A long-term study on a benthic community was conducted in two different localities, one in semi-enclosed bay of Jinhae (n = 10, south coast) and the other in open sea area of Samcheok (n = 10, east coast), Korea, respectively. We aimed to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of macrozoobenthos and the environmental variables influencing such patterns in the two contrasting habitats. The macrozoobenthos assemblages on the soft bottom of the subtidal zone were analyzed over the 3 years, encompassing 12 consecutive seasons, in 2013–2016. Among the 22 environmental variables measured, organic matter, dissolved oxygen, mean grain size, and water depth showed clear differences between two study areas. Accordingly, several ecological indices (such as the number of species, abundance, dominant species, and diversity index (H’)) generally reflected site-specific benthic conditions. The macrofaunal community in the Jinhae showed typical seasonal fluctuations, whereas the Samcheok community showed no significant change over time and space. Region- or site-dependent temporal variabilities of macrofaunal assemblages are depicted through cluster analysis (CA), indicating distinct temporal changes in the composition of dominant species. In particular, the abundance of some dominant species noticeably declined in certain seasons when several opportunistic species peaked. Such faunal succession might be explained by significant changes to specific environmental factors, such as bottom dissolved oxygen, grain size, and water depth. Principle component analysis further identified major environmental factors, i.e., sediment properties in Jinhae and water quality parameters in Samcheok community, respectively. In addition, discriminant analysis confirmed the presence of several site-specific parameters for the faunal assemblage groups identified through CA. Finally, indicator value analysis identified species that were representative across stations and regions in accordance with their habitat preference and/or species tolerance. Overall, the two contrasting nearshore habitats showed distinct community differences, in time and space, that were influenced by site-dependent environmental conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the key landscape structures of migratory bird habitats that affect abundance of migratory birds to promote resilient coastal green infrastructure planning on the Yellow Sea coast. We classified coastal areas into four watersheds of South Korea and conducted multivariate regression analysis between migratory bird populations and landscape structures including total class area (CA), patch area distribution (MN), patch density (PD), and edge density (ED). At the national level, sandbank MN, sandbank CA, water ED, and grasslands were derived as key landscape structures affecting the abundance of migratory birds. At the watershed level, key landscape structures were determined as follows: Urban area_MN for the Han River watershed, rice paddy MN for the Asan watershed, rice paddy CA for Saemangeum, and grassland MN for the Youngsan River watershed. Considering the multifunctionality, redundancy, and connectivity of the resilience strategy, we provide specific coastal infrastructure planning recommendations at the national and watershed scales.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by varieties of fungi that contaminate food and feed resources and are capable of inducing a wide range of toxicity. In the current study, we investigated developmental and behavioural toxicity in zebrafish larvae after exposure to six different mycotoxins; ochratoxin A (OTA), type A trichothecenes mycotoxin (T-2 toxin), type B trichothecenes mycotoxin (deoxynivalenol - DON), and zearalenone (ZEN) and its metabolites alpha-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and beta-zearalenol (β-ZOL). Developmental defects, hatching time, and survival were monitored until 96 h post fertilisation (hpf). The EC₅₀, LC₅₀, and IC₅₀ values were calculated. Subsequently, to assess behavioural toxicity, new sets of embryos were exposed to a series of non-lethal doses within the range of environmental and/or developmental concern. Results indicated that all the tested mycotoxins were toxic, they all induced developmental defects, and with the exception of OTA, all affected hatching time. Behavioural effects were only observed following exposure to OTA and ZEN and its metabolites, α ZOL and β ZOL. These results demonstrate that mycotoxins are teratogenic and can influence behaviour in a vertebrate model.

Metal enrichment of road dust is well characterized but available data on the bioaccessibility of metals in particle size fractions relevant to human respiratory health remain limited. The study goal was to investigate the bioaccessibility of platinum group elements (PGE), which are used as catalysts in automotive exhaust converters, in the inhalable fraction of road dust. Street sweepings were provided by the City of Toronto, Canada, collected as part of its Clean Roads to Clean Air program.The particle size relevance of road dust for inhalation exposures was confirmed using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer (mean Dx(50): 9.42 μm). Total PGE were determined in both bulk and inhalable fractions using nickel sulfide (NiS) fire-assay and instrumental neutron-activation analysis (INAA). PGE lung solubility was examined for the inhalable fraction using Gamble’s extraction. Sample digests were co-precipitated with Te-Sn, to pre-concentrate and isolate PGE, prior to their measurement using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Total PGE concentrations were enriched in the inhalable fraction of road sweepings. Geomean concentrations in the inhalable fraction were: palladium (Pd) (152 μg/kg), platinum (Pt) (55 μg/kg), rhodium (Rh) (21 μg/kg) and iridium (Ir) (0.23 μg/kg). Osmium (Os) concentrations were below the limit of detection (LOD). Bioaccessible PGEs (n = 16) using Gamble’s solution were below LOD for Ir and ruthenium (Ru). For the remainder, the geomean % bioaccessibility was highest for platinum (16%), followed by rhodium (14%) and palladium (3.4%). This study provides evidence that PGE in road dust are bioaccessible in the human lung.

