In this paper, we report on the pollution in the coastal zone of the South-Eastern Baltic Sea (Russian coast). It was studied through a range of methods, including analyses potential water quality indicators (WQIs) and potentially harmful elements (PHEs). A contamination factor and modified degree of contamination were used for describing the contamination of the sediments by toxic substances. Special attention was paid to activity of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine (KAC), the biggest world amber mining company, located onshore close to the coastal zone (Kaliningrad Region). The amber extraction contribution to the ecological state of the coastal zone was estimated. Contamination of the quarry by metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn) was comparable with contamination of abrasion bench. The pollution of the western coastal zone of the Sambia Peninsula is caused both by land-based anthropogenic developments (including KAC) and natural processes (coastal abrasion).

The levels and distribution of tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in sediments in the intertidal zone of the New River Estuary were investigated. The concentration of TBC ranged from 2.78 to 35.1 ng·g−1dw, and the concentration of total HBCDs ranged from 10.3 to 43.5 ng·g−1dw. The composition of the three HBCD isomers, α-, β-, and γ-HBCD, was 6.23%, 8.00% and 85.8%, respectively. Moreover, the mass inventory of TBC, α-, β-, γ-HBCD, and total HBCDs in sediments were estimated to be about 1465.49, 124.64, 154.98, 1707.54, 1987.16 kg, respectively. Compared to previous studies, the concentrations of TBC and HBCDs in the intertidal zone of the New River Estuary were relatively high. Therefore, more concern of the potential public health and environmental risks of TBC and HBCDs is necessary.

This study aimed to compare the bioaccumulation patterns and translocation of trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) from the environment in the seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa. Results showed that P. oceanica has a higher capacity of accumulation. P. oceanica and C. nodosa accumulate mainly in roots and leaves, the main organs acting as potential bioindicators. No significant correlation was found between water and both seagrasses. In turn, P. oceanica and C. nodosa were correlated, to a different extent, with As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in sediments. This study showed also that current European regulations do not provide an exhaustive set of legal concentration limits of trace elements in marine water and sediments. Seagrasses P. oceanica and C. nodosa can act as effective bioindicators of trace elements only if quality limits are set for the most toxic elements present in marine ecosystems.

Noise pollution distribution in each city around the world is necessarily influenced by its own design. A lot of factor associated to urban planning have a considerable effect on volume of traffic, vehicles distribution, traffic conditions, etc. And it is know that, from a temporal and spatial point of view, the most important source of noise in cities is road traffic. For that, good relationships between urban planning and different factors such as urban density, urban morphology, urban land use, street distribution, street environment and green spaces are being founded. In this way, the fact of finding a sustainable city could be closer, at least with respect to noise pollution. A good knowledge of these relationships would allow better prediction, analysis and prevention of such pollution through an effective design of urban environments. However, although in the first decade of XXI century these relationships were treated in some works, only some aspects of these problems were considered, essentially focused on street functionality. In the last years, this topic has reached more important development and more studies focused on the analysis of the relationships between the distributions of pollution and urbanism. This work makes a revision of spatial sampling methodologies for noise pollution assessment in relation with urban planning and a review of studies that have analysed the relationships between urban noise and different specifics aspects of urban design.

Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, provide a wide range of ecosystem services, defined here as natural processes and components that directly or indirectly benefit human needs. Recent research has shown that there are still many gaps in our comprehension of seagrass ecosystem service provision. Furthermore, there seems to be little public knowledge of seagrasses in general and the benefits they provide. This begs the questions: how do we move forward with the information we have? What other information do we need and what actions do we need to take in order to improve the situation and appreciation for seagrass? Based on the outcomes from an international expert knowledge eliciting workshop, three key areas to advance seagrass ecosystem service research were identified: 1) Variability of ecosystem services within seagrass meadows and among different meadows; 2) Seagrass ecosystem services in relation to, and their connection with, other coastal habitats; and 3) Improvement in the communication of seagrass ecosystem services to the public. Here we present ways forward to advance seagrass ecosystem service research in order to raise the profile of seagrass globally, as a means to establish more effective conservation and restoration of these important coastal habitats around the world.

