Humid Environmental Conditions Research Articles

Etiological prevalence and antifungal sensitivity patterns of dermatophytosis in India - A multicentric study.

The prevalence of dermatophytes varies with season, geographical area, socio-economic factors and effective management strategies. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of pathogenic dermatophytes, clinical types of dermatophyte fungal infection, and in vitro antifungal drug susceptibility testing against dermatophytes. Three hundred and ninety five patients with dermatophytosis were enrolled from five cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Hyderabad) across India. All patients were subjected to clinical examination and investigations, including potassium hydroxide microscopy, fungal culture and antifungal drug susceptibility testing. Trichophyton rubrum was the most common species identified (68.4%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (29.3%). Within species, T. mentagrophytes was prevalent in humid environmental conditions (Mumbai and Kolkata), whereas T. rubrum was prevalent in noncoastal areas (Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad). Tinea corporis (71.4%) and tinea cruris (62.0%) were the common clinical types observed. antifungal drug susceptibility testing data indicated that minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms (MIC-90) was lowest for griseofulvin (0.25-3.0 μg/mL). Among oral antifungals, the mean MIC of itraconazole was within the range (0.84 [0.252] μg/ mL), whereas high mean MIC values were reported for terbinafine (0.05 [0.043] μg/mL). Among topical agents, lowest mean MIC values were reported for luliconazole (0.29 [0.286] μg/mL), eberconazole (0.32 [0.251]) μg/mL and amorolfine (0.60 [0.306]) μg/mL. Lack of correlation between in vitro antifungal susceptibility and clinical outcome and absence of defined MIC breakpoints. T. rubrum was the most common, followed by T. mentagrophytes as an emerging/codominant fungal isolate in India. Tinea corporis was the most common clinical type of dermatophytosis. Mean MIC of terbinafine was above the reference range, while it was within the range for itraconazole; griseofulvin had the lowest mean MIC. Luliconazole presented the lowest mean MIC values across cities.

WomBot: an exploratory robot for monitoring wombat burrows

In this study we evaluate the design and efficacy of Wombot, an exploratory robot used to study environmental conditions within wombat burrows. Our purpose-built robot traverses through the difficult terrain present in wombat burrows whilst facilitating placement and retrieval of environmental data loggers. Our preliminary results suggest that the environmental conditions present within the burrows would result in a long mite survival time which shows significant risk for spreading infestations throughout a wombat population.Article HighlightsWombats live in difficult to observe burrows and suffer from mange cased by Sarcoptes scabiei.A teleoperated robot was designed to traverse the difficult terrain within burrows whilst placing and retrieving environmental loggers.Cool and humid environmental conditions within burrows suggest a relatively long mite survival time of 16–18 days

Photoluminescence Gas Sensing by Fluorescein-Dye Anions/1-Butanesulfonate/Layered Double Hydroxide Hybrid Materials under Humid Environment Conditions.

In this study, we investigated the photoluminous spectroscopic behavior of hybrid powder incorporating both anionic fluorescein dye (AFD) and 1-butanesulfonate (C4S) with layered double hydroxide (LDH) in the presence of NH3 or NO2 gas under various relative humidity conditions. In the presence of NH3 gas, drastic photoluminescence enhancement from the LDH/AFD/C4S hybrid was observed at relative humidity (RH) ≥ 40% when the NH3 reached a certain concentration. Meanwhile, the LDH/AFD/C4S hybrid was exposed to NO2 gas at various relative humidity conditions, and the following behavior was observed: At RH ≥ 60%, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity from the hybrid gradually decreased as NO2 concentration increased. Therefore, the LDH/AFD/C4S hybrid investigated in this study is inferred to be suitable for optical NH3/NO2 sensor devices, which can be used in humid air.

Efficient post-treatment of CsPbBr3 film with enhanced photovoltaic performance

All-bromide inorganic perovskite CsPbBr3 has attracted enormous attention due to its excellent stability against thermal and high humidity environmental conditions. The wide bandgap of CsPbBr3 (2.3 eV) makes it a promising material for tandem and semitransparent solar cells. However, cesium based inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) usually suffer from low device performance because of their imperfect film quality and mismatched energy levels with respect to charge transport materials. Herein, we describe a post-treatment strategy for CsPbBr3 films using formamidinium bromide (FABr). With this protocol, FA+ can partially substitute Cs+ in the bulk phase of CsPbBr3, improving energy level alignment and enhancing charge extraction. Meanwhile, grain boundaries could be effectively passivated by a second phase (FAyCs4−yPbBr6) generated in the ion exchange reaction. As a result, FABr-treated PSC exhibits a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.25%, much higher than the pristine device with PCE of 6.74%. This work provides a feasible method to improve device performance of CsPbBr3 PSCs while maintaining their outstanding stability.

