Mercury and its speciation were studied in surface and deep waters of the Adriatic Sea. Several mercury species (i.e. DGM – dissolved gaseous Hg, RHg – reactive Hg, THg – total Hg, MeHg – monomethyl Hg and DMeHg – dimethylmercury) together with other water parameters were measured in coastal and open sea deep water profiles. THg concentrations in the water column, as well as in sediments and pore waters, were the highest in the northern, most polluted part of the Adriatic Sea as the consequence of Hg mining in Idrija and the heavy industry of northern Italy. Certain profiles in the South Adriatic Pit exhibit an increase of DGM just over the bottom due to its diffusion from sediment as a consequence of microbial and/or tectonic activity. Furthermore, a Hg mass balance for the Adriatic Sea was calculated based on measurements and literature data.

The Tupinambás Ecological Station (TES) is a Marine Protected Area consisting of two sectors: the Archipelago of Alcatrazes and the Cabras and Palmas islets. This investigation aimed to provide a first diagnosis of the concentrations of metals (Al,Cr,Cu,Fe,Hg,Ni,Pb,Zn), As and P in sediments from the TES. 24 sediment samples were collected in both sectors using a Van Veen grab sampler. Sediment textures and levels of Organic Matter (OM) and CaCO3 were determined, as well as the concentrations of the above-mentioned elements after partial acid digestion. Sediments were predominantly sandy. Higher levels of CaCO3 occurred in the Alcatrazes sector, whereas the OM contents were higher in the islets sector. Metals concentrations were low and associated with fines, while P and As presented a different behavior. The observed concentrations to all studies elements in sediments from the TES were considered as background values.

The impact of underwater noise on marine life calls for identification of exposure criteria to inform mitigation. Here we review recent experimental evidence with focus on the high-frequency cetaceans and discuss scientifically-based initial exposure criteria. A range of new TTS experiments suggest that harbour and finless porpoises are more sensitive to sound than expected from extrapolations based on results from bottlenose dolphins. Furthermore, the results from TTS experiments and field studies of behavioural reactions to noise, suggest that response thresholds and TTS critically depend on stimulus frequency. Sound exposure levels for pure tones that induce TTS are reasonably consistent at about 100dB above the hearing threshold for pure tones and sound pressure thresholds for avoidance reactions are in the range of 40–50dB above the hearing threshold. We propose that frequency weighting with a filter function approximating the inversed audiogram might be appropriate when assessing impact.

The Alang–Sosiya shipbreaking yard (ASSBY) is considered the largest of its kind in the world, and a major source of anthropogenic pollutants. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of shipbreaking activities on the bacterial community structure with a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. In the culture-dependent approach, 200 bacterial cultures were isolated and analyzed by molecular fingerprinting and 16S ribosomal RNA (r-RNA) gene sequencing, as well as being studied for degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the culture-independent approach, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were related to eight major phyla, of which Betaproteobacteria (especially Acidovorax) was predominantly found in the polluted sediments of ASSBY and Gammaproteobacteria in the pristine sediment sample. The statistical approaches showed a significant difference in the bacterial community structure between the pristine and polluted sediments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the effect of shipbreaking activity on the bacterial community structure of the coastal sediment at ASSBY.

Dust storms, as extreme environmental events, are one of the Earth’s major natural hazards. Their impact on socio-economics can range from local urban to (trans-) continental and from minutes to decades, such as the dust bowl of the 1930s in the United States. Research on dust storms can be traced back for several decades as a meteorological extension. Latest technology developments have enabled comprehensive studies on dust storms, including sampling improvement, analytic studies, and numerical modeling. However, inhomogeneity of the data has hampered and sometimes even misguided research on comprehensive understanding of dust storms and exploring their feedbacks with climate. This review will focus on currently available observations of dust activities, which include routine meteorological records, in situ air chemistry observations, and satellite remote sensing. The aim is to show data sources and the status of their usage in a common framework for global dust regions. Emphasis is placed on data continuity and the spatial and temporal coverage of dust storms, since it is anticipated that this brief summary of dust data will benefit modeling and climate studies. Therefore, it must be noted that field campaign data are outside of the scope of the current review, although they play an important role in research and understanding.

