Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Megan Gomes, Timothy J. Ralph, Carl Helander, Marc S. Humphries
Summary: Wetlands in semiarid regions are vital for providing ecosystem services in dry environments, and their functioning depends on landscape connectivity. This study assesses the landscape connectivity in the Mara River catchment in East Africa to understand the processes driving material transfer to floodplain wetlands. The analysis reveals significant spatiotemporal variability in connectivity patterns, with the upper catchment being highly connected and likely contributing the most sediment inputs to the river. Protected areas, on the other hand, show lower connectivity and sediment contribution. Understanding these patterns can help prioritize management efforts in large semiarid catchments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Salar Rezapour, Farrokh Asadzadeh, Amin Nouri, Habib Khodaverdiloo, Mohammad Heidari
Summary: This study identified the sources and potential ecological and health risks of heavy metals in river sediments of the Urmia Lake basin in Iran. The analysis revealed varying pollution levels and ecological risks in the sediments, with different heavy metals showing different levels of contamination and risk. Actions to manage and control heavy metal pollution in aquatic-sedimentary ecosystems can be based on the practical information provided by this study.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rose Boahemaa Pinto, Linda Bogerd, Martine van der Ploeg, Kwame Duah, Remko Uijlenhoet, Tim H. M. van Emmerik
Summary: Catchment-scale plastic pollution assessments provide insights into the sources, sinks, and pathways of plastic pollution. We propose an approach to quantify macroplastic transport and density in the Odaw catchment, Ghana, and find that the urban riverine zone has the highest transport, while the urban tidal zone has the highest riverbank and land macroplastic density.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiang Zhao, Qu Zhang, Guizhen He, Lei Zhang, Yonglong Lu
Summary: The study examined the pollution threat of industrial activities on coastal wetlands in different regions of China, finding varying impacts based on the type of industry and quantity of wetlands. Policy recommendations were provided for industrial restructuring in coastal areas, with potential applicability to other countries facing growing industrialization.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Thuy Thi Nguyen, Colin Meurk, Rubianca Benavidez, Bethanna Jackson, Markus Pahlow
Summary: The study demonstrates that implementing blue-green infrastructure (BGI) can improve biodiversity and habitat connectivity in urban environments. While BGI can increase habitat percentages for specific species, achieving the recommended target of indigenous cover still requires regenerating more native patches and expanding pest control.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ellen Wohl, Janine Castro, Brian Cluer, Dorothy Merritts, Paul Powers, Brian Staab, Colin Thorne
Summary: River-wetland corridors are interconnected systems of channels, wetlands, ponds, and lakes formed by a high degree of connectivity between surface and subsurface flow components. They can develop anywhere along a drainage network and are described as polydimensional “kaleidoscope rivers.” Despite their historical pervasiveness, the presence of river-wetland corridors has been greatly diminished worldwide due to anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linh Hoang, James P. S. Sukias, Valerio Montemezzani, Chris C. Tanner
Summary: Nitrogen loading from diffuse agricultural sources is a major water-quality problem worldwide. Constructed wetlands have proven to be effective in treating runoff and drainage from agricultural lands. This study used a catchment-wetland modelling approach to estimate and quantify the nitrogen input loads into a wetland and evaluate its removal efficiency. The results showed that the Owl Farm constructed wetland had a high capacity for nitrate-N removal, with an average removal rate of 61%. However, the efficiency varied with the inflow from the catchment, with higher removal rates during low-flow periods and slightly lower rates during high-flow periods.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yong Zhang, Zhishuai Qu, Jiqiu Li, Tao Hu, Changzhi Chen, Xiaofeng Lin
Summary: Understanding how different habitats contribute to the diversity of organisms is crucial for biodiversity conservation. The study focused on planktonic microeukaryotes, which are widely distributed in aquatic habitats, to investigate how their distribution is affected by habitat connectivity and heterogeneity. The findings suggest that habitat filtering rather than salinity or geographic distance is the primary driver of community assembly in planktonic microeukaryotes in connected aquatic ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah A. Harttung, Kara R. Radabaugh, Ryan P. Moyer, Joseph M. Smoak, Lisa G. Chambers
Summary: This study examined the transition of subtropical coastal wetland vegetation from herbaceous marsh to woody mangrove, influenced by sea-level rise. Soil organic matter content was found to be the most relevant indicator of soil biogeochemical properties, regardless of vegetation community or salinity regime. Surprisingly, methane production was observed in mangrove communities with moderate to high salinity levels, contradicting expectations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Imokhai T. Tenebe, Jason P. Julian, PraiseGod C. Emenike, Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo, Omeje Maxwell, Samuel E. Sanni, Eunice O. Babatunde, Darlan D. Alves, Christos S. Akratos
Summary: Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) properties provide important information on pollution in rivers and help develop best management practices for water resource management. This study investigated pollution sources in the Manawatu River, New Zealand, using statistical methods, receptor modeling, connectivity analysis, and trend analysis. The results identified high-producing grassland as the dominant pollution class in all sub-catchments, and showed an increase in nutrients and sediments over time. The study also highlighted the need for BMPs with high retention capacity to filter pollutants in specific locations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dylan M. Osterhaus, Samuel S. Leberg, Clay L. Pierce, Timothy W. Stewart, Audrey McCombs