Laboratory simulation of salt weathering under moderate ageing conditions: Implications for the deterioration of sandstone heritage in temperate climates

AbstractSalt weathering is a significant process affecting the deterioration and conservation of stone‐built heritage in many locations and environments. While much research has focused on the impact of salt weathering under arid or coastal conditions with characteristic climatic conditions and salt types, many sites found to be experiencing salt‐induced deterioration, such as sandstone rock‐hewn cave temples in Gansu Province, China and sandstone buildings in the northern UK, experience high humidities, moderate temperature ranges, and different salt types. To evaluate the impact of salt weathering on sandstone‐built heritage under such mild humid environmental conditions, a lab simulation experiment was designed. The experiment was carried out on three types of sandstone (used in the northern UK and Gansu Province, China) and utilized a realistic diurnal humidity and temperature cycle (85% RH/16°C + 60% RH/22°C), and three widespread damaging salts, that is, Na2SO4, MgSO4, and the mixture of Na2SO4–MgSO4. The nature and extent of deterioration was monitored by photography, weight loss, and the changes in petrophysical properties measured using hardness, ultrasonic pulse velocity (P‐wave velocity), water absorption coefficient by capillarity, open porosity, and apparent density. All three sandstones were found to be susceptible to MgSO4 and the mixture of Na2SO4–MgSO4, but weakly affected by Na2SO4 under mild humid environmental conditions.

Paleolatitude estimation and premises for geomagnetic field instability from the Proterozoic drilling core material of the south-western part of the East European Craton

This study addresses new paleomagnetic, geochemical, mineralogical, and rock-magnetic data from four drill cores of the western part of the East European Craton, representing mainly siliciclastics supplemented by volcaniclastics and a few basaltic rock samples. The cores comprise Mesoproterozoic samples of 1400–1030 Ma and Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) samples of 588–541 Ma. According to the magnetic data, the dominant magnetic carrier in basalts is magnetite, while two genetic types of hematite (detrital and syngenetic/early diagenetic) carry magnetization in sedimentary rocks. The characteristic components of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM), carried by the fine-grained hematite (intermediate temperature component [CM]) and the coarse-grained hematite (high-temperature component [CH]), were identified during thermal cleaning. Mineralogical and geochemical studies provided evidence for detrital and synsedimentary/early post-sedimentary origin of fine-grained hematite and suggested hot and humid environmental conditions on the western part of Baltica during Meso- and Neoproterozoic time. Because of a low-temperature diagenetic history, which affected the Mesoproterozoic and Ediacaran rocks of Pinsk 26, Ochrymy IG-1, and Šaškai 2 boreholes, no post-Ediacaran paleomagnetic overprint is expected there. On the basis of these findings, the CM component in these profiles was classified as nearly primary (synsedimentary/early post-sedimentary) in origin. The CH component in these profiles and the Ediacaran sandstones of the Kaplonosy IG-1 section is also considered primary and acquired as detrital NRM (DRM). Paleomagnetic results yielded a reliable record with the domination of shallow-to-moderate inclinations, showing both polarities. The calculated paleolatitudes for 550–541 Ma time span, regardless of correction for the inclination error, fall within the subequatorial zone. Steeper inclinations, suggesting subpolar paleolatitudes, were observed in the volcaniclastics and basalts interlayering with sedimentary rocks and, sporadically, in the Ediacaran sedimentary successions. The origin of this steep component, however, was attributed to the anomalous behavior of the geomagnetic field, as a consistently warm environmental facies pattern did not support a fast and far-distance, cross-latitudinal, poleward movement of Baltica during the Ediacaran time and then back to the equator. These results complement previous studies that sought to resolve uncertainty of the paleogeographic position of Baltica in the Proterozoic time.

Short-term changes in air humidity and water availability weakly constrain thermoregulation in a dry-skinned ectotherm.