Chlorinated pesticides and chlorinated organics can be transformed or partially degraded in sediments under appropriate environmental conditions. Although 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethane (DDT) is very persistent in the environment, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), a degradation product of DDT, is generally the constituent most widely detected in the environment and DDE is also resistant to further biotransformation. DDT and its degradation products (DDTR) may be transported from one medium to another by sorption, bioaccumulation, dissolution, or volatilization. In sediments, DDT strongly adheres to suspended particles, but once metabolized, DDE, the primary product, is slightly soluble in water. The major migration process for DDTR in sediment-water systems is sorption to sediment or other organic matter and the primary distribution route is the transportation of the particulates to which the compound is bound. Understanding the fate and transport of DDTR in the natural environment based on its specific characteristics is important in determining appropriate remediation option. Common DDT-contaminated sediment remediation options include dredging, capping, and natural attenuation. Sediment washing and phytoremediation have also been used in contaminated sites. Dredging is the most common sediment remediation option to remove the contaminated benthic sediments but often suffers from technical limitations like incomplete removal, unfavorable site conditions, sediment resuspension, and disposal issues. Capping is an in situ, low-cost remediation option for immobilization of DDT in several contaminated sediment sites. Natural or anthropogenic materials containing reactive ingredients, as distinct from a conventional sand or gravel cap, involve placing reactive materials as part of the cap matrix to increase sorption, and to enhance chemical reactivity with DDTR, or accelerate degradation. Natural attenuation can treat the DDT-contaminated sediment, but the time frame for complete remediation may be relatively long. Addition of suitable co-metabolites and acclimatized microorganisms to DDTR-contaminated sediment and alteration of sediment-water micro-environment by manipulating soil pH, moisture content, and other chemical conditions may result in degradation of DDTR associated with sediments at rates faster than the natural attenuation rate.

The Gulf of Finland is known to have been rather largely contaminated by heavy metals during the last half of the 20th century, but indications of recovery have been reported. In order to investigate the recent levels of heavy metals and arsenic in the uppermost soft sediments of the off-shore Gulf of Finland coring of altogether 23 sites were performed. The subsamples of the cores are 605 in total and thus give a good picture of heavy metal levels in the surface sediments during the first decade of this century. In order to evaluate methods and predict sediment toxicity the sediment concentrations are compared to American SQG:s. Majority of the subsamples exceeded the threshold levels of both used SQG:s, but some exceeded also the midrange effects quality guidelines. As, Cd, Hg, and Zn concentrations still occur at unacceptably high levels in sediments of the off-shore Gulf of Finland.

Antibiotic use is a well-described practice to promote animal health whether for prevention or treatment. Nonetheless, it can also cause a number of potentially harmful effects that dictate the need to implement regulation to assure a reduction of hazards to the consumers and the environment. Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial excluded from use in animal food production but despite this, reports of illegal use still persist. More recently, awareness has risen that the surrounding natural ecosystems can potentially be contaminated by pharmaceuticals and the extent of their effects in non-target organisms is already under the scope of researchers. To face the demanding new challenges a methodology for the determination of CAP in the green macroalgae Ulva lactuca by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed, optimized and fully validated following the guidelines of the EC Decision 2002/657.

In presented study the impact of climatic factors and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on macroalgal community was analysed. Also the factors influencing algal community were defined with help of Principal Component and Classification analysis. It was found that climatic impact may depend on habitat features and that on different sites biomass of macroalgae correlated with different weather factors. Wind and surf may affect biomass of macroalgae adversely on some sites and at the same time on other sites they may accumulate biomass, transferring it is from adjacent areas. High direct correlation with temperature was found on sites which were protected from surf and had no stagnant events. Seasonal biomass inversely significantly correlated with average seasonal wind speed and annual NAO-index.

Two sediment cores were obtained from Kasado Bay, a moderate-polluted enclosed bay in Japan, to examine anthropogenic impacts on Ostracoda over the past ca. 70years. We analyzed ostracode abundance and diversity, grain size, and CHN, and used 210Pb and 137Cs as the dating method. The present study showed that cross-plot comparisons of ostracode abundance and each environmental factor, based on sediment core data, could be used to identify ostracode species as indicators for anthropogenic influences. Ostracode abundance reflected mainly the changes that had occurred in total organic carbon content in sediments related to eutrophication, but heavy metal concentration did not directly influence several ostracode abundance in the bay. Environmental deterioration because of eutrophication started in the 1960s. The regulations regarding the chemical oxygen demand in waters introduced in the 1980s probably influence ostracode abundance for certain species in this period. Currently, Kasado Bay is not experiencing severe degradation.