The main objective of this study is to apply artificial neural network (ANN) and wavelet-neural network (WNN) models for predicting a variety of ocean water quality parameters. In this regard, several water quality parameters in Hilo Bay, Pacific Ocean, are taken under consideration. Different combinations of water quality parameters are applied as input variables to predict daily values of salinity, temperature and DO as well as hourly values of DO. The results demonstrate that the WNN models are superior to the ANN models. Also, the hourly models developed for DO prediction outperform the daily models of DO. For the daily models, the most accurate model has R equal to 0.96, while for the hourly model it reaches up to 0.98. Overall, the results show the ability of the model to monitor the ocean parameters, in condition with missing data, or when regular measurement and monitoring are impossible.

Polydimethylsiloxane sheets were used to determine freely dissolved concentrations (Cdiss) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Belgian coastal zone. Equilibrium models were used to predict the whole water concentrations (Cww) of these compounds as well as their concentrations in sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and biota. In general, contaminant concentrations were predicted well for whole water and biota. Cww was increasingly underpredicted as Koc increased, possibly because of the presence of black carbon. Concentrations in biota were overestimated by the equilibrium approach when logKow exceeded 6.5, suggesting an increasing role of transformation processes. Concentrations of PAHs and PCBs in sediment and SPM were consistently underpredicted although a good correlation between measured and predicted values was observed. This was potentially due to the use of experimental Koc values which have been found to underestimate partitioning of hydrophobic substances to sediment in field studies.

Due to the rapid population growth, anthropogenic activities result in agricultural, industrial, and urban diffuse runoffs that elevate the level of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in coastal waters. Currently there is no integrated analysis for coastal eutrophication in Taiwan. A comprehensive analysis of the coastal eutrophic status was performed in this study based on decade-long coastal water quality monitoring data from Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration. A 3-tiered monitoring strategy is recommended based on the severity of the current eutrophication state. Results indicate that the most problematic area of coastal eutrophication is located in the estuary of the Donggang River (DGR) and its adjacent coastal waters, i.e., the Kao-Ping mouth (KPM) and Dapeng Bay (DPB) in south-western Taiwan. With a worsening eutrophic status, these areas demand intensive monitoring and research with higher spatial and temporal resolutions to evaluate the stresses of nutrient forcing and predict possible future responses.

This paper reports on the distribution of three natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in coastal sediments from Pattipulam to Devanampattinam along the East coast of Tamilnadu to establish baseline data for future environmental monitoring. Sediment samples were collected by a Peterson grab samples from 10m water depth parallel to the shore line. Concentration of natural radionuclides were determined using a NaI(Tl) detector based γ-spectrometry. The mean activity concentration is ⩽2.21, 14.29 and 360.23Bqkg−1 for 238U, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The average activity of 232Th, 238U and 40K is lower when compared to the world average value. Radiological hazard parameters were estimated based on the activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K to find out any radiation hazard associated with the sediments. The radiological hazard parameters such as radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed gamma dose rates in air (DR), the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), external hazard index (Hex) internal hazard index (Hin), activity utilization index (AUI) and excess lifetime cancer (ELCR) associated with the radionuclides were calculated and compared with internationally approved values and the recommended safety limits. Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) have been applied in order to recognize and classify radiological parameters in sediments collected at 22 sites on East coast of Tamilnadu. The values of radiation hazard parameters were comparable to the world averages and below the recommended values. Therefore, coastal sediments do not to pose any significant radiological health risk to the people living in nearby areas along East coast of Tamilnadu. The data obtained in this study will serve as a baseline data in natural radionuclide concentration in sediments along the coastal East coast of Tamilnadu.

Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) by three marine algae was investigated. When they were coexistent, DBP was degraded more quickly than DEP. The first-order biodegradation rate constants of DBP in the algal solutions were in the order of Cylindrotheca closterium (0.0169h−1)>Dunaliella salina (0.0035h−1) and Chaetoceros muelleri (0.0034h−1). When singly existed, DEP was degraded more quickly than in a mixture with DBP, indicating that DBP had inhibitory effect on the biodegradation of DEP. Moreover, the degradation trends of DEP and DBP in both extra- and intracellular crude extracts were similar to those in algal solutions. At the end, DEP was largely in water phase, whereas DBP remained in both water phase and algal phase. It can be concluded that biodegradation of DEP was mainly by algal extracellular enzymes, and both extra- and intracellular enzymes played key roles in the degradation of DBP.

