Can we document if regulation and Best Available Techniques (BAT) have any positive impact on the marine environment? A case based on a steel mill in Greece

In order to document the impact of Best Available Techniques (BAT) and implementation of regulation on the improvement of the coastal marine environment state, we examined the case of a representative steel mill located at the Gulf of Elefsis (Greece). The evaluation of metal pollution was based on the analysis of major and trace elements, organic carbon, magnetic properties, and sediment accumulation rates, in sediment cores obtained from the vicinity of the plant. The analytical data are discussed in relation to steel production, changes of production routes, and adoption of BAT introduced in order to fulfill EU and national legislation. The results show that the input of pollutants to sediments and the degree of contamination were reduced by approximately 40–70% in the decade 2003–2015 in comparison to the periods of high discharges (1963–2002), whereas the toxicity risks from “high-to-extremely high” were reduced to “medium-to-high.”     

Particulate matter levels in a South American megacity: the metropolitan area of Lima-Callao,Peru

The temporal and spatial trends in the variability of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 from 2010 to 2015 in the metropolitan area of Lima-Callao, Peru, are studied and interpreted in this work. The mean annual concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 have ranges (averages) of 133–45 μg m^?3 (84 μg m^?3) and 35–16 μg m^?3 (26 μg m^?3) for the monitoring sites under study. In general, the highest annual concentrations are observed in the eastern part of the city, which is a result of the pattern of persistent local winds entering from the coast in a south-southwest direction. Seasonal fluctuations in the particulate matter (PM) concentrations are observed; these can be explained by subsidence thermal inversion. There is also a daytime pattern that corresponds to the peak traffic of a total of 9 million trips a day. The PM_2.5 value is approximately 40% of the PM₁₀ value. This proportion can be explained by PM₁₀ re-suspension due to weather conditions. The long-term trends based on the Theil-Sen estimator reveal decreasing PM₁₀ concentrations on the order of ?4.3 and ?5.3% year^?1 at two stations. For the other stations, no significant trend is observed. The metropolitan area of Lima-Callao is ranked 12th and 16th in terms of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, respectively, out of 39 megacities. The annual World Health Organization thresholds and national air quality standards are exceeded. A large fraction of the Lima population is exposed to PM concentrations that exceed protection thresholds. Hence, the development of pollution control and reduction measures is paramount.     

Permeability of hair to cadmium,copper and lead in five species of terrestrial mammals and implications in biomonitoring

The capacity of mammal hair to absorb toxic metals and its utility in biomonitoring has been broadly studied. Though these metal-binding properties has generally been attributed to the sulphur contained in cysteine, an amino acid that forms part of keratin, there are not many experimental studies that analyze the role of sulphur in the external deposition of potentially toxic metallic elements in order to better understand the potential of hair in biomonitoring and generate better tools for differentiating between internal and external deposition of contaminants. In this study, an experimental analysis is carried out using a scanning electron microscope on hairs of five terrestrial mammal species (Peromyscus furvus, P. maniculatus, Glossophaga soricina, Artibeus jamaicensis and Marmosa mexicana) treated with cadmium, copper and lead salts. We quantified absorbed metals as well as natural elements of the hair by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze using simple statistics the role of sulphur in the absorption Cd, Cu and Pb. Given the lack of studies comparing the mechanisms of deposition of metal elements among different orders of Class Mammalia, external morphology was considered to be an important factor in the deposition of metallic particles of Cd, Cu and Pb. Bat species (Glossophaga soricina, Artibeus jamaicensis) showed a high concentration of particles in their scales, however, no between-species differences in metal absorption were observed, and during the exogenous deposition metal particles do not permeate the medulla. These results suggest that the sulphur in hair itself cannot bind metals to hair cuticle and that hair absorption capacity depends on a variety of factors such as aspects of hair morphology.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Noctiluca</Emphasis> and copepods grazing on the phytoplankton community in a nutrient-enriched coastal environment along the southwest coast of India

