Coastal areas may be impacted by human and industrial activities, including contamination by wastewater, heavy metals and hydrocarbons. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of hydrocarbons (TPH) and metals on the microbiota composition and abundance in two estuarine systems in the coast of São Paulo: the Santos (SE) and Itanhaém (IE) estuaries. The SE was found to be chronically contaminated by heavy metals and highly contaminated by hydrocarbons. This finding was correlated with the increased density of cyanobacteria in sediments and suggests the possible use of cyanobacteria for bioremediation. These contaminants influence the density and composition of estuarine microbiota that respond to stress caused by human activity. The results are troubling because quantitative and qualitative changes in the microbiota of estuarine sediments may alter microbiological processes such as decomposition of organic matter. Moreover, this pollution can result in damage to the environment, biota and human health.

Sterols and hydrocarbons were determined in the surface sediments from the transitional environment between Paranaguá Bay and the shallow continental shelf in the South Atlantic to assess the sources of organic matter (OM) and the contamination status of an area exposed to multiple anthropogenic inputs. Total aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were less than 10μgg−1, which is typical of unpolluted sediments, and related to recent inputs from higher terrestrial plants. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ranged from<DL to 14.41ngg−1 (dry weight), which was predominantly derived from combustion with non-detectable levels occurring in 65% of the samples. Sterols typically related to marine sources predominated in the analysed sediments. Hence, the study area was protected from human activity. The relative absence of anthropogenic input and OM preservation clearly indicate that the organic markers analysed can be used to investigate the biogenic input of sedimentary OM in the study area.

The Plateau Rosa Alpine station (Italy) has collected atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide since 1989. If the complete set of hourly data is observed, two distinct and exceptional very high concentration events are evident for February 2004. Similar and almost contemporary peaks were registered at the European high–altitude stations of Zugspitze–Schneefernerhaus and Sonnblick in the Alps, and at Mt. Cimone in the Northern Apennines. A regional meteorological model (the Weather Research and Forecast) was applied over a medium–high resolution grid to study the evolution of the meteorological fields and to identify the trajectories of the polluted air masses during the CO2 observed peaks. The results show that, during both episodes, atmospheric circulation conveyed highly polluted air from the European plains to the Alpine stations. This conclusion has been also confirmed through concentration measurements of the atmospheric trace gases in the same area.

The bioremediation efficiency of China’s largest scale Porphyra yezoensis cultivation for removing dissolved nutrients and controlling harmful algae was studied in the radial sandbanks waters of Jiangsu Province in the year 2012–2013. Mean nutrient concentration values in the P. yezoensis cultivation area were significantly lower than those in the non-cultivation area, especially during the cultivation season (p<0.05). Tissue nitrogen and phosphorus contents of seaweeds were 5.99–0.80% (dry weight (DW)) and 0.16–0.19% (DW), respectively. Production of P. yezoensis was 58950.87tons DW. Based on these values, 3688.15tons of tissue nitrogen and 105.61tons of tissue phosphorus were removed by harvesting P. yezoensis. The richness index of the red tide species Skeleton emacostatum declined from 0.32 to 0.05 during the P. yezoensis cultivation season. These results indicate that large-scale cultivation of P. yezoensis can be used to efficiently alleviate eutrophication and control harmful algae blooms in open sea.

Spartina maritima is a native endangered heavy metal rhizoaccumulator cordgrass naturally growing in southwest coasts of Spain, where is used as a biotool to rehabilitate degraded salt marshes. Fifteen bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of S. maritima growing in the estuary of the Tinto River, one of the most polluted areas in the world. A high proportion of bacteria were resistant towards several heavy metals. They also exhibited multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) properties, in the absence and the presence of Cu. Bacillus methylotrophicus SMT38, Bacillusaryabhattai SMT48, B. aryabhattai SMT50 and Bacilluslicheniformis SMT51 were selected as the best performing strains. In a gnobiotic assay, inoculation of Medicago sativa seeds with the selected isolates induced higher root elongation. The inoculation of S. maritima with these indigenous metal-resistant PGP rhizobacteria could be an efficient method to increase plant adaptation and growth in contaminated estuaries during restoration programs.

16 PAHs in Jiaozhou Bay wetland soils were analyzed by GC/MS. The potential sources and contributions were apportioned by Unmix and PMF models. The total concentrations of PAHs ranged from 176.1 to 563.3ng/g with a mean of 345.3ng/g. 2- and 3- rings PAHs were the dominant species accounting for 34.7–87.3% of the total PAHs. The similarities and differences of sources and contributions estimated by Unmix and PMF models were discussed. Three common sources (petrogenic source, coking oven and coal combustion) identified by two models, contributed 43.2%, 39.2% and 12.6% by Unmix and 33.5%, 29.1% and 16.0% by PMF to the total PAHs, respectively. In addition, diesel emission source (5.0%) by Unmix and a mixed source of diesel emission and natural gas burning (21.4%) by PMF were also extracted. It is essential to apply multiple source apportionment techniques to estimate potential source and contributions in further study.

