Environmental effects of maritime traffic on the İstanbul Strait

The Istanbul Strait, which separates the European and the Asian parts of Istanbul, is one of the narrowest straits in the world that is used for international shipping. The Strait has very special ecological conditions in terms of marine environment (atmospheric/oceanographic conditions, plant and animal diversity) and terrestrial environment. It also has roles as biological corridor and biological barrier between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea and form an acclimatization zone for migrating species. Due to being the only maritime access for the neighboring Black Sea states and the Central Asian Turki Republics, the Istanbul Strait has been exposed to dense marine traffic for centuries and substantial increase has occurred in size and tonnage of the ships passing through the Strait with hazardous cargo varieties and amounts they carry. Increase in the number of vessels that navigates on the Strait and being on the transportation way of hazardous and dangerous materials pose serious environmental and safety hazards for the Istanbul Strait, Marmara Sea and the surrounding residential areas. Geographic and oceanographic features of the Istanbul Strait makes the navigation on the Strait rather difficult and consequently the Strait has faced many casualties that caused severe environmental problems due to thousands tons of oil spill occurring in recent decades.     

Arsenic and antimony distribution in the Ría de Arousa: before and after the Prestige oil tanker sinking

The behaviour of arsenic and antimony in the Ría de Arousa (Galicia, north west of Spain) and the influence of the Prestige accident in the estuary is evaluated. As and Sb were simultaneously determined by HG-ICPOES in seawater samples after a preconcentration with La in a knotted reactor. The highest As concentration is in the inner and middle parts of the ría where the current is weaker and next to the main ports of the area. The largest Sb concentrations were found in the bay of the ría. Linear variation of concentration vs. salinity for As and As/Sb ratios indicated that there was no pollution in the waters of Arousa. The Prestige oil spillage had no serious influence and the values of arsenic (most of them <1.5 microg L(-1)) are similar to the average oceanic concentration, whereas concentrations for antimony (most of them <0.15 microg L(-1)) are less than the oceanic ones.     

Groundwater contamination evolution in the Guadiamar and Agrio aquifers after the Aznalcóllar spill: assessment and environmental implications

In 1998, the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers underwent an enormous environmental disaster caused by the rupture of the Aznalcóllar tailings dam and the release of 6 hm³ of pyrite sludge and acidic water. Both rivers run over recent alluvial materials which form a small-sized aquifer which is however important because underground water feeds the flow of the rivers. This work analyzes the state of groundwater 10 years after the spill. Before the dam failure, this aquifer was already contaminated in the zone nearest to the mine, to which the impact of the spill was added. Contamination levels in the alluvial aquifer of the Agrio River have decreased remarkably. However, they are still important, with acidic pH values and high concentrations of toxic elements (maximum values of 16 mg/L of Zn and 15 mg/L of Al). There are also important levels of contamination in the Guadiamar alluvial area closest to the mine, as well as in specific zones located further south. The concentration of toxic elements is mainly controlled by pH. The evolution of contaminant levels show a sharp decrease after the first years following the spill, followed by a subsequent stabilization. It is necessary to take measures for the recovery of the aquifer because, otherwise, groundwater will continue contributing contaminants into the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers.     

Heavy metal pattern and solute concentration in soils along the oldest highway of the world – the AVUS Autobahn

Highways and main roads are a potential source of contamination for the surrounding environment. High traffic rates result in elevated heavy metal concentrations in road runoff, soil and water seepage, which has attracted much attention in the recent past. Nonetheless, investigations of pollutants in roadside soils are still a subject of major interest due to the rapid development of traffic systems and increasing traffic all over the world. The accumulation of the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in soils along the oldest federal highway of the world has been studied by sampling a roadside transect of 125 by 10?m. In addition, heavy metal concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr in soil solutions from different distances (2.5, 5 and 10?m) from the hard shoulder of the highway and from three soil depths (10, 30, and 50?cm) were investigated. The results show that heavy metal concentrations are up to 20 times increased compared to the geochemical background levels and a reference site of 800-m distance from the roadside. Soil matrix concentrations in the topsoil (0-10?cm) mostly exceeded the precautionary values of the German Federal Soil Protection and Contamination Ordinance (BBodSchV). The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in the soil matrix tended to decrease with distance from the roadside edge, whereas the concentrations in the soil solution increased at a distance of 10?m onwards due to a lower soil pH. Because of both high pH values and a high sorption capacity of the soils, soil solution concentrations seldom exceeded the trigger values of the German Federal Soil Protection and Contamination Ordinance (BBodSchV) for transferring soil solution to groundwater.     

