An emergency decision support system for the marine pollution

The paper introduces the research progress in an emergency decision support system for marine pollution （EDSS） in China seas and elaborates on the possible role of the Neutron Activation Analysis （NAA） method therein. To deal with the increasingly grave situation of offshore pollution, the EDSS for China seas has been researching and developing. Based on the prediction and analysis of the ocean three-dimensional current field, this system makes an inference on the possible path of diffusion and influencing area of marine pollutants and possible location of pollution source, and in combination with the environmentally sensitive information related to the technical integration of GIS, it puts forward the decision, making support for minimizing the hazard caused by pollutants. This system has been operationalized and running for many years on the Bohai and Huanghai seas＇ Marine Pollutants Prediction and Early-Warning, and it has achieved successful experience for many times in the emergencies of China＇s coastal pollution accidents. At present, the environmental guarantee system directed against heavy metals and radioactive pollutants is in the experimental stage. As the NAA method is especially applicable to the detection of part of heavy metals and radioactive substances, it is of very important practical value for the new system to realize the monitoring, prediction and early-warning of ocean heavy metals and radioactive pollutants.

Research on Marine Pollution Problems and Solutions in China from the Perspective of Marine Tourism

Based on the perspective of marine tourism,this paper integrates various types of marine pollution,and puts forward high-quality development solutions and future extension direction of marine tourism.Through the research,it is found that the main culprits of marine pollution mainly include the following seven points:human activities produce garbage;white pollution;ship pollution;exploration of marine oil and gas resources and mineral pollution;land reclamation;pollution in mariculture industry and new estrogen pollution.The causes of marine pollution and countermeasures are discussed.

Levels and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Marine Sediments of Eastern Bank Wesha Peninsular, Pemba Island, Tanzania

Levels of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from sediments collected in July 2017, a week after tanks oil leak in the bay of Wesha Peninsular, Pemba Island are reported. Four sampling points were chosen alongside the mangroves where a total of twenty samples were collected during the low tides. Eight PAHs were detected with concentrations ranging from ND to 53.42 ng/g (dw). Total PAHs in sediments was 158.38 ng⋅g-1. Phenanthrene residues (lower molecular weight) were dominant followed by pyrene (higher molecular weight PAHs) accounting for 90% and 40% detection frequencies, respectively. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the concentrations of PAHs among sites (p < 0.05, ANOVA). Vertical distribution of PAHs shows no definite patterns with sediment depth, however, composition patterns of PAHs along sediment depth indicate that higher molecular weight PAHs tend to remain in middle layer (2 - 4 cm). The results advocate the needs of proper monitoring to avoid the possible consequences to the public health.

Marine environmental quality, pollution monitoring and environmental management

Chinese government has adopted a series of management measures to prevent and manage marine pollution and to protect ocean bio resources and ecosystem. The key points of Chinese marine environmental quality status, pollution monitoring and environmental management since 1980' were discussed in this paper. Those included the investigations of Chinese coast environmental quality, monitoring techniques and standards, as well as the marine environmental management measures. Recent status of marine environmental pollution and the monitoring network in China were also introduced.

Compensation for Damage to Marine Biodiversity under International Liability Regime on Vessel-Source Marine Oil Pollution Damage

Vessel-source marine oil pollution damage is governed by an international liability regime, including the CLC treaties, 2001 Bunker Convention and the 1977 Seabed Convention. Despite that ＂pollution damage＂ in these treaties does not exclude damage to marine biodiversity, the fact that damage to marine biodiversity is not mentioned in this regime arouses the question of compensability of damage to marine biodiversity under the regime. This article attempts to investigate this question from the perspectives of the relationship between marine environmental damage and damage to marine biodiversity and the possibility of compensation for damage to marine biodiversity under the regime. While the findings of this article reveal that the regime cannot provide sufficient compensation for such damage, this article in the conclusion offers some suggestions for the sake of remedying of damaged marine biodiversity under the regime.

