Study is made of the radioactivity in the beach sands of Langkawi island, a well-known tourist destination. Investigation is made of the relative presence of the naturally occurring radionuclide ⁴⁰K and the natural-series indicator radionuclides ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th, the gamma radiation exposure also being estimated. Sample quantities of black and white sand were collected for gamma ray spectrometry, yielding activity concentration in black sands of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K from 451±9 to 2411±65Bqkg⁻¹ (mean of 1478Bqkg⁻¹); 232±4 to 1272±35Bqkg⁻¹ (mean of 718Bqkg⁻¹) and 61±6 to 136±7Bqkg⁻¹ (mean of 103Bqkg⁻¹) respectively. Conversely, in white sands the respective values for ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th were appreciably lower, at 8.3±0.5 to 13.7±1.4Bqkg⁻¹ (mean of 9.8Bqkg⁻¹) and 4.5±0.7 to 9.4±1.0Bqkg⁻¹ (mean of 5.9Bqkg⁻¹); ⁴⁰K activities differed insubstantially from that in black sands, at 85±4 to 133±7Bqkg⁻¹ with a mean of 102Bqkg⁻¹. The mean activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th in black sands are comparable with that of high background areas elsewhere in the world. The heavy minerals content gives rise to elevated ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th activity concentrations in all of black sand samples. Evaluation of the various radiological risk parameters points to values which in some cases could be in excess of recommendations providing for safe living and working. Statistical analysis examines correlations between the origins of the radionuclides, also identifying and classifying the radiological parameters. Present results may help to form an interest in rare-earth resources for the electronics industry, power generation and the viability of nuclear fuels cycle resources.

Twenty four surface sediments were gathered from the Uppanar river estuary, southern India to evaluate the trace element contamination risk in the sediments. The circulation of organic matter and calcium carbonate were controlled by algal blooms and shell fragments. Moreover, the concentrations of iron and manganese in the estuarine sediments were possibly contributed by riverine sources and geogenic processes. The geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor and contamination factor reveals that the sediments were contaminated by copper and chromium. The pollution load index recommends that the estuarine sediments have the risk of pollution. The sediment pollution index highlights that the majority of the sediments are low polluted sediments. The potential ecological risk index discloses that the Uppanar river estuary is under moderate risk. The statistical analysis reveals that the organic matter content is managed by fine fractions and the majority of the trace elements are associated with each other having similar origin.

Natural radioactivity content and heavy metal concentration in the intertidal zone sand samples from the southern region of Tamil Nadu coast, India, have been analyzed using gamma ray spectrometer and ICP-OES, respectively. From gamma spectral analysis, the average radioactivity contents of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in the intertidal zone sand samples are 12.13±4.21, 59.03±4.26, and 197.03±26.24Bq/kg, respectively. The average radioactivity content of ²³²Th alone is higher than the world average value. From the heavy metal analysis, the average Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations are 3.1, 80.24, 82.84, 23.66, 91.67, and 137.07ppm, respectively. The average Cr and Ni concentrations are lower, whereas other four metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) concentrations are higher than world surface rock average values. From pollution assessment parameter values, the pollution level is “uncontaminated to moderately contaminated” in the study area.

In Hawaii, glyphosate-based herbicides frequently sprayed near shorelines may be affecting non-target marine species. Glyphosate inhibits aromatic amino acid biosynthesis (shikimate pathway), and is toxic to beneficial gut bacteria in cattle and chickens. Effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria in marine herbivorous turtles were assessed in vitro. When cultures of mixed bacterial communities from gastrointestinal tracts of freshly euthanized green turtles (Chelonia mydas), were exposed for 24h to six glyphosate concentrations (plus deionized water control), bacterial density was significantly lower at glyphosate concentrations≥2.2×10⁻⁴gL⁻¹ (absorbance measured at 600nm wavelength). Using a modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay, the growth of four bacterial isolates (Pantoea, Proteus, Shigella, and Staphylococcus) was significantly inhibited by glyphosate concentrations≥1.76×10⁻³gL⁻¹. Reduced growth or lower survival of gut bacteria in green turtles exposed to glyphosate could have adverse effects on turtle digestion and overall health.

Seven hundred and nine surface sediment samples, along with deeper sediment samples, were collected from Hebei Province along the coastal section of the Bohai Sea, China, and analyzed for grain size, concentrations of organic carbon (Corg) and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg). Results indicated that the average concentrations in the sediments were 16.1 mg/kg (Cu), 19.4 mg/kg (Pb), 50 mg/kg (Zn), 48.8 mg/kg (Cr), 0.1 mg/kg (Cd), 8.4 mg/kg (As), and 20.3 μg/kg (Hg). These concentrations generally met the China Marine Sediment Quality criteria. However, both pollution assessments indicated moderate to strong Cd and Hg contamination in the study area. The potential ecological risk index suggested that the combined ecological risk of the seven studied metals may be low, but that 24.5% of the sites, where sediments were finer and higher in Corg concentration, had high ecological risk in Hg and Cd pollution.

Eight touristic beaches along the north coast of Santa Catarina Island, Brazil were assessed to determine litter influence on scenic quality. The application of the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES) categorized these beaches into four of the five available classes. Six of the investigated beaches belong to Class III (n = 3) and V (n = 3), while two beaches correspond to Class II and Class IV. Class I beaches were not found. A total amount of 4291 litter items weighing 29 kg were collected with average abundances of 0.29 items m2. Beach user's habits as well bad management practices along the adjoining river basins play an essential role on litter source, and are directly responsible for the decline of scenic quality of Santa Catarina Island Beaches. In fact, litter has a direct relation with the low scenic scores determined in the surveyed beaches.

The ever-increasing level of marine pollution due to plastic debris is a globally recognized threat that needs effective actions of control and mitigation. Using marine organisms as bioindicators of plastic pollution can provide crucial information that would better integrate the spatial and temporal presence of plastic debris in the sea. Given their long and frequent migrations, numerous marine species that ingest plastics can provide information on the presence of plastic debris but only on large spatial and temporal scales, thus making it difficult to identify quantitative correlations of ingested plastics within well-defined spatio-temporal patterns. Given the complex dynamics of plastics in the sea, the biomonitoring of marine plastic debris should rely on the combination of several bioindicator species with different characteristics that complement each other. Other critical aspects include the standardization of sampling protocols, analytical detection methods and metrics to evaluate the effects of ingested plastics in marine species.

The Olive Ridley marine turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is characterized by individual morphological variability in the number and shape of scutes. The influence of pollutants on developmental instability and one of its consequences, the asymmetry of individuals, has been demonstrated in several species, especially invertebrates and some birds. However, the use of this asymmetry as a biomarker of contamination in adult individuals has never been explored. We developed an index to quantify developmental instability (DIx) based on the number and relative size of costal carapace scutes. The link between DIx and inorganic elements concentrations was explored in various tissues of stranded turtles from the Southern Mexican Pacific. The relationships between adult contamination and DIx could directly or indirectly reflect (i) the disruption of metal elimination in the adult stage dependent on embryonic perturbation and thus determining DIx, (ii) the difference in metal absorption dependent on DIx status, or (iii) DIx linked to other unknown factors.