In order to determine the source of organic matter and the fingerprint of the oil components, 50 samples collected from the near-surface sediments of the oil spill area in Bohai Sea, China, were analyzed for grain size, total organic carbon, aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The concentrations of C15–35 n-alkanes and 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) priority pollutant PAHs were found in the ranges of 0.88–3.48μg g−1 and 9.97–490.13ng/g, respectively. The terrestrial organic matters characterized by C27–C35 n-alkanes and PAHs, resulting from the combustion of higher plants, are dominantly contributed from the transportation of these plants by rivers. Marine organic matters produced from plankton and aquatic plants were represented by C17–C26 n-alkanes in AHs. Crude oil, characterized by C17–C21 n-alkanes, unresolved complex mixture (UCM) with a mean response factor of C19 n-alkanes, low levels of perylene, and a high InP/(InP+BghiP) ratio, seeped into the oceans from deep hydrocarbon reservoirs, as a result of geological faults.

Assessment of marine debris ingestion by sea turtles is important, especially to ensure their survival. From January to December 2011, 23 specimens of five species of sea turtles were found dead or dying after being rehabilitated, along the coast of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To detect the presence of marine debris in the digestive tract of these turtles, we conducted a postmortem examination from the esophagus until the distal portion of the large intestine for each specimen. Of the total number of turtles, 39% had ingested marine debris such as soft plastic, hard plastic, metal, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle caps, human hair, tampons, and latex condoms. Five of the seven sea turtles species are found along the Brazilian coast, where they feed and breed. A large number of animals are exposed to various kinds of threats, including debris ingestion.

The aim of this study was to evaluate bacterial and fungal aerosol concentrations at the holy mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram). Air samples were collected from different locations inside and outside the holy mosque, during the month of Ramadan-2011 (the fasting month), using a portable Air-port MD8 gelatin filter sampler. Trypticase soya agar and Capek's dox agar media were used to count bacteria and fungi, respectively. The mean concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi ranged between 105–106 colony forming unit per cubic meter of air (CFU/m3) outside, and ∼102–105 CFU/m3 inside locations. The highest outside bacterial concentrations 106 CFU/m3 were found at the Al Umra, Al Fatah and eastern plazas, and the highest inside fungal concentrations ∼105 CFU/m3 were found at the courtyard, expansion of 1st floor, and roof. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between bacterial and fungal concentrations inside and outside sampling locations, higher concentrations shifted towards to outside locations. Significant differences were also found between the bacterial and fungal concentrations inside–unclosed and semi-closed (P < 0.05) with inside-closed locations. Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus and Micrococcus, and fungi, Aspergillus niger were the dominant microbial aerosol genera. The obtained data is considered a step to make up the gap about airborne microbial contamination inside the holy mosque, and microbial air quality should be studied along over the year at the holy mosque in the future.

Measurements of isoprene emissions, solar spectral radiation, temperature and relative humidity were carried out at a grassland site in the Inner Mongolia, China during the growing seasons in 2002 and 2003. Isoprene emissions are dependent on PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) and temperature nonlinearly. PAR controls the main processes related to isoprene emission, thus, PAR energy balance is used to establish quantitative relationship between isoprene emission and its affecting factors. An empirical Equation of isoprene emission was built on the basis of PAR energy balance. The calculated values were in good agreement with those measured for 2002 and 2003 summer seasons, the relative biases of 70% estimated emissions were within 50% compared to measured fluxes. The chamber changes the inside environment and emission fluxes, the emission differences were estimated by using the empirical Equation. The results show that isoprene emission flux around the noon decreases by 37% when the chamber is used, i.e., the biggest effect was resulted from PAR difference caused by the chamber. Isoprene emission measured by chamber should be corrected. The empirical model of isoprene emission showed that isoprene emission fluxes were close to zero, when PAR was low in early morning and in late evening. Total isoprene emissions emitted from the grassland in the Inner Mongolia were 1.10 and 1.00gC m−2 during the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003, respectively, which contributed to about 3.1–4.3% and 2.8−3.9% to grass respiration. The averaged isoprene emission normalized to a standard light (1 500μmolm−2 s−1) and temperature (30 °C) condition was 482.8μg m−2 h−1.