The high level of atmospheric pollution is a global problem that has taken on particular significance in recent years and will continue to grow in the near future. Air pollution directly affects the health, living organisms, vegetation, water, soil and buildings. Additionally, it moves easily even over long distances. Certain air pollutants influence the climate, cause negative processes in the protective ozone layer and contribute to the greenhouse effect. Therefore it is important to protect the air by taking actions to ensure its best possible quality. In this paper, the development of air quality policies in the United States of America and European Union was analyzed and it was shown how these legislations were implemented and also the air quality policies in these states were compared. Although the U.S. and EU have achieved significant improvements in air quality, the area of air quality management in both regions still requires a more integrated and ambitious approach.

Organic and inorganic sedimentary parameters in and off the Changjiang Estuary have been analyzed to reconstruct historical trends in eutrophication and hypoxia over the last century. The lipid biomarker concentrations in the Changjiang Estuary mud area (CEMA) indicated eutrophication accelerated after the 1970s. Meanwhile, Mo/Al indicated hypoxia has increased since 1960s. Eutrophication and hypoxia in the CEMA are primarily a result of the dramatically increased load of terrestrial nutrients from the Changjiang to the East China Sea. The lipid biomarker concentrations in the southwest Cheju Island mud area (SCIMA) showed primary production is controlled mainly by changes in regional climate and marine current. No significant hypoxia occurred in the SCIMA over the past century as indicated by Mo/Al. Therefore, geochemical indicators of eutrophication and hypoxia revealed different patterns between the CEMA and SCIMA, suggesting the role of river-derived nutrients in sustaining eutrophication and hypoxia in the CEMA since the 1960s.

The Gulf of Finland is a shallow sea where a multitude of activities compete of space. Many of the activities include reworking of the sea floor. The gulf is known to have been rather largely contaminated by heavy metals during the last century, and although indications of recovery have been reported, it is crucial to know the levels of sea floor sediment contamination before any decisions of activities are taken by the authorities. In order to predict sediment toxicity the sediment concentrations acquired during a study from 2001 to 2004 are compared to Canadian sediment quality guidelines (SQG: s), which reveal that in the majority of the subsamples the metals and arsenic exceed the threshold levels of the used SQG: s, some exceed also the probable effect level. As, Cd, Hg, and especially Zn concentrations occur at unacceptably high levels in the coastal Gulf of Finland sediments.

The concentrations of As, Sb, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Ba in the surface and core sediments of the oil and gas producing region of the Beibu Gulf were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (AFS), and the spatial distribution and historical trends of these elements are discussed. The results show that the concentrations of these elements are highest near the platforms. The results of Enrichment Factor (EF) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) also reveal significantly higher enrichment around the platforms, which imply that the offshore petroleum production was the cause of the unusual distribution and severe enrichment of these elements in the study area. The environment around the platforms was highly laden with toxic elements, thereby representing a very high ecological risk to the environment of the study area.

This study aims to establish a managed sampling plan for rapid estimate of natural radio-nuclides diffusion in the northern coast of the Oman Sea. First, the natural radioactivity analysis in 36 high volume surface water samples was carried out using a portable high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Second, the oceanic currents in the northern coast were investigated. Then, the third generation spectral SWAN model was utilized to simulate wave parameters. Direction of natural radioactivity propagation was coupled with the preferable wave vectors and oceanic currents direction that face to any marine pollution, these last two factors will contribute to increase or decrease of pollution in each grid. The results were indicated that the natural radioactivity concentration between the grids 8600 and 8604 is gathered in the grid 8600 and between the grids 8605 and 8608 is propagated toward middle part of Oman Sea.

Sediment samples were taken from six sampling sites in Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia between February and November in 2012. They were analysed for a range of heavy metals including Al, Fe, Mn, Ti, Ce, Th, U, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, Te, Hg, Tl and Pb. Fraction analysis, Enrichment Factors and Principal Component Analysis–Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA–APCS) were carried out in order to assess metal pollution, potential bioavailability and source apportionment. Cr and Ni exceeded the Australian Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines at some sampling sites, while Hg was found to be the most enriched metal. Fraction analysis identified increased weak acid soluble Hg and Cd during the sampling period. Source apportionment via PCA–APCS found four sources of metals pollution, namely, marine sediments, shipping, antifouling coatings and a mixed source. These sources need to be considered in any metal pollution control measure within Bramble Bay.

Organochlorine pesticides and PCB (POPs) concentrations were determined in the blood and eggs of green and hawksbill turtles. We compared concentrations between species, analyzed the relationship between turtle size and the POPs concentrations and the relationship between the concentrations in the blood of the nesting turtles and their eggs. We expected higher concentrations in the hawksbill turtle because of its higher trophic level, but concentrations were not higher in all the cases. Significant differences were found in δ-HCH blood concentrations. Lindane, heptachlor epoxide and PCB 101 concentrations were significantly higher in the hawksbill eggs. The relationship between the size of the turtles and the POP concentrations in the eggs of the hawksbills showed a negative correlation. No correlation was found between the size of the female and concentrations in the blood. In eggs, only the hawksbill turtles exhibited negative correlation in the concentration of mirex and PCB 44 and size.

We compared the carapace shape and thickness as well as the energy density of Ovalipes trimaculatus inhabiting areas comprising a gradient of marine pollution: high, moderate and undetected, in the Nuevo gulf (Patagonia Argentina). The carapace shape was evaluated by means of individual asymmetry scores (=fluctuating asymmetry) whereas the carapace thickness was assessed by measuring the carapace dry weight. The energy density was analyzed through its negative relationship with water content in muscle tissue. The individual asymmetry scores as well as the percentage of water content in muscle tissue were proportional to the marine pollution gradient, whereas the carapaces thickness did not differ among sampling sites. Our results are consistent with previous findings and demonstrate the direct effect of marine pollution on other taxa different from gastropods, cephalopods and polyplacophora and add to long-standing concerns about detrimental effects caused by marine pollution on the benthic community of the Nuevo gulf.

Changing climatic conditions have influenced the monsoon pattern in recent years. Variations in bacterial population in one such tropical environment were observed everyday over two years and point out intra and inter annual changes driven by the intensity of rainfall. Vibrio spp. were abundant during the monsoon and so were faecal coliforms. Vibrio alginolyticus were negatively influenced by nitrate, whereas, silicate and rainfall positively influenced Vibrio parahaemolyticus numbers. It is also known that pathogenic bacteria are associated with the plankton. Changes in the abundance of plankton, which are governed mainly by environmental changes, could be responsible for variation in pathogenic bacterial abundance during monsoon, other than the land runoff due to precipitation and influx of fresh water.

We investigated floating debris around the mouth of the Nakdong River in the Southeastern Sea of Korea using a Manta trawl (330-μm mesh) and hand-net (50μm) before (May) and after (July) the rainy season in 2012. Microplastic (<2mm) was present at all of the stations, whereas Styrofoam (2–5mm) peaked only at a few stations far from the Nakdong River mouth in July. The dominant types were fibers (polyester), hard plastic (polyethylene), paint particles (alkyd), and Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene). The average abundances of fibers and hard plastic (<2mm) in the trawl were significantly higher in July than in May (p<0.005, p<0.05, respectively), while two orders of magnitude more microplastics (<2mm) were collected with the hand-net than with the trawl. Fibers and hard plastic by trawl were significantly compared temporally, and the hand-net proved the missed microplastics (50–330μm) when trawl used.