Seawater samples from major enclosed bays, fishing ports, and harbors of Korea were analyzed to determine levels of tributyltin (TBT) and booster biocides, which are antifouling agents used as alternatives to TBT. TBT levels were in the range of not detected (nd) to 23.9ng Sn/L. Diuron and Irgarol 1051, at concentration ranges of 35–1360ng/L and nd to 14ng/L, respectively, were the most common alternative biocides present in seawater, with the highest concentrations detected in fishing ports. Hot spots were identified where TBT levels exceeded environmental quality targets even 6years after a total ban on its use in Korea. Diuron exceeded the UK environmental quality standard (EQS) value in 73% of the fishing port samples, 64% of the major bays, and 42% of the harbors. Irgarol 1051 levels were marginally below the Dutch and UK EQS values at all sites.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in water and sediment samples collected from three mariculture zones in China’s northern Yellow Sea. In these samples, total PAH concentrations ranged from 110.8ng/L to 997.2ng/L and 142.2ng/gdry weight (dw) to 750.2ng/gdw, respectively. The log KOC values of the various PAH compounds examined in this study increased with the log KOW values, which is consistent with the prediction regarding PAH behavior in the environment. However, these KOC values were lower than the predicted values as a result of the effects of organic matters, which were abundant in the mariculture water. The isomeric ratios of the PAHs in sediment indicated that the source of the PAHs in the mariculture zones were mainly pyrolytic. The TEQcarc values of PAHs ranged from 7ng TEQ/gdw to 92ng TEQ/gdw, and only a few samples met the safe criterion with respect to individual PAH concentrations.

Shipwrecks on the sea floor around the world may contain hazardous substances that can cause harm to the marine environment. Today there are no comprehensive methods for environmental risk assessment of shipwrecks, and thus there is poor support for decision-making on prioritization of mitigation measures. The purpose of this study was to develop a tool for quantitative risk estimation of potentially polluting shipwrecks, and in particular an estimation of the annual probability of hazardous substance discharge. The assessment of the probability of discharge is performed using fault tree analysis, facilitating quantification of the probability with respect to a set of identified hazardous events. This approach enables a structured assessment providing transparent uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. The model facilitates quantification of risk, quantification of the uncertainties in the risk calculation and identification of parameters to be investigated further in order to obtain a more reliable risk calculation.

An investigation of abundance and solubility of metals in size–segregated particulate matter (PM) was conducted at a typical urban site during the winter between late 2011 and early 2012 in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The samples were extracted by both strong acid and water, and fourteen elements including Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, and Zn were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP–OES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS). The metals in PM showed distinctly different profiles of their distribution between coarse particles (2.5μm<dp<10μm) and PM2.5 (dp<2.5μm). The upper continental crustal enrichment factors (CEFs) of the measured metals for two particle size fractions showed that CEFs for nine of fourteen metals in PM2.5 were higher than 10 while Cd, Pb, Zn, Mn and Cu were far above 100; whereas for coarse particles, the CEFs of most elements were lower than 10, except for Cd being higher than 100. Water and acid extractable fractions of coarse PM and PM2.5 were analyzed and compared to investigate the transition metals solubility. The water extractable fraction was found to be present mainly in the fine particles, whereas more of the coarse fraction mass remained as insoluble fraction. The results from this study demonstrated large variation of water solubility of metals in urban aerosols in different size fractions and highlighted solubility as an important metric for considering the relation between metals and adverse health effects in epidemiological and toxicological studies.

Recent studies examining racial and ethnic inequities in exposure to urban air pollution have led to advances in understanding the nature and extent of overall concentration exposures by pollutant, demarcated by disadvantaged groups. However, the stability of inequities at various spatial units and the exposure by air pollution sources are often neglected. In this case study from the Dallas–Fort Worth (Texas, USA) area, we used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and an air dispersion model to estimate environmental justice impacts at different spatial scales (i.e., zip code, census tract, block group) and by source (i.e., industrial pollution sources, vehicle pollution sources, industry and vehicle pollution sources combined). Using whites as a reference, blacks and other races were more likely to be exposed to higher sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations although the Odds Ratio (OR) varied substantially by pollution source type [e.g., industrial pollution source based: (OR=1.80; 95% CI (Confidence Interval): 1.79–1.80) vs. vehicle pollution source based: (OR=2.70; 95% CI: 2.68–2.71)] and varied less between spatial scales [for vehicle pollution sources, (OR=2.70; 95% CI: 2.68–2.71) at the census tract level but was (OR=2.54; 95% CI: 2.53–2.55) at the block group scale]. Similar to the pattern of racial inequities, people with less education (i.e., less than 12 years of education) and low income (i.e., per capital income below $20 000) were more likely to be exposed to higher SO2 concentrations, and those ORs also varied greatly with the pollution sources and slightly with spatial scales. It is concluded that the type of pollution source plays an important role in SO2 pollution exposure inequity assessment, while spatial scale variations have limited influence. Future studies should incorporate source–specific exposure assessments when conducting studies on environmental justice.