Atmospheric Change and the Diversity of Aquatic Invertebrates: Are We Missing the Boat?

The response of natural systems to atmospheric change may depend critically on species diversity and on the genetic diversity (variability) found within their respective populations. Yet, most surveys of aquatic invertebrates account for neither. This may be of particular concern for benthic populations in running waters because of the considerable variability and the fragmentary nature of these habitats (e.g. isolated watersheds). In such habitats, species with limited genetic variability and/or limited dispersal capabilities (genetically differentiated populations) may be unable to track rapid environmental change, and may be more susceptible to climatic perturbations. We present a conceptual framework to illustrate some of the potential problems of ignoring population genetics when considering the impacts of global atmospheric change. We then review a simple method to assess population genetic structure and we evaluate available data on the genetic structure of North American stream invertebrates. These data indicate that benthic taxa often consist of genetically differentiated local populations, or even previously unknown species. Accordingly, our limited knowledge of population structure among benthic invertebrates may result in the unwitting loss of genetic and/or species diversity. Enhanced taxonomic research incorporating molecular techniques is clearly warranted. Conservation strategies based on the preservation and remediation of a diversity of aquatic habitats are likely to be our best means of ensuring species and genetic diversity of invertebrate taxa.     

Simulation and Trend Analysis of the Water Quality Monitoring Daily Data in Nestos River Delta. Contribution to the Sustainable Management and Results for the Years 2000–2002

The transboundary River Nestos in the Balkan Peninsula is a surface water resource shared by Hellas and Bulgaria. The Public Power Corporation of Hellas (DEH) proceeded to the dams' construction of Thesaurus in 1997 and Platanovrissi in 2000, to satisfy the increased needs for power production and irrigation in the Regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the Hellenic Territory. DEH following the Ministerial Agreement of the Hellenic Parliament ‘`KYA 18492/19—09—1996’' funded a series of Research Projects concerned on the monitoring of the water quantity and quality data of Nestos from the Hellenic-Bulgarian borders to its estuaries in the Thracian sea. ‘`PERSEAS’' Research Group from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, carried out the research, design, construction, installation, operation and maintenance of the ‘`R.E.MO.S.’' (Remote Environmental MOnitoring System) networks. Three REMOS networks have been installed in the areas of (a) the River Nestos deltaic channel, (b) Thesaurus dam-lake in the intramountainous valley and (c) Potamoi (Despat) and Pagoneri (Nestos) villages close to the borders between Hellas and Bulgaria. They record water level (H), water and air temperature (T), water conductivity (ECw), Redox potential (RP) and dissolved oxygen (DO) on a 24h basis, since the beginning of the year 2000. The research carried out in this paper, is focused on the REMOS station in the final course of Nestos in the deltaic area. The continuous monitoring and the data analysis yield useful results for the quality and quantity of the hydrologic regime of Nestos after the dams' construction, as well as for the trends detected of the quality parameters (ECw, RP and DO) and the water level, using the nonparametric Spearman's criterion. The best fitted model of time trend, for each variable, was chosen. The statistical sample of each one of the quality variables consisted of about 1000 values based on daily measures on a three years monitoring program (1/1/2000—31/12/2002). Further research and analysis for the other network stations of REMOS should provide useful results for the sustainable management of the transboundary River Nestos.     

On the effects of the dispersant Corexit 9500© during the degradation process of n-alkanes and PAHs in marine sediments