Marine ciliate community in relation to eutrophication of coastal waters in the Yellow Sea

We assessed the potential of marine ciliate community as an indicator to coastal water quality using water samples collected from four stations in thc Yellow Sea in the summer 2000. The four stations were characterized by different levels of pollution. The ciliate communities consisted primarily of tintinnids and aloricate ciliates that were 〈30 um. A total of 78 species were classified： 55 species at Station 2, 51 species each at Stations l and 4, and 47 species at Station 3. The mean number of species at each site was 29.2±2.0 （Station 1）, 28.5±2.9 （Station 2）, 27.8±1.7 （Station 3）, and 24.5±2.3 （Station 4）. The abundance was highly variable： 19 331±11 187 ind./L at Station 1, 7 960±5 639 ind./L at Station 2, 29 015±12 999 ind./L at Station 3, and 8 190±4 658 ind./L at Station 4. Our results suggest that neither the simple chemical analysis （e.g. chemical oxygen demand, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and phosphate） nor the eutrophication/pollution index adequately described the water quality at the four stations. The same was true of the number of species and their abundance, both of which had no correlation with the chemical indices. In contrast, Margalef＇s diversity index values （3.12 at Station 2, 2.89 at Station 1, and 2.64 at Stations 3 and 4） generally discriminated the water quality status of the four stations. The difference in water quality among the stations was strongly supported by the pattern of species richness （i.e. the total number of species） of ciliates at each station. Our evaluation was consistent with the results of long-term water quality monitoring at the four stations. With increasing eutrophication, we observed also a compositional and functional shift in the ciliate assemblages from algivorous oligotrich/choreotrich to nonselective-omnivorous gymnostomatids to bacterivorous-detrivorous scuticociliatids. Thus, eiliates may be used to indicate the coastal water quality status of a given site.

Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) in Marine Environment of China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that have raised considerable environmental concern. The highest concentrations of PAHs in the coastal sediment samples in China was 5.8-11.0μg/g (dry weight) in the core from the Huangpu River, Shanghai. The second highest concentration of PAHs was 4.42μg/g (dry weight) in surface sediment of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, and 5.73μg/g (dry weight) in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao City. The low concentrations of PAHs were always in the sediments far away from industrial zones and cities, and ranged from 0.10 to 0.30μg/g (dry weight). Several environmental parameters are considered for the identification of sources of PAHs in marine environment. High proportion of naphthalene, low molecular weight PAHs and alkylated PAHs, plus high ratio of phenanthrene to anthracene (>15) and low ratio of fluoranthene to pyrene (<1) suggested a petrogenic source. According to these parameters, the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary of Shanghai, Jiaozhou Bay of Qingdao City, Zhujiang (Pearl) River mouth, Jiulong River mouth and most of Hong Kong coastal waters were heavily contaminated by PAHs from petrogenic sources. However, PAHs in rural coastal areas were dominated by pyrolytic origin PAHs. This review clearly showed that oil pollution and incomplete combustion of oil, coal and biomass are the main reason for PAHs anormalies in the study areas.

Current status and cause analysis of microplastic pollution in sea areas in China

As a new type of pollutants in the marine environment,microplastics have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and environmental protection workers in China and abroad.However,for the microplastic pollution in sea areas in China,there are a very limited number of studies on its current status and few reviews of research on the microplastics.This paper reviews the surveys and researches of microplastics in the Bohai Sea,the Yellow Sea,the East China Sea,the South China Sea,and main estuaries in China carried out in recent years and proposes an outlook for future work,aiming to provide research suggestions and solutions for ecological protection against microplastic pollution in sea areas in China.Previous studies have shown that microplastics are widely distributed in water bodies and sediments in sea areas and major estuaries in China.The Pearl River Estuary,in the South China Sea suffers the most serious microplastic pollution,followed by the Bohai Sea.In contrast,the microplastic pollution in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is comparatively slight.Microplastics in sea areas in China are mainly fibrous and are concentrated in offshore areas with developed industry and a dense population(especially around estuaries and bays).In addition,they are widely affected by human activities,such as shipping,aquaculture,industry,and sewage discharge.Here the authors suggest unifying measurement units and research methods and developing related standard systems to carry out researches related to microplastics.Furthermore,this paper also suggests further deepening researches on both the source-sink process of microplastics and nanoscale microplastics while enhancing the development and implementation of related policies,aiming to promote researches and control of microplastics in sea areas in China.

