The size and settling velocity of oil-mineral aggregates (OMAs) derived from diluted bitumen are primary constituents in predictive models for evaluating the potential fate of oil spilled in the aquatic environment. A series of low sediment concentration (15mg·L−1), colder water (<10°C) wave tank experiments designed to measure variability in these parameters in naturally-formed OMAs in response the presence or absence of chemical dispersant are discussed. Corresponding lab experiments revealed settling velocities of artificially formed OMAs on the order of 0.1–0.4mm·s−1. High-resolution imagery of settling particles were analyzed for particle size, density and settling velocity. In situ formation of OMAs in the wave tank was unsuccessful. Possible effects of chemical dispersant on natural sediment flocculation, the size of suspended oil droplets and clearance rates of suspended particles are discussed.

This study evaluated the management of plastic wastes at 20 Brazilian maritime ports, from three sources: vessels, leased and non-leased areas. The data were obtained from documents on port wastes organized in a relational database with defined protocols (closed form). Analysis of the spreadsheets prepared and field visits revealed that the main bottleneck in managing plastic wastes at ports is their segregation. In general, more material is segregated and sent for recycling from leased areas than non-leased ones (administered by the government). This relatively better performance in managing the wastes generated in leased areas is probably due to the need for private operators to comply with the international standards such as the Code of Environmental Practice to satisfy the international market.

Imposex is decreasing worldwide after the total ban on tributyltin (TBT) from antifouling paints. In order to assess improvement in the NE Atlantic, the OSPAR Convention designed an Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO) based on the VDSI (vas deferens sequence index, an agreed measure of imposex) in the rock snail Nucella lapillus; wherever this is not available, the mud snail Nassarius reticulatus was proposed as a proxy. We determined VDSI in Galician populations of rock (n≥34) and mud (n≥18) snails at regular intervals from pre-ban times until 2009 and 2011, respectively. While imposex in the former started decreasing in 2006 and by 2009 the EcoQO had been met in the area, VDSI in the latter was not significantly reduced until 2011 and values contradict such an achievement. This suggests that the OSPAR imposex bi-species scheme may not be of direct application in the current post-ban scenario.

Air pollution is emerging as a significant risk factor for human health in developing countries, particularly in Iran where air pollutant concentrations are elevated. Currently, knowledge of health effects of air pollution in developing countries is limited. The objective of this study was to estimate the excess number of hospitalizations for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the number of excess cases of Respiratory Mortality (RM) associated with daily averages levels of particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10) in Ilam (Iran) over 1-year period (2015–2016). The excess instances of COPD and RM were estimated based on relative risk (RR) and baseline incidence (BI). The numbers of excess cases for COPD and RM during normal, dusty and Middle Eastern Dust (MED) storm days were 60 and 5, 200 and 15, and 78 and 6 persons, respectively. The results also showed that about 4.9% (95% CI: 3.0–6.8%) of hospital visits for COPD and 7.3% (CI: 4.9–19.5%) of RM could be attributed to 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration, respectively. It was found that a higher number of people were admitted to hospital when PM10 concentrations exceed 200 μg/m3 related to the MED events. Significant exposure to air pollutants, particularly during MED event, led to an excess of hospital admissions for COPD and an excess of the respiratory mortality. Several immediate actions such as strategic management of water bodies or planting of tree species in suburbs particularly bare area around the city could be effective to mitigate the impact of desert dust on respiratory illness.

White-rot fungi (WRF) mediated treatment can offer an environmentally friendly platform for the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from wastewater. These PPCPs may have adverse impacts on aquatic organisms and even human and thus their removal during wastewater treatment is of significant interest to the water industry. Whole-cell WRF or their extracellular lignin modifying enzymes (LMEs) have been reported to efficiently degrade PPCPs that are persistent to conventional activated sludge process. WRF mediated treatment of PPCPs depends on a number of factors including physicochemical properties of PPCPs (e.g., hydrophobicity and chemical structure) and wastewater matrix (e.g., pH, temperature, and dissolved constituents), type of WRF species and their specific extracellular enzymes. This review critically analyzes the performance of whole-cell WRF and their LMEs for the removal of PPCPs; particularly, it offers insights into PPCP removal mechanisms (e.g., biosorption vs. biodegradation) and degradation pathways as well as the formation of intermediate byproducts.

