Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are dispersed all over the world while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are released into the environment from pyrogenic and petrogenic sources and are not very mobile or persistent. The aim of this study was to identify POPs and PAHs from eggs of Least and Sooty Terns nesting in two protected marine areas with different anthropogenic impacts in the southern Gulf of Mexico. ΣHCHs were higher in Terminos in 2010 and higher in Alacranes in 2011. ΣDienes and ΣDDTs were higher in 2011 in both study sites. ΣEndosulfan was higher in Terminos than in Alacranes in both years. ΣDienes, ΣDDT and ΣHeptachlor were the highest in both species both years. Acenaphtylene and Fluoranthene were higher in Terminos while Pyrene was higher in Alacranes. No differences were present within species between years. In 2011 PAHs in eggs could have reflected the BP oil spill input.

Surface sediment samples collected from the South Yellow Sea and northern part of the East China Sea during spring and autumn, respectively, were analyzed for grain size, aluminum, and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) to evaluate heavy metal levels and the contamination status. The results showed that all of the heavy metal concentrations met the standard criteria of the Chinese National Standard Criteria for Marine Sediment Quality. Both the EFs and a multivariate analysis (PCA) indicated that Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn were mainly from natural contributions, while Pb was influenced by anthropogenic inputs, especially during autumn. The geoaccumulation index of Pb near the mouth of the Yangtze River suggested that the pollution degree in autumn was heavier than that in spring, which might be caused by the greater river discharge in summer and more heavy metal adsorption with finer grain sizes.

The paper presents comparison of outdoor and indoor air pollution by means of magnetic characteristics of dust settled on the floor indoors (ID) and particulate matter (PM) gathered outdoor on air filters. Samples were collected for one year period in three different locations in Warsaw, Poland. PM was collected in samplers placed at the yard of buildings and ID was collected inside these buildings using a vacuum cleaner. The magnetic methods supplemented by chemical elements analysis and microscope observations were applied to identification of magnetic mineralogy, concentration and grain-size of magnetic fraction and morphology and shape of particles.The results demonstrated differences in magnetic mineralogy and in grain-size distribution between PM and ID. The magnetite was the main magnetic phase in PM and magnetite with metallic iron in ID. The ratios of hysteresis parameters for PM and ID were located in different areas on Day-Dunlop diagram; PM data in the area for PSD magnetite and fine SP grains and ID data around SD + MD mixing curves for magnetite.The difference in magnetic mineralogy, especially the lack of metallic iron in PM, can be explained by the limitation of dust samplers that cannot collect grains larger than roughly 50 μm due to our microscopic observations. PM samplers collect population of dust with smaller grain size than vacuum cleaner or simple sweeping of a floor. The difference in granulometry and outdoor/indoor sources could be one of the reasons for which we did not observed the simple relation between magnetic susceptibility of ID and PM.

Excess nitrogen deposition is a matter of concern for sensitive ecosystems. However, understanding the sources and transport of Nr species has been a challenge due to limited observations of atmospheric deposition of the key Nr species across India. In this study, wet deposition of atmospheric inorganic Nr species was investigated during the year 2013 at two regionally representative sites: Delhi (an urban site) and Jaunpur (a rural site). These sites are located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region, which is one of the most populated and fertile regions of India. The average NH4+ concentrations in rain water were found to be 25.4 μeql−1 and 98.5 μeql−1 at the rural and urban sites, respectively, whereas average NO3− concentrations were 12.4 μeql−1 and 28.7 μeql−1 at the rural and urban sites (respectively). The annual average wet deposition fluxes of NH4+ and NO3− at Delhi were calculated as 10.45 and 3.05 kgN ha−1 yr−1 respectively, whereas at Jaunpur the fluxes were 3.19 and 1.56 kgN ha−1 yr−1 respectively. In order to assess the Nr deposition, our estimates showed 486% increase in NO3− (from 0.52 to 3.05 kgN ha−1 yr−1) while 283% NH4+ (2.72–10.44 kgN ha−1 yr−1) between 1994 and 2013 at Delhi, clearly indicating the effect of urbanization and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change. Reduced versus oxidized N deposition contribution was also estimated. This study provides key quantitative information to support regional nitrogen budget estimates in south Asia.