Summary: Throughout the world, wetlands have been degraded and their coverage has declined. Recognizing the value of wetlands, efforts have been made to preserve and restore them. However, there is a lack of recommended sampling methodology for monitoring fish communities in oxbow wetlands. This study compared different sampling methods and found that seining and fyke netting are effective for sampling oxbow fish communities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Olatayo M. Ogunbanwo, Paul Kay, Alistair B. Boxall, John Wilkinson, Chris J. Sinclair, Rasheed A. Shabi, Abolaji E. Fasasi, Gregory A. Lewis, Olanrewaju A. Amoda, Lee E. Brown
Summary: Pharmaceutical contamination of the environment is a global problem, and this study monitored the occurrence of high concentrations of pharmaceuticals in water bodies in Lagos State, Nigeria. Sewage effluent was identified as the main source of river pollution, but there are also unregulated sources that need further investigation. The findings highlight the serious issue of pharmaceutical pollution in Nigeria's freshwater environment and call for management efforts to address this problem.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhaoliang Chen, Shing Yip Lee
Summary: The study reveals that microplastics are primarily concentrated in surface sediment and vegetated coastal sediments. Currently, carbon from microplastics contributes between 0.001% and 1.197% to sediment carbon pool at different depths. Despite the low contribution, microplastics have already had a hidden impact on coastal sediment carbon stock. These data help establish a baseline for the contributions of microplastics to total carbon storage in peri-urban coastal sediments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarmite Kernchen, Martin G. J. Loder, Franziska Fischer, Dieter Fischer, Sonya R. Moses, Christoph Georgi, Anke C. Nolscher, Andreas Held, Christian Laforsch
Summary: This study investigated the presence of microplastics (MP) in the atmosphere of the Weser River catchment area in Germany and found that MP is ubiquitous in the air. The study showed that proximity to cities increases the abundance of MP in the atmosphere, and atmospheric MP significantly contributes to the contamination of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuxin Jiang, Yunzhe Wang, Demin Zhou, Yinghai Ke, Junhong Bai, Wenwen Li, Jiaguo Yan
Summary: The Yellow River Delta is one of the youngest deltas in the world, providing habitats for famous waterfowls in East Asia. An ecological restoration project within the National Nature Reserve of the Yellow River Delta has significantly impacted coastal wetlands, particularly altering plant habitats. Innovative models were presented to evaluate the complex impact of the restoration project on estuary wetland habitats.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Atefeh Zendehboudi, Azam Mohammadi, Sina Dobaradaran, Gabriel E. De-la-Torre, Bahman Ramavandi, Seyed Enayat Hashemi, Reza Saeedi, Emran Moradpour Tayebi, Ahmad Vafaee, Amirhossein Darabi
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in ballast water for the first time, and found high levels of MP pollution. These findings contribute to our understanding of the sources and risks of microplastics in marine ecosystems.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rose Boahemaa Pinto, Linda Bogerd, Martine van der Ploeg, Kwame Duah, Remko Uijlenhoet, Tim H. M. van Emmerik
Summary: Catchment-scale plastic pollution assessments provide insights into the sources, sinks, and pathways of plastic pollution. We propose an approach to quantify macroplastic transport and density in the Odaw catchment, Ghana, and find that the urban riverine zone has the highest transport, while the urban tidal zone has the highest riverbank and land macroplastic density.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aliya Baidourela, Qian Sun, Gongxin Yang, Umut Halik, Zhongkai Dong, Kaixu Cai, Guili Sun, Wenya Zhang, Sisi Cheng
Summary: The study focused on heavy metal pollution in the green vegetation of a suburban industrial area in Tuokexun County, Xinjiang, China. The results showed that the overall level of heavy metal pollution in the soil was minor, with mercury (Hg) being the most severe contamination, likely caused by human activities. The composition of heavy metal elements in trees was more stable compared to grass and shrubs, with varying concentrations across different vegetation. Shrubbery was found to be the most effective in heavy metal restoration, and there were disparities in heavy metal enrichment among different vegetation types.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
James H. Bridson, Hayden Masterton, Beatrix Theobald, Regis Risani, Fraser Doake, Jessica A. Wallbank, Stefan D. M. Maday, Gavin Lear, Robert Abbel, Dawn A. Smith, Joanne M. Kingsbury, Olga Pantos, Grant L. Northcott, Sally Gaw
Summary: Plastic pollution has significant environmental impacts, largely due to chemical additives. However, the behavior of plastic additives in marine environments is not well understood. A marine deployment experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of weathering on the extractables profile of four types of plastics in New Zealand over a period of nine months. The concentration of additives in polyethylene and oxo-degradable polyethylene was strongly influenced by artificial weathering, while polyamide 6 and polyethylene terephthalate showed minimal change. These findings emphasize the importance of considering leaching and weathering effects on plastic composition when assessing the potential impact and risk of plastic pollution in receiving environments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alan G. Scarlett, Francis D. Spilsbury, Steven J. Rowland, Marthe Monique Gagnon, Kliti Grice
