Assessing PCB pollution in the Baltic Sea - An equilibrium partitioning based study.

Sediment cores and bottom water samples from across the Baltic Sea region were analyzed for freely dissolved concentrations (C), total sediment concentrations (C) and the dissolved aqueous fraction in water of seven indicator PCBs. Ex-situ equilibrium sampling of sediment samples was conducted with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated glass fibers that were analyzed by automated thermal desorption GC-MS, which yielded PCB concentrations in the fiber coating (C). Measurements of C and C were then applied to determine (i) spatially resolved freely dissolved PCB concentrations; (ii) baseline toxicity potential based on chemical activities (a); (iii) site specific mixture compositions; (iv) diffusion gradients at the sediment water interface and within the sediment cores; and (vi) site specific distribution ratios (K).

Occurrences of organophosphorus esters and phthalates in the microplastics from the coastal beaches in north China.

Chemical pollution in the microplastics has been concerned worldwide as pollutants might potentially transfer from the environment to living organisms via plastics. Here, we investigate organophosphorus esters (OPEs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in the beached microplastics collected from 28 coastal beaches of the Bohai and Yellow Sea in north China. The analyzed microplastics included polyethylene (PE) pellets and fragments, polypropylene (PP) flakes and fragments and polystyrene (PS) foams.

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition alters growth responses of European beech (Fagus sylvativa L.) to climate change.

Global change affects the functioning of forest ecosystems and the services they provide, but little is known about the interactive effects of co-occurring global change drivers on important functions such as tree growth and vitality. In the present study we quantified the interactive (i.e.

DNA metabarcoding reveals diverse diet of the three-spined stickleback in a coastal ecosystem.

The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., hereafter 'stickleback') is a common mesopredatory fish in marine, coastal and freshwater areas. In large parts of the Baltic Sea, stickleback densities have increased >10-fold during the last decades, and it is now one of the dominating fish species both in terms of biomass and effects on lower trophic levels.

From headwaters to estuary: Distribution and fate of halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in a river basin near the largest HFR manufacturing base in China.

With the gradual phasing out of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), market demands for alternative halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) are increasing. The Laizhou Bay area is the biggest manufacturing base for brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in China, and the Xiaoqing River is the largest and most heavily contaminated river in this region. Water and sediment samples were collected from the headwaters to the estuary of the Xiaoqing River to investigate the distribution and fate of HFRs [i.

Decadal Western Pacific Warm Pool Variability: A Centroid and Heat Content Study.

We examine several characteristics of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WP) in the past thirty years of mixed interannual variability and climate change. Our study presents the three-dimensional WP centroid (WPC) movement, WP heat content anomaly (HC) and WP volume (WPV) on interannual to decadal time scales. We show the statistically significant correlation between each parameter's interannual anomaly and the NINO 3, NINO 3.

Full-coverage spatial distribution of epibenthic communities in the south-eastern North Sea in relation to habitat characteristics and fishing effort.

Full-coverage spatial data of occurrence and a detailed description of habitat requirements of epibenthic communities are needed in many conservation and management contexts. In the North Sea the focus has so far been on small benthic infauna, whereas structure and ecosystem functions of larger epifaunal communities have been largely ignored. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of epibenthic community structure in the south-eastern North Sea, including a detailed inventory of species, diversity and spatially contiguous distribution of communities.

A fully automated simultaneous single-stage separation of Sr, Pb, and Nd using DGA Resin for the isotopic analysis of marine sediments.

A novel, fast and reliable sample preparation procedure for the simultaneous separation of Sr, Pb, and Nd has been developed for subsequent isotope ratio analysis of sediment digests. The method applying a fully automated, low-pressure chromatographic system separates all three analytes in a single-stage extraction step using self-packed columns filled with DGA Resin. The fully automated set-up allows the unattended processing of three isotopic systems from one sediment digest every 2 h, offering high sample throughput of up to 12 samples per day and reducing substantially laboratory manpower as compared to conventional manual methods.

Organophosphate Esters in Air, Snow, and Seawater in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

The concentrations of eight organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been investigated in air, snow and seawater samples collected during the cruise of ARK-XXVIII/2 from sixth June to third July 2014 across the North Atlantic and the Arctic. The sum of gaseous and particle concentrations (ΣOPE) ranged from 35 to 343 pg/m. The three chlorinated OPEs accounted for 88 ± 5% of the ΣOPE.

Proteins and Amino Acids in Fine Particulate Matter in Rural Guangzhou, Southern China: Seasonal Cycles, Sources, and Atmospheric Processes.

Water-soluble proteinaceous matter including proteins and free amino acids (FAAs) as well as some other chemical components was analyzed in fine particulate matter (PM) samples collected over a period of one year in rural Guangzhou. Annual averaged protein and total FAAs concentrations were 0.79 ± 0.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ocean sediments from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surficial sediments along a marine transect from the North Pacific into the Arctic Ocean. The highest average ΣPAHs concentrations were observed along the continental slope of the Canada Basin in the Arctic (68.3 ± 8.

Maternal transfer of dioxin-like compounds in artificially matured European eels.

Several eel species of the genus Anguilla are considered endangered due to a severe decline in recruitment. Up to now, the reasons for this threatening development are not fully understood. The eel's highly specialized biology can lead to explicitly high accumulation of globally distributed organic lipophilic contaminants during its continental life.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the lower atmosphere and surface waters of the Chinese Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and Yangtze River estuary.

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), in the forms of neutral polyfluoroalkyl substances in the gas phase of air and ionic perfluoroalkyl substances in the dissolved phase of surface water, were investigated during a sampling campaign in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and Yangtze River estuary in May 2012. In the gas phase, the concentrations of neutral ∑PFASs were within the range of 76-551pg/m. Higher concentrations were observed in the South Yellow Sea.

Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Ocean Sediments from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

The presence of organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers in surface sediment from the North Pacific to Arctic Ocean was observed for the first time during the fourth National Arctic Research Expedition of China in the summer of 2010. The samples were analyzed for three halogenated OPEs [tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and tris(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate], three alkylated OPEs [triisobutyl phosphate (TiBP), tri-n-butyl phosphate, and tripentyl phosphate], and triphenyl phosphate. ΣOPEs (total concentration of the observed OPEs) was in the range of 159-4658 pg/g of dry weight.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of a fish predator: Density-dependent and hydrographic effects on Baltic Sea cod population.

Understanding the mechanisms of spatial population dynamics is crucial for the successful management of exploited species and ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms of spatial distribution are generally complex due to the concurrent forcing of both density-dependent species interactions and density-independent environmental factors. Despite the high economic value and central ecological importance of cod in the Baltic Sea, the drivers of its spatio-temporal population dynamics have not been analytically investigated so far.

Village energy survey reveals missing rural raw coal in northern China: Significance in science and policy.

Burning coal for winter heating has been considered a major contributor to northern China's winter haze, with the district heating boilers holding the balance. However a decade of intensive efforts on district heating boilers brought few improvements to northern China's winter air quality, arousing a speculation that the household heating stoves mainly in rural area rather than the district heating boilers mainly in urban area dominate coal emissions in winter. This implies an extreme underestimation of rural household coal consumption by the China Energy Statistical Yearbooks (CESYs), although direct evidence supporting this speculation is lacking.

Hypoxic areas, density-dependence and food limitation drive the body condition of a heavily exploited marine fish predator.

Investigating the factors regulating fish condition is crucial in ecology and the management of exploited fish populations. The body condition of cod () in the Baltic Sea has dramatically decreased during the past two decades, with large implications for the fishery relying on this resource. Here, we statistically investigated the potential drivers of the Baltic cod condition during the past 40 years using newly compiled fishery-independent biological data and hydrological observations.

Bacterial community structure and function shift along a successional series of tidal flats in the Yellow River Delta.

Coastal ecosystems play significant ecological and economic roles but are threatened and facing decline. Microbes drive various biogeochemical processes in coastal ecosystems. Tidal flats are critical components of coastal ecosystems; however, the structure and function of microbial communities in tidal flats are poorly understood.

The performance of single and multi-collector ICP-MS instruments for fast and reliable S/S isotope ratio measurements.

The performance and validation characteristics of different single collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers based on different technical principles (ICP-SFMS, ICP-QMS in reaction and collision modes, and ICP-MS/MS) were evaluated in comparison to the performance of MC ICP-MS for fast and reliable S isotope ratio measurements. The validation included the determination of LOD, BEC, measurement repeatability, within-lab reproducibility and deviation from certified values as well as a study on instrumental isotopic fractionation (IIF) and the calculation of the combined standard measurement uncertainty. Different approaches of correction for IIF applying external intra-elemental IIF correction (aka standard-sample bracketing) using certified S reference materials and internal inter-elemental IIF (aka internal standardization) correction using Si isotope ratios in MC ICP-MS are explained and compared.

Chronic environmental warming alters cardiovascular and haematological stress responses in European perch (Perca fluviatilis).

Environmental warming and acute stress increase cardiorespiratory activity in ectothermic animals like fish. While thermal acclimation can buffer the direct thermal effects on basal cardiorespiratory function during chronic warming, little is known about how acclimation affects stress-induced cardiorespiratory responses. We compared cardiovascular and haematological responses to chasing stress in cannulated wild European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from a reference area at natural temperature (16 °C) with perch from the 'Biotest enclosure'; an experimental system chronically warmed (22 °C) by effluents from a nuclear power plant.

Distribution of mesopredatory fish determined by habitat variables in a predator-depleted coastal system.

Shallow nearshore habitats are highly valued for supporting marine ecosystems, but are subject to intense human-induced pressures. Mesopredatory fish are key components in coastal food webs, and alterations in their abundance may have evident effects also on other parts of the ecosystem. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the abundance of coastal mesopredatory fish, defined as mid-trophic level demersal and benthic species with a diet consisting predominantly of invertebrates, and ambient environmental variables in a fjord system influenced by both eutrophication and overfishing.

Emissions of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in a Textile Manufacturing Plant in China and Their Relevance for Workers' Exposure.

The manufacturing of high-performance fabrics requires numerous chemical treatment steps that involve the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to protect apparel against water, stain, and oil penetration. However, air and wastewater emissions of PFASs generated during this manufacturing are a potential threat to both factory workers and the environment. We investigated the occurrence and distribution of PFASs in wastewater, air, airborne particles, and settled dust in a textile manufacturing plant in China.

Temporal Variation in Sindbis Virus Antibody Prevalence in Bird Hosts in an Endemic Area in Sweden.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is a mosquito-borne bird virus that occasionally causes human disease in Fennoscandia, suggested to have cyclic 7-year intervals between outbreaks. Reliable data on human infections in Sweden is however lacking. Here we investigated the SINV antibody prevalence among birds in a Swedish area endemic to SINV to scrutinize if a cyclic variation in antibody prevalence is present in the natural host of SINV.

Seasonal accumulation of persistent organic pollutants on a high altitude glacier in the Eastern Alps.

The seasonal accumulations of perfluorinated substances (PFAS), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured in a 10 m shallow firn core from a high altitude glacier at Mt. Ortles (Italy, 3830 m above sea level) in South Tyrol in the Italian Eastern Alps. The most abundant persistent organic pollutants of each group were perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (for PFASs); BDE 47, BDE 99, BDE 209 (for PBDEs) and phenanthrene (PHE), fluoranthene (FLA) and pyrene (PYR) (for PAHs).