Using monthly otter-trawl deployments, spatial and temporal variability among the relative densities of marine debris were assessed in the Paranaguá estuarine complex; a subtropical World Heritage Listed area in southern Brazil. During 432 deployments over 12months, 291 marine debris items were identified; of which most (92%) were plastic, and more specifically shopping bags, food packages, candy wrappers and cups typically >21mm long. The most contaminated sectors were those closest to Paranaguá city and the adjacent port, and had up to 23.37±3.22 pieces ha−1. Less urbanized sectors had between 12.84±1.49 and 9.32±1.10 pieces ha−1. Contamination did not vary between dry or wet seasons, but rather was probably affected by consistent urban disposal and localized hydrological processes. Marine debris might be minimized by using more environment friendly materials, however a concrete solution requires adequately integrating local government and civil society.

Sediment and Mytilus galloprovincialis samples collected from the Port Elizabeth Harbour were analysed for six indicator PCB congeners to assess their contamination status. The concentrations of total PCBs in sediments and M. galloprovincialis ranged from 0.56 to 2.35ng/g dry weight and 14.48 to 21.37ng/g wet weight, respectively. Congeners 138 and 153 were dominant and accounted for an average of 29% and 24% of total PCBs in M. galloprovincialis; 32% and 30% in sediments, respectively. Sediments are home to a wide variety of aquatic life. None of the sediments analysed exceeded the PCB limits recommended the Canadian interim sediment quality guideline and the South African recommended sediment guidelines (21.6ng/g). Both humans and aquatic life are sensitive to the toxic effects of PCBs.

In order to assess marine sediment quality of a semi-enclosed bay, sediment and meiofaunal samples were analyzed at 35 stations in coastal waters of Bohai Bay, China. Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co and Mn) in sediment were measured and the Hakanson potential ecological risk index coupled with the ratio of nematodes to copepods (N/C ratio) was used. Results showed that the concentration of Mn was the highest while Cd was the main risk contributor. The Hakanson potential ecological risk index indicated that all pollutants posed low risks in the study area. However, the N/C ratio exhibited different results compared with Hakanson potential ecological risk index. BIOENV analysis identified the concentration of Ni and sediment grain size as the most important environmental variables influencing meiofaunal assemblages. The present study indicated that, in marine sediment quality assessments, meiofaunal assemblages should be involved besides pollutant concentrations.

Oil fingerprints have been a powerful tool widely used for determining the source of spilled oil. In most cases, this tool works well. However, it is usually difficult to identify the source if the oil spill accident occurs during offshore petroleum exploration due to the highly similar physiochemical characteristics of suspected oils from the same drilling platform. In this report, a case study from the waters of the South China Sea is presented, and multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) is introduced to demonstrate how oil fingerprints can be combined with mathematical methods to identify the source of spilled oil from highly similar suspected sources. The results suggest that the MDS calculation based on oil fingerprints and subsequently integrated with specific biomarkers in spilled oils is the most effective method with a great potential for determining the source in terms of highly similar suspected oils.

Agra and Kanpur are heavily polluted Indian cities and are the fourth and second largest cities in Uttar Pradesh State, respectively. PM2.5 was collected from December 2011 to May 2012 in Agra and from December 2011 to October 2012 in Kanpur every 6th day. The samples were chemically analyzed to determine organic carbon (OC), water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), elemental carbon (EC), secondary inorganic ions, and particle–phase organic compounds. A chemical mass balance (CMB) receptor model using organic tracers was used to estimate source contributions to PM2.5. Concentrations of carbonaceous aerosols were on average 23±16μg/m3 in Agra and 33±21μg/m3 in Kanpur during the winter and summer periods, and had a strong seasonal trend with highest levels in winter (December–February) and then decreasing to summer (March–May). Five primary sources were identified. In Agra, biomass burning was the major source of OC in the winter months with decreasing relative and absolute concentrations in summer. In Kanpur, biomass burning was also the most important primary source of OC, but was about half the concentration found in Agra. Mobile source contributions to OC were on average 25±9% and 25±22% in Agra and Kanpur, respectively, with similar absolute concentrations of 2.5±1.9μg/m3 in most months. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was estimated from non–biomass burning WSOC and the unapportioned OC, with each method indicating SOA as a major source of OC in the winter in both cities, apportioning 25% of OC in Agra and 65% in Kanpur. SOA in Kanpur in December was four times higher than in Agra. Overall, results suggest differences in aerosol chemical composition and sources at these two sites across the Indo–Gangetic plain with biomass burning making up a larger fraction of the particulate OC in Agra, and SOA being a more important contributor to OC mass in Kanpur.