Heavy Metal Pollution of Sediments from Coastal Areas： Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Polluted Surface Sediments from the Bay of Luanda, Angola

Luanda bay has been acting as a sink for the untreated municipal and industrial effluents from a part of the city. Sediment samples were analyzed for their total organic carbon contents and pseudo-total concentrations ofFe, Mn, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr The highest concentrations of organic carbon and Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn were found near the sewerage discharge outlets, exceeding in these points the lowest Sediment Quality Guidelines for the occurrence of adverse biological effects. A further study, based on the latest version of the BCR sequential extraction procedure, was undertaken in order to assess the physical/chemical binding and bioavailability ofFe, Mn, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in these sediments. The toxic metals Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu pose a potential environmental risk, because they were extracted from the sediment labile fractions in concentrations that exceeded the corresponding ERL （Effects Range Low） values, entering the range within which adverse biological effects occur. The non-residual fractions of metals ranged from 91 to 100% for Cd, 89 to 94% for Zn, 67 to 100% for Pb, 71 to 82% for Cu, 30 to 77% for Mn and 39 to 48% for Fe. Measures to be taken for the disposal of the polluted dredged sediments are shown in this work.

Review of Microplastic Pollution in the Environment and Emerging Recycling Solutions

Microplastic pollution represents a side-effect stemming from a global plastic waste mismanagement problem and includes degraded particles or mass produced plastic particles less than 5 mm in largest dimension.The small nature of microplastics gives this area of pollution different environmental concerns than general plastic waste in the environment.The biological toxicity of particles,their internal components,and their surface level changes all present opportunities for these particles to adversely affect the environment around them.Thus,it is necessary to review the current literature surrounding this topic and identify areas where the study of microplastic can be pushed forward.Here we present current methods in studying microplastics,some of the ways by which microplastics affect the environment and attempt to shed light on how this research can continue.In addition,we review current recycling methods developing for the processing of mixed-plastic waste.These methods,including hydrothermal processing and solvent extraction,provide a unique opportunity to separate plastic waste and improve the viability of the plastics recycling industry.

3-D observations of a red tide event in the offshore water along the western Guangdong coast

From November 24 to 26, 2014, a red tide event occurred in the offshore water off the Hailing Island located at the western Guangdong coast. The red tide appeared as pink strips distributed within 3 km in the offshore water and extended for about 10 km along the shoreline. During the flood tide, the pink seawater rushed to the beach with breaking waves, forming foam strips on the beach. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction Technologies, Guangdong Ocean University, emergently responded to the event and organized three-dimensional observations from the air, onboard and on beach. The preliminary analyses of the cruise data and water samples indicate that the event was induced by non- toxic Noctiluca scintillans, of which the concentration reaches as high as 4 200 cells/L near the surface and 2600 cells/L at the bottom.

Oxidative stress responses to cadmium in the seedlings of a commercial seaweed Sargassum fusiforme

Cadmium(Cd)is a common heavy metal pollutant in the aquatic environment,generally toxic to plant growth and leading to growth inhibition and biomass reduction.To study the oxidation resistance in Sargassum fusiforme seedlings in response to inorganic Cd stress,we cultured the seedlings under two different Cd levels:natural seawater and high Cd stress.High Cd stress significantly inhibited the seedlings growth,and darkened the thalli color.Additionally,the pigment contents,growth rate,peroxidase(POD)activity,dehydroascorbic acid(DHA)content,and glutathione reductase(GR)activity in S.fusiforme were significantly reduced by high Cd treatment.Contrarily,the Cd accumulation,Cd2+absorption rate,dark respiration/net photosynthetic rate(Rd/Pn),ascorbic acid(Vc)content,soluble protein(SP)content,glutathione(GSH),and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)of S.fusiforme under Cd treatment significantly increased compared to the control group.The decrease of malondialdehyde(MDA)was not significant.Although S.fusiforme seedlings increased the antioxidant activities of POD,SOD,Vc,and the AsA-GSH cycle to disseminate H2O2 and maintain healthy metabolism,high Cd stress caused Cd accumulation in the stem and leaves of S.fusiforme seedlings.The excessive Cd significantly restricted photosynthesis and reduced photosynthetic pigments in the seedlings,resulting in growth inhibition and deep morphological color,especially of the stems.High levels of Cd in seawater had toxic effects on commercial S.fusiforme seedlings,and risked this edible seaweed for human food.

