A regional chemical transport model was implemented to simulate the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10) concentration in order to study the impact of long–range transport of air pollutants over megacity Delhi with due consideration to different geographical domains extending up to entire Asia and corresponding emissions. PM10 concentration levels over megacity Delhi remain persistently high, often exceeding the ambient air quality standards. A chemical transport model namely Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model Version 3.2 coupled with chemistry module (WRF/Chem) was utilized with nested domains for this purpose, subsequent to model evaluation for the period during June, 2010 that includes extremely high PM10 concentrations. A highly satisfactory model performance was interpreted based on the several statistical parameters as per the current state of the science and their recommended values. Based on model simulations representing different geographical domains encompassing Asia, India, North India and Delhi and their corresponding emissions, it was clearly reflected that contributions due to emissions of the megacity Delhi alone is 11%–41% and thus remaining (59%–89%) proportion is expected to be contributed from the sources outside of the Delhi region which is significant. It is demonstrated that the WRF/Chem model performs well for a sub–tropical urban airshed though there is scope of improvement for the consistent under– prediction with more refined emission inventories. Nevertheless, this model could be implemented to assess the long– range transport of pollutants so as to adequately address the influence of the remote sources outside the urban airshed. This can serve as an important tool towards planning and implementing the regulatory policies for air pollution control for more effective outcomes.

Real time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was used at four marine bathing beaches in New Jersey as part of a demonstration project to evaluate the potential for use of qPCR as part of a routine beach monitoring program. Split sample analyses for Enterococcus spp. using membrane filtration (MF) and qPCR were performed for 11weeks during the summer of 2011 using swimming advisories based on qPCR results. Comparison of qPCR and MF results from split samples indicated that there was an 82% overall agreement rate between the two methods. Results from the qPCR tests were available by noon the same day of sample collection and swimming advisories were posted on a dedicated website. The qPCR method can be more labor intensive and requires a higher level of training to perform, however, qPCR was able to assess beach water quality in a timelier manner compared to conventional MF techniques.

Antibiotics including three β-lactams, two fluoroquinolones and two macrolides, which were the top seven most prescribed antibiotics in Dalian, China, were selected to investigate their occurrence in six municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their distribution in the effluent-receiving waters of the Yellow Sea. Four WWTPs employing different treatment technologies were selected to explore the mechanism of antibiotics elimination during wastewater treatment. Results showed that fluoroquinolones and macrolides were dominant species in both WWTPs effluents and the surveyed coastal waters. Biodegradation was the main pathway for β-lactams removal, however, primary treatment performed better than biological treatment for fluoroquinolones removal. Concentrations of macrolides increased dramatically after the biological treatment, which was probably due to the release of macrolides enclosed in feces particles. In the surveyed coastal waters, reduction of antibiotic concentration with distance was observed. Potential environmental risk caused by the occurrence of these antibiotics should be evaluated in future work.

A new method for prediction of droplet size distributions from subsea oil and gas releases is presented in this paper. The method is based on experimental data obtained from oil droplet breakup experiments conducted in a new test facility at SINTEF. The facility is described in a companion paper, while this paper deals with the theoretical basis for the model and the empirical correlations used to derive the model parameters from the available data from the test facility. A major issue dealt with in this paper is the basis for extrapolation of the data to full scale (blowout) conditions. Possible contribution from factors such as buoyancy flux and gas void fraction are discussed and evaluated based on results from the DeepSpill field experiment.

Storm-water drainage systems have potential to collect and focus nutrient enriched runoff into coastal systems. Storm-drain effluent could support macroalgal production and result in altered communities. To test this hypothesis, we assessed species composition and percent cover of native and non-native benthic macroalgae at eight intertidal sites along ‘Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i. Three sites contain storm-drainage outlets (drain 16–52acres) that deliver effluent into the intertidal zone whereas five sites were located⩾100m away and served as comparisons to determine differences related to the presence of storm-water. Results revealed lush and diverse macroalgal assemblages, similar at all sites. Furthermore, the abundance of non-native species (Acanthophora spicifera, Hypnea musciformis) was not related to presence of storm-drains. The finding that macroalgal assemblages are not related to storm-waters is contrary to an earlier investigation in the same location and underscores the importance of sampling design and habitat variation when assessing impacts.