The relative grazing impact of Noctiluca scintillans (hereafter referred only Noctiluca) and copepods (Acrocalanus gracilis, Paracalanus parvus, Acartia danae and Oithona similis) on the phytoplankton community in an upwelling–mudbank environment along the southwest coast India is presented here. This study was carried out during the Pre-Southwest Monsoon (April–May) to the Late Southwest Monsoon (August) period in 2014. During the sampling period, large hydrographical transformation was evident in the study area (off Alappuzha, Southwest coast of India); warmer Pre-Southwest Monsoon water column condition got transformed into cooler and nitrate-rich hypoxic waters during the Southwest Monsoon (June–August) due to intense coastal upwelling. Copepods were present in the study area throughout the sampling period with a noticeable increase in their abundance during the Southwest Monsoon. On the other hand, the first appearance of Noctiluca in the sampling location was during the Early Southwest Monsoon (mid-June) and thereafter their abundance increased towards the Peak Southwest Monsoon. The grazing experiments carried out as per the food removal method showed noticeable differences in the feeding preferences of Noctiluca and copepods, especially on the different size fractions of phytoplankton. Noctiluca showed the highest positive electivity for the phytoplankton micro-fraction (av. 0.49 ± 0.04), followed by nano-fraction (av. 0.17 ± 0.04) and a negative electivity for the pico-fraction (av. ?0.66 ± 0.06). In total ingestion of Noctiluca, micro-fraction contribution (83.7%) was significantly higher compared to the nano- (15.7%) and pico-fractions (0.58%). On the other hand, copepods showed the highest positive electivity for the phytoplankton nano-fraction (av. 0.38 ± 0.04) followed by micro- (av. -0.17 ± 0.05) and pico-fractions (av. ?0.35 ± 0.05). Similarly, in total ingestion of copepods, nano-fraction (69.7%) was the highest followed by micro- (28.9%) and pico-fractions (1.37%). The grazing pressure of Noctiluca on the total phytoplankton was found to be 27.7% of the standing stock and 45.6% of the production, whereas in the case of copepods, it was 9.95% of the standing stock and 16.6% of the production. The study showed that the grazing pressure of Noctiluca on the total phytoplankton as well as larger phytoplankton fraction was 2.8- and 8-folds higher than that of the copepods. This suggests the leading role of Noctiluca as an effective grazer of larger phytoplankton along the southwest west coast of India, especially during the Peak/Late Southwest Monsoon.     

Quality assessment of groundwater from the south-eastern Arabian Peninsula

Assessment of groundwater quality plays a significant role in the utilization of the scarce water resources globally and especially in arid regions. The increasing abstraction together with man-made contamination and seawater intrusion have strongly affected groundwater quality in the Arabia Peninsula, exemplified by the investigation given here from the United Arab Emirates, where the groundwater is seldom reviewed and assessed. In the aim of assessing current groundwater quality, we here present a comparison of chemical data linked to aquifers types. The results reveal that most of the investigated groundwater is not suitable for drinking, household, and agricultural purposes following the WHO permissible limits. Aquifer composition and climate have vital control on the water quality, with the carbonate aquifers contain the least potable water compared to the ophiolites and Quaternary clastics. Seawater intrusion along coastal regions has deteriorated the water quality and the phenomenon may become more intensive with future warming climate and rising sea level.     

Variability in the phytoplankton community of Kavaratti reef ecosystem (northern Indian Ocean) during peak and waning periods of El Niño 2016

El Niño, an interannual climate event characterized by elevated oceanic temperature, is a prime threat for coral reef ecosystems worldwide, owing to their thermal threshold sensitivity. Phytoplankton plays a crucial role in the sustenance of reef trophodynamics. The cell size of the phytoplankton forms the “master morphological trait” with implications for growth, resource acquisition, and adaptability to nutrients. In the context of a strong El Niño prediction for 2015–2016, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the variations in the size-structured phytoplankton of Kavaratti reef waters, a major coral atoll along the southeast coast of India. The present study witnessed a remarkable change in the physicochemical environment of the reef water and massive coral bleaching with the progression of El Niño 2015–2016 from its peak to waning phase. The fluctuations observed in sea surface temperature, pH, and nutrient concentration of the reef water with the El Niño progression resulted in a remarkable shift in phytoplankton size structure, abundance, and community composition of the reef waters. Though low nutrient concentration of the waning phase resulted in lower phytoplankton biomass and abundance, the diazotroph Trichodesmium erythraeum predominated the reef waters, owing to its capability of the atmospheric nitrogen fixation and dissolved organic phosphate utilization.     