In many coastal countries, oil spill contingency plans include several alternatives for removal of the spilled oil from the ocean. Frequently, these plans include dispersants. Because this process applies chemical substances that may add toxicity to oil that already contains toxic compounds, it is, at times, a controversial method to fight oil pollution. Additionally, local conditions may result in particular complications. We investigated the possible effects of the dispersant Corexit 9500© under conditions similar to those of subtropical oceans. We used fuel oil #6+ diesel as the test mixture. Under certain conditions, at least part of the dispersed oil may reach the sediment, particularly if the dispersant is applied in coastal waters. Nine experimental units were used in this experiment. Similar conditions of water temperature, salinity, air fluxes into the experimental units, and hydrocarbon concentrations in sediments were used. Two treatments and one control, each one with three replicates, were carried out. We concentrated our investigation on sediment, although measurements of water were also taken. Our results suggest that once the oil has penetrated the sediment, no significant differences exist between oil that contains dispersant and oil without dispersant. Noticeable degradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons occurred mainly in the low molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbons and not in the others. Apparently, degradation of aromatics was easier than that of alkanes. However, some differences were noticed for the degradation of PAHs in the sediment, suggesting a faster degradation under particular conditions in aerobic environments such as under this experiment.     

Evaluation of the Impact of Acid Mine Drainage on the Chemistry and the Macrobenthos in the Carolina Stream (San Luis – Argentina)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of acid mine drainage on the chemistry and the macrobenthos of the Carolina stream (San Luis – Argentina). Samples were obtained in the years 1997–1998 at two sites: site C₁, located 200 m upstream of the drainage, and site C₂, located 800 m downstream. The system buffer capacity was evaluated in the non – contaminated site by means of the buffer index calculation. The physico – chemical changes observed as a consequence of the contribution of acid mine drainage (AMD) were: a decreasing of pH and an increase in the ionic concentration, especially sulfate and Fe coming from the oxidation produced by chemiolithotrophic bacteria. The values obtained indicated a low buffer capacity and a high intrinsic vulnerability of the system to resist the impact originated by the AMD, producing a remarkable decreasing of pH of the receiving stream. These changes caused modifications in the original benthic community that was replaced by organisms more tolerant to the acid stress. A reduction in the abundance and in the taxonomic richness of the benthic macroinvertebrates was observed when compared with the reference station. An increase in the proportion of Chironomidae and of Acari and a decrease in the proportion of the remaining taxa were observed. The most sensitive groups were Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Mollusca. The community was mostly affected by the following variables: pH, conductivity, sulfate and dissolved total Fe.     

Estimating the importance of natural and anthropogenic sources on N and P emission to estuaries along the Ceará State Coast NE Brazil

The Northeastern semi-arid Brazilian region is experiencing rapid social and economic development based on improving water management and even in areas of low human occupation, anthropogenic emissions of N and P surpass natural emissions in at least one order of magnitude and these additional loads can alter the water quality of the receiving estuaries. This study estimates, using an emission factor approach, the annual emissions of N and P from natural processes and anthropogenic sources for estuaries along the Ceará State, NE Brazil. Emission factors from natural sources are one to two orders of magnitude lower than those for anthropogenic sources. Among the anthropogenic activities, the aquaculture is responsible for most N emission (0.52 t km⁻² year⁻¹) followed by waste water and husbandry. For P, the largest average emission factors are from husbandry (0.30 t km⁻² year⁻¹), waste water and agriculture.     

The long time scales of the climate–economy feedback and the climatic cost of growth

This paper is based on the perception that the inertia of climate and socio-economic systems are key parameters in the climate change issue. In a first part, it develops and implements a new approach based on a simple integrated model with a particular focus on an innovative transient impact and adaptation modeling. In a second part, a climate–economy feedback is defined and characterized. The following results were found. 1) It has a long characteristic time, which lies between 50 and 100 years depending on the hypotheses; this time scale is long when compared to the system's other time scales, and the feedback cannot act as a natural damping process of climate change. 2) Mitigation has to be anticipated since the feedback of an emission reduction on the economy can be significant only after a 20-year delay and is really efficient only after at least 50 years. 3) Even discounted, production changes due to an action on emissions are significant over more than one century. 4) The methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which neglects the feedback from impacts to emissions, is acceptable up to 2100, whatever is the level of impacts. This analysis allows also to define a climatic cost of growth as the additional climate change damages due to the additional emissions linked to economic growth.

Why do satellite imageries show exceptionally high chlorophyll in the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay during the Norteast Monsoon?