This study was conducted to determine the composition of surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and atmospheric aerosol around the southern region of the Peninsular Malaysia. Surfactants in samples taken from the SML and atmospheric aerosol were determined using a colorimetric method, as either methylene blue active substances (MBAS) or disulphine blue active substances (DBAS). Principal component analysis with multiple linear regressions (PCA–MLR), using the anion and major element composition of the aerosol samples, was used to determine possible sources of surfactants in atmospheric aerosol. The results showed that the concentrations of surfactants in the SML and atmospheric aerosol were dominated by anionic surfactants and that surfactants in aerosol were not directly correlated (p>0.05) with surfactants in the SML. Further PCA–MLR from anion and major element concentrations showed that combustion of fossil fuel and sea spray were the major contributors to surfactants in aerosol in the study area.

Upper sediments (0–5cm) were sampled in 94 sites of water bodies of the fifteen Portuguese estuaries characterized by distinct settings of climate, topography and lithology, and marked by diverse anthropogenic pressures. Confined areas recognized as highly anthropogenic impacted, as well as areas dominated by erosion or frequently dredged were not sampled. Grain size, organic carbon (Corg), Al and trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined. Normalisation of trace element concentrations to Al and Corg, correlations between elements and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed identifying elemental associations and the relevance of grain-size, lithology and anthropogenic inputs on sediment chemical composition. Whereas grain-size is the dominant effect for the majority of the studied estuaries, the southern estuaries Mira, Arade and Guadiana are dominated by specific lithologies of their river basins, and anthropogenic effects are identified in Ave, Leça, Tagus and Sado. This study emphasizes how baseline values of trace elements in sediments may vary within and among estuarine systems.

The effects of BDE-47 on the growth and antioxidative responses of the seedlings of Kandelia obovata (Ko) and Avicennia marina (Am) were compared in an 8-week hydroponic culture spiked with different levels of BDE-47, 0.1, 1, 5 and 10mgl−1. The two highest BDE-47 levels significantly suppressed the growth and increased the activities of three antioxidative enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), of Ko in week 1. However, SOD and POD activities at high levels of BDE-47 became lower than the control in week 8. On the contrary, growth of Am was not affected at all contamination levels, and the activities of three enzymes were enhanced by BDE-47 in weeks 1 and 4, but such stimulatory effect became insignificant in week 8. Avicennia was more tolerant to BDE-47 toxicity than Kandelia, as its antioxidative enzymes could better counter-balance the oxidative stress caused by BDE-47.

The interaction of dispersed oil droplets with large diameter suspended particulate materials (SPM) has been little studied. In the current study, particle size, oil characteristics and chemical dispersant significantly influence the adsorption of oil droplets to SPM in seawater. Sediments with a smaller particulate size (clay) approaching that of the oil droplets (2–20μm) adsorbed more oil per gram than sediments with large particle size (sand). Heavier, more polar oils with a high asphaltene content adsorbed more efficiently to SPM than lighter, less polar oils. A decrease in the smaller, more water soluble oil components in the sediment adsorbed oil was observed for all oil types. Addition of chemical dispersant decreased the adsorption of oil droplets to suspended carbonate sand in an exponential-like manner. No change in the relative distribution of compounds adsorbed to the sediment was observed, indicating dispersants do not alter the dissolution of compounds from oil droplets.

The purpose of the present work was to study the concentration variations in O3, NO, NO2, NOX over a 4–year period (2006–2009), using the Kolmogorov–Zurbenko filter. Data were decomposed into seasonal and trend components. Seasonal component of the time–series analysis (2006–2009) of NO and NOx in Canoas and Esteio showed values above average during the cold seasons, while O3 showed an opposite pattern. The trend component was marked by the decrease of NO2 at Canoas and the increase of NO at Esteio, thus revealing their variation (NO and NOX) due to local emissions. Furthermore, evaluations of the mean daily concentrations of NO, NOX, NO2, O3, PM10 and CO, and correlations of these pollutants with meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, wind velocity, solar radiation and relative humidity) allowed the confirmation of the influence of mobile sources in the study area.