The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is an endemic species of the tropical-temperate Atlantic Ocean with widespread distribution. Although this species has been the subject of a large number of studies throughout its range, it remains in the “data deficient” category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Chemical pollution by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been listed as one of the major threats to this species, however, there is no information on a wide scale. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the contamination status of spotted dolphins on the metapopulation level as well as determine spatial and temporal variations in POP concentrations and bio-accumulation. A total of 115 blubber samples collected from a large part of the Atlantic basin were analysed for PCBs, DDTs, PBDEs, chlordanes, HCB and mirex. Although PCBs and DDTs were the predominant compounds in all areas, inter-location differences in POP concentrations were observed. Dolphins found at São Paulo, southeastern coast of Brazil, had the highest PCB concentrations (median: 10.5 μg/g lw) and Canary Islands dolphins had the highest DDT concentrations (median: 5.13 μg/g lw). Differences in PCB patterns among locations were also observed. Dolphins from the Azores and São Paulo demonstrated a similar pattern, with relatively highly contributions of tetra- (6.8 and 5.2%, respectively) and penta-CBs (25.6 and 23.8%, respectively) and lower contributions of hepta-CBs (20.8 and 23.5%, respectively) in comparison to other areas. Moreover, the sex of the animals and the year in which sampling or capture occurred exerted an important influence on the majority of the POPs analysed. Comparisons with toxicity thresholds available in the literature reveal that the São Paulo and Canary Island dolphins are the most vulnerable populations and should be considered in future conservation and management programs for the Atlantic spotted dolphin.

Black carbon and total organic carbon (TOC) along with organochlorines (OCs) were analyzed in soils from four sampling zones of Lesser Himalayan Region based on source proximity/anthropogenic influences along the altitude. CTO-375 method was used for BC analysis while OCs were analyzed by GC-MS/MS system. BC and TOC ranged between 0.16–1.77 and 6.8–41.3 mg g−1 while those of OCPs and PCBs ranged between 0.69 and 5.77 and 0.12–2.55 ng g−1, respectively. ∑DDTs were the dominant (87.9%) among OCPs while tri- and tetra- (65.5%) homologue groups among PCBs. Hexa-PCBs, however also showed higher contribution (20.4%) in the region. Source diagnostic ratios of DDE + DDD/DDT (0.1–1.53) indicated both fresh and old input while α-HCH/γ-HCH (0.19–2.49) showed presence of lindane in the region. Higher concentration of OCs were observed in Zone C at altitudinal range of 737–975 masl that are close to the human influences and potential sources of POPs. The results of linear regression analysis revealed potential input of BC in soil distribution of OC concentrations in the region.

Analysis of observed PM₂.₅ in Beijing since 2009 reveals that winter haze over North China Plain (NCP) peaked in 2012 and 2013 and there was an improvement in air quality until 2016. The variation of wintertime PM₂.₅ from 2009 to 2016 is influenced by both emission changes and meteorology conditions, and we quantified the relative contributions from these two aspects. Sensitivity simulation by GEOS-Chem suggested that emission reductions over NCP in 2013–2017 caused 10% decrease of regional mean PM₂.₅ concentration in 2016 winter compared to 2012 winter level. We removed emission influence on PM₂.₅ to get PM₂.₅ that influenced by meteorology (met-influenced PM₂.₅). For met-influenced PM₂.₅, compared to original-observed PM₂.₅(the US Embassy data), percentage of clean days (daily PM₂.₅ ≤ 75 μg m⁻³) decreases while that of polluted (75 μg m⁻³ < daily PM₂.₅ ≤150 μg m⁻³) and heavily polluted (150 μg m⁻³ < daily PM₂.₅ ≤ 250 μg m⁻³) days increases. However, proportion of extremely polluted (daily PM₂.₅ > 250 μg m⁻³) days stays unchanged, even if emission reduction is doubled, indicating that the extremely polluted situation over NCP is dominated by meteorological conditions, and emission control from 2013 to 2017 has little effects on the extremely polluted days. We developed an effective haze day index (HDI) to represent the weather conditions conducive to haze days. HDI is constructed based on the normalized near surface meridional wind (V850), temperature difference (δT) between near surface (850 hPa) and upper atmosphere (250 hPa), and the relative humidity at 1000 hPa (RH1000). HDI is skillful to detect 72% of the severe haze days (daily PM₂.₅ > 150 μg m⁻³). On average, the anomalously high V850 is the main cause of severe haze, while in 2012 winter, RH1000 favorable for secondary aerosols’ formation is the largest contributor to haze.