Sulfur and iron are abundant and have close, complex interactions with the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic (As) in mangrove ecosystems. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the influences of variable SO42− and Fe2+ supplies on radial oxygen loss (ROL), iron plaque formation and As translocation in Avicennia marina upon exposure to As(III). The results indicate that A. marina is an As-tolerant plant, the application of iron and sulfur not only showed positive growth effects but also induced much higher amounts of ROL-induced iron plaque formation on root surfaces. The presence of iron plaque remarkably improved the proportion of As sequestration near this area but consequently reduced the proportion of As translocation in root. Therefore, it is concluded that iron plaque may act as a barrier for protection against As, and iron and sulfur play important roles in controlling the growth and translocation of As in A. marina seedlings.

This study evaluated the PAH bioavailability from Santos Bay (Brazil) in 4 species of fish, using PAH biliary metabolites. The collection was done monthly, between July and December, in three different regions of Santos Bay. The metabolites were analyzed through a high performance liquid chromatograph with fluorescence detectors. Total metabolites concentrations ranged from 65.5 to 589μgg−1 of bile, evidencing PAH bioavailability on Santos Bay. Levels of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene metabolites were in the classification range of areas moderate contaminated. Those concentrations were lower in Nebris microps and higher in Sphoeroides testudineus (p<0.05). Naphthalene metabolites concentrations did not differ significantly among fish species and were in the classification range of low contaminated areas. There were no significant spatial and temporal differences in levels among sampled areas. These results are environmentally important given the high levels of urbanization and the absence of biomonitoring data in this area.

In this work, the distribution of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in two dated sediment cores, collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and Tokyo Bay (TB), were investigated to understand the historical input of QACs and their diagenetic behavior in urban estuarine environments. The vertical variation profiles of QAC concentrations showed that benzylalkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (BACs) and dialkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (DADMACs) were widely used during 1970s and 1980s both in China and Japan. The declining environmental concentrations of QACs suggested a compositional change of commodities and the effectiveness of emission control strategies. For the individual QAC homologues, BAC homologues decreased significantly over time, while DADMAC compositions remained relatively stable. The differences in concentration and composition profiles of BACs and DADMACs in the sediment cores provided useful information on the patterns of use of QACs in China and Japan, as well as their diagenetic behaviors in the sediments.

The Gulf of Pozzuoli includes the former second largest Italian steelworks of Bagnoli. The REE, Y, Th and Sc pollution in sediments of the Gulf of Pozzuoli was determined. Ce, La, Nd and Pr had the highest percentage distribution of rare earth elements normalized respect to chondrite with 31.19, 28.35, 19.51 and 8.41% individually. It was observed a marked enrichment of these elements, from west to the east from 26.39 to 111.04 mg/kg and from onshore to offshore from 31.67 to 217.74 mg/kg. The output of the principal component analysis revealed that the REE were mainly of anthropic origin being clearly linked to that of PAHs, metals and organic matter. This, together with their distribution patterns, highlighted the role of the former Bagnoli metallurgical plant in the pollution of the gulf.

Long-term species responses to ocean acidification depend on their sensitivity during different life stages. We tested for sensitivity of juvenile fish behaviour to ocean acidification by exposing eggs to control and elevated CO₂ levels, and translocating offspring between treatments in a reciprocal design. After 12 weeks of exposure, activity, inactivity and anxiety levels of juveniles from control eggs were similar, whether juveniles had experienced elevated CO₂ conditions or not, and this pattern was consistent over time. However, juveniles raised as eggs under elevated CO₂ showed increased anxiety levels compared to those from control eggs. This response was not reversed when CO₂-exposed juveniles were translocated to control conditions. Our findings highlight the value of evaluating fish sensitivities to global change pollutants across different life stages, and indicate that sensitivity during the often-overlooked egg stage can be critical with long-lasting impairment of behaviours that are coupled to individual fitness and population persistence.