Thermoregulation is critical for ectotherms as it allows them to maintain their body temperature close to an optimum for ecological performance. Thermoregulation includes a range of behaviors that aim at regulating body temperature within a range centered around the thermal preference. Thermal preference is typically measured in a thermal gradient in fully-hydrated and post-absorptive animals. Short-term effects of the hydric environment on thermal preferences in such set-ups have been rarely quantified in dry-skinned ectotherms, despite accumulating evidence that dehydration might trade-off with behavioral thermoregulation. Using experiments performed under controlled conditions in climatic chambers, we demonstrate that thermal preferences of a ground-dwelling, actively foraging lizard (Zootoca vivipara) are weakly decreased by a daily restriction in free-standing water availability (less than 0.5°C contrast). The influence of air humidity during the day on thermal preferences depends on time of the day and sex of the lizard, and is generally weaker than those of of free-standing water (less than 1°C contrast). This shows that short-term dehydration can influence, albeit weakly, thermal preferences under some circumstances in this species. Environmental humidity conditions are important methodological factors to consider in the analysis of thermal preferences.

Cooling Interventions Among Agricultural Workers: Qualitative Field-Based Study.

Agricultural workers perform intense labor outside in direct sunlight and in humid environmental conditions exposing them to a high risk of heat-related illness (HRI). To implement effective cooling interventions in occupational settings, it is important to consider workers' perceptions. To date, an analysis of agricultural workers' experience and perception of cooling devices used in the field while working has not been published. Qualitatively data from 61 agricultural workers provided details of their perceptions and experiences with cooling interventions. The participants in the bandana group reported the bandana was practical to use at work and did not interfere with their work routine. Cooling vest group participants agreed that the vest was effective at cooling them, but the practicality of using the vest at work was met with mixed reviews. The findings of this qualitative study support and extend existing research regarding personal cooling and heat prevention research interventions with vulnerable occupational groups. Personal cooling gear was well received and utilized by the agricultural workers. Sustainable heat prevention studies and governmental protection strategies for occupational heat stress are urgently needed to reduce the risk of heat-related morbidity, mortality, and projected climate change health impacts on outdoor workers.

The crop growth planning problem in vertical farming

In this paper, we study the problem of planning the growth of crops on shelves in vertical farming cabinets under controlled growth conditions. By adjusting temperature, humidity, light, and other environmental conditions in different parts of the cabinets, a planner must ensure that crop growth is able to satisfy some deterministic demand. We prove this problem to be NP-hard and propose an integer programming formulation able to capture real-life operational characteristics, including changes of growth conditions on a daily, shelf-by-shelf basis, over a planning horizon of months. We compare four objective functions from which a planner can choose, depending on the specific operations of the company. A computational study on realistic instances, which we make available as a public dataset, shows that the choice of objective function heavily influences both the difficulty of solving the model with a standard solver and the solution characteristics.

Distribution of the common nettle Urtica dioica L. and annual nettle U. urens L. in the Russian Federation

Two widespread weedy species of Urtica L. (Urticaceaea Juss.), common nettle ( Urtica dioica L.) and annual nettle ( U. urens L.), possess many useful properties, so any information on their distribution is of practical interest. Numerous scientific publications with open access were used to map the areas of distribution for these species in the Russian Federation. While mapping the spatial arrangement of these taxa, the data on the frequency of their occurrence in separate administrative subdivisions of the country were employed. Areas where occurrences of an individual nettle species are scored as “very often”, “often”, “usually” or “often” were blended into one territory characterized with the “often” occurrence: this is the optimum zone for the species in question. Similarly, the pessimum zone for the species was identified as a combined territory of the areas where the occurrence was marked as “very rarely”, “rarely”, “infrequently” or “sporadically”. The pessimum zone included the areas located in the north of the range of species distribution: they are characterized by cooler and more humid environmental conditions than the optimum zone. The pessimum also incorporated the lands stretching in the southern part of the range: their environmental conditions are drier and warmer than those in both the optimum zone and the northern part of the pessimum zone. Therefore, plants of the same species, occurring in different parts of their area of distribution, are adapted to different hydrothermal conditions, which should be taken into account when selecting forms for further possible cultivation and use.

Water and oxygen co-induced microstructure relaxation and evolution in CH3NH3PbI3.

