The Burullus Lagoon north Nile Delta of Egypt is a UNESCO-protected area. Recently it has become a sediment sink which led to shrinking in its area and depth accompanying with increasing contaminant levels. In this study we attempt to explore the spatial distribution and their mobility of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr and Pb) based on 21surface sediment samples recovered from Burullus lagoon basin and nine drains. The risk assessment code of the studied heavy metals can be arranged as Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Ni for all the samples collected from the lagoon basin and nine different drains. The heavy metals tend to accumulate in fine sediments and human activities promote the accumulation of contaminated sediments in water courses.

Microplastics enter the environment as a result of larger plastic items breaking down (‘secondary’) and from particles originally manufactured at that size (‘primary’). Personal care products are an important contributor of secondary microplastics (typically referred to as ‘microbeads’), for example in toothpaste, facial scrubs and soaps. Consumers play an important role in influencing the demand for these products and therefore any associated environmental consequences. Hence we need to understand public perceptions in order to help reduce emissions of microplastics. This study explored awareness of plastic microbeads in personal care products in three groups: environmental activists, trainee beauticians and university students in South West England. Focus groups were run, where participants were shown the quantity of microbeads found in individual high-street personal care products. Qualitative analysis showed that while the environmentalists were originally aware of the issue, it lacked visibility and immediacy for the beauticians and students. Yet when shown the amount of plastic in a range of familiar everyday personal care products, all participants expressed considerable surprise and concern at the quantities and potential impact. Regardless of any perceived level of harm in the environment, the consensus was that their use was unnatural and unnecessary. This research could inform future communications with the public and industry as well as policy initiatives to phase out the use of microbeads.

Air pollution is a basic problem nowadays and it requires special concern. In India, the air pollution is a growing problem because of the enhanced anthropogenic activities such as burning fossil fuels involving industrial processes and motor vehicles. We study airborne dust particles collected at the height of 7 m in roadside and land area from thirty-eight cities in the state of Tamil Nadu. The collection involves a total of 111 samples concerning vehicular, industrial and residential areas, and allows us to assess the spatial distribution of magnetic particles produced and emitted on a short period of time (about one month). Magnetic properties of these air suspended particles were determined by techniques of environmental magnetism, revealing the presence of magnetite and hematite. We found the overall average of mass-specific magnetic susceptibility χ of 589.0 × 10−8 m3 kg−1 and saturation of remanent magnetization SIRM of 68.1 × 10−3 A m2 kg−1; as well as χ and SIRM values higher than 900.0 × 10−8 m3 kg−1 and 700.0 × 10−3 A m2 kg−1, respectively, corresponding to the most impacted zones in industrial/vehicular areas and in cities located in the central/eastern region respectively (e.g.: Hosur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Dharapuram, Ranipet, Ayanavaram, Cuddalore and Chidambaram). We analyzed the relationship between magnetic parameters, between areas and possible grouping of cities using multivariate statistical analysis. The SEM-EDS observations and grain size estimations reveal the presence of trace elements (Sb, Zn, Co, Ni, As and V) and fine particles (1–5 μm) that can be inhaled and therefore are dangerous to human health.

The wide occurrence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and heavy metals in coastal waters has drawn global concern, and thus their removal efficiencies in sewage treatment processes should be estimated. However, low concentrations coupled with high temporal fluctuations of these pollutants present a monitoring challenge. Using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and Artificial Mussels (AMs), this study investigates a novel approach to evaluating the removal efficiency of five EDCs and six heavy metals in primary treatment, secondary treatment and chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) processes. In general, the small difference between maximum and minimum values of individual EDCs and heavy metals measured from influents/effluents of the same sewage treatment plant suggests that passive sampling devices can smooth and integrate temporal fluctuations, and therefore have the potential to serve as cost-effective monitoring devices for the estimation of the removal efficiencies of EDCs and heavy metals in sewage treatment works.

This paper presents a study on the impact of underwater gas blowouts near the ocean surface, which has a greater relevance to assess Health, Safety, and Environmental risks. In this analysis the gas flux near the surface, reduction of bulk density, and gas surfacing area are studied for different scenarios. The simulations include a matrix of scenarios for different release depths, release rates, and initial bubble size distributions. The simulations are carried out using the MEGADEEP model, for a location in East China Sea. Significant changes in bulk density and gas surface flux near the surface are observed under different release conditions, which can pose a potential threat for cleanup and rescue operations. Furthermore, the effect of hydrate formation on gas surfacing is studied for much greater release depths. The type of outcomes of this study is important to conduct prior risk assessments and contingency planning for underwater gas blowouts.

Eutrophication is a major ecological crisis in water bodies. This is mainly driven by anthropogenic activities in the catchment that incorporate various nutrients. Input of nutrients can also be driven by atmospheric deposition, which has a large footprint that goes beyond local point source(s). In particular, black carbon (BC) can be a carrier of various nutrients and increase primary productivity in lakes. We need to monitor the input of BC in large water bodies to fully understand its role in driving primary productivity and change in trophic status.

On 5 November 2015, the Fundão tailings dam collapsed and its content first reached River Doce and then the Atlantic Ocean by 22 November. This study focuses on the oceanic time and space patterns of river discharge dispersion. By using an ocean model together with nLw(555) and RGB images from MODIS sensors, the river plume was followed for 2months after the arrival of the tailings at the ocean. The results show the huge effect of this accident and reveal that riverine waters may have dispersed hundreds of kilometres, reaching regions as far as the shelf in front of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The movement of the freshwater was essentially to the south in accordance with the seasonal wind regime. Episodic frontal systems, leading to wind reversion, and oceanic mesoscale features contribute to the offshore dispersion of the plume. The region more often in contact with the riverine waters was located at the inner shelf between the river mouth and the city of Vitória, turning to the outer shelf and shelf break at lower latitudes.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill constituted an ecosystem-level injury in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Much oil spread at 1100–1300m depth, contaminating and affecting deepwater habitats. Factors such as oil-biodegradation, ocean currents and response measures (dispersants, burning) reduced coastal oiling. Still, >2100km of shoreline and many coastal habitats were affected. Research demonstrates that oiling caused a wide range of biological effects, although worst-case impact scenarios did not materialize. Biomarkers in individual organisms were more informative about oiling stress than population and community indices. Salt marshes and seabird populations were hard hit, but were also quite resilient to oiling effects. Monitoring demonstrated little contamination of seafood. Certain impacts are still understudied, such as effects on seagrass communities. Concerns of long-term impacts remain for large fish species, deep-sea corals, sea turtles and cetaceans. These species and their habitats should continue to receive attention (monitoring and research) for years to come.

To compare the quantity of microbeads with the quantity of pelagic microplastics potentially degraded in the marine environment, samples were collected in coastal waters of Japan using neuston nets. Pelagic spherical microbeads were collected in the size range below 0.8mm at 9 of the 26 stations surveyed. The number of pelagic microbeads smaller than 0.8mm accounted for 9.7% of all microplastics collected at these 9 stations. This relatively large percentage results from a decrease in the abundance of microplastics smaller than 0.8mm in the upper ocean, as well as the regular loading of new microbeads from land areas, in this size range. In general, microbeads in personal care and cosmetic products are not always spherical, but rather are often a variety of irregular shapes. It is thus likely that this percentage is a conservative estimate, because of the irregular shapes of the remaining pelagic microbeads.

An intense bloom of red Noctiluca scintillans (NS) occurred off the Rushikulya estuarine region along the east coast of India, an important site for mass nesting events of the vulnerable Olive Ridley sea turtle. At its peak, densities of NS were 3.3×105 cells-l−1, with low relative abundance of other phytoplankton. The peak bloom coincided with high abundance of gelatinous planktivores which may have facilitated bloom development by their grazing on other zooplankton, particularly copepods. Ammonium concentrations increased by approximately 4-fold in the later stages of bloom, coincident with stable NS abundance and chlorophyll concentrations in the nano- and microplankton. This increase likely was attributable to release of intracellular ammonium accumulated through NS grazing. Dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased in sub-surface waters to near hypoxia. Micro-phytoplankton increasingly dominated chlorophyll-a biomass as the bloom declined, with diminishing picoplankton abundance likely the result of high predation by the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum. Together, these data illustrate factors that can disrupt ecosystem balance in this critically important Indian coastal region.