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Background: Oil spills are widespread and can cause devastating environmental consequences. Rapid oil identification is critical to find the origin of the spill, monitor the environment, and lead to informed mitigation measures. The current standard methods in oil spill identification are precise and reliable, but require extensive sample preparation, long instrument runs, and time-consuming data processing. Direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-ToF MS) has been employed to screen for spilled petroleum oils, with results obtained in mere hours. The present study introduced an innovative, simple, and fast oil sampling method using hydrophobic filter paper and demonstrated its compatibility with DART-ToF MS analysis. Motor oils, jet fuels, marine diesels, crude oils, intermediate fuel oils, heavy fuel oils, and diluted bitumen were collected using the filter paper sampling method. Classification models were constructed from the spectral data by heat map inspection followed by principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). Oil slicks and weathered oil slicks were prepared from five oil types, and samples from each slick were collected using filter paper. Results: The filter paper technique allowed for effective oil sampling and data acquisition by DART-ToF MS for diluted source oils, oil slicks and weathered oil slicks. Classification via the constructed DAPC models indicated that the DART-ToF MS instrument in tandem with filter paper sampling and multivariate statistics can accurately identify common oil types, with significant improvement of sample collection and turnaround time. Conclusions: The promising classification results, simple sample collection, and rapid data analysis illustrate the potential use of hydrophobic filter paper and DART-ToF MS as tools in managing large scale oil spill emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With oil pollution in water posing a serious threat to the ecosystem, it's of great importance to explore superhydrophobic materials that are environment-friendly and easy to obtain for oil–water separation. Herein, we report a novel one-step silanization strategy to fabricate superhydrophobic cellulose paper based on the air-induced vertical polymerization of a long-chain alkyltrichlorosilane. The as-prepared paper exhibited remarkable superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of ~ 165° and a water sliding angle of ~ 1.9° owing to the formation of micro/nanostructured, honeycomb-like polyorganosiloxane agglomerates anchored on the surface. Moreover, when subjected to strong acid/alkali solutions and mechanical forces (sonication and sandpaper abrasion), the superhydrophobic paper showed excellent durability. Due to the extreme wetting properties, namely superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, such paper could be used for selectively separating oil from various oil/water mixtures. The proposed method for fabricating superhydrophobic paper has many advantages in terms of cost, simplicity and scalability, making it very promising for real-world application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to select a cellulosic waste material from paper industry solid wastes and process it for sorbent production. Four different solid wastes were collected from a local paper production facility and rejects were selected due to its sorption capacity and processability. Oil sorption experiments were conducted according to the ASTM F 726-12 method. Effect of sorbent dosage, contact and dripping time, recovery of the oil, reusability of the sorbent and sorption from the water surface were also determined. Maximum oil sorption capacity was determined as 9.67, 12.92 and 12.84 g/g for diesel oil, 0W30 and 10W30 motor oils respectively for the static test and 8.27, 10.45 and 11.69 g/g for the dynamic test. An efficient and low-cost sorbent was produced from paper industry rejects that can be used on land and on water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic paper with excellent self-cleaning and antibacterial activity was prepared via combination of in-situ growing Cu metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) nanoparticles on paper surface by simple layer-by-layer assembly together with subsequent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treatment under ambient conditions. The surface chemical composition, crystalline pattern, surface chemical functional group, surface morphology and wettability of the modified paper samples were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and water contact angle measurement. The synergetic effect of Cu-MOFs nanoparticles and PDMS was crucial and essential for achieving a superhydrophobic surface. The PDMS/(Cu-MOFs) 5 @paper not only showed self-cleaning, antibacterial activity and superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity, but also exhibited excellent oil-water separation performance for oil-water mixture and emulsion. In addition, this obtained superhydrophobic paper showed good mechanical and chemical durability. In summary, the proposed method provides a new perspective into preparing superhydrophobic paper for oil spills treatment and environmental remediation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • First application of PSI-MS on photodegraded and degraded spilled oil samples. • PSI-MS is shown to be a suitable technique for spilled oil analysis. • Parameter derived from PSI-MS spectra to estimate the degree of degradation of oils. Abstract Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS) was applied for the first time to study temporal change of photo-oxidized and weathered oils subjected to degradation. PSI is chosen in this study because it is an optimal ionization technique for the analysis of degraded oils with limited sample quantity and prone to salt and particulate contamination. With PSI-MS, quantitative analysis of oils can be successfully performed with as little as 2 μg of oil sample. In addition, oil solutions containing up to 0.05% sodium chloride were successfully analyzed with PSI-MS. In the PSI-MS spectra of photo-degraded oils, the relative abundance of compounds having double equivalence value (DBE) ≥ 5 increased but those with DBE < 5 decreased in number. The summed abundance ratio of compounds having DBE < 5 and DBE ≥ 5 showed