Probabilistic assessment of phenophase-wise agricultural drought risk under different sowing windows: a case study with rainfed soybean

A new methodology for crop-growth stage-specific assessment of agricultural drought risk under a variable sowing window is proposed for the soybean crop. It encompasses three drought indices, which include Crop-Specific Drought Index (CSDI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The unique features of crop-growth stage-specific nature and spatial and multi-scalar coverage provide a comprehensive assessment of agricultural drought risk. This study was conducted in 10 major soybean-growing districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India. These areas contribute about 60% of the total soybean production for the country. The phenophase most vulnerable to agricultural drought was identified (germination and flowering in our case) for each district across four sowing windows. The agricultural drought risk was quantified at various severity levels (moderate, severe, and very severe) for each growth stage and sowing window. Validation of the proposed new methodology also yielded results with a high correlation coefficient between percent probability of agricultural drought risk and yield risk (r?=?0.92). Assessment by proximity matrix yielded a similar statistic. Expectations for the proposed methodology are better mitigation-oriented management and improved crop contingency plans for planners and decision makers.     

A Novel Formulation for Designing a Monitoring Strategy: Application to the Design of a River Quality Monitoring System

In this work, we propose a technique to automatically optimize the monitoring of any distributed indicator (concentration of a substance along a river, blood pressure of a patient over time, etc.) for which a reliable estimate is previously available. From a mathematical point of view, the problem is based on obtaining a reliable estimate of the chosen indicator (e.g., by numerical simulation), and then solving a multi-objective optimization problem (with mixed real and integer variables) whose solution must provide an efficient and satisfactory monitoring strategy. As an illustrative case, we show the steps to follow in order to implement that strategy when designing a system for monitoring water quality in a river. Finally, we present and analyze the results when applying the proposed technique to study a real case in the Neuse River (North Carolina, USA).     

A Tool for Classification and Regression Using Random Forest Methodology: Applications to Landslide Susceptibility Mapping and Soil Thickness Modeling

Classification and regression problems are a central issue in geosciences. In this paper, we present Classification and Regression Treebagger (ClaReT), a tool for classification and regression based on the random forest (RF) technique. ClaReT is developed in Matlab and has a simple graphic user interface (GUI) that simplifies the model implementation process, allows the standardization of the method, and makes the classification and regression process reproducible. This tool performs automatically the feature selection based on a quantitative criterion and allows testing a large number of explanatory variables. First, it ranks and displays the parameter importance; then, it selects the optimal configuration of explanatory variables; finally, it performs the classification or regression for an entire dataset. It can also provide an evaluation of the results in terms of misclassification error or root mean squared error. We tested the applicability of ClaReT in two case studies. In the first one, we used ClaReT in classification mode to identify the better subset of landslide conditioning variables (LCVs) and to obtain a landslide susceptibility map (LSM) of the Arno river basin (Italy). In the second case study, we used ClaReT in regression mode to produce a soil thickness map of the Terzona catchment, a small sub-basin of the Arno river basin. In both cases, we performed a validation of the results and a comparison with other state-of-the-art techniques. We found that ClaReT produced better results, with a more straightforward and easy application and could be used as a valuable tool to assess the importance of the variables involved in the modeling.     

Application of Adjoint Approach to Oil Spill Problems

Adjoint method is applied to various oil spill problems. A three-dimensional model for describing the dispersion of a quasi-passive substance (a pollutant or a nutrient) and its adjoint model are considered in a limited sea region. Direct and adjoint estimates are used to get dual (equivalent) estimates of the mean concentration of the substance in important zones of the region. The role of dual estimates is illustrated with a few examples. They include such oil spill problems as the search of the most dangerous point of the oil tanker route, the oil dispersion with a climatic velocity, and the dependence of the oil concentration estimates on the oil spill rate. One more example is the application of optimal bioremediation strategy for cleaning a few zones polluted by oil. In this case, instead of oil, the model describes the dispersion of a nutrient released to marine environment. Balanced, unconditionally stable second-order finite-difference schemes based on the splitting method for the solution of the dispersion model and its adjoint are suggested. The main and adjoint difference schemes are compatible in the sense that at every fractional step of the splitting algorithm, the one-dimensional split operators of both schemes satisfy a discrete form of Lagrange identity. In the special unforced and non-dissipative case, each scheme has two conservation laws. Every split one-dimensional problem is solved by Thomas’ factorization method.