Seasonal and body size-dependent variability in the bioaccumulation of PAHs and their alkyl homologues in pearl oysters in the central Arabian Gulf.

Spatiotemporal concentration patterns for 19 parents and their alkyl homologues were measured in Pinctada radiata from 7 locations in the central Arabian Gulf around Qatar in the winter, spring and summer (2014-2015). The concentrations of PAHs ranged from 20 to 2240 (262 ± 38.0 ng·g dw) with the highest occurrence in the Doha harbor (738.

Comparative toxicity of hydrocarbons for evaluation of as an experimental proxy for deep-water column micronekton.

The potential impacts of sub-surface hydrocarbon plumes to deep-water column micronekton are an important consideration in a more complete understanding of ecosystem effects resulting from deep-sea oil spills. However, evaluating toxicity in these organisms presents multiple challenges, and the use of a shallow-water proxy species allows comparison and validation of experimental results. This study thus examined the suitability of the peppermint shrimp, , as an experimental proxy for ecologically important deep-sea zooplankton/micronekton in hydrocarbon toxicity assays.

Biosensor applications in contaminated estuaries: Implications for disaster research response.

Background: Given the time and monetary costs associated with traditional analytical chemistry, there remains a need to rapidly characterize environmental samples for priority analysis, especially within disaster research response (DR2). As PAHs are both ubiquitous and occur as complex mixtures at many National Priority List sites, these compounds are of interest for post-disaster exposures.

Objective: This study tests the field application of the KinExA Inline Biosensor in Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC) and in the Elizabeth River, characterizing the PAH profiles of these region's soils and sediments.

Sedimentary record of the impact of management actions on pollution of Cartagena bay, Colombia.

The reconstruction of pollution in aquatic ecosystems is a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of management actions. Cartagena Bay (Colombia, Caribbean Sea) is one of the most impacted coastal zones in Colombia by a wide variety of human activities. A sediment core was dated using Pb and used to reconstruct the historical input of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorinated pesticides to the bay.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon status in post-hurricane Harvey sediments: Considerations for environmental sampling in the Galveston Bay/Houston Ship Channel region.

Hurricane Harvey led to a broad redistribution of sediment throughout Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC), but the resulting changes in chemical contaminant distributions have yet to be characterized. To address this question, we collected and analyzed post-Harvey sediment for concentrations of the EPA 16 Priority Pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), determining the extent to which the spatial distribution and sourcing of contaminants may have changed in contrast to historical surface sediment data (<5 cm) from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) available for the years 1996-2011. We found a small, but detectable increase from pre- to post-Harvey in PAH concentrations, with PAH diagnostic sourcing indicating combustion origins.

Long-term changes in contamination and macrobenthic communities adjacent to McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Improved waste management at McMurdo Station, Antarctica beginning in the 1980s has been followed by decreases in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and metal contamination in the adjacent marine sediments. However, determining the effect of the decreased contamination on marine ecological indicators (macrobenthic fauna) is confounded by concurrent changes in climate cycles and other physical forces. Between 2000 and 2013, there was a decrease in concentrations of some contaminants including mercury, copper, organochlorines, and PAHs in marine sediments adjacent to McMurdo Station.

Persistent organic pollutants in eggs from south Texas Aplomado falcons.

A program to reintroduce the Northern Aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) in south Texas and the southwestern United States was initiated in the late 1970s. Fledgling Aplomado falcons were first released in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in 1993 and the first nesting pair in the area was recorded by 1995. During 2004-2017 we collected addled eggs from nesting pairs in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and Matagorda Island in south Texas, to determine if environmental contaminants in Aplomado falcon eggs had decreased over time and if eggshell thickness values were similar to those in the pre-DDT era.

Measured and predicted acute toxicity of phenanthrene and MC252 crude oil to vertically migrating deep-sea crustaceans.

