To investigate the impacts and processes of CO2-induced acidification on metal mobilization, laboratory-scale experiments were performed, simulating the scenarios where carbon dioxide was injected into sediment–seawater layers inside non-pressurized chambers. Coastal sediments were sampled from two sites with different contamination levels and subjected to pre-determined pH conditions. Sediment samples and overlying water were collected for metal analysis after 10-days. The results indicated that CO2-induced ocean acidification would provoke increased metal mobilization causing adverse side-effects on water quality. The mobility of metals from sediment to the overlying seawater was correlated with the reduction in pH. Results of sequential extractions of sediments illustrated that exchangeable metal forms were the dominant source of mobile metals. Collectively, our data revealed that high metal concentrations in overlying seawater released from contaminated sediments under acidic conditions may strengthen the existing contamination gradients in Maluan Bay and represent a potential risk to ecosystem health in coastal environments.

In this study, the influence of temperature and light intensity on the growth of seedlings and adults of four species of green tide algae (Ulva prolifera, Ulva compressa, Ulva flexuosa and Ulva linza) from the Yellow Sea was evaluated. The results indicated that the specific growth rate (SGR) of seedlings was much higher than that of adults for the four species. The adaptability of U. prolifera is much wider: Adult daily SGRs were the highest among the four species at 15–20°C with 10–600μmol·m−2·s−1 and 25–30°C with 200–600μmol·m−2·s−1. SGRs were 1.5–3.5 times greater than the other three species at 15–25°C with 200–600μmol·m−2·s−1. These results indicate that U. prolifera has better tolerance to high temperature and light intensity than the other three species, which may in part explain why only U. prolifera undergoes large-scale outbreaks and floats to the Qingdao coast while the other three species decline and disappear at the early stage of blooming.

Synergetic use of in–situ measurements, remote sensing observations and model simulations can provide valuable information about atmospheric chemistry and air quality. In this work we present for the first time a qualitative comparison between modeled NO2 concentrations at ground level using dispersion model METI–LIS and tropospheric NO2 columns obtained by mobile DOAS technique. Experimental and modeling results are presented for a Romanian city, Braila (45.26 ° N, 27.95 ° E). In–situ observations of NO2 and meteorological data from four ground stations belonging to the local environmental agency were used to predict the concentration of NO2 at ground level by atmospheric dispersion modeling on two days when mobile DOAS measurements were available. The mobile DOAS observations were carried out using a UV–VIS spectrometer mounted on board a car. The tropospheric Vertical Column Density (VCD) of NO2 is deduced from DOAS observations. The VCD was obtained using complementary ground and space observations. The correlation between model and DOAS observations is described by a correlation coefficient of 0.33. Also, model results based on averaged in–situ measurements for a period of 5 years (2008–2012) are used for an overview of the background NO2 evolution in time and space for the selected urban area.

The external effects of oil on wildlife can be obvious and acute. Internal effects are more difficult to detect and can occur without any external signs. To quantify internal effects from oil ingestion by wildlife during an oil spill, baseline levels of ubiquitous hydrocarbon fractions, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), need to be established. With these baseline values the extent of impact from exposure during a spill can be determined. This research represents the first investigation of baseline levels for 22 PAHs in New Zealand coastal and marine avian wildlife. Eighty-five liver samples were tested from 18 species. PAHs were identified in 98% of livers sampled with concentrations ranging from 0 to 1341.6ng/g lipid wt or on wet wt basis, 0 to 29.5ng/g. Overall, concentrations were low relative to other globally reported avian values. PAH concentration variability was linked with species foraging habitat and migratory patterns.

In this study the occurrence of thirteen pharmaceuticals in seawaters collected from southern Baltic Sea was evaluated for the first time. It was performed by applying newly developed analytical procedure. The method was characterized in terms of its basic validation parameters as well as matrix effects, extraction efficiency and absolute recovery. The results were expressed as result±expanded uncertainty, which was estimated according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. Additionally, in order to verify the influence of variable parameters of the analyzed samples on method performance parameters, chemometric analysis was carried out. The obtained results revealed that residues of pharmaceuticals were present in seawaters at a concentration level of ngL−1. Trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and enrofloxacin were most frequently detected compounds. The highest concentration was determined for ketoprofen (135.0±10.9ngL−1). Marine pollution potential hotspots were found in enclosed or semi-enclosed bodies of water.

This research focuses on the spatial and temporal patterns of heavy metals from the Yangtze River estuary and the tidal flat of north Jiangsu. Most heavy metals in the surficial sediments after normalization to Ti decreased seaward at the Yangtze River estuary. The core records showed that the heavy metal variations in the last 50years were primarily linked to natural weathering input of trace elements. However, significant heavy metal pollution (mainly Ni, Pb, Cd, Cu and As) were in the two study areas, with anthropogenic inventories accounting for 23–40% percent of the total pollution. Sequential extraction showed that Pb, Cu and Ni were present largely in the non-residual fraction, which indicated the potential bioavailability in the study areas. The SEM/EDS together with sequential extraction facilitated the easy tracing of the origin/sources of heavy metals in a simple way in the estuary and the tidal flat.

In this work, we investigated if the Eulerian and the Lagrangian approaches for the computation of the Transport Time Scales (TTS) of semi-enclosed water bodies can be used univocally to define the spatial variability of basin flushing features. The Eulerian and Lagrangian TTS were computed for both simplified test cases and a realistic domain: the Venice Lagoon. The results confirmed the two approaches cannot be adopted univocally and that the spatial variability of the water renewal capacity can be investigated only through the computation of both the TTS. A specific analysis, based on the computation of a so-called Trapping Index, was then suggested to integrate the information provided by the two different approaches. The obtained results proved the Trapping Index to be useful to avoid any misleading interpretation due to the evaluation of the basin renewal features just from an Eulerian only or from a Lagrangian only perspective.

Surface and core sediments were collected to study distributions, phases and potential environmental risk of Hg and to reconstruct anthropogenic Hg change over the past one hundred years in the East China Sea (ECS). Hg contents in surface sediments displayed a decreasing gradient from the Changjiang Estuary to the outer sea. Sequential extraction analysis showed that Hg mainly existed as residual fraction (70.18% of total), and while organic matter fraction (22.96% of total) was the main component of labile fraction, indicating the strong adsorption of organic matters on Hg. Enrichment factor and sediment quality guidelines suggested that Hg in sediments of ECS were at minor enrichment and low adverse effect. Temporal distributions of total Hg content, labile fraction, burial flux and anthropogenic Hg flux showed that anthropogenic Hg input increased since the 1960s, which was related to riverine input and atmospheric transport.

Testing phytoplankton viability within ballast tanks and receiving waters of ballast water discharge remain understudied. Potentially harmful dinoflagellates and diatoms are transported via ballast water to Galveston Bay, Texas (USA), home to three major ports: Houston, Texas City and Galveston. Ballast water from vessels transiting the North Atlantic Ocean was inoculated into treatments representing low and high salinity conditions similar to the Ports of Houston and Galveston respectively. Phytoplankton in ballast water growout experiments were deemed viable and showed growth in low and mid salinities with nutrient enrichment. Molecular methods identified several genera: Dinophysis, Gymnodinium, Gyrodinium, Heterocapsa, Peridinium, Scrippsiella, Chaetoceros and Nitzschia. These phytoplankton genera were previously identified in Galveston Bay except Scrippsiella. Phytoplankton, including those capable of forming harmful algal blooms leading to fish and shellfish kills, are transported to Galveston Bay via ballast water, and are viable when introduced to similar salinity conditions found in Galveston Bay ports.