Size selective particulate matter (PM) sampling inlets play an important role in ambient PM measurement. Improper design of the sampling inlets results in collecting of PM with undesired size, which leads to significant errors in the measurement of ambient PM concentrations. Therefore, the performance of PM inlets should be carefully evaluated in a proper environment prior to their field of applications. In this study, a new aerosol wind tunnel system was designed to evaluate the performance of ambient PM10 inlets and evaluated for the uniformity of wind speed distribution and aerosol concentration. In addition, a custom–made PM10 inlet was tested in the aerosol wind tunnel to determine its 50% cutoff diameter. Results of the wind speed distributions show that the percentage deviations from the mean wind speeds at any measurement point are less than 10% with turbulence intensity of less than 5% for three different wind speed levels (0.57m/s, 2.22m/s, and 6.67m/s). Results from the aerosol concentration measurements show that the percentage deviations from the mean aerosol concentrations at any measurement point are less than 10% for three different wind speed levels, which meets the aerosol wind tunnel performance specifications specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Results from PM10 inlet performance tests show that the 50% cutoff diameters of the PM10 inlet are 10.0 μm, 10.3 μm, and 10.0 μm at wind speeds of 0.57m/s, 2.22m/s, and 6.67m/s, respectively. The PM10 inlet is characterized to meet the performance specifications for PM10 inlets, 10.0±0.5 µm, specified by the U.S. EPA. The results indicate that the newly developed aerosol wind tunnel meets the performance requirements for evaluating the performance of PM10 size selective inlets.

Six cruises were conducted in a fish farm adjacent to the Ninghai Power Plant in Xiangshan Bay, East China Sea. Fish farming significantly increased NH4+, DIP, and TOC concentrations, while it significantly decreased the DO level. These increase/decrease trends were more pronounced in warmer seasons. Although culture practices did not significantly increase phytoplankton density, it drastically enhanced dinoflagellate abundance and domination. Significant differences in species diversity and community composition between the cages and the control area were also observed. Temperature elevation caused by thermal discharge associated with eutrophication resulted in a dominant species shift from diatoms alone to dinoflagellates and diatoms. This is the first report of stress-induced toxic dinoflagellate (Prorocentrum minimum) blooms in winter and the winter–spring transition in this bay. Therefore, the effects of aquaculture activity and power plant construction in such a eutrophic, semi-enclosed bay require further attention.

Corals in the Gulf 1Although virtually all standard maps use the term “Persian Gulf”, the term “Arabian Gulf” has become commonly used in publications of studies conducted in the waters of Arabian Peninsula countries. The nonpolitical generic term “Gulf” is therefore used here for this marine area.1 withstand summer temperatures up to 10°C higher than corals elsewhere and have recovered from extreme temperature events in 10years or less. This heat-tolerance of Gulf corals has positive implications for the world’s coral populations to adapt to increasing water temperatures. However, survival of Gulf corals has been severely tested by 35–37°C temperatures five times in the last 15years, each time causing extensive coral bleaching and mortality. Anticipated future temperature increases may therefore challenge survival of already highly stressed Gulf corals. Previously proposed translocation of Gulf corals to introduce temperature-adapted corals outside of the Gulf is assessed and determined to be problematical, and to be considered a tool of last resort. Coral culture and transplantation within the Gulf is feasible for helping maintain coral species populations and preserving genomes and adaptive capacities of Gulf corals that are endangered by future thermal stress events.

The concentration of UV filters (UVFs) and UV light stabilizers (UVLSs) were measured in seawater and river water collected from sites at four beaches, two reefs, and one river on Okinawa Island, Japan. UVFs and/or UVLSs of 8–10 types were detected in beaches samples and 6–9 types were detected in reef samples. The total UVF concentrations at the beach sites were highest either in July or August with a maximum of 1.4μgL−1. The concentrations at the reef sites did not show peaks in summer and the maximum values were close to 10ngL−1. The detected UVF profiles reflected the ingredients of sunscreens used in each region. The highest UVLS concentrations at the reefs were observed not only in summer but also in June and September. The UVLS concentrations at the reefs were similar to or even higher than that at the beaches or in the river.

A novel floatable and biodegradable carrier material was made by coating puffed foxtail millet (PFM) with a calcium alginate (CA)-chitosan compound membrane. A diesel oil-degrading marine bacterial strain, Acinetobacter sp. F9, was immobilized on the carrier material. The number of viable F9 cells immobilized on the carrier material reached approximately 5×109CFU/g. This formulation could be stored at −20°C and 4°C for 10weeks without a significant decrease in the number of viable immobilized cells. SEM results showed that the coating membrane was porous and that F9 cells were immobilized on the walls of the pores. The immobilized F9 cells were able to remove more than 90% of the diesel oil by the second day, while free F9 cells did not remove 90% of the diesel oil until the seventh day. GC–MS analysis indicated that the immobilized F9 cells could remove diesel oil more completely than free cells. The immobilization of the F9 cells enhanced their ability to biodegrade diesel oil.

