The need to detect and monitor introduced marine species has increased with the increasing number of marine invasions. To complement standard detection and monitoring techniques, new approaches using environmental DNA (eDNA) have recently been developed. However, most of the eDNA work has focused on vertebrate species in spatially limited freshwater habitats while benthic invertebrates in coastal environments have received much less attention. Here, we evaluated the suitability of the eDNA approach for detecting benthic, hard-shelled, crustacean mud crab species in a brackish water environment. We demonstrated for the first time that eDNA from an introduced mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii can be successfully amplified in aquarium water samples and detected in the brackish water environment. However, the detection rate was rather low. This suggests that in contrast to freshwater vertebrates, it may be more challenging to develop a highly sensitive eDNA method for detecting crustacean species in a marine environment.

Black carbon (BC) and tropospheric ozone (O3) are two main short-lived climate pollutants also linked to health effects. They are ubiquitous in street canyons, since this environment is a hotspot for traffic-related pollutants due to their particular airflow characteristics, location within the cities and the high density of vehicles and population.We report on BC and O3 concentrations measured in a Brazilian city in November 2014. Measurements of BC at 880 nm wavelength were conducted in a street canyon on the north and south façades and at rooftop level (7 wavelengths, including 880 nm) whereas O3 was recorded only on the south façade. Concurrent meteorological data were gathered at a suburban and a rooftop sites.Clear diurnal patterns were found for BC related to traffic emissions and atmospheric mixing conditions. Ozone peaked in the afternoon in response to maximum photochemical production and at night most likely linked to vertical and/or horizontal transport. By using conditional bivariate probability functions, we identified on-road traffic as the main local source for BC during daytime, and at night an intermittent signal was associated with local waste and biomass burned on the city's outskirts. A complementary air backward trajectory analysis helped conclude that locally produced O3 was enhanced by regional transport from large cities and/or biomass smoke.Mitigation strategies for BC and O3 depletion should target the vehicle fleet, particularly diesel buses, reduction of biomass and waste burning at local level, and decrease of open biomass burning in large areas in Brazil and neighbor countries.

Temporal evolution, source apportionment and transport pathways of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are analysed over Guwahati, located in the Brahmaputra River Valley (BRV), as a function of meteorological dynamics. During the study period (July 2013–June 2014), the mean PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations were found to be 52 ± 37 and 91 ± 60 μg m−3, respectively, both exhibiting higher concentrations during December–March and very low during summer. The annual mean ratio of PM2.5/PM10 was 0.57 ± 0.11, varying from 0.24 to 0.86, suggesting dominance of anthropogenic vs natural emissions during winter and spring, respectively. Diurnal variation reveals higher PM concentrations during morning (∼9:00 local time (LT)) and evening (∼23:00 LT) and lowest around ∼14:00 to 17:00 LT due to influence of dilution processes and higher mixing-layer height over the region. Bivariate plots and Conditional Bivariate Probability Function (CBPF) analysis showed that the highest PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are mostly associated with weak northwestern winds (<1.5 ms−1) in all seasons except spring, when the highest PM10 are for southwestern winds above 4–6 ms−1, indicating dust transport from SW Asia. Analysis reveals that the local emissions, transported aerosols, along with seasonally-changed air masses, meteorology and boundary-layer dynamics control the concentrations, evolution and fractions of PM over BRV. The turbid air masses transported over Guwahati mostly from western and southwestern directions contribute to higher PM concentrations, either carrying anthropogenic pollution from Indo-Gangetic Plains or locally and LRT dust from BRV and western India, respectively.

People travelling by road transport are exposed to high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), that are considered to be one of the primary pollutants from motor vehicles. This study examines the exposure of drivers, passengers and pedestrians to NO2 during different trip scenarios: travelling by private or public means of transport, along the major commuter routes in one of the biggest Polish agglomerations - Silesia Agglomeration, and other important communication routes in Poland, as well as during walks in both city centers and residential areas. The NO2 samples were collected in cars, trucks and buses interiors, as well as in the ambient air by passive samplers and next NO2 concentrations were analyzed by means of the spectrophotometric technique. The obtained results indicate that travelling by cars through city centers is associated with the exposure to NO2 concentrations of about 15% higher than in the case of travelling suburban routes; 33% greater than travelling by bus in urban traffic; more than app. 60% higher than in the case of travelling by bus in suburban traffic or by foot in city centers and up to 80% higher than moving on foot near little-used roads. The exposure profile of six groups of road users exposed to NO2 was therefore determined in this study. The obtained results could be used by policy makers to minimize the exposure to transportation-related pollutants concentrations and for planning far-reaching changes in the field of urban road transport.

Early detection of dangerous exotic species is crucial for stopping marine invasions. The New Zealand pygmy mussel Xenostrobus securis is a problematic species in coasts of temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. In this study we have controlled a population of this invader that recently expanded in a north Iberian estuary with both a participatory approach involving researchers and citizens, and employing a sensitive eDNA-based tool to monitor the population expansion in the estuary. Results demonstrate successful eradication of pygmy mussels in the outer part of the estuary with citizen science and the practical utility of eDNA for controlling biological invasions.

