To assess metal contamination in sediments along the entire coastline of South Korea, we estimated the regional background concentrations of metals and assessed the degree of contamination. Major and heavy metal concentrations, grain sizes, and sedimentation rates were analyzed. Regional background concentrations were established by identifying uncontaminated sediments in the cores, using first-order linear regression of background concentration against Cs concentration. The metal contamination of surface sediments was assessed using Korean sediment quality guidelines and a modified geo-accumulation index (Igeo⁎). In total, 14 sediments exceeded the threshold and probable effects level for Cu, 39 for Zn, and 19 for Pb. Based on Igeo⁎, most sediments were not contaminated with Cr, Co, or Ni, whereas 31% (Zn), 34% (Cu), and 43% (Pb) in total surface sediments were contaminated with other metals; 14% of total sediments were contaminated with Cu, and those above class 2 were concentrated near industrial and shipyard facilities.

Seasonal sea surface microplastic distribution was recorded at 17 sites along the Israeli Mediterranean coast. Microplastics (0.3–5mm) were found in all samples, with a mean abundance of 7.68±2.38particles/m3 or 1,518,340particles/km2. Some areas had higher abundances of microplastics than others, although differences were neither consistent nor statistically significant. In some cases microplastic particles were found floating in large patches. One of these patches contained an extraordinary number of plastic particles; 324particles/m3 or 64,812,600particles/km2. Microplastic abundances in Israeli coastal waters are disturbingly high; mean values were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than abundances reported in other parts of the world. Light-colored (white or transparent) fragments were by far more abundant than all other microplastic colors and types. The results of this study underline the need for action to reduce the flux of plastics to the marine environment.

Caviar may contain high levels of toxic metals. Therefore determination of health risk assessment of the heavy metals in this luxury product is vital. In this study, an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer and a Direct Mercury Analyzer were used to assess the contents of elements in caviar of wild Persian sturgeon. The results showed that the contents of Ba, Cr, Fe, Hg, Mn and Zn (mgkg−1) in caviar samples were 0.95, 0.27, 71.3, 1.44, 0.01 and 17.0, respectively. Also, Health Risk Index values were within the safe limits (HRI<1), and there is no potential health risk for adults and children via consumption of caviar. Finally, considering the contents of Fe and Hg were higher than Maximum Permissible Limits in the caviar samples related to the discharge of pollutants into the aquatic environment, monitoring of chemicals accumulation in the foodstuff is recommended.

XAD-resin based passive air samplers were deployed at 10 sites in the Quequén Grande River watershed in Argentina during three periods to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations of pesticides and PCBs in the atmosphere. Endosulfan and chlorpyrifos were the most prevalent pesticide because of their continued usage in Argentina, while DDTs, HCHs, chlordanes, dieldrin and heptachlors registered lower levels, reflecting their use in the past. Atmospheric endosulfan levels were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher during the application period (application: 800–12,000 pg/m3, pre- and post-application: <2–350 pg/m3), suggesting that its use in the area continued even after a ban came into effect. The remaining organochlorine pesticides also reached higher concentrations during this period, which is more likely attributable to temperature controlled air-surface exchange than current applications. The highest concentrations of chlorpyrifos were recorded during the application period, in particular at agricultural sites, where its use is wide-spread on soybean fields. The fungicide chlorothalonil was found predominantly at urban sites and in proximity to Quequén harbor, suggesting that its use might be domestic and as a biocide in antifouling paints. A different temporal pattern was observed for the herbicide trifluralin, suggesting its use in the early stages of the wheat-growing season during winter. Limited spatial variations in PCBs levels indicate a diffuse contamination source in the study area, while their relatively high correlation with temperature suggests re-volatilization from local sources. Relative enrichment of lighter PCBs congeners could be attributed to re-evaporation from secondary sources as well as atmospheric transport from urban sites.

Air pollution has become more serious in many developing countries. Heavy particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a major threat to people's respiratory and cardiopulmonary health. It is an important problem for public health research to accurately estimate the spatial distribution of high PM concentrations from a limited number of monitoring stations. In this study, a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was adopted to obtain the probability distribution map of high PM10 concentrations. Daily PM10 concentration data from 19 air quality monitoring stations from the years 2008–2011 were collected. Land cover, road density, and meteorological data were selected as explanatory variables entered in the model. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the MaxEnt model. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) shows that the MaxEnt model fits well in the four year period. AUC is 0.78 in 2008, 0.79 in 2009, 0.81 in 2010, and 0.80 in 2011. A probability distribution map of high PM10 concentration indicates high human health risks in regions of Beijing in areas with dense roads and buildings. During the entire research period from 2008 to 2011, the distribution of high PM10 concentration is relatively stable and it indicates that the trend of high concentration has not changed significantly during the four years. Traffic and land cover are the two most important factors that can explain more than 80% variance of PM10 from 2008 to 2011.