a negative exponential correlation with the duration of UV exposure in laboratory experiments. The same trend was observed from spilled oils obtained from the environment. Therefore, this ratio serves as an effective means to estimate the degree of weathering in spilled oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil pollution is an increasing threat to nature and human health. Therefore, effective separation of oil from the oily wastewater is a challenging task. Through the nonsolvent vapor method, a superhydrophobic paper can be self-assembled by dropping the conjugated poly- p -phenylenes solution on the commercial filter paper in a nonsolvent vapor atmosphere. The numerous nano-mircostructral particles composed of polymer nanowires covered on the filter paper, just like the morphology of lotus leaves, lead to the excellent superhydrophobic effect. Moreover, the polymer-coated filter paper not only exhibits good mechanical stability, long-term durability, self-cleaning, but also has superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The as-prepared paper possess remarkable oil/water separation ability for a variety of oil/water mixtures, including bromoethane, hexane, cyclohexane, petroleum ether, gasoline, dodecane, and the mixed oil of gasoline and diesel, demonstrating that it can be a good candidate for the treatment of industrial oil-polluted water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabricating low-cost and high-efficiency oil-water separation superwetting materials for the demand of oil spilling treatment remains a great challenge. Herein, a superwetting aluminosilicate fiber paper decorated by flower-like nickel-cobalt carbonate hydroxide (NiCo-CH) nanostructures was prepared via the hydrothermal method and chemical modification with stearic acid (SA) or 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17). The superhydrophilic multi-layers nanoflowers combing with nanoflakes were uniformly distributed on the surface of aluminosilicate fiber. The superhydrophilic aluminosilicate fiber was then modified by the SA to obtain the superhydrophobic aluminosilicate fiber (SA-NiCo-CH@Al 2 SiO 5 FP). The SA-NiCo-CH@Al 2 SiO 5 FP revealed high separation efficiency (> 95.4%) for both light oils and heavy oils, and high oil flux (417 L m−2 h−1–71,656 L m−2 h−1). Furthermore, the SA-NiCo-CH@Al 2 SiO 5 FP can also remain superhydrophobicity under various harsh conditions, such as dust, sand impact, acid or alkali, and low-temperature environments. This study revealed an inexpensive and simple-fabricated multifunctional superwetting material, which provides promising avenue for future applications in oil-water separation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A content analysis challenges the notion that elite newspapers can speak for local dailies. Gulf dailies focused on the environment until the well was capped and then shifted to the local economy, while the national dailies focused on the accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of superhydrophobic materials with inexpensive cost, and simple preparation processes is crucial for alleviating oil pollution. In this paper, cotton-based composites (cotton@LDH-SA) were prepared by an in situ hydrothermal growth and simple impregnation method. The needle-like Ni–Co LDHs growing on the surface of the cotton fibers formed micro/nano hierarchical structures, and subsequently grafted stearic acid endowing the composite with superwettability. The optimized cotton@LDH-SA possesses a superior superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 161.6 ± 2°. The prepared composite adsorbent exhibits excellent oil absorption performance with an adsorption capacity of more than 10 times its own mass. The adsorbent has acceptable reusability, and after 6 cycles of repeated adsorption, the adsorption rate remains at 72.4%. Given the excellent economic and renewable properties of cotton, this composite adsorbent has great potential for application in large-scale production and oil–water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management i , I 16 i (3), 324-341. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4239 In this paper, Hook identifies the critical simplifying assumptions used in these models and compares model predictions to the observed effects of a wide variety of oil spills around the world. The editors of I Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management i and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) are pleased to announce the selection of Best Papers published in 2020. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper we use MEDSLIK-II, a Lagrangian marine oil spill model described in Part 1 of this paper (De Dominicis et al., 2013), to simulate oil slick transport and transformation processes for realistic oceanic cases where satellite or drifting buoys data are available for verification. The model is coupled with operational oceanographic currents, atmospheric analyses winds and remote-sensing data for initialization. The sensitivity of the oil spill simulations to several model parameterizations is analyzed and the results are validated using surface drifters and SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images in different regions of the Mediterranean Sea. It is found that the forecast skill of La grangian trajectories largely depends on the accuracy of the Eulerian ocean currents: the operational models give useful estimates of currents, but high-frequency (hourly) and high spatial resolution is required, and the Stokes drift velocity has to be often added, especially in coastal areas. From a numerical point of view, it is found that a realistic oil concentration reconstruction is obtained using an oil tracer grid resolution of about 100m, with at least 100 000 Lagrangian particles. Moreover, sensitivity experiments to uncertain model parameters show that the knowledge of oil type and slick thickness are, among all the others, key model parameters affecting the simulation results. Considering acceptable for the simulated trajectories a maximum spatial error of the order of three times the horizontal resolution of the Eulerian ocean currents, the predictability skill for particle trajectories is from 1 to 2.5 days depending on the specific current regime. This suggests that re-initialization of the simulations is required every