Concentration, spatial distribution, composition and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated based on measurements of 16 PAH compounds in surface sediments of the western Taiwan Strait. Total PAH concentrations ranged from 2.41 to 218.54ngg−1. Cluster analysis identified three site clusters representing the northern, central and southern regions. Sedimentary PAHs mainly originated from a mixture of pyrolytic and petrogenic in the north, from pyrolytic in the central, and from petrogenic in the south. An end-member mixing model was performed using PAH compound data to estimate mixing proportions for unknown end-members (i.e., extreme-value sample points) proposed by principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that the analyzed samples can be expressed as mixtures of three end-members, and the mixing of different end-members was strongly related to the transport pathway controlled by two currents, which alternately prevail in the Taiwan Strait during different seasons.

The patented technology of a High Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS)-Ultraviolet (UV) composite process was used to treat ballast water. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was selected as the reference bacteria. After treatment by the HGMS-UV process, the concentration of S. aureus on the log 10 scale was lower than 2 at different flow rates, S. aureus suffered the most serious damage, and K+ leakage of the bacteria was 1.73mg/L higher than separate 60min UV irradiation (1.17mg/L) and HGMS (0.12mg/L) processes. These results demonstrated that the HGMS-UV composite process was an effective approach to treat ballast water. Further, the HGMS process had synergistic action on the subsequent UV irradiation process and accelerated cell membrane damage. Meanwhile, the results of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of bacteria and DNA band analyses indicated that the inactivation mechanisms were different for HGMS and UV irradiation.

Concentrations of fine particulate mercury (PHg), particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), and particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM10) were monitored for the whole year of 2013 in Shanghai, China. The average concentrations of PHg were 1270 ± 716 pg/m3 and 341 ± 187 pg/m3 during haze and non-haze days respectively. The average PHg concentration throughout the whole year 2013 was 642 ± 616pg/m3. It was observed that PHg concentrations on haze days were 3 times higher than on non-haze days. The concentration of PHg on non-haze days in 2013 varied from 0.25 to 0.48 ng/m3. The mean monthly PHg concentration was highest in December (1.92 ng/m3), while the minimum mean concentration was observed in February and August (0.80 ng/m3), and there was a clear seasonal variation: winter (1.67 ng/m3), autumn (1.08 ng/m3), spring (1.02 ng/m3), and summer (1.00 ng/m3) during haze days. The correlation between PHg and PM2.5 was strong (r = 0.96 on haze days; r = 0.90 on non-haze days), while the correlation between PHg and PM10 was weaker (r = 0.85 on haze days; r = 0.57 on non-haze days). The PHg concentration on haze days was always higher than on non-haze days, indicating that haze conditions were accelerating the formation of PHg. The result also indicated that PHg was inclined to combine with fine particles. The existence of strong correlations between the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and PHg indicated the commonality of the contributing sources, such as traffic, industrial emissions, and the combustion of coal.

Coastal weeds are often treated with herbicides without knowledge of non-target impacts, and toxicity data from standardized test species can have limited applicability. We evaluated toxicity to invertebrates from Fusilade Forte® and the adjuvant Hasten® in the control of invasive salt marsh grass, Spartina anglica. For 3 of 4 local invertebrates, Fusilade Forte® was moderately toxic (96h LC50 5.4–144mgL−1), whereas Hasten® was less toxic (14.2–450mgL−1). For most species, the mixture was more toxic than the herbicide alone, with 96h LC50 reduced 23–45%. However, a field experiment applying typical concentrations (1000×the lowest 96h LC50) showed low concentrations of herbicide residues and no detrimental impacts on invertebrates over 6months. The results reveal the importance of testing locally relevant species for potential toxicity, and of comparison tests with field exposures to determine the realised toxicity in nature.

Strong winds and storm surges from Typhoon Haiyan caused damage of US$12–15billion and >10,000 human casualties in central Philippines in November 2013. To validate a proposed government US$22million mangrove replanting program, mangrove damage and short-term recovery were surveyed in seven natural and planted mangrove sites in Eastern Samar province at 2.5month and 4.5month post-Haiyan. The preliminary assessment showed that natural mangroves (except for those directly hit by the storm) were recovering by means of tree sprouts and surviving seedlings and saplings compared to the devastated plantation. Likewise, tree mortality was higher in the plantation and natural forests hit by the storm surge, compared to more undamaged and partially damaged trees in natural mangroves. Hence the main recommendations to government are (1) to protect recovering mangroves by not releasing rehabilitation funds (that will inadvertently pay for clearing of live trees and for removal of seedlings), (2) to only plant in totally damaged sites (e.g., plantations), and (3) to only plant naturally dominant species, e.g., Sonneratia alba and Avicennia marina (instead of the popular Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata and R. stylosa).