Investigations on setting benthic macroinvertebrates reference conditions in natural waters have increased recently. Under the European Water Framework Directive, importance is given to research in morphological heavily-modified water bodies (HMWBs), which are very common in countries with high human pressure. However, research has not been undertaken on setting the maximum ecological potential (MEP), as a reference in HMWB. The objective of the present investigation is to set the MEP of two metrics (diversity and richness), used in assessing the ecological status in different benthic indices. The Oiartzun estuary (Basque Country) is used as a case study, which changed morphologically in the 19th Century, following harbour construction. Data obtained from 1874 and the present were used to model changes in currents, water residence time, salinity, volume, and intertidal area. Benthic macroinvertebrate data, from 1995 to 2011, were used to predict 19th Century and present MEP. Changes in the estuary were described: loss of all of the intertidal areas; doubling of the volume; residence time, changing from 2 to 95days; current velocity reduced by 50%; salinity increase. All these factors have led to changes in the benthic communities and the structural variables. Predicted richness and diversity, for 1874, were lower (48–76%) than those at present. Taking into account the differences between natural and modified waters, it is proposed to utilize 75% of the natural reference conditions, as the MEP values for Basque HMWB.

Although there is no direct major riverine input, a large quantity of waste produced in mainland China and Korea is transported continuously to the Yellow Sea (YS) through atmospheric deposition, currents and tides; therefore, the environment is distinctly influenced by man-made pollution. This study focuses on the associated pollutant transport mechanisms and fluxes by sampling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs (Σ24PCB) in YS sediments ranged between 99pg/g and 3.13ng/g of dry sediment (with a mean value of 715pg/g). PCBs produced unintentionally by industrial and other processes appeared to be the major source of PCBs in the sediments, accounting for 60.5%. Industrially synthesized PCBs with 3Cl and 5Cl accounted for 15.5% and 24.0%, respectively. PCBs were mainly from atmospheric deposition (84.5%), followed by continental runoff (15.5%). The average atmospheric deposition flux of technical PCBs was 789ng/(m2a) and flux of surface runoff was 2.27ng/L.

Extensive CO2 vents have been discovered in the Wagner Basin, northern Gulf of California, where they create large areas with lowered seawater pH. Such areas are suitable for investigations of long-term biological effects of ocean acidification and effects of CO2 leakage from subsea carbon capture storage. Here, we show responses of benthic foraminifera to seawater pH gradients at 74–207m water depth. Living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera included Nonionella basispinata, Epistominella bradyana and Bulimina marginata. Studies on foraminifera at CO2 vents in the Mediterranean and off Papua New Guinea have shown dramatic long-term effects of acidified seawater. We found living calcareous benthic foraminifera in low pH conditions in the northern Gulf of California, although there was an impoverished species assemblage and evidence of post-mortem test dissolution.

A phenanthrene-degrading bacterial consortium (ASP) was developed using sediment from the Alang–Sosiya shipbreaking yard at Gujarat, India. 16S rRNA gene-based molecular analyses revealed that the bacterial consortium consisted of six bacterial strains: Bacillus sp. ASP1, Pseudomonas sp. ASP2, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain ASP3, Staphylococcus sp. ASP4, Geobacillus sp. ASP5 and Alcaligenes sp. ASP6. The consortium was able to degrade 300ppm of phenanthrene and 1000ppm of naphthalene within 120h and 48h, respectively. Tween 80 showed a positive effect on phenanthrene degradation. The consortium was able to consume maximum phenanthrene at the rate of 46mg/h/l and degrade phenanthrene in the presence of other petroleum hydrocarbons. A microcosm study was conducted to test the consortium’s bioremediation potential. Phenanthrene degradation increased from 61% to 94% in sediment bioaugmented with the consortium. Simultaneously, bacterial counts and dehydrogenase activities also increased in the bioaugmented sediment. These results suggest that microbial consortium bioaugmentation may be a promising technology for bioremediation.

The impact of human activity on the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria throughout coastal estuarine ecosystems is not well characterized. It has been suggested that laterally transferred genetic agents, such as integrons, play a role in the spread of resistant bacteria throughout ecosystems. This study compares the distribution of three integron classes throughout a coastal estuarine ecosystem. To determine integron distribution patterns, DNA was extracted from sediment and water collected at seven sites throughout two estuaries with different levels of anthropogenic input and integrons analyzed using quantitative PCR. The data show that while all three integron classes are present, the relative abundance is different, with class 2 integrons significantly elevated in areas of high anthropogenic input and class 1 integrons elevated in areas of low input. Our results provide a foundation for using integron gene distribution as a biomarker of urban impact on antibiotic resistance gene flow and ecosystem health.