The Mediterranean Sea has been described as one of the most affected areas by marine litter in the world. Although effects on organisms from marine plastic litter ingestion have been investigated in several oceanic areas, there is still a lack of information from the Mediterranean Sea. The main objectives of this paper are to review current knowledge on the impact of marine litter on Mediterranean biodiversity, to define selection criteria for choosing marine organisms suitable for use as bioindicator species, and to propose a methodological approach to assessing the harm related to marine litter ingestion in several Mediterranean habitats and sub-regions. A new integrated monitoring tool that would provide the information necessary to design and implement future mitigation actions in the Mediterranean basin is proposed.According to bibliographic research and statistical analysis on current knowledge of marine litter ingestion, the area of the Mediterranean most studied, in terms of number of species and papers in the Mediterranean Sea is the western sub-area as well as demersal (32.9%) and pelagic (27.7%) amongst habitats.Applying ecological and biological criteria to the most threatened species obtained by statistical analysis, bioindicator species for different habitats and monitoring scale were selected. A threefold approach, simultaneously measuring the presence and effects of plastic, can provide the actual harm and sub-lethal effects to organisms caused by marine litter ingestion. The research revealed gaps in knowledge, and this paper suggests measures to close the gap. This and the selection of appropriate bioindicator species would represent a step forward for marine litter risk assessment, and the implementation of future actions and mitigation measures for specific Mediterranean areas, habitats and species affected by marine litter ingestion.

In Part II of this work we present the results of the downscaled offline Weather Research and Forecasting/Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF/CMAQ) model, included in the “Technology Driver Model” (TDM) approach to future U.S. air quality projections (2046–2050) compared to a current-year period (2001–2005), and the interplay between future emission and climate changes. By 2046–2050, there are widespread decreases in future concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) due mainly to decreasing on-road vehicle (ORV) emissions near urban centers as well as decreases in other transportation modes that include non-road engines (NRE). However, there are widespread increases in daily maximum 8-hr ozone (O3) across the U.S., which are due to enhanced greenhouse gases (GHG) including methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B scenario, and isolated areas of larger reduction in transportation emissions of NOx compared to that of VOCs over regions with VOC-limited O3 chemistry. Other notable future changes are reduced haze and improved visibility, increased primary organic to elemental carbon ratio, decreases in PM2.5 and its species, decreases and increases in dry deposition of SO2 and O3, respectively, and decreases in total nitrogen (TN) deposition. There is a tendency for transportation emission and CH4 changes to dominate the increases in O3, while climate change may either enhance or mitigate these increases in the west or east U.S., respectively. Climate change also decreases PM2.5 in the future. Other variable changes exhibit stronger susceptibility to either emission (e.g., CO, NOx, and TN deposition) or climate changes (e.g., VOC, NH3, SO2, and total sulfate deposition), which also have a strong dependence on season and specific U.S. regions.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) and Ifosfamide (IF) are two nitrogen mustard drugs widely prescribed in cancer therapy. They are continuously released via excreta into hospital and urban wastewaters reaching wastewater treatment plants. Although CP and IF, their metabolites and transformation products (TPs) residues have been found in the aquatic environment from few ng L⁻¹ to tens of μg L⁻¹, their environmental toxic effects are still not well known. The present study aimed to investigate the acute and chronic ecotoxicity of CP and IF and their commercially available human metabolites/TPs, i.e. carboxy-CP, Keto-CP and N-dechloroethyl-CP on different organisms of the aquatic trophic chain. The experiments were performed using the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the crustaceans Thamnocephalus platyurus and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Moreover, to assess the treatment conditions in regards to parent compound removal and formation of new TPs, CP and IF were UV- irradiated for 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h and 48 h, followed by toxicity evaluation of treated samples by algae, rotifers and crustaceans. Between the parent compounds, IF resulted as more toxic drug under tested conditions, exerting both acute and chronic effects especially on C. dubia (LC50:196.4 mg L⁻¹, EC50:15.84 mg L⁻¹). Among the tested metabolites/TPs, only carboxy-CP inhibited the reproduction in the rotifer. However, LOEC and NOEC values were calculated for CP and IF for all organisms. In addition, despite a low degradation of CP (28%) and IF (36%) after 48 h UV-irradiation, statistically significant effect differences (p < 0.05) from not-irradiated and irradiated samples were observed in both acute and chronic assays, starting from 6 h UV-irradiation. Our results suggest that the toxic effects found in the aquatic organisms may be attributable to interactions between the parent compounds and their metabolites/TPs.