A critical review of the emerging research on the detection and assessment of microplastics pollution in the coastal,marine,and urban Bangladesh

The research on the extent and effects of microplastics pollution in the Global South is only getting started.Bangladesh is a South Asian country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world,however,such exponential economic growth has also increased the pollution threats to its natural and urban environment.In this paper,we reviewed the recent primary research on the assessment of the extent of microplastics pollution in Bangladesh.Fromthe online databases,we developed a compilation of emergingresearch articles that detected and quantified microplastics in different coastal,marine,and urban environments in Bangladesh.Most of the studies focused on the coastal environment(e.g.,beach sediment)and marine fish,while limited data were available for the urban environment.We also discussed the relationship of the type of anthropogenic activities with the observed microplastic pollution.The Cox's Bazar sea beach in south-east Bangladesh experienced microplastics pollution due to tourism activities,while fishing and other anthropogenic activities led to microplastics pollution in the Bay of Bengal.While microplastics larger than 1 mm were prevalent in the beach sediments,smaller microplastics with size below 0.5 mm were prevalent in marine fish samples.Moreover,the differences m microplastic abundance,size,shape,color,and polymer type found were depended on the sampling sites and relevant anthropogenic activities.It is imperative to identify majorsources of microplastics pollution in both natural and urban environment,determine potential environmental and human health effects,and develop mitigating and prevention strategies for reducing microplastics pollution.

Mesoscale eddies and their dispersive environmental impacts in the Persian Gulf

As the mesoscale eddies in oceans and semi-enclosed seas are significant in horizontal dispersion of pollutants,we investigate the seasonal variations of these eddies in the Persian Gulf(PG)that are usually generated due to seasonal winds and baroclinic instability.The sea surface height(SSH)data from 2010 to 2014 of AVISO are used to identify and track eddies,using the SSH-based method.Then seasonal horizontal dispersion coefficients are estimated for the PG,using the properties of eddies.The results show an annual mean of 78 eddies with a minimum lifetime of one week.Most of the eddies are predominantly cyclonic(59.1%)and have longer lifetimes and higher diffusion coefficients than the anti-cyclonic eddies.The eddy activity is higher in warm seasons,compared to that of cold seasons.As locations with high eddy diffusion coefficients are high-risk areas by using maps of horizontal eddy diffusion coefficients,perilous times and locations of the release of pollutants are specified to be within the longitude from 51.38°E to 55.28°E.The mentioned areas are located from the Strait of Hormuz towards the northeast of the PG,closer to Iranian coast.Moreover,July can be considered as the most dangerous time of pollution release.

IMPACT OF DREDGED MATERIAL DISPOSAL ON ENVIRONMENT OF MUDDY COAST

Dredged materials in muddy port move and disperse so easily under the action of coastal hydrodynamics that the surrounding waters will be affected in various degrees if so large a quantity of sediments are dumped into the sea water. The physical, chemical and biological processes brought about by those dumped materials may affect the marine ecological equilibrium, marine resources exploration and human health. This paper presents the results of the investigation about the impact of the dredged material disposal on the coastal environment of Lianyungang. Most of capital contruction sediments are rarely polluted, which may be called as 'clear sediment'. The major impact of dredged material disposal is still in physical aspect. The influence on sea environment is different for different dredged materials and all of them are not regarded as the marine pollution sources.

Assessment of trace metals in droppings of Adélie penguins(Pygoscelis adeliae) from different locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area

In recent decades, polar regions of the planet have witnessed an increase in human presence. Antarctica is considered one of the most pristine regions of the world, but it could be affected by pollution owing to anthropogenic activities, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula. Human presence can increase the levels of some trace metals in Antarctic environments, an issue that needs to be evaluated. To acquire data of trace metal contamination in the Antarctic Peninsula region, concentrations （dry weight） of Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Hg and Zn in fresh excrement of Ad61ie penguins were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. During the 2012/2013 austral summer, samples were collected from four important nesting sites on the Antarctic Peninsula： Arctowski Base, Kopaitic Island （both sites in the northern Antarctic Peninsula）, Yalour Island and Avian Island （both sites in the southern Antarctic Peninsula）. Data showed that Ad61ie penguin excreta had significantly higher levels （mg.kg~） of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cu at Arctowski Base and Kopaitic Island, both sites that have major anthropogenic activities that probably contributed to increased metal levels. The levels of trace metals in Ad61ie penguins were similar to those reported in excreta of Antarctic species in previous studies, and lower than those in excreta of other Antarctic animals. Data suggest that metals ingested by these penguin species that feed in the sea, end up in terrestrial ecosystems.