We report concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (HCB, HCHs, DDTs, dieldrin) and PCBs in the blubber of 43 common dolphins bycaught in fisheries operating off the SW coast of the UK from 1992 to 2006. Concentrations of ΣDDT (summed p,p′-DDT and its metabolites, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-TDE) and of 25 summed CB congeners ranged from 0.2 to 16.1 and 2.1 to 62.4mgkg−1 lipid weight, respectively. Concentrations of sum HCH, HCB and dieldrin were lower, ranging from not detected to 0.14, 0.01 to 0.27 and 0.01 to 0.73mgkg−1 lipid weight, respectively. All contaminants studied showed a downward time trend but only that for HCHs was statistically significant. Overall, 72% of the dolphins analysed had blubber PCB concentrations above an established toxicity threshold value.

As an unwanted by-product in the power plants, cooling water (CW) discharge may induce harmful effects on the coastal environment. In this paper, to accurately predict the CW transport in the Daya Bay, China, we develop a three-dimensional hydrodynamic and temperature model to simulate the transport of the CW from nuclear power plant into coastal waters. Specifically, we use the flow velocity produced by the model to locate Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) hidden in ocean surface currents. Result show that the transport of the CW is quite strongly tied to the simulated LCSs. The LCSs constitute fluid barriers that accurately demarcate potential pathway for CW transport. Thus, LCSs in velocity fields from a coastal model is an extremely useful way to monitor and interpret the transport of CW.

The comet assay was carried out on blood lymphocytes from a large number of wild dolphins (71 from Indian River Lagoon, FL, USA; 51 from Charleston Harbor, SC, USA) and provides a baseline study of DNA strand breaks in wild dolphin populations. There were no significant differences in the comet assay (%DNAintail) results between the different age and sex categories. Significant difference in DNA strand breaks were found between Charleston Harbor dolphins (median – 17.4%DNAintail) and Indian River Lagoon dolphins (median – 14.0%DNAintail). A strong correlation found between T-cell proliferation and DNA strand breaks in dolphin lymphocytes suggests that dolphins with a high numbers of DNA strand breaks have a decreased ability to respond to infection. Higher concentrations of genotoxic agents in Charleston Harbor compared with Indian River lagoon may have been one of the causes of higher DNA strand breaks in these dolphins.

The study presents a baseline variability and climatology study of measured hydrodynamic, water properties and some water quality parameters of West Johor Strait, Singapore at hourly-to-seasonal scales to uncover their dependency and correlation to one or more drivers. The considered parameters include, but not limited by sea surface elevation, current magnitude and direction, solar radiation and air temperature, water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and turbidity. FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis is carried out for the parameters to delineate relative effect of tidal and weather drivers. The group and individual correlations between the parameters are obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) and cross-correlation (CC) technique, respectively. The CC technique also identifies the dependency and time lag between driving natural forces and dependent water property and water quality parameters. The temporal variability and climatology of the driving forces and the dependent parameters are established at the hourly, daily, fortnightly and seasonal scales.

Contamination with As, Cd and Hg, their spatial and temporal distribution are reported from the coastal wetland sediments of the northern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea. The content of As, Cd, Hg and TOC in surface sediments is 8.1±5.8μgg−1, 0.08±0.14μgg−1, 0.034±0.028μgg−1 and 0.45±0.39%, respectively. The mean sedimentation rates are 0.93–1.37cmyear−1 during 1920s to 2008 determined by 210Pb and 137Cs dating in three cores. The vertical profiles of As, Cd and Hg content in the cores retrieved from Qin and Nanliu River estuaries show increasing trends during 1985–2008 due to anthropogenic impact caused by local economic development. Locally the surface sediments have potential ecological risk of As to benthos according to the NOAA sediment quality guidelines.