Contributed Measurements of BVOC emissions, meteorological parameters, and solar radiation were carried out in a temperate forest, China during the summer seasons in 2010 and 2011. Terpenoid emissions were measured using the Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (REA) technique on an above-canopy tower. Isoprene contributed 79.1% and 82.0% of terpenoid emissions in 2010 and 2011 summer. The monoterpene emissions were dominated by α–pinene, contributing 6.3% and 12.2% of the total terpenoid emissions in 2010 and 2011 summer. Terpenoid emissions exhibited strong diurnal variations. Isoprene and monoterpene emissions maxima typically occurred a few hours after the noon PAR peak and coincided with the daily temperature maximum. During 2011 summer, the mean isoprene emission flux (mg m–2 h–1) was 0.889, mean total monoterpene emission flux was 0.143. Emission factors, representing the emission expected at a temperature of 30 °C, for this site were 0.32mg m–2 h–1 for total monoterpenes and 4.3mg m–2 h–1 for isoprene. The observations were used to evaluate the isoprene and monoterpene emission magnitude and variability predicted by the MEGANv2.1 model. Canopy scale isoprene and monoterpene emission factors based on these observations fall within the range of emission factors assigned to locations within 50km of the site by the MEGANv2.1 emission model. When using the site specific landcover data for the site, the measured emission factors are 12% for isoprene and 20% for monoterpenes lower than the MEGANv2.1 emission factors. MEGANv2.1 predicts that variations in light intensity should result in significant changes in isoprene emissions during the study but this was not evident in the observations. Observed diurnal, seasonal and interannual variations in isoprene and monoterpene emissions were strongly correlated with air temperature which was the dominant driving variable for MEGANv2.1 during the study period. The observed temperature response for isoprene and monoterpenes is similar to the temperature sensitivity of the MEGANv2.1 response functions.

The atmospheric dispersion of the NOX plume that will be emitted from a new power–plant, at present under installation, was simulated at micro–scale with Micro–Swift–Spray (MSS) Model. The plant will be constructed in a residential urban area in the town of Modena (Po Valley, Northern Italy), where low wind speeds and thermal inversions are quite frequent. Simulation results point out a different behavior of urban canopy in influencing the 3D dispersion patterns among urban obstacles, according to atmospheric mixing conditions: in case of moderate wind events, urban canyon phenomena may occur with a consequent increasing of NOX concentration gradients among buildings, while with low winds the near–field influence of the buildings emphasizes pollutant accumulation. The MSS simulated NOX concentrations result always much lower than the regulatory limits for air quality. The comparison of simulation results with measured concentration data for NOX shows the importance of micro–scale dispersion modeling to perform an accurate and reliable assessment of meteorological condition effects on pollutant distribution, and the ability of MSS in providing reliable simulations of atmospheric dispersion.

Size–fractionated (7 fractions from <0.39 up to ≥10.2μm) airborne particulate matter (PM) was collected from Guiyang, southwest China. The concentrations of Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, and Pb in PM and the water–soluble concentrations of these elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Compared to most other large cities in China, the total suspended particulate (TSP), PM10.2, and PM2.1 concentrations in Guiyang were at relatively low levels (59.1–222, 48.6–192, and 33.2–131μg/m3). This is consistent with the small industrial scale of this city. In the winter, coal combustion was proven to be the dominant source of airborne PM, whereas in other seasons, road dust resuspension was considered the primary source. Al, Ti, Fe, Sr, and Ba were highly associated with soil particles in the road dust. Cu and Zn could be associated with vehicle emissions that accumulated in road dust, while As, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Pb (and another portion of Zn) could be associated with main local industrial emissions. Compared to the coarse PM, the fine PM typically exhibited lower concentrations of crustal elements but higher concentrations of anthropogenic elements. The anthropogenic elements exhibited higher water solubility than crustal elements. Almost all of the elements in the PM in the winter exhibited the highest water solubility because of the lowest pH of the PM in this season.

Public participation is recognized as a necessary tool to ensure a successful implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategies and plans. This paper, based on the experiences carried out in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea within the EU FP7 project PEGASO, presents some critical aspects and lessons learnt regarding participation in ICZM projects. The research shows that data availability, the complexity of data interpretation, an inadequate legal and cultural framework and the difficulties in promoting integration of all the components of coastal management within short term projects are all elements that if not properly considered since the beginning of the participatory process may hinder public participation effectiveness. Moreover the definition of the spatial scale of coastal phenomenon as well as the discrepancy between the local scale of coastal governance and the complex multi-scale nature of coastal systems remain highly critical aspects to be addressed.

A core task in endangered species conservation is identifying important habitats and managing human activities to mitigate threats. Many marine organisms, from invertebrates to fish to marine mammals, use acoustic cues to find food, avoid predators, choose mates, and navigate. Ocean noise can affect animal behavior and disrupt trophic linkages. Substantial potential exists for area-based management to reduce exposure of animals to chronic ocean noise. Incorporating noise into spatial planning (e.g., critical habitat designation or marine protected areas) may improve ecological integrity and promote ecological resilience to withstand additional stressors. Previous work identified areas with high ship noise requiring mitigation. This study introduces the concept of “opportunity sites” — important habitats that experience low ship noise. Working with existing patterns in ocean noise and animal distribution will facilitate conservation gains while minimizing societal costs, by identifying opportunities to protect important wildlife habitats that happen to be quiet.