Deep-water column micronekton play a key role in oceanic food webs and represent an important trophic link between deep- and shallow-water ecosystems. Thus, the potential impacts of sub-surface hydrocarbon plumes on these organisms are critical to developing a more complete understanding of ocean-wide effects resulting from deep-sea oil spills. This work was designed to advance the understanding of hydrocarbon toxicity in several ecologically important deep-sea micronekton species using controlled laboratory exposures aimed at determining lethal threshold exposure levels.

Mesocosm experiments to better understand hydrocarbon half-lives for oil and oil dispersant mixtures.

Concerns on the timing and processes associated with petroleum degradation were raised after the use of Corexit during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. There is a lack of understanding of the removal of oil associated with flocculate materials to the sediment. Mesocosm studies employing coastal and open-ocean seawater from the Gulf of Mexico were undertaken to examine changes in oil concentration and composition with time.

Baseline data for distribution of contaminants by natural disasters: results from a residential Houston neighborhood during Hurricane Harvey flooding.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas August 25, 2017, bringing massive rains and flooding that impacted soils in a residential neighborhood in East Houston. Trace elements, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ether fire retardants (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 24 soil samples. The highest concentrations found in soils were total PAHs, which ranged from 1,310 μg/kg to 85,700 μg/kg with a mean of 12,600 μg/kg.

Biological response to dissolved versus dispersed oil.

The water-soluble compounds of oil (e.g. low molecular weight PAHs) dissolve as a function of their physicochemical properties and environmental conditions, while the non-soluble compounds exist as dispersed droplets.

Recent history of persistent organic pollutants (PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs) in sediments from a large tropical lake.

Pb-dated sediment cores and surface sediments from Lake Chapala (LC), Mexico, were analyzed to assess the temporal trends in concentrations and fluxes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: PAHs, PCBs and PBDEs). Total sediment concentrations of PAHs (95-1,482 ng g), PCBs (9-27 ng g) and PBDEs (0.2-2.

Persistent Organic Pollutants in Livers and Hg in Feathers of Neotropic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) from the Trinity River Watershed (Texas, USA).

The Trinity River (Texas, USA) has been historically known as a polluted river because of its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and because of known discharges of sewage and agricultural irrigation waters to the river. Surprisingly, there are no studies regarding the presence of legacy contaminants in the river and their impacts to wildlife. The objectives of this study were to determine accumulation and potential impacts of persistent organic pollutants, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), on Neotropic cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) nesting along the Trinity River.

Spatio-temporal distribution and sources identifications of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their alkyl homolog in surface sediments in the central Arabian Gulf.

The quantitative analysis of 18 parents and their alkyl homologs was performed in sediment samples from the central Arabian Gulf (Gulf) around Qatar Peninsula in six sequential seasons, winter 2014 to spring 2015, at 21 locations with a water depth range of 1.5-60 m. PAHs distribution was patchy with higher concentrations found inside semi-enclosed coastal areas like harbors and bays.

Passive dosing yields dissolved aqueous exposures of crude oil comparable to the CROSERF (Chemical Response to Oil Spill: Ecological Effects Research Forum) water accommodated fraction method.

The Chemical Response to Oil Spill: Ecological Effects Research Forum's water accommodated fraction procedure was compared with 2 alternative techniques in which crude oil was passively dosed from silicone tubing or O-rings. Fresh Macondo oil (MC252) was dosed at 30 mg/L using each approach to investigate oil dissolution kinetics, which was monitored by fluorometry as estimated oil equivalents (EOEs). Subsequent experiments with each dosing method were then conducted at multiple oil loadings.

Short-term toxicity of 1-methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia and 5 deep-sea crustaceans.

There are few studies that have evaluated hydrocarbon toxicity to vertically migrating deep-sea micronekton. Crustaceans were collected alive using a 9-m Tucker trawl with a thermally insulated cod end and returned to the laboratory in 10 °C seawater. Toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 1-methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia, Janicella spinacauda, Systellaspis debilis, Sergestes sp.

