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Persistent organic and inorganic pollutants are among the most concerning pollutants in Australian estuaries due to their persistent, ubiquitous, and potentially toxic nature. Traditional methods of soil remediation often fall short of practical implementation due to high monetary investment, environmental disturbance, and potential for re-contamination. Phytoremediation is gaining traction as an alternative, or synergistic mechanism of contaminated soil remediation. Phytoremediation utilises plants and associated rhizospheric microorganisms to stabilise, degrade, transform, or remove xenobiotics from contaminated mediums. Due to their apparent cross-tolerance to salt, metals, and organic contaminants, halophytes have shown promise as phytoremediation species. This review examines the potential of 93 species of Australian saltmarsh halophytes for xenobiotic phytoremediation. Considerations for the practical application of phytoremediation in Australia are discussed, including mechanisms of enhancement, and methods of harvesting and disposal. Knowledge gaps for the implementation of phytoremediation in Australian saline environments are identified, and areas for future research are suggested.

The Sundarbans is the largest single-mass mangrove forest in the world, experiencing environmental and anthropogenic stress from metal(loid) inputs. We undertook a comprehensive assessment of sediment contamination and ecological risks posed by metal(loid)s in the Sundarbans using previously published data. There was a distinct difference in metal(loid) content, pollution level and ecological risk in Bangladeshi and Indian parts of the Sundarbans, with the Indian counterpart experiencing relatively higher metal(loid) pollution. The higher pollution level in India might be attributed to its vicinity to municipal and industrial areas that act the primary source of metal(loid)s in the Sundarbans. The cumulative ecological risks of metal(loid)s pointed out that the south-eastern part of Bangladeshi Sundarbans and north-eastern Indian part are at moderate ecological risk. This research will provide valuable data to inform the responsible authorities and will underpin future policies and management to reduce future metal(loid) inputs in the Sundarbans.

This study examined the accumulation of As species, Se, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the halophyte Juncus acutus, collected from three anthropogenically impacted estuaries in NSW, Australia. As concentration ranged from 4 to 22 μg/g at Georges River, 2-16 μg/g at Lake Macquarie and 6 μg/g at Hunter Estuary. Inorganic As was accumulated mainly in roots with low translocation to culm with a greater abundance of AsV. However, AsIII (TF = 0.32) showed greater mobility from the roots to shoots than AsV (TF = 0.04), indicating a higher quantity of AsIII specific transporter assemblages in the plasmalemma of the endodermis or cytoplasmic reduction of AsV to AsIII in culms. Metal(loid)s, including As (90%), were predominantly in root tissues and very limited translocation to culm, indicating the species is a useful phytostabiliser. As and all other metal(loid)s in roots were correlated with sediment loads (p 0.05, R

An impact assessment of oceanic effluent releases from Belmont wastewater treatment works (WWTW) in Newcastle, Australia, was undertaken. Benthic infaunal assemblages in sandy sediments of ~25 m water depth were examined, at sites adjacent to the release point, and at increasing distances up to 2 km in both a NE and SW direction over five consecutive years (2016-2020). Localised impacts were evident for infaunal assemblages, with sites within 20 m of the outfall ("Impact" site types) exhibiting lower taxa richness and Shannon diversity, higher abundances of polychaetes and/or nematodes, higher polychaete ratios, and shifts in assemblage composition in comparison to sites at greater distances during some years. Taxa with increased localised abundances at the outfall were identified as indicators for monitoring impacts, including deposit-feeding polychaetes (Families Polygordiidae, Paraonidae and Dorvilleidae) and Phylum Nematoda. Future infaunal monitoring could include molecular tools and paired sediment analyses.

We examined the patterns of uptake and partitioning of metal(loid)s in Suaeda australis from three highly urbanised estuaries (Sydney Olympic Park, Hunter Wetlands and Lake Macquarie) in NSW, Australia. Of these, Sydney Olympic Park was found to be the most contaminated estuary in terms of combined sediment metal(loid) load, followed by Hunter Wetlands and lowest in Lake Macquarie (via PERMANOVA). Uptake in roots was greater for the essential metals Cu and Zn along with the non-essential metal Cd and the metalloid Se (root BCFs1) and lower for Pb and As (root BCFs1). Substantial barriers for translocation from roots to stems were identified for all metal(loid)s (stem TFs; 0.07-0.68). Conversely, unrestricted flow from stems to leaves was observed for all metal(loid)s at unity or higher (leaf TFs ≥ 1). Strong linear relationships between sediment and root for Zn and Pb were observed, indicating roots as a useful bioindicator.

An investigation was conducted over three estuaries in SE Australia with a gradient in metal(loid) contamination to assess metal(loid) (Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb) accumulation and transport within the halophytic saltmarsh rush, Juncus kraussii. Sydney Olympic Park exhibited the most elevated metal(loid) contamination, followed by Hunter Wetlands and Lake Macquarie. J. kraussii exhibited a strong ability to restrict metal(loid) movement into the root system, with the exception of cadmium (BCFs 1.0) and unrestricted flow from root to culm excepting Se, Cd (TFs 1). Pb and Zn exhibited elevated translocation between roots and culms (TF 4.4 and 7.3, respectively). Despite barriers for uptake into the below-ground tissues, most metal(loid)s were accumulated to the roots with environmental dose (except for Cu and Cd) and linear relationships were present between the root and culm (for As and Se) and the sediment and culm (for As, Se, Cd, and Pb).