Structure and Potential Application of Konjac Glucomannan Nano Microfibril Aerogel

An ultra-light and high porosity nano microfibril aerogel was prepared from konjac glucomannan（KGM） by the electrospinning and freeze-drying. The structure of aerogel was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） while the density and compressive strength of the samples were studied separately. Results reveal that porous network structure of the KGM nano microfibril aerogel is constructed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds in random and interpenetrate way. The nano microfibril structure presents in the KGM aerogel,which is an important reason of its high density and compressive strength. There is a potential application for this unique nano microfibril aerogel in the absorption of biodegradation bacteria to solve problems in marine oil spill pollution.

Geochemical Characteristics and Sources of Some Chemical Components in Sediments of Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary

Sediment cores with length of 25-45cm at 12 stations in Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary were sampled in summer of 1999. Chemical components (Al 2O 3, Fe 2O 3, CaO, TiO 2, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Co, Ni, V, Ba, Sr and Y) and grain sizes were analyzed. Sediments in Zhujiang River Estuary are characterized by relatively coarse grain size. The grain sizes of the sediments in the area outside the estuary are relatively finer than those in the north part of the estuary but coarser than those in the middle of Lingdingyang and have a trend similar to the spatial distribution trend of some chemical components such as Fe 2O 3, Al 2O 3, TiO 2, V, Cu, Ni, Zn and Y. This showed that grain size is an important factor that controls the spatial distribution and depth profile of chemical elements in the Zhujiang River Estuary. Frequent re-suspension, re-transportation and redistribution of settled sediment on estuary floor could be deduced from the spatial distributions and depth profiles of chemical components. Except for CaO and Sr, the chemical components always enrich at the west side of, in the middle of, and at the north side of, the estuary. Fe 2O 3, Al 2O 3, Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu and Y in Zhujiang River Estuary sediments mainly result from rock and soil weathering except that parts of Cr, Ni, Zn Cu and Y are anthropogenic. CaO and Sr in sediments originate from marine source. Although Co as well as Pb derives from anthropogenic sources, human activities related to Co might differ from the activities related to Pb.

Radarsat observations and forecasting of oil slick trajectory movements

RADARSAT data have a potential role for coastal pollution monitoring. This study presents a new approach to detect and forecast oil slick trajectory movements. The oil slick trajectory movements is based on the tidal current effects and Fay's algorithm for oil slick spreading mechanisms. The oil spill trajectory model contains the integration between Doppler frequency shift model and Lagrangian model. Doppler frequency shift model implemented to simulate tidal current pattern from RADARSAT data while the Lagrangian model used to predict oil spill spreading pattern. The classical Fay's algorithm was implemented with the two models to simulate the oil spill trajectory movements.The study shows that the slick lengths are effected by tidal current V component with maximum velocity of 1.4 m/s. This indicates that oil slick trajectory path is moved towards the north direction. The oil slick parcels are accumulated along the coastline after 48 h. The analysis indicated that tidal current V components were the dominant forcing for oil slick spreading.

Recovery of plastics from dumpsites and landfills to prevent marine plastic pollution in Thailand

Marine plastic pollution has become a major threat to the ecosystem.The increasing production and use of plastic,combined with limitations of waste management practices,mean the leakage of plastic waste into the environment is bound to increase.This study focuses on the determination of plastic recovery potential from dumpsites and landfills in Thailand,to potentially prevent marine plastic pollution.In this study,two dumpsites were analysed wherein an average of 42% of plastic was found to be present.This value,when extrapolated for Thailand,is equivalent to 187.9 million tonnes of plastic waste in dumpsites and landfills.While there are 2380 dumpsites in the country,this study suggests that 973 of these spread over 42 provinces are located near water bodies or coastline,which should be considered as a priority.The plastic waste recovered from these dumpsites can be treated by co-fuelling in cement industries.Cement kilns can valorise plastic waste as they can reach up to 75%energy recovery from waste,which is much higher compared to traditional waste-to-energy plants.With adequate incentives and sound regulations,cement industries could help in the reduction of marine plastic pollution with controlled emissions and a very large capacity to co-fuel cement production,there is a readily available solution to manage the large volumes of solid waste generated.