Microplastics (MPs) have become a major global issue; their release from various products affects the aquatic environment, especially marine ecosystems. As a primary source of MPs, personal care and cosmetics products (PCCPs) containing MPs contribute to this environmental risk. We visited several supermarket chains in Beijing, China to identify PCCPs containing MPs. Overall, 7.1% of facial cleansers contained MPs, with an average weight of 25.04±10.69mgMP/g and average size of 313±130μm; whereas, 2.2% of shower gel products contained an average weight of 17.80±7.50mgMPs/g with an average size of 422±185μm. The majority of MPs were made of polyethylene, based on Raman and Fourier transform-infrared spectra analyses, while only a few were made of walnut shells and carbon particles. Finally, estimated 39tons MPs were released into the environment based on PCCPs use in China based on available data.

A mangrove sediment core was studied to evaluate possible pollution of an urban estuary in Coffs Harbour, Australia. The heavy metal and nutrient profiles revealed a ~2.5-fold enrichment in more recent sediments. Lead-210 dating showed increasing phosphorous (P) and copper (Cu) accumulation following agricultural activity and population growth in the catchment after 1950. In contrast, nitrogen (N) did not show enrichment suggesting no external sources. Mercury (Hg) depositional fluxes and recent enrichment may be associated to an increase in fossil fuel emissions in the region. Down-core lead (Pb) profiles reflect an increase in leaded gasoline in the 1950s, then a decrease as a result of phasing out leaded gasoline in 1986. The heavy metal and nutrient depositional fluxes are well preserved in mangrove sediments and were related to historical events in the catchment.

The loss of coastal wetlands in Hong Kong Mai Po Nature Reserve adversely affected wetland-depended species. To mitigate this impact, gei wai ponds were reconstructed according to a set of biodiversity management zones (BMZs). This study, based on Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), investigated if waterbird distribution was related to BMZ characteristics. Based on habitat characteristics, ponds in the same BMZ generally clumped in the same quadrant or within a short distance on CCA scatter plots, indicating that a BMZ zone produced common habitat traits. Ponds in a close distance on the plot had similar bird abundance or community structure. Significant correlations were noted between the abundance of cormorants and tall tree, and between waders and bare ground areas within study ponds. This study indicated that the control of key habitat factors was important for the success of reconstruction of gei wais and management of waterbirds in Mai Po.

In the present study, we investigated the influence of phenanthrene (PHE), a three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compound, on nitrate (NO3−) reduction processes in mangrove sediments using microcosms. After 10days, nitrate/nitrite reductase activity and abundance of narG and nirS significantly decreased in the bulk sediment at both 10/50mgPHEkg−1 contamination groups. In the rhizosphere, abundance of narG, nirS and nirK markedly declined at PHE treated sediments, while the drop in reductase activity at 10mgkg−1 PHE treatment was insignificant. After 50days, apart from 10mgPhekg−1 treated bulk sediment, abundance of denitrifiers and reductase activity in all PHE spiked sediment samples significantly dropped. Therefore, the influence of PAHs on NO3− reduction capability in mangrove sediments is dependent on spiked concentration, temporal scale of exposure and interaction with roots. Generally, PAHs play an inhibitor role, slowing NO3− turnover rates, which warrant attention from coastal managers.

This study is an attempt to explore the effectiveness of satellite data in predicting hourly PM2.5 (Respirable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 μm) concentrations for a chosen number of forward time steps over eastern China. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aerosol optical depth (AOD), hourly forecasted meteorological variables, along with respective pollutant predictors from 2013 to 2015 were used as input to a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) type of back-propagation neural network. A novel approach, based on the correlation coefficients between surface PM2.5 and meteorological variables, was employed in selecting the averaging periods for meteorological input. Backward air mass trajectory was combined with AOD so as to explicitly measure the contribution of regional transport. Owing to the spatial variability of the AOD-PM2.5 relationship, each grid cell on the AOD retrievals was assigned to a prediction model trained by the nearest monitoring station from them. The proposed model seems to perform better in southern China. Also predictions incorporating transport predictor tend to have higher rates of detecting PM2.5 exceedance hours. We further introduced a sensitive analysis in Beijing by testing a model with surface PM2.5 input, evaluated versus the AOD input one. The two models were evaluated on the perturbed test set with input values ranging from 10 to 40%. It is found that PM model significantly outperforms the AOD one when the prediction horizon is longer than 36 h. This approach shows potential to be adapted for other regions, but will be most useful for areas without access to sophisticated deterministic models.