Ports are subject to a variety of anthropogenic impacts, and there is mounting evidence of faecal contamination through several routes. Yet, little is known about pollution in ports by faecal indicator bacteria (FIB). FIB spatio-temporal dynamics were assessed in 12 ports of the Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed basin under strong anthropogenic pressure, and their relationships with environmental variables were explored to gain insight into pollution sources. FIB were abundant in ports, often more so than in adjacent areas; their abundance patterns were related to salinity, oxygen, and nutrient levels. In addition, a molecular method, quantitative (q)PCR, was used to quantify FIB. qPCR enabled faster FIB determination and water quality monitoring that culture-based methods. These data provide robust baseline evidence of faecal contamination in ports and can be used to improve the management of routine port activities (dredging and ballast water exchange), having potential to spread pathogens in the sea.

Anthropogenic contamination of beaches in the south of Brazil was assessed by detection of Escherichia coli, human mastadenovirus species C (HAdV-C) and F (HAdV-F) and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Sampling was carried out in October (2016), and in January, April and July (2017). Water, sediment, sea surface microlayer (SML), bivalves, and air sentinel samples were evaluated. Quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) was used to estimate the probability of swimmer infection. HAdV-C was present in 26% of the samples, for both qPCR and viral isolation. The highest rates of detection in genomic copies (GC) were in water (2.42E+10 GC/L), SML (2.08E+10 GC/L), sediment (3.82E+08 GC/g) and bivalves (3.91E+07 GC/g). QMRA estimated daily and annual risks with a maximum value (9.99E-01) in almost all of the samples. Viable HAdV-C was often detected in the SML, pointing that this is a source of infection for people bathing in these waters.

Microplastic pollution has gained significant attention, and there are growing concerns about its potential effects on aquatic environments. The lack of proper solid waste management in Egypt has resulted in the accumulation of plastic litter and its deposition in waterways. However, no attempts have been made to identify or assess marine plastic litter in Egypt. We provide, for the first time, a precise, simple, and cost-effective method to identify microplastics in Eastern Harbor by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This screening revealed the presence of ten polymers in seawater and shoreline sediments. Most of the extracted microplastics are secondary microplastics, as they appear to be remnants of larger plastic fragments.

This study presents baseline records of trace metals for two commercial shrimps from the inner continental shelf of southeast Brazil (~22°S). Organisms were sampled in 2004, 10 years before the beginning of large port activities in coastal waters. The concentrations of trace metals in muscle tissues (μg.g⁻¹ w.w.) of Xyphopenaues kroyeri and Artemesia longinaris are as follows: Al: 141.57 and 146.71, Fe: 83.17 and 91.68, Zn: 28.69 and 29.70, Cu: 7.19 and 3.94, Mn: 1.47 and 1.72, Pb: 1.14 and 0.60, V: 0.66 and 0.56, Ni: 0.38 and 0.34, Cr: 0.42 and 0.29, and Cd: 0.15 and 0.14, respectively. Significantly higher concentrations of Cu and Pb were recorded for X. kroyeri. In general, the concentrations are below the maximum permissible limits for metals in fishery/food products, as established by the Brazilian Agency for Sanitary Vigilance (ANVISA), except for Pb and Cr. These baseline records are relevant for future monitoring.

Mussels pose health risks to consumers through accumulation of trace metals from the ocean. Saldanha Bay, South Africa, has heavy industry and international shipping, creating concerns over pollution levels for aquaculture facilities. Samples of C. meridionalis and M. galloprovincialis were collected from mussel rafts over two-years and analysed for trace metal content using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Aluminium, Cr, Fe, Zn, Cd and Pb were higher in M. galloprovincialis, while C. meridionalis accumulated more Cu and Mn. Temporal fluctuations occurred for Fe and As concentrations in C. meridionalis, and Fe, As, Hg and Pb in M. galloprovincialis. Arsenic exceeded South African regulatory limits (3 mg/kg) once in each species (max = 3.4 mg/kg w.w.). Lead concentrations in M. galloprovincialis were within EU regulatory limits for bivalves (1.5 mg/kg) but exceeded SA regulatory limits for fish (0.5 mg/kg) four times. Overall, farmed mussels from Saldanha Bay were determined to be safe for human consumption.