The Gulf of Mannar (GoM) and the Palk Bay (PB) are two least studied marine environments located between India and Sri Lanka. Exceptionally high chlorophyll a concentration in the GoM and the PB during the Northeast Monsoon (November–February) is a consistent feature in satellite imageries, which has been attributed to the intrusion of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) waters. The analyses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and field chlorophyll data collected from 30 locations in the Indian sector of the GoM and the PB in January 2011 showed significant overestimations in the satellite data. This error was much higher in the PB (60–80 %) as compared to the GoM (18–28 %). The multivariate analyses evidenced that the exceptionally high satellite chlorophyll in the PB is contributed largely by turbidity, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and bottom reflectance. The paper cautions that though MODIS is superior in estimating chlorophyll a in optically complex waters, there are still chances of overestimations in regions like the PB.     

Comparison of precipitation chemistry measurements obtained by the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network and National Atmospheric Deposition Program for the period 1995–2004

Precipitation chemistry and depth measurements obtained by the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) and the US National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) were compared for the 10-year period 1995–2004. Colocated sets of CAPMoN and NADP instrumentation, consisting of precipitation collectors and rain gages, were operated simultaneously per standard protocols for each network at Sutton, Ontario and Frelighsburg, Ontario, Canada and at State College, PA, USA. CAPMoN samples were collected daily, and NADP samples were collected weekly, and samples were analyzed exclusively by each network’s laboratory for pH, H^?+?, Ca^2?+?, Mg^2?+?, Na^?+?, K^?+?, $\text{NH}_{4}^{+}$ , Cl^???, $\text{NO}_{3}^{-}$ , and $\text{SO}_{4}^{2-}$ . Weekly and annual precipitation-weighted mean concentrations for each network were compared. This study is a follow-up to an earlier internetwork comparison for the period 1986–1993, published by Alain Sirois, Robert Vet, and Dennis Lamb in 2000. Median weekly internetwork differences for 1995–2004 data were the same to slightly lower than for data for the previous study period (1986–1993) for all analytes except $\text{NO}_{3}^{-}$ , $\text{SO}_{4}^{2-}$ , and sample depth. A 1994 NADP sampling protocol change and a 1998 change in the types of filters used to process NADP samples reversed the previously identified negative bias in NADP data for hydrogen-ion and sodium concentrations. Statistically significant biases (α = 0.10) for sodium and hydrogen-ion concentrations observed in the 1986–1993 data were not significant for 1995–2004. Weekly CAPMoN measurements generally are higher than weekly NADP measurements due to differences in sample filtration and field instrumentation, not sample evaporation, contamination, or analytical laboratory differences.     

Distribution of heavy metals in the dissolved and suspended phase of the sea-surface microlayer, seawater column and in sediments of Singapore’s coastal environment

Concentrations of heavy metals were determined in the water column (including the sea-surface microlayer, subsurface, mid-depth and bottom water) and sediments from Singapore’s coastal environment. The concentration ranges for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the seawater dissolved phase (DP) were 0.34–2.04, 0.013–0.109, 0.07–0.35, 0.23–1.16, 0.28–0.78, 0.009–0.062 and 0.97–3.66 μg L⁻¹ respectively. The ranges for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) were 0.16–0.73, 6.72–53.93, 12.87–118.29, 4.34–60.71, 1.10–6.08 and 43.09–370.49 μg g⁻¹, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments ranged between 0.054–0.217, 37.48–50.52, 6.30–21.01, 13.27–26.59, 24.14–37.28 and 48.20–62.36 μg g⁻¹ for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. The lowest concentrations of metals in the DP and SPM were most frequently found in the subsurface water while the highest concentrations were mostly observed in the SML and bottom water. Overall, heavy metals in both the dissolved and particulate fractions have depth profiles that show a decreasing trend of concentrations from the subsurface to the bottom water, indicating that the prevalence of metals is linked to the marine biological cycle. In comparison to data from Greece, Malaysia and USA, the levels of metals in the DP are considered to be low in Singapore. Higher concentrations of particulate metals were reported for the Northern Adriatic Sea and the Rhine/Meuse estuary in the Netherlands compared to values reported in this study. The marine sediments in Singapore are not heavily contaminated when compared to metal levels in marine sediments from other countries such as Thailand, Japan, Korea, Spain and China.     