Owing to perovskite possessing the outstanding optoelectronic properties, perovskite-based solar cells show prominent performance. The stability of perovskite-based solar cells hampers the progress of commercialization, so it is important to understand the microstructure mechanism of perovskite degradation under the humidity and oxygen environmental conditions. In this study, a meaningful Debye-type dielectric relaxation was observed under water vapor and oxygen co-treatment conditions. Interestingly, the relaxation was not observed under water vapor or oxygen treatment individually. This new dielectric relaxation is identified as a direct result of dipole jump, and its activation energy was measured to be 630 ± 6 meV. According to photoelectron spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance data, we suggest that the dipoles are formed by CH3NH3+ (MA+) and superoxide (O2-), which originate from the distorted crystal lattice and water vapor-weakened hydrogen bonds of Pb-I cages. In addition, the activation energy fitted by dielectric relaxation might be the energy of ion migration. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of perovskite degradation from the view of microstructure relaxation and evolution, and also provides a method for the analysis of ion migration energy.

Effect of Weather on the Spread of COVID-19 Using Eigenspace Decomposition

Since the end of 2019, the world has suffered from a pandemic of the disease called COVID-19. WHO reports show approximately 113 M confirmed cases of infection and 2.5 M deaths. All nations are affected by this nightmare that continues to spread. Widespread fear of this pandemic arose not only from the speed of its transmission: a rapidly changing “normal life” became a fear for everyone. Studies have mainly focused on the spread of the virus, which showed a relative decrease in high temperature, low humidity, and other environmental conditions. Therefore, this study targets the effect of weather in considering the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for some confirmed cases in Iraq. The eigenspace decomposition technique was used to analyze the effect of weather conditions on the spread of the disease. Our theoretical findings showed that the average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has cyclic trends related to temperature, humidity, wind speed, and pressure. We supposed that the dynamic spread of COVID-19 exists at a temperature of 130 F. The minimum transmission is at 120 F, while steady behavior occurs at 160 F. On the other hand, during the spread of COVID-19, an increase in the rate of infection was seen at 125% humidity, where the minimum spread was achieved at 200%. Furthermore, wind speed showed the most significant effect on the spread of the virus. The spread decreases with a wind speed of 45 KPH, while an increase in the infectious spread appears at 50 KPH.

Graphene assisted crystallization and charge extraction for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells free of a hole-transport layer.

In recent times, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been of wide interest in solar energy research, which has ushered in a new era for photovoltaic power sources through the incredible enhancement in their power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, several serious challenges still face their high efficiency: upscaling and commercialization of the fabricated devices, including long-term stability as well as the humid environment conditions of the functional cells. To overcome these obstacles, stable graphene (G) materials with tunable electronic features have been used to assist the crystallization as well as the charge extraction inside the device configuration. Nonetheless, the hole transport layer (HTL)-free PSCs based on graphene materials exhibit unpredictable results, including a high efficiency and long-term stability even in the conditions of an ambient air atmosphere. Herein, we combine graphene materials into a mesoporous TiO2 electron transfer layer (ETL) to improve the coverage and crystallinity of the perovskite material and minimize charge recombination to augment both the stability and efficiency of the fabricated mixed cation PSCs in ambient air, even in the absence of a HTL. Our results demonstrate that an optimized PSC in the presence of different percentages of graphene materials displays a PCE of up to 17% in the case of a G:TiO2 ETL doped with 1.5% graphene. With this coverage and crystallinity amendment approach, we show hysteresis-free and stable PSCs, with less decomposition after ∼3000 h of storage under a moist ambient atmosphere. This work focuses on the originalities of the materials, expenses, and the assembling of stable and effective perovskite solar cells.

