This paper deals with two aspects, namely a historical analysis of the use of unmanned vehicles (UAVs ROVs, AUVs) in maritime spill incidents and a detailed description of a multi-agency oil and HNS incident response exercise involving the integration and analysis of unmanned vehicles environmental sensing equipment. The exercise was a first in terms of the level of robotic systems deployed to assist in survey, surveillance and inspection roles for oil spills and harmful and noxious substances.

Spatial distribution and interrelationship among organic nutrients – silica and carbon – and various lithogenic elements were investigated in the surficial sediments of Matla estuary and Core Zone of Indian Sundarbans Reserve Forest using spatial analysis and multivariate statistics. Biogenic silica (BSi), an important parameter for coastal biogeochemisry, was measured using Si-time alkaline leaching method. BSi concentration ranged from 0.01% to 0.85% with higher concentrations in upstream region of Matla estuary and attenuated values towards the bay, seemingly due to changes in hydrodynamics and land use conditions. Spatial distribution of BSi did not exhibit significant correlation with sediment parameters of organic carbon (OC), elemental composition and clay content. However, it showed significant contrasting trends with total phosphorus (TP) and total silica of human influenced Matla estuary sediments as well as the dissolved silica (DSi) of its surface waters. Anthropogenic influence on sediment geochemistry is discernable with the presence of higher concentrations of organic and inorganic elements in Matla estuary than in Core Zone sediments. Spatial variation trends are often challenging to interpret due to multiple sources of input, varying energy and salinity conditions and constant physical, chemical and biological alterations occurring in the environment. Nonetheless, it is certain that anthropogenic activities have a substantial influence on biogeochemical processes of Sundarbans mangrove-estuarine complex and potentially the coastal ocean.

Surface sediment samples were collected from upstream down to the subaqueous delta of the Red River in Vietnam to assess heavy metal pollution. Sediment Cr and V concentrations are strongly correlated with Al, Fe, Mn and total organic carbon concentrations, as well as particle size, suggesting that these two metals are derived primarily from natural sources and enriched in the fine fraction of sediments. In contrast, Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn concentrations show weaker correlations with particle size, with very high concentrations observed at several sites in the upper reach of the river, pointing to anthropogenic input as a possible source of these heavy metals. Enrichment factors (EF) of Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn suggest that heavy metal pollution is present in sediments with significantly high values in the upstream. The data analysis indicates that Cd, Cu and Pb are the dominant pollutants in the Red River, with their concentrations reaching moderate to serious pollution levels.

Many recreational beaches suffer from elevated levels of microorganisms, resulting in beach advisories and closures due to lack of compliance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. We conducted the first statewide beach water quality assessment by analyzing decadal records of fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci and fecal coliform) levels at 262 Florida beaches. The objectives were to depict synoptic patterns of beach water quality exceedance along the entire Florida shoreline and to evaluate their relationships with wave condition and geographic location. Percent exceedances based on enterococci and fecal coliform were negatively correlated with both long-term mean wave energy and beach slope. Also, Gulf of Mexico beaches exceeded the thresholds significantly more than Atlantic Ocean ones, perhaps partially due to the lower wave energy. A possible linkage between wave energy level and water quality is beach sand, a pervasive nonpoint source that tends to harbor more bacteria in the low-wave-energy environment.

Losses of deuterated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) used as performance reference compounds (PRCs) in semipermeable membrane devices deployed at fifteen coastal sampling sites near Harstad harbour in Northern Norway were used to investigate photodegradation of these photosensitive compounds. Unusual PRC dissipation profiles, especially for samplers exposed <5m below the water surface are indicative of photodegradation. A strong correlation between loss rates for d12-chrysene and d12-benzo[e]pyrene with consistently higher losses of the latter was found. The observed photodegradation rates may be sufficiently high to impact PAH masses absorbed by a factor of two. This study demonstrates that photodegradation during exposure of passive water samplers needs to be taken into account, particularly with deployments close to the water surface, when using SPMD canisters, or when sampling in the Arctic.

The concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water soluble inorganic ionic components (WSIC), and major & trace elements of PM10 were studied in Delhi, an urban site of the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP), India during January 2013 to June 2014. The average mass concentration of PM10 recorded as 249.7 ± 103.9 μg m−3 (average ± standard deviation) with a range of 61.4–584.8 μg m−3. The strong seasonal variation was noticed in the mass concentration of PM10 and its chemical composition with maxima during winter (PM10: 293.9 ± 95.6 μg m−3; OC: 30.5 ± 13.7 μg m−3; EC: 15.2 ± 7.4 μg m−3) and minima during monsoon (PM10: 143.9 ± 36.3 μg m−3; OC: 19.9 ± 16.2 μg m−3; EC: 7.4 ± 5.4 μg m−3). The average concentration of major and trace elements (Na, Mg, Al, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Si, Cr, Ti, As, Br, Pb, Fe, Zn and Mn) was accounted for ∼18.5% of PM10 mass. Results of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, HYSPLIT4 trajectory model, PSCF analysis and cluster analysis provide region of sources and its strength and types of sources of PM10 over Delhi. Positive PMF provides that the major source of PM10 are soil dust (22.7%) followed by secondary aerosols (20.5%), vehicle emissions (17.0%), fossil fuel burning (15.5%), biomass burning (12.2%), industrial emissions (7.3%) and sea salts (4.8%) at the observational site of Delhi. The cluster analysis of air mass trajectories calculated by HYSPLIT model indicates that the air mass approaches to the observational site mainly from 4 sides (north-western IGP, Pakistan (10%); north-western IGP, Northwest Asia (45%); eastern IGP (38%); Pakistan and Arabian Sea (6%)) during study. Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) analysis also supports the cluster analysis indicating that the concentration of PM10 mass contributed, is mainly from IGP region (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab etc.), Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounding areas.

