optimal result.