Evaluation of Seismic Behaviour of High Voltage Switchgear Panel by Shake Table Testing

Switchgear and controlgear plays a vital role in electrical power distribution system. Switchgear and controlgear are designed for electrical performance requirements including short circuit, temperature and humidity environmental conditions. But design aspects due to a seismic event are usually not taken into consideration. Earthquake shock waves causes vigorous ground shaking which are three dimensional in nature. Past-earthquake records have revealed that electrical equipment are vulnerable to seismic event, this lead to an increased focus on the earthquake performance evaluation of electrical equipment. Dynamic loading due to earthquake should be considered at the design stage in addition to other performance parameters. Designing switchgear for earthquake loading and validating design by testing can ensure uninterrupted and safe power supply during crucial time of post-earthquake rescue operations. In case of metal enclosed switchgear, functioning of equipment during and after seismic event is the major concern. Malfunctioning due to breaking or loosening or deformation of components, loss of output due to open circuit or short circuit and spurious operation of protective relays are observed during past seismic events. Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) is equipped with stateof- the-art tri-axial shake table facility for simulating true earthquake vibration. Seismic performance evaluation of high voltage switchgear by shake table method is presented in this paper.

Instrument Bias Correction With Machine Learning Algorithms: Application to Field-Portable Mass Spectrometry

In situ sensors for environmental chemistry promise more thorough observations, which are necessary for high confidence predictions in earth systems science. However, these can be a challenge to interpret because the sensors are strongly influenced by temperature, humidity, pressure, or other secondary environmental conditions that are not of direct interest. We present a comparison of two statistical learning methods—a generalized additive model and a long short-term memory neural network model for bias correction of in situ sensor data. We discuss their performance and tradeoffs when the two bias correction methods are applied to data from submersible and shipboard mass spectrometers. Both instruments measure the most abundant gases dissolved in water and can be used to reconstruct biochemical metabolisms, including those that regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide. Both models demonstrate a high degree of skill at correcting for instrument bias using correlated environmental measurements; the difference in their respective performance is less than 1% in terms of root mean squared error. Overall, the long short-term memory bias correction produced an error of 5% for O2 and 8.5% for CO2 when compared against independent membrane DO and laser spectrometer instruments. This represents a predictive accuracy of 92–95% for both gases. It is apparent that the most important factor in a skillful bias correction is the measurement of the secondary environmental conditions that are likely to correlate with the instrument bias. These statistical learning methods are extremely flexible and permit the inclusion of nearly an infinite number of correlates in finding the best bias correction solution.

Comparative degradation analysis of different photovoltaic technologies on experimentally simulated water bodies and estimation of evaporation loss reduction

AbstractDegradation of photovoltaic (PV) systems on water bodies can be matter of serious concern due to high humid environmental conditions above water surface as compared with land surface. The primary objective of this study is to assess the reliability of various PV technologies for megawatt‐scale installations by analyzing their degradation on water bodies. An experimental study has been performed for 13 months on three commercially available PV technologies, namely, multicrystalline‐Si (m‐Si), heterojunction intrinsic thin layer (HIT), and cadmium telluride (CdTe). Degradation of these PV technologies on water and comparison of their degradation with respective land‐mounted PV technologies have been presented. Various approaches have been implemented for degradation analysis. The degradation in electrical parameters of all PV modules has been measured. Also, a mathematical PV model has been developed to analyze the internal parameters degradation in different PV technologies. Moreover, thermal imaging has been conducted to distinguish various defects in all PV modules. Evaporation reduction is a significant aspect of water‐mounted PV systems, and thus, analytical model to estimate evaporation has been developed and experimentally validated in this study. The HIT PV technology is observed to be degrading almost at the same rate of about 0.50% on both water and land surfaces, whereas degradation of water‐mounted m‐Si module has been found 1.32% which is significantly higher than the corresponding land‐mounted module which has degradation of 0.93%. Degradation in CdTe modules is 1.68% on water, which is marginally higher than corresponding land‐based module that has degradation of 1.41%.

Assessing multi-output Gaussian process regression for modeling of non-monotonic degradation trends of light emitting diodes in storage

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) exhibit different degradation physics under different environmental conditions of humidity, temperature and electrical loading, leading to complex degradation models – a common behavior with several other electronic devices. While most researches focus on degradation under active use, degradation models in storage are often not well established. Large fleet storage of components, in the absence of a degradation model, requires laborious continuous inspections despite the preservation under similar environmental conditions. Leveraging on training data from other LEDs within the fleet, stored under similar conditions, this study investigates the utility of multi-output Gaussian Process Regression (MOGPR) with limited test data, to model the complex degradation curve of LEDs in storage, as a proxy for electronic components. We further explore the choice of detrending means and training data sets, to enhance the prediction of degradation curves and residual storage life (RSL). Additional training data sets are observed to give diminishing returns for prediction accuracy.