Distribution and residue profile of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediment and fish of Lake Manzala, Egypt.

Unlabelled: Sediment and fish (Oreochromis niloticus) samples collected from Lake Manzala were analyzed to assess the spatial distribution of OCPs and 96 PCBs. Relatively higher concentrations of chlorpyrifos, ∑DDT, and HCB were found, particularly at the Bahr Al-Baqar drain station, which has uncontrolled inputs of untreated domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastes. The concentrations of ∑PCBs ranged from 19 to 69 ng/g dw and from 7.

Seasonal Differences in Contaminant Accumulation in Neotropical Migrant and Resident Songbirds.

For many years, it has been hypothesized that Neotropical migrants breeding in the United States and Canada accumulate organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) while on their wintering grounds in Latin America. We investigated the seasonal accumulation of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) in migrant and resident passerines in Texas, Yucatán, and Costa Rica collected during the fall, winter, and spring from 2011 to 2013. A total of 153 birds were collected, and all contained detectable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and OCPs with dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) being the most predominant pesticide.

Edward D. Goldberg's proposal of "the Mussel Watch": Reflections after 40years.

We chronicle the extensive influence over the past forty years of Professor Edward D. Goldberg and his call in 1975 for a "Mussel Watch" or bivalve sentinel organism approach to assess geographic status and temporal trends of several chemicals of environmental concern in the coastal ocean. Examples of local, regional, national and international programs are discussed briefly as are examples of interesting useful findings and limitations to the Mussel Watch concept.

Composition and depth distribution of hydrocarbons in Barataria Bay marsh sediments after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In 2010, an estimate 4.1 million barrels of oil were accidentally released into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill. One and a half years after this incident, a set of subtidal and intertidal marsh sediment cores were collected from five stations in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, and analyzed to determine the spatial and vertical distributions and source of hydrocarbon residues based on their chemical composition.

Spatial and temporal distribution of water column total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) from the Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) incident.

Pre-spill background concentrations of TPH and PAH in water samples from the Gulf of Mexico are compared with samples (over 20,000) collected during and after the Deepwater Horizon incident (13,000 stations). Samples were collected by multiple response agencies, trustees and BP and reported in the Gulf Science Data. The samples were collected from a few m to over 800 km in all directions from the wellhead.

Coexisting sea-based and land-based sources of contamination by PAHs in the continental shelf sediments of Coatzacoalcos River discharge area (Gulf of Mexico).

The oldest refinery and the major petrochemical complexes of Mexico are located in the lower reach of the Coatzacoalcos River, considered the most polluted coastal area of Mexico. A (210)Pb-dated sediment core, from the continental shelf of the Coatzacoalcos River, was studied to assess the contamination impact by the oil industry in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The sedimentary record showed the prevalence of petrogenic PAHs between 1950s and 1970s, a period during which waste discharges from the oil industry were not regulated.

Long-range atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants to remote lacustrine environments.

Concentrations, temporal trends and fluxes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: PAHs, PCBs and PBDEs) were determined in soil and (210)Pb-dated sediment cores from remote lacustrine environments (El Tule and Santa Elena lakes) in rural areas of Central Mexico. In both areas, the concentrations of target analytes in soil and sediment samples were comparable and indicative of slightly contaminated environments. The prevalence of low-molecular-weight PAHs in soils suggested their mainly atmospheric origin, in contrast to the aquatic sediments where runoff contribution was also significant.

PBDE levels in franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei): temporal trend and geographical comparison.

Total PBDE concentrations determined in archived blubber samples from franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) unintentionally captured in the Brazilian coastal region off Rio Grande do Sul State (FMA III) between 1994 and 2004 (n = 73) ranged from 7.9 to 65 ng g(-1) lipid weight in mature males, with an increase over the ten-year period. Total PBDE concentrations in blubber samples collected from the FAM II (n = 41) between 2002 and 2005 were higher (67.