Total concentrations and chemical forms of heavy metals in surface sediments of Maluan Bay were determined and multiple geochemical indices and guidelines were applied to assess potential contamination and environmental risks. Metal concentrations exhibited significant spatial variation and the speciation of Cr was presented dominantly in the residual fraction, while Cd was found mostly in the non-residual fraction and thus of high potential bioavailability. Cluster analysis separated four subgroups of sampling sites with different levels of contamination. Further, a multivariate method offered the specific interpretation of possible contaminant sources and/or pathways. Factor scores characterized the sampling locations and elucidated the pollution status, pointing out the impact of multiple “hidden hotspots” of contaminants and providing further evidence of the existence of clear pollution-risk gradients in lagoon areas. The study supports the integrative approach as powerful tool to diagnose the pollution status scientifically for management decisions in coastal sediment of complex environment.

Using enrichment culture technique, three isolates marked as ODB-1, ODB-2 and ODB-3, were selected from oil contaminated seawater. 16S rDNA gene sequencing indicated that ODB-1 affiliated with Pseudomonas sp. while ODB-2 and ODB-3 affiliated with Brevundimonas sp. Subsequently, the bacterial cells were immobilized on the surface of expanded graphite (EG), expanded perlite (EP) and bamboo charcoal (BC). Among the three isolates, ODB-1 showed a strong binding to the bio-carriers through extracellular polysaccharides, while ODB-2 and ODB-3 made the adhesion to bio-carrier through direct physical adsorption. The immobilized bacteria exhibited good salinity tolerance compared with the planktonic bacteria. Their total diesel oil removal rates were more than 85% after 6 days’ incubation. Adsorption–biodegradation process played an important role in the oil-pollution remediation. EG-bacteria system was treated as a promising remediation method, which achieved nearly 100% removal of diesel oil. Thereinto, over 83% removal of diesel oil owed to biodegradation.

Inhalation of infectious bioaerosols has been linked to a variety of respiratory diseases. However, efficient sampling techniques to allow high temporal resolution sampling are limited to collect and study bioaerosols in the various occupational and ambient micro–environmental atmospheres. This study introduces a medium flow swirling bioaerosol sampler (SAS) approach that collects atmospheric bioaerosols at the flow rate of 167 Lpm (10 cubic meter per hour). The collection of bioaerosols is achieved through a combination of impaction and cyclonic centrifugal motion. Aerosol deposition efficiency tests were performed with monodispersive polystyrene latex (PSL) particles ranging from 0.1 to 10 μm. Results have shown that the sampler has cut–off size of 0.7 μm and 1.5 μm, with and without the assistance of added water vapor, respectively. The bioaerosol collection and viability tests were performed with comparison to the commercially–available BioSampler, and the results show that the collection efficiency of the SAS is 97% at the designed flow rate, while the higher flow of the new system yields more than 13 times of the collection rate compared to the BioSampler. The high collection efficiency and observed viability preservation of the SAS make it an attractive alternative for high time resolution bioaerosol sampling for atmospheric, occupational and indoor air quality monitoring.

The indigenous oil-degrading bacterial consortia MARA and MARB were enriched from the deep-sea sediments of South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) with crude oil as sole carbon and energy sources. Biodiversity and community analyses showed that members of α-Proteobacteria were the key players in consortium MARA, whereas those of γ-Proteobacteria were the key players in consortium MARB, which were studied by MiSeq sequencing method. Gravimetric method estimated the oil degradation rates of MARA and MARB to be 63.4% and 85.8%, respectively, after 20d. Eleven cultivable oil degraders with different morphologies were isolated. These strains were identified as Alcanivorax, Bacillus, Dietzia, Erythrobacter, Marinobacter, Nitratireductor, and Oceanicola based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Three strains belonging to Dietzia exhibited the highest oil degradation capability. Results indicated that the intrinsic biodegradation capacity of oil contaminants by indigenous microbial communities exists in South MAR sediments.

A survey among beachgoers was conducted to determine the swimming associated health effects experienced and its relationship with beach water exposure behaviour in Morib beach. For beach water exposure behaviour, the highest frequency of visit among the respondents was once a year (41.9%). For ways of water exposure, whole body exposure including head was the highest (38.5%). For duration of water exposure, 30.8% respondents prefer to be in water for about 30min with low possibilities of accidental ingestion of beach water. A total of 30.8% of beachgoers in Morib beach were reported of having dermal symptoms. Bivariate analysis showed only water activity, water contact and accidental ingestion of beach water showed significant association with swimming associated health effects experienced by swimmers. This study output showed that epidemiological study can be used to identify swimming associated health effects in beach water exposed to faecal contamination.