The effect of root exudates on the environmental behaviors of phenanthrene in mangrove sediments is poorly understood. In order to evaluate their influence, comprehensive laboratory experiments were performed using batch equilibrium and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analyses. In the presence of root exudates, sorption of phenanthrene was inhibited, whereas desorption and mobility were promoted, and were elevated as root exudate concentrations increased. Among the three representative low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) (citric, oxalic, and acetic acids), citric acid promoted desorption and mobility of phenanthrene more effectively than the other two. In addition, application of artificial root exudates (AREs) enhanced phenanthrene desorption, and mobility was always lower than that with the same concentration of LMWOAs, suggesting that LMWOAs predominantly affected the fate of phenanthrene in sediments. The results of this study could enhance our understanding of the mobility of persistent organic pollutants in sediment–water system.

As in situ use of amendments for restoration of metal-contaminated mining sites becomes increasingly accepted, the expected level of ecosystem function at these sites will increase. Use of appropriate tools to measure both the level and value of that function is critical to expand use of this approach. For these sites, amendment mixtures must reduce metal availability in situ and restore ecosystem function. Combinations of mixtures, typically consisting of a material with high metal binding capacity (cyclonic ashes, municipal biosolids, or other materials rich in Fe, Al, or Mn oxides), material to adjust soil pH (sugar beet lime, cement kiln dust, dolomitic limestone), and an organic residual to provide soil structure and nutrients (composts, animal manures, municipal biosolids) have been tested in multiple lab and field trials on metal-contaminated sites. This review focuses on field tests of this approach with the goal of providing methods to quantify reduction of hazard and restoration of functional systems. Methods to evaluate success of amendments including extractions to measure changes in metal availability, microbial function and diversity, phytoavailability of metals, and earthworm and small mammal assays are discussed. In most cases, measures of metal availability and ecosystem function are related. For example, surveys of small mammals on restored sites provide information on metal availability as well as suitability of restored habitat. Additional measures of ecosystem function including soil fertility, physical properties, and diversity of habitat are described. Finally, measures of the value of this approach for restoring ecosystems are detailed.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are being increasingly detected in a range of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, often resulting from the use of legacy fire-fighting foams. This study conducted an initial investigation of the concentrations of PFASs in the commercially and recreationally exploited species Dusky Flathead, Mud Crab, School Prawn, Sea Mullet, Yellowfin Bream, Eastern King Prawn and Sand Whiting, across two contaminated estuaries. All samples contained perfluoro-n-octane sulfonate (PFOS) except four Yellowfin Bream samples (two from each estuary). Perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) was detected only in School Prawn samples from Fullerton Cove, while perfluoro-n-hexane sulfonate (PFHxS) was detected in prawn muscle and in fish liver samples from both estuaries. This study presents one of the first surveys of PFAS in a range of edible saltwater fish and crustaceans in Australia, and these baseline levels of contamination will prove useful for informing future surveys of these emerging contaminants.

Ambient NO2, O3 and Ox (the sum of NO2 and O3) are associated with adverse health outcomes. Quantitative assessment of the health burden from these pollutants requires knowledge of small-scale variations in their concentrations in urban environments. In particular, we were interested in the temporal stability of intra-urban spatial contrasts in these pollutants. This was investigated by concurrent measurements of NO2 and O3 by passive samplers at 30 sites in Edinburgh, UK, repeated 12 × 1-weekly for NO2 and 6 × 2-weekly for O3 in summer and winter. Temporally persistent and large spatial variations in both NO2 and O3 concentrations were observed. Concentrations of NO2 across the sites ranged on average by a factor of 14 between suburban parks and heavily-trafficked roadsides, corresponding to a difference in NO2 on average of ∼80 μg m−3. Intra-urban O3 concentrations also varied substantially, on average by a factor of 4 (average range 45 μg m−3) and with strong anticorrelation to NO2 concentrations across the 30 sites. Consequently intra-urban variability was considerably lower for Ox than for NO2 and O3. The temporal stability in relative NO2 and O3 concentrations indicate potential for deriving intra-urban spatial fields of NO2 and O3 at different times by scaling models of long-term spatial patterns of NO2 and O3 by the measurements at a single site. If Ox is a key determinant of adverse health then the large intra-urban spatial contrasts in NO2 and O3 may be less relevant, with Ox concentrations across an urban area determined at a suitable background site.