This study evaluated the influence of foraging preferences on microplastic ingestion by six marine fish species from the Texas Gulf Coast. A total of 1381 fish were analyzed and 42.4% contained ingested microplastic, inclusive of fiber (86.4%), microbead (12.9% %), and fragment (<1.0%) forms. Despite a substantial overlap in diet, ordination of ingested prey items clustered samples into distinctive species groupings, reflective of the foraging gradient among species. Orthopristis chrysoptera displayed the lowest overall frequency of microplastic ingestion and the most distinctive ordination grouping, indicating their selective invertebrate foraging preferences. Cluster analysis of O. chrysoptera most closely classified microplastic with the ingestion of benthic invertebrates, whereas the ingestion of microplastic by all other species most closely classified with the ingestion of vegetation and shrimp. O. chrysoptera, as selective invertebrate foragers, are less likely to ingest microplastics than species exhibiting generalist foraging preferences and methods of prey capture.

Raindrops falling on the sea surface produce turbulence. The present study examined the influence of rain-induced turbulence on oil droplet size and dispersion of oil spills in Douglas Channel in British Columbia, Canada using hourly atmospheric data in 2011–2013. We examined three types of oils: a light oil (Cold Lake Diluent - CLD), and two heavy oils (Cold Lake Blend - CLB and Access Western Blend - AWB). We found that the turbulent energy dissipation rate produced by rainfalls is comparable to what is produced by wind-induced wave breaking in our study area. With the use of chemical dispersants, our results indicate that a heavy rainfall (rain rate>20mmh−1) can produce the maximum droplet size of 300μm for light oil and 1000μm for heavy oils, and it can disperse the light oil with fraction of 22–45% and the heavy oils of 8–13%, respectively. Heavy rainfalls could be a factor for the fate of oil spills in Douglas Channel, especially for a spill of light oil and the use of chemical dispersants.

To evaluate the effect of rainfall intensity on phytoplankton blooms, a continuous monitoring system was deployed during 2015 in a hyper-eutrophic lagoon in Taiwan. Intensive rainfall occurs during the wet summer months, from May to September. Salinity in the lagoon was found to decrease with increasing intensity of rainfall. The magnitude of phytoplankton blooms also increased linearly with increasing rainfall intensity. The chlorophyll a concentration rose by an order of magnitude during the heaviest rainfall. Blooms may be fueled by nutrient enrichment caused by drainage or run-off water from surrounding areas that is channeled into the lagoon during rainfall events. During bloom periods, the rates of net primary production and ecosystem respiration were high. However, this ecosystem was autotrophic for most of the year. As extreme rainfall is predicted to increase, the results of this study imply that the frequency and magnitude of phytoplankton blooms may increase in the future.

Demographic data for Elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and in situ water temperature data from seven upper Florida Keys (USA) reefs revealed three warm thermal stress events between 2010 and 2016. During a mild bleaching event in 2011, up to 59% of colonies bleached, but no mortality resulted. In both 2014 and 2015, severe and unprecedented bleaching was observed with up to 100% of colonies bleached. A. palmata live tissue cover declined by one-third following the 2014–2015 events. Colony mortality of mildly- and non-bleached colonies did not differ but increased significantly with more severe bleaching. Increased bleaching prevalence corresponded to maximum daily average water temperatures above 31.3°C. However, the cumulative days with daily average exceeding 31.0°C provided a better predictor of bleaching response. The bleaching response of surviving colonies in 2015 was not consistent with acclimatization as most individual colonies bleached at least as badly as in 2014.

This study investigated the composition, density and distribution of floating macro-litter along the Liguro-Provençal basin with respect to cetaceans presence. Survey transects were performed in summer between 2006 and 2015 from sailing vessels with simultaneous cetaceans observations. During 5171km travelled, 1993 floating items were recorded, widespread in the whole study area. Plastics was the predominant category, with bags/packaging always representing >45% of total items. Overall mean density (14.98 items/km2) was stable with significant increase reported only in 2010–2011; monthly analysis showed lower litter densities in July–September, suggesting possible seasonal patterns. Kernel density estimation for plastics revealed ubiquitous distribution rather than high accumulation areas, mainly due to the circulation dynamics of this area. The presence range of cetaceans (259 sightings, 6 species) corresponded by ~50% with plastic distribution, indicating high potential of interaction, especially in the eastern part of the area, but effective risks for marine species might be underrepresented.

This paper presents a method based on the oceanic current model and the oil spill model to evaluate the pollution risk of sensitive resources when oil spills occur. Moreover, this study proposes a novel impact index based on the risk theory to improve the risk assessment accuracy. The impact probability and the first impact time of the oil spill are calculated through a stochastic numerical simulation. The risk assessment content is enriched by establishing an impact model that considers the impact of sensitive index and spillage. Finally, the risk score of sensitive resources in an oil spill accident is visualized for formulating a scientific and effective protection priority order in a contamination response strategy. This study focuses on integrating every possible impact factor that plays a role in risk assessment and helps to provide a better theoretical support for protecting sensitive resources.