A floating plastic monitoring program was conducted for two years on a weekly basis in Banderas Bay, Mexico. A total of 94 samples were collected from May 2016 to April 2018 in the southern part of the bay. Half (57%) of them contained plastic debris; 79% of it being <5 mm in length. Polypropylene and Polyethylene were the most abundant polymers, accounting for 45% and 43% of the plastic pieces (pp), respectively. The highest abundance of plastic pieces was found in July 2016, with a maximum of 0.3 pp/m³ found in one sample. The amount of floating plastics was significantly higher in the hurricane season compared to the dry season (p < 0.001). This suggests that rainfall may play a significant role in the offload of plastics from land-based sources into the bay.

Total metal concentrations and acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) measurements coupled with simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) were determined in heterogeneous sediments from Maluan Bay, China. Zn was the predominant component of SEM, while Cd was the least. In sediment cores, AVS increased with sediment depth, followed by a decrease with large variation, while SEM fluctuated. Multiple empirical sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and equilibrium partitioning (EqP) approaches were applied to assess the contamination degree, sediment quality and potential risks associated with bioavailable metals, indicating that not all sediments with [SEM]-[AVS] > 0 were capable of causing toxicity because TOC is also an important metal-binding phase. In order to screen out the physicochemical variability and the complexity and large variance of datasets, multivariate statistical techniques were utilized to comprehensively reveal pollution status by visualized factor scores. Collectively, this study favors the integrative utilization of multifarious methods to scientifically diagnose the pollution characterization for sustainable coastal management.

The concentrations and distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined from 2008 to 2014 in the surface waters of the Japan Sea region. PAH concentrations decreased in the Japan Sea and Tsushima Strait; consistent with improvements in atmospheric pollution from Japan. There were no changes in the Korean Strait, suggesting a continual influx of contamination separate from the Japan Sea. At all sites, PAHs in the dissolved phase were greater than in the particulate phase. A separate survey in 2011 studied whether contamination in the Kuroshio current accounted for the contamination in the Tsushima strait and Japan Sea. PAH concentrations increased as waters moved into the Tsushima strait and the Japan Sea, suggesting inputs were local and not from the Kuroshio current. This was however confounded by the greater influence of particulate phase PAHs, which are likely deposited by seasonal desert storms.

Nutrients distribution and influencing factors in three seamount areas named Y3, M2 and C4 of the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean (TWPO) were investigated. Nutrients showed obvious uplifts around the three seamounts, consistent with the uplifts of isotherms and isohalines, indicating the existence of a bottom-up process of nutrients. Meanwhile, compared with the stations away from seamount and the reference stations in the TWPO, nutrients concentrations around seamount were much higher. Among the three seamounts, the average nutrients concentrations were highest in Y3, while they were lowest in C4. Moreover, compared with the obvious nitrogen limitation in Y3 and M2, the N:P (13.5:1) and Si:N (6.1:1) were closed to the Redfield ratio. The current-seamount interaction was the determining influencing factor on nutrients distribution, causing the hydrology dynamic changes such as uplifts and Taylor column. Meanwhile, T and S also affected nutrients distribution, especially nutrients and T showed significant negative correlations.

The brown alga Sargassum furcatum and three families of amphipods (Ampithoidae, Caprellidae and Hyalidae) associated to that algae were evaluated as bioindicators of petroleum hydrocarbons input into the marine environment of São Sebastião Channel, in southeastern region of Brazil. The n-alkanes pattern were mainly associated with the natural composition of the macroalgae and amphipods, although some indicatives of petroleum hydrocarbons such as unresolved complex mixture and the no predominance of odd over even n-alkanes have been observed in some samples. Total PAHs ranged from 33.4 to 2010 ng g⁻¹ dry weight with the predominance of low molecular weight PAHs, mostly of naphthalene and alkyl-naphthalenes, which also suggested petroleum input. Even in low concentration, Sargassum furcatum and amphipods species studied seems to be good indicators of the introduction of petroleum hydrocarbons.