Seasonality of mercury and its fractions in microplastics biofilms -comparison to natural biofilms, suspended particulate matter and bottom sediment.

Biofilms can enhance the sorption of heavy metals onto microplastic (MP) surfaces. However, most research in this field relies on laboratory experiments and neglects metal fractions and seasonal variations. Further studies of the metal/biofilm interaction in the aquatic environment are essential for assessing the ecological threat that MPs pose.

The seasonality of the concentration of endocrine phenolic compounds in the matter attached to the surface of microplastics.

Rapid biofilm formation on microplastic (MP) surfaces in marine environments and the tendency of hydrophobic pollutants to bioaccumulate may increase the exposure of organisms to ingested plastics and transport pollutants far from their sources. The role of the matter attached to MPs (MaM) in the interactions between MPs and other pollutants in marine environments is poorly understood. This paper studies pollutant sorption in MaM for three phenolic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs): bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), and 4-nonylphenol (4-NP).

Effects of beach wrack on the fate of mercury at the land-sea interface - A preliminary study.

Since the 1970s, the amount of aquatic plants and algae debris, called beach wrack (BW), has increased along the shores of industrialised regions. The strong ability of primary producers to accumulate pollutants can potentially result in their deposition on the beach along with the BW. Despite that, the fate and impact of such pollutants on sandy beach ecosystems have not been investigated so far.

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in the coastal zone: Characteristics and relationship with meteorological factors.

In this study, the quantitative and qualitative compositions of microplastics (MPs) deposited from the atmosphere in the coastal zone were analysed. Moreover, links between MP deposition and meteorological factors (air humidity, wind speed, precipitation height, and air mass trajectories) were investigated. MP deposition samples were collected in the southern Baltic area in 2017 and 2018 for 286 days in total.

A geophysical, geochemical and microbiological study of a newly discovered pockmark with active gas seepage and submarine groundwater discharge (MET1-BH, central Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea).

High-resolution bathymetric data were collected with a multi-beam echosounder in the southern part of the Baltic Sea (region MET1, Gulf of Gdańsk) revealing the presence of a 10 m deep and 50 m in diameter pockmark (MET1-BH) on the sea bottom (78.7 m). To date, no such structures have been observed to reach this size in the Baltic Sea.

Seasonal variation in accumulation of mercury in the benthic macrofauna in a temperate coastal zone (Gulf of Gdańsk).

The main source of toxic mercury (Hg) in the human body is the consumption of fish and seafood. Therefore, it is particularly important to indicate the processes that condition Hg accumulation in marine organisms, especially those in the basal links of the food chain, which are rather poorly investigated compared to top predators. The aim of the study was to determine the seasonal variability of Hg concentrations in macrozoobenthic organisms and the factors that condition it.

Origin and fate of nanoparticles in marine water - Preliminary results.

The number, morphology and elemental composition of nanoparticles (<100 nm) in marine water was investigated using Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Preliminary research conducted in the Baltic Sea showed that the number of nanoparticles in seawater varied from undetectable to 380 (x10) cm. Wind mixing and density barriers (thermocline) had a significant impact on the abundance and distribution of nanoparticles in water.

Sorption of Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, and Co to nano-TiO in seawater.

In this study, the role of nanoparticles in complex aqueous matrices such as the Baltic Sea was investigated in batch-mode experiments in which titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO) were tested for their ability to remove heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Co) from multicomponent spiked and non-spiked Baltic Sea water. The experimental data were analyzed using different isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevich (DKR)) and models (pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, the double-exponential model, and the Weber-Morris model). The equilibria and kinetic investigations showed that metal sorption to nano-TiO occurs in a two-step, multilayer process and that there is strong competition for sorption sites.

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea-a preliminary study.

Microplastics' (particles size ≤5 mm) sources and fate in marine bottom and beach sediments of the brackish are strongly polluted Baltic Sea have been investigated. Microplastics were extracted using sodium chloride (1.2 g cm).

Factors determining accumulation of bisphenol A and alkylphenols at a low trophic level as exemplified by mussels Mytilus trossulus.

The aim of the study was to investigate abiotic and biotic factors influencing the accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in mussels Mytilus trossulus from the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic). The key abiotic factor influencing BPA, OP and NP accumulation in mussels is their hydrophilicity/lipophilicity, which affects their main assimilation routes - by digestive tract for the more lipophilic OP and NP, and additionally by the gills for the less lipophilic BPA. As a result, high condition index (i.

Reconstruction of the pollution history of alkylphenols (4-tert-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol) in the Baltic Sea.

This paper reports the reconstruction of the pollution history of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in the Baltic Sea. Alkylphenols are endocrine-disrupting compound and therefore toxic to aquatic organisms. Sediment cores were collected from regions with relatively stable sedimentation conditions.

The fate of bisphenol A, 4-tert-octylphenol and 4-nonylphenol leached from plastic debris into marine water--experimental studies on biodegradation and sorption on suspended particulate matter and nano-TiO2.

Experiments were carried out, the aim of which was to determine the leaching rates for bisphenol A (4,4'-(propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol - BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol (NP) from polycarbonate and recycled tyre granules into the seawater. Additionally biodegradation, sorption on marine suspended particulate matter and sorption on various types of nano-TiO2 of BPA, OP, NP were studied. Experiments were carried out on plastics at various stages of degradation.

Styrofoam debris as a potential carrier of mercury within ecosystems.

The present paper falls within the trend of research into interactions between various pollutants emitted anthropogenically into the environment and focuses on mercury and styrofoam debris. The study covers part of the Southern Baltic's drainage area. Apart from styrofoam and beach sand, the research involved mosses, which are bioindicators of atmospheric metal pollution.

Factors controlling benzo(a)pyrene concentration in aerosols in the urbanized coastal zone. A case study: Gdynia, Poland (Southern Baltic Sea).

Annual study on the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentration in aerosols in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic) has been performed at Gdynia station. Combustion processes, especially domestic heating of both local and regional origin, were identified as the main sources of benzo(a)pyrene in this area. Concentrations observed during the heating season (mean 2.