Microplastics are an emerging contaminant in aquatic environments. Information on the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in Australia is limited and their interactions with chemical contaminants have not been addressed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate baseline information on the physical and chemical characteristics of microplastics on Australian shorelines to facilitate further detailed risk assessment. Field collected microplastics were categorised by colour, shape and polymer type. Plastic particles were primarily clear, blue, white and green and consisted mainly of fragments (57.80%) and pellets (30.68%). Polymer characterisation revealed that shoreline microplastics were polyethylene (53.17%), polypropylene (35.17%), polystyrene (6.61%) and polyethylene terephthalate (1.85%). Analysis of metal(loid)s found that concentrations of Mn, Cr, Cu, As, Zn and Pb were significantly higher on microplastics associated with industrial locations compared with other land uses, indicating that aged microplastics have the potential to adsorb toxic metals and that metals levels may be location-dependent.

Alterations in the glutathione antioxidant system and lipid peroxidation in Avicennia marina were studied under laboratory and field conditions. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was found to respond to Zn exposure, and a significant positive relationship between leaf Zn concentration and GPx activity was observed after 96 h and 8 weeks. Lipid hydroperoxides increased proportionally with increasing leaf Zn concentration after 2 and 8 weeks, while no changes in total glutathione were observed. Induction of GPx at 96 h predicted effects at the individual level at a later time interval (reduced biomass at 8 weeks). Results from the field revealed that increasing leaf metal concentration (Zn, Cu or Pb) produced a proportional increase in GPx activity whereas lipid hydroperoxides and total glutathione were not affected. The utility of GPx as an early warning biomarker is suggested, since GPx activity increases in a dose-dependant fashion in response to accumulated leaf metals, and is predictive of later effects on growth.

Mangroves have been observed to possess a tolerance to high levels of heavy metals, yet accumulated metals may induce subcellular biochemical changes, which can impact on processes at the organism level. Six month-old seedlings of the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh, were exposed to a range of Cu (0-800 micrograms/g), Pb (0-800 micrograms/g) and Zn (0-1000 micrograms/g) concentrations in sediments under laboratory conditions, to determine leaf tissue metal accumulation patterns, effects on photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids), and the activity of the antioxidant enzyme peroxidase. Limited Cu uptake to leaves was observed at low sediment Cu levels, with saturation and visible toxicity to Cu at sediment levels greater than 400 micrograms/g. Leaf Pb concentrations remained low over a range of Pb sediment concentrations, up to 400 micrograms/g Pb, above which it appeared that unrestricted transport of Pb occurred, although no visible signs of Pb toxicity were observed. Zn was accumulated linearly with sediment zinc concentration, and visible toxicity occurring at the highest concentration, 1000 micrograms/g Zn. Significant increases in peroxidase activity and decreases in photopigments were found with Cu and Zn at concentrations lower than those inducing visible toxicity. Significant increases in peroxidase activity only, were found when plants were exposed to Pb. Positive linear relationships between peroxidase activity and leaf tissue metal concentrations were found for all metals. Significant linear decreases in photosynthetic pigments with increasing leaf tissue metal concentrations were observed with Cu and Zn only. Photosynthetic pigments and peroxidase activity may be applicable as sensitive biological indicators of Cu and Zn stress, and peroxidase activity for Pb stress in A. marina.

The New South Wales Olympic Co-ordination Authority, which is responsible for the redevelopment of the site for the Olympic Games 2000, Sydney, is committed to the rehabilitation of the remnant ecosystems remaining on the site. This paper describes a 3-year saltmarsh transplantation project, and resulting management approaches for the rehabilitation of other saline wetland areas on the site. Two series of cuttings (spring and autumn) were made, including three dominant species and three species rare in Sydney. It was found that all the species could be propagated without difficulty, but field survival and growth were much higher for the spring series than the autumn one. Measurement was also made of the colonisation of mangrove and saltmarsh species that occurred at the site over the course of the trials. New understandings of estuarine wetland colonisation have emerged, and the information has been used to develop methods of transplantation for other parts of the Olympic site, and to define management needs for monitoring success.

The Homebush Bay area, Sydney, site of the Olympic Games 2000, has been largely occupied for nearly a century by an abattoir, brickworks, armaments depot and waste dumps. However, it contains remnants of original ecosystems, including two estuarine wetlands, and the Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA), set up to manage the redevelopment of the site, is committed to the rehabilitation of these ecosystems. The ecological approaches and rehabilitation measures used for one of the wetlands are detailed. Apart from a history of disturbance, it has for 10 years been without tidal flushing. However, these wetlands are the largest remaining in the Sydney estuary, and are significant for a number of reasons including biodiversity and waterbird conservation. The ecological parameters of the site, the results of a `before-restoration-impact' study, and the iterative links between science and management in the introduction of the rehabilitation measures, are presented. Criteria for success are discussed, along with biomonitoring strategies to test success.

The use of pearl oysters has recently been proposed as an environmental remediation tool in coastal ecosystems. This study quantified the nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metal content of the tissue and shell of pearl oysters harvested from a small pearl oyster farm at Port Stephens, Australia. Each tonne of pearl oyster material harvested resulted in approximately 703 g metals, 7452 g nitrogen, and 545 g phosphorus being removed from the waters of Port Stephens. Increasing current farm production of 9.8 tyr(-1) to 499 tyr(-1) would balance current nitrogen loads entering Port Stephens from a small Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) located on its southern shores. Furthermore, manipulation of harvest dates to coincide with oyster condition would likely remove substantially greater quantities of nutrients. This study demonstrates that pearl aquaculture may be used to assist in the removal of pollutants from coastal waters while producing a commercially profitable commodity.