day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spill models are used to forecast the transport and fate of oil after it has been released. CranSLIK is a model that predicts the movement and spread of a surface oil spill at sea via a stochastic approach. The aim of this work is to identify parameters that can further improve the forecasting algorithms and expand the functionality of CranSLIK, while maintaining the run time efficiency of the method. The results from multiple simulations performed using the operational, validated oil spill model, MEDSLIK-II, were analysed using multiple regression in order to identify improvements which could be incorporated into CranSLIK. This has led to a revised model, namely CranSLIK v2.0, which was validated against MEDSLIK-II forecasts for real oil spill cases. The new version of CranSLIK demonstrated significant forecasting improvements by capturing the oil spill accurately in real validation cases and also proved capable of simulating a broader range of oil spill scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the implementation of an innovative solution based on heterogeneous autonomous vehicles to tackle maritime pollution (in particular, oil spills). This solution is based on native microbial consortia with bioremediation capacity, and the adaptation of air and surface autonomous vehicles for in situ release of autochthonous microorganisms (bioaugmentation) and nutrients (biostimulation). By doing so, these systems can be applied as the first line of the response to pollution incidents from several origins that may occur inside ports, around industrial and extraction facilities, or in the open sea during transport activities in a fast, efficient, and low-cost way. The paper describes the work done in the development of a team of autonomous vehicles able to carry as payload, native organisms to naturally degrade oil spills (avoiding the introduction of additional chemical or biological additives), and the development of a multi-robot framework for efficient oil spill mitigation. Field tests have been performed in Portugal and Spain's harbors, with a simulated oil spill, and the coordinate oil spill task between the autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) ROAZ and the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) STORK has been validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of offshore wind farms is an important step toward increasing the share of green energy in Poland's energy mix, offering promising prospects for the energy industry. However, in addition to numerous benefits, such investments also carry potential risks for the marine environment, including the risk of spills of hazardous substances such as gear oils, hydraulic oils, and lubricants. This paper analyses the potential impact of oil spills from offshore wind farms on the marine ecosystems of the Baltic Sea, taking into account hydrometeorological factors, particularly protected areas (such as Natura 2000 sites) and the intensity of ship traffic in the area of the planned farms. Simulations of spill scenarios are also presented to assess the potential extent of pollution and its impact on the environment. This paper emphasises the importance of advanced monitoring and safety systems in minimising the risk of accidents and responding quickly to possible incidents. The development of offshore wind farms in Poland presents itself as a key element in a sustainable energy development strategy, combining advanced technology with environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processes of transport, diffusion and transformation of surface oil in seawater can be simulated using a Lagrangian model formalism coupled with Eulerian circulation models. This paper describes the formalism and the conceptual assumptions of a Lagrangian marine oil slick numerical model and re-writes the constitutive equations in a modern mathematical framework. The Lagrangian numerical representation of the oil slick requires three different state variables: the slick, the particle and the structural state variables. Transformation processes (evaporation, spreading, dispersion and coastal adhesion) act on the slick state variables, while particles variables are used to model the transport and diffusion processes. The slick and particle variables are recombined together to compute the oil concentration in water, a structural state variable. The mathematical and numerical formulation of oil transport, diffusion and transformation processes described in this paper, together with the many simplifying hypothesis and parameterizations, form the basis of a new, open source Lagrangian surface oil spill model, so-called MEDSLIK-II. Part 2 of this paper describes the applications of MEDSLIK-II to oil spill simulations that allow the validation of the model results and the study of the sensitivity of the simulated oil slick to different model numerical parameterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spill detection and mapping using deep learning (OSDMDL) is crucial for assessing its impact on coastal and marine ecosystems. A novel approach was employed in this study to evaluate the scientific literature in this field through bibliometric analysis and literature review. The Scopus database was used to evaluate the relevant scientific literature in this field, followed by a bibliometric analysis to extract additional information, such as architecture type, country collaboration, and most cited papers. The findings highlight significant advancements in oil detection at sea, with a strong correlation between technological evolution in detection methods and improved remote sensing data acquisition. Multilayer perceptrons (MLP) emerged as the most prominent neural network architecture in 11 studies, followed by a convolutional neural network (CNN) in 5 studies. U-Net, DeepLabv3+, and fully convolutional network (FCN) were each used in three studies, demonstrating their relative significance too. The analysis provides insights into collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and research methodology and contributes to the development of more effective policies, strategies, and technologies for mitigating the environmental impact of oil spills in OSDMDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution due to oil exploration leads to piracy. Hence, the International Oil Companies' (IOCs) oil exