Potentially hazardous metals (PHMs) in the coastal environment have become a great concern due to their easy bioaccumulation, poor biodegradability and high toxicity. Surface sediment samples were collected in a subtropical bay in South China to analyse the spatial variations, contamination level and potential sources of PHMs. The results indicated that the order of average contents of PHMs in Qinzhou Bay sediment was Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > As > Hg > Cd. The most important potential ecological risk factor was Hg pollution in the Qinzhou Bay sediments. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model results indicated that Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr mainly originated from natural sources while Hg and As were related to coal fired industrial inputs and petroleum production activities. The results could provide a basis for marine management to formulate relevant pollution prevention and control measures.

This paper presents the development and testing of a gamma radiation dose rate calculation model for the marine environment, and evaluates the potential use for such a model in both short term nuclear emergency response management and emergency response planning. This is believed to be the first implementation of a full field gamma radiation mapping model (including air attenuation and buildup) to be incorporated within a Lagrangian marine dispersion model. Calculated surface gamma ray dose rates for nine generic release scenarios are presented and used to undertake an emergency countermeasure optioneering assessment.

Hair samples of two adults, eight molted pups, and four newborn Ladoga ringed seals Pusa hispida ladogensis found stranded ashore on Lake Ladoga, North-West Russia, in 2020–2021, were analyzed for concentrations of trace elements, including toxic heavy metals. Al had the highest median concentration (9.25 μg/g, range 1.26–262 μg/g) among toxic elements, followed by Hg (8.84 μg/g, range 2–12.75 μg/g), and Pb (0.16 μg/g, range 0.04–2 μg/g). The Cd concentration in lanugo compared with adult hair of young-of-the-year was significantly lower, suggesting a barrier effect of the placenta for Cd transport to the fetus. The concentrations of Co, Cr, and Zn were higher before the molt, demonstrating the role of lanugo shedding in the excretion of these metals. The concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, and Cu were significantly lower than in the 1990s, and lead and copper continued to decline further after the 2000s. Based on available reference trace element levels in other seal species, we found little evidence of substantially elevated levels or deficiencies in Ladoga seals. Nevertheless, since imbalance of trace elements due to contamination can cause physiological disorders, future trace element monitoring in the Ladoga seal is recommended.

Environmental parasitology developed as a discipline that addresses the impact of anthropogenic activities related to the occurrence and abundance of parasites, subsequently relating deviations of natural parasite distribution to environmental impact. Metals, often considered pollutants, might occur under natural conditions, where concentrations might be high due to a natural geogenic release rather than anthropogenic activities. We specifically investigated whether naturally occurring high levels of elements might negatively affect the parasite community of the intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus, at different localities along the South African coast. Parasite communities and element concentrations of 55 klipfish (in muscle and liver) were examined. Our results show that parasites can disentangle anthropogenic input of elements from naturally occurring high element concentrations. Acanthocephala, Cestoda and Isopoda were associated with higher concentrations of most elements. Environmental parasitology, applicable to a wide range of systems, is scarcely used on marine ecosystems and can contribute to environmental monitoring programs.

The insatiable desire of society for plastic goods has led to synthetic materials becoming omnipresent in the marine environment. In attempting to address the problem of plastic pollution, we propose an image classifier based on the YOLOv5 deep learning tool that is able to classify and localize marine debris and marine life in images and video recordings. Utilizing the region of interest line and the centroid tracking counting methods, the image classifier was able to count marine debris and fish displayed in video footage. Results revealed that, with a counting accuracy of 79 %, the centroid tracking method proved more efficient thanks to its ability to trace the geometric center of the bounding box of detected marine litter. Remarkably, the proposed method achieved a mean average precision of 89.4 % when validated on nine categories of objects. Finally, its impact can be enhanced substantially if integrated into other surveying methods or applications.

This baseline study describes the microplastic (MPs) problem on seven beaches located on Agadir, central Atlantic coast of Morocco. Microplastics abundances (densities) ranged from 7680 MPs/kg to 34,200 MPs/kg above other world beaches. The following shapes were found: fibers, fragments, films, and pellets. Fibers were the dominant typology with a 73%. Polyethylene (PE) was the predominant polymer in all beaches with an average percentage of 59%, followed by Polypropylene (PP - 18%), Polystyrene (PS - 9%), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC - 8%), and Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA - 6%). Microplastics abundances presented in this work suggest continuous inputs of plastics of all sizes and types. Also, all observed shapes highlight a combination of sources (primary and secondary). Central Atlantic Moroccan beaches are currently affected by extreme values of MPs that demand urgent interventions to restore environmental quality.

The world has witnessed the circumstances shaped by the oil spill for many decades that cause serious environmental problems and adverse effects on human health. Many techniques and remediation methods are followed for efficient oil spill cleanups but with the limitations and environmental issues, these procedures were not completely efficient. The “nanotechnology” word itself has fascinated not only the researchers but also many industries and the global race is on to tap its potential and to derive benefit from it. Their small size and exceptional properties have proven their potential in providing technological solutions to engineering problems. This study focuses on the scope of nanotechnology in oil spill cleanups and shows how the limitations presented by conventional methodologies can be overcome. This paper categorizes and thoroughly reviews the application of nanotechnology in oil spill cleanups in different forms and also focuses on the environmental aspects of it.

Foamed litter comprise a significant amount of the pollution at beaches globally. This group represents a variety of foamed items and fragments originating from different applications and sources. Although foamed plastic contributes importantly to the marine environmental pollution, there is generally limited knowledge of the composition of this litter pool. The aim of this study was to characterize item types and polymer materials of foamed litter from six Danish reference beaches during the period 2018–2021. The foamed litter were classified into ten categories, including identifiable items, as well as fragments of foamed PS, or pieces of other foamed polymers of rigid or flexible sponges. Foamed PS (42%) and PUR (49%) were identified as the dominant polymers by FTIR analysis. Multivariate exploratory analysis was performed to investigate PUR foam, and specific spectra features for rigid and flexible foam were demonstrated. Furthermore, we assessed different correlation methods for identification of PUR foams.