Fungi include a vast group of eukaryotic organisms able to colonise different natural, anthropised and extreme environments, including marine areas contaminated by metals. The present study aims to give a first multidisciplinary characterisation of marine bottom sediments contaminated by metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn), originating in the water leakage from an abandoned Fe-Cu sulphide mine (Libiola, north-western Italy), and evaluate how the chemical and physical parameters of water and sediments may affect the benthic fungal communities. Our preliminary results showed the high mycodiversity of the marine sediments studied (13 genera and 23 species of marine fungi isolated), and the great physiological adaptability that this mycobiota evolved in reaction to the effects of the ecotoxic bottom sediment contamination, and associated changes in the seawater parameters.

Dose-response modeling is one of the most important steps of ecological risk assessment. It requires concentration-effects relationships for the species under consideration. There are very limited studies and experimental data available for the Arctic aquatic species. Lack of toxicity data hinders obtaining dose-response relationships for lethal (LC50 values), sub-lethal and carcinogenic effects. Gaps in toxicity data could be filled using a variety of in-silico ecotoxicological methods. This paper reviews the suitability of such methods for the Arctic scenario. Mechanistic approaches like toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic analysis are found to be better suited for interspecies extrapolation than statistical methods, such as Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships/Quantitative Structure Activity-Activity Relationship, ICE, and other empirical models, such as Haber's law and Ostwald's equation. A novel approach is proposed where the effects of the toxicant exposure are quantified based on the probability of cellular damage and metabolites interactions. This approach recommends modeling cellular damage using a toxicodynamic model and physiology or metabolites interactions using a toxicokinetic model. Together, these models provide more reliable estimates of toxicity in the Arctic aquatic species, which will assist in conducting ecological risk assessment of Arctic environment.

Imposex is a reproductive abnormality in which female snails begin to transform to males, but do not become functional. It was caused by tributyltin (TBT) used as an antifoulant in boat paints. Imposex was first recorded marine snails (Conus) (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda) at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, in January 1991, where 88% of individuals at the west end were affected. Most were at moderate Stages 3 and 4 on a scale of 0 (no affect) to 6 (death). TBT was banned on boats <25m long in late 1991 in WA. In 1996, imposex had declined to 69% of females with Stages 3 and 4 still the most common. By 2007 only 35% of females exhibited imposex; Stage 3 was the highest level recorded. TBT was below detection limits. TBT was banned on vessels >25m in September 2013. In February 2017 only 4% of Conus had imposex, at Stage 1.

This paper develops a 3D, transient, mathematical model to estimate the oil release rate and simulate the oil dispersion behavior. The Euler-Euler method is used to estimate the subsea oil release rate, while the Eulerian-Lagrangian method is employed to track the migration trajectory of oil droplets. This model accounts for the quantitative effect of backpressure and hole size on oil release rate, and the influence of oil release rate, oil density, current speed, water depth and leakage position on oil migration is also investigated in this paper. Eventually, the results, e.g. transient release rate of oil, the rise time of oil and dispersion distance are determined by above-mentioned model, and the oil release and dispersion behavior under different scenarios is revealed. Essentially, the assessment results could provide a useful guidance for detection of leakage positon and placement of oil containment boom.

Marine caves are unique and vulnerable habitats, threatened by multiple global and local disturbances. Whilst the effects of climate change on marine caves have already been investigated, no information exists about the effects of local human impacts, such as coastal development, on these habitats. This study investigated the impact of the construction of a touristic harbour on two shallow underwater marine caves in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). As a standard methodology for monitoring marine caves does not exist yet, changes over time on the benthic community were assessed adopting two different non-taxonomic descriptors: trophic guilds and growth forms. Harbour construction caused an increase of sediment load within the caves, with a consequent decline of filter feeder organisms. Abundance of small organisms, such as encrusting and flattened sponges, was greatly reduced in comparison to organisms with larger and erect growth forms, such as domed mounds and pedunculated sponges. Our study indicated that growth forms and trophic guilds are effective descriptors for evaluating changes over time in marine caves, and could be easily standardised and applied in monitoring plans. In addition, as the harbour construction impacted differently according to the cave topography, the use of a systematic sampling in different zones of an underwater cave is recommended.