Optimizing the working mechanism of the CsPbBr3-based inorganic perovskite solar cells for enhanced efficiency

Recently, inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on CsPbBr3 have triggered incredible interest due to the demonstrated excellent stability against thermal and high humidity environmental conditions. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the CsPbBr3-based PSCs is still lower than that of the organic-inorganic hybrid one, because of the large band gap and serious charge recombination at the interface or inside the device. Here, the working mechanism of the devices with normal n-i-p planar structure is modeled and investigated using SCAPS 1D simulation software. The simulation results state that the proper band structure of PSCs is crucial to carrier separation and transport. The high interface recombination, originated from the large band offsets of the electron transport material (ETM)/absorber and absorber/hole transport material (HTM) respectively, can be effectively diminished with the continuous gradient junction design of the absorber, and a PCE of 11.58% is obtained with a high open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.68 V. Moreover, by building a heterojunction bilayer absorption scenario of CsPbIBr2/CsPbBr3 and employing ZnOS and Cu2ZnSnS4 films as the ETM and HTM respectively, the PCE of PSCs is further increased to 15.89%, caused mainly by the enhancement in short-current density (JSC). Moreover, reducing the interface defect density is also very important to improve the performance of PSCs. These results will provide theoretical guidance for improving the performance of the CsPbBr3-based PSCs.

Hydrogeomorphic and sedimentary response to the Late Pleistocene violent Strombolian eruption of the Croscat volcano (Garrotxa Volcanic Field, Spain)

Explosive eruptions can severely alter the boundary conditions of fluvial systems around volcanoes by depositing large volumes of erodible fragmental material, increasing erosion rate and drainage mass flux (water and sediment) in the affected basin. In this paper, the environmental response to the 13 ka Croscat Violent Strombolian eruption in the Garrotxa Volcanic Field (NE Spain) has been investigated using a stratigraphic approach. Volcaniclastic material was mainly delivered at headwater tributaries (Les Tries plain in the Ser river basin) of the Fluvia River, one of the main drainage systems of NE Spain. Deposits in the Les Tries valley was initially reworked by hyperconcentrated-flows to braided stream-flows and by debris-flows involving mixed terrains (volcaniclastic materials and sands–gravels of the Eocene sedimentary basement) as registered in the stratigraphic record. The erosive pattern observed at the Les Tries valley reflects the erosion model of well-sorted and coarse-grained deposits (as the tephra deposited during the Violent Strombolian phase of the Croscat eruption), in which deep gullying and downstream aggradation are typically retarded where coarse tephra deposits remained highly permeable. Moreover, the Croscat eruption occurred soon after the Last Glacial Maximum, implying the shift from dry to wet conditions during the remobilization of the Croscat tephra. In this framework, the semiarid conditions retarded soil stabilization, driving the development of hyperconcentrated-flow-dominated alluvial fans, whereas the more humid environmental conditions favoured the partial stabilization of loose pyroclastic material, until it is periodically remobilization by mass-wasting processes as debris-flow-dominated lahars.

An evaluation of heavy metal pollution risk in tea cultivation soils of micro-catchments using various pollution indexes under humid environmental condition

Heavy metal contamination risk in agricultural fields has attained considerable importance in recent years especially due to harmful effects on food safety and the ecosystem. The purpose of this present research is to assess the heavy metal contamination risk of some micro-catchments, where tea cultivation has been taken place of Rize province in the Eastern Black Sea Region, by taking into consideration three different approaches. For this aim, 96 soil samples were collected from 29 micro-catchments at a depth of 0–20 cm to evaluate heavy metal concentrations and risk levels of soils. After that, some analyzes were performed to find out the correlation between Cd, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cr concentrations and physico-chemical properties of soils to determine the risk contamination indices of heavy metal contents and enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index and contamination factors due to natural or anthropogenic effects. According to the study results, the order of the mean heavy metals identified in the soils was determined as Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd. On the other hand, according to all three contamination risk models, Cd was identified as the riskiest element in terms of contamination in the catchments, where tea cultivation has been carried out. Also, when the statistical relationship between some physico-chemical characteristic of soils and heavy metals examined, it was identified that a significant positive correlation between clay content of soils and pH, and Cd and Zn, respectively. However, the OM value was positively correlated with Pb and negatively correlated with Co.