Summary: This study used diamondoid hydrocarbon distributions to identify the sources of environmental oil contamination. A suite of 20 diamondoids was found to accumulate in fish adipose tissue. The scatter plots of indices between fish and exposure oils showed a close to ideal 1:1 relationship, which can be used to determine the origin of the oil.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shan Jiang, Mengmeng Wan, Kun Lin, Yanshan Chen, Rui Wang, Liju Tan, Jiangtao Wang
Summary: In this study, the concentration, composition, distribution, and sources of PCBs in surface seawater of the Bohai Bay were analyzed. The results showed that PCBs in the Bohai Bay had high concentrations and were primarily derived from land-based sources such as port activities and river inputs. The PCBs in the Bohai Bay may come from commercial PCBs and their incineration products, municipal landfills, wood and coal combustion, and industrial activities, etc.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Icaro S. A. Porto, Saulo V. A. Dantas, Caio S. A. Felix, Francisco A. S. Cunha, Jailson B. de Andrade, Sergio L. C. Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluated the risks of mercury levels in sardines consumed by low-income population in Salvador, Brazil. The results showed that the mercury content in the sampled sardines posed no risks to human health. This study is significant as most sardines in Salvador come from Todos os Santos Bay, which has a history of mercury contamination.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Chen, Chengyu Yuan, Guanqun Zhai, Guangcheng Chen, Heng Zhu, Jun Liu, Yong Ye
Summary: This study investigated the combined influences of species selection and site elevation on greenhouse gas fluxes from restored mangrove soils. The results suggest that Avicennia marina should be selected for mangrove restoration to minimize carbon release and reduce the influence of greenhouse gas fluxes on the global greenhouse effect.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emmanuel Onyeabor, Uju Obuka
Summary: The Gulf of Guinea region in Africa is a significant area for coastal countries, playing a vital role in their economic and environmental development. This study aims to reduce marine plastic pollution in the region by utilizing legal instruments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanli Liu, Stephan Luttjohann, Alvise Vianello, Claudia Lorenz, Fan Liu, Jes Vollertsen
Summary: Large area attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (LAATR-FTIR) is a novel technique for detecting small microplastics, with limited accuracy for large microplastics. However, it shows promise in homogeneous matrices. The spectra quality is comparable between transmission mode and LAATR mode.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Phuc T. D. Le, Andrew M. Fischer, Britta D. Hardesty, Heidi J. Auman, Chris Wilcox
Summary: This study explores the relationship between ocean currents and the accumulation of floating marine debris (FMD) and finds that higher concentrations of FMD are associated with frontal frequencies (FF). FMD is primarily trapped in accumulation zones between fronts and the coastline, which have high biodiversity value.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosa Sawan, Perine Doyen, Florence Viudes, Rachid Amara, Celine Mahfouz
Summary: Few studies have examined the impact of urbanization and meteorological events on microplastics discharged into the sea through rivers. Surface water samples were collected from two Lebanese rivers, with differing degrees of urbanization, during dry and wet periods. The results showed that the most industrialized river had a significantly higher abundance of microplastics compared to the less-industrialized river. There was also a correlation between particle contamination and the season at each site, with microplastic concentrations highest on the first day of the wet season. These findings highlight the importance of considering meteorological events in accurately assessing plastic pollution influx into coastal waters.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine R. Shaw, Jonathan L. Whitney, Eileen M. Nalley, Madeline C. Schmidbauer, Megan J. Donahue, Jesse Black, Raquel N. Corniuk, Kellie Teague, Rachel Sandquist, Catherine Pirkle, Rachel Dacks, Max Sudnovsky, Jennifer M. Lynch
Summary: This study examines the ingestion of plastic in reef fish in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Plastic particles were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple fish species. However, further analysis revealed that these particles were actually natural materials and posed no threat to human consumers.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Revati Hardikar, C. K. Haridevi, Shantaj Deshbhratar
Summary: This study investigated the variability in phytoplankton functional structure using a trait-based approach and explored the relationship between species traits and environmental factors, as well as their impact on ecosystem functioning. The results revealed that morphological traits, temperature, and ammonia played a decisive role in the seasonal succession of phytoplankton species. It was found that certain traits favored higher biomass production but might hinder energy transfer efficiency. The strong correlation between environmental variables and phytoplankton functional structure supports the practical implementation of a trait-based approach in studying phytoplankton community dynamics under different environmental conditions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Engki A. Kisnarti, Nining Sari Ningsih, Mutiara R. Putri, Nani Hendiarti, Bernhard Mayer
Summary: This study examines the movement patterns of plastic marine debris in Indonesian waters, revealing that Indonesia contributes significantly to transboundary marine debris in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. Most of the debris remains in Indonesian waters and moves back and forth due to the influence of monsoon currents.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)