Optimisation and application of the voltammetric technique for speciation of chromium in the Patos Lagoon Estuary—Brazil

The chemical speciation analysis of chromium in one of the most important South American Estuary was performed for the first time. Samples were collected in Patos Lagoon Estuary (Brazil) and were analysed by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry, with the following analytical figures of merit: limit of detection, 0.1 nmol L(-1); precision RSD?=?3%, n?=?7; linearity, from limit of quantitation up to 20 nmol L(-1); and accuracy of 99.8%, expressed as recovery. No labile chromium forms were identified in samples, beside industries and a city were near the study area. It is pointed out a reverse correlation between total and non-active chromium and salinity, which could be explained by biogeochemical processes.     

Who plans for health improvement? SEA,HIA and the separation of spatial planning and health planning

This study examines whether there is active planning for health improvement in the English spatial planning system and how this varies across two regions using a combination of telephone surveys and focus group interviews in 2005 and 2010. The spatial planning profession was found to be ill-equipped to consider the health and well-being implications of its actions, whilst health professionals are rarely engaged and have limited understanding and aspirations when it comes to influencing spatial planning. Strategic Environmental Assessment was not considered to be successful in integrating health into spatial plans, given it was the responsibility of planners lacking the capacity to do so. For their part, health professionals have insufficient knowledge and understanding of planning and how to engage with it to be able to plan for health gains rather than simply respond to health impacts. HIA practice is patchy and generally undertaken by health professionals outside the statutory planning framework. Thus, whilst appropriate assessment tools exist, they currently lack a coherent context within which they can function effectively and the implementation of the Kiev protocol requiring the engagement of health professionals in SEA is not to likely improve the consideration of health in planning while there continues to be separation of functions between professions and lack of understanding of the other profession.     

Environmental degradation and remediation: is economics part of the problem?

It is argued that standard environmental economic and 'ecological economics', have the same fundamentals of valuation in terms of money, based on a demand curve derived from utilitymaximization. But this approach leads to three different measuresof value. An invariant measure of value exists only if the consumer has 'homothetic preferences'. In order to obtain a numerical estimate of value, specific functional forms are necessary, but typically these estimates do not converge. This is due to the fact that the underlying economic model is not structurally stable.According to neoclassical economics, any environmental remediation can be justified only in terms of increases in consumer satisfaction, balancing marginal gains against marginal costs. It is not surprising that the optimal policy obtained fromthis approach suggests only small reductions in greenhouse gases.We show that a unidimensional metric of consumer's utility measured in dollar terms can only trivialize the problem of global climate change.     

Which Formalism to Model the pH and Temperature Dependence of the Microbiological Processes in Soils? Emphasis on Nitrification

We compared three formalisms derived from (1) medical sciences, (2) environmental, and (3) agronomic models to simulate the effects of pH and temperature on the nitrification rate in arable soils. We evaluated these formalisms by implementing them in a simple growth model by comparing modelled and measured nitrate contents of soil samples with different initial soil pH after incubation at two temperatures. We found that the formalisms derived from medical sciences were more accurate and easily adapted to the data, suggesting that such formalisms may be profitably used in agronomic or environmental models.     

Hydrogeochemical and Geophysical Investigation of the Istanbul Tuzla–Icmeler Spring Area for Environmental and Land Use Planning Purposes

The spring waters of Tuzla–Icmeler are on the Marmara Sea coast in Tuzla town of Istanbul city. The springs discharge a natural sodium chloride mineral water that consumed for ages for therapeutic purposes attributed to their chemical properties. Development of springs commenced during the Ottoman times and a surface collection structure was built at the discharge point of the main spring. Two deep wells were drilled to tap mineral water within the past decades. The bottled water of these springs is also sold for a couple of years and its consumption as a beverage is increasing. The geochemical properties of these springs were investigated by several researchers in the past. This study comprises geochemical and geophysical measurements performed between July 2001 and July 2002 in order to construct a conceptual hydrogeological model for environmental and land use planning purposes. The seasonal evaluation of Tuzla–Icmeler (mineral spring) shows that the chemical properties fluctuate from the beginning of summer until the beginning of winter. This indicates that the overdraft of water during the summer season causes the movement and mix of normal groundwater with the mineralized groundwater. As a result, mixing of less mineralized groundwater decreases the salinity of mineralized groundwater. Using the site-specific hydrogeological, geochemical and geophysical data, zones of protection areas were delineated in order to prevent a possible pollution access to the springs and surroundings from nearby dockyards, dwellings and vehicle traffic. For this purpose, a new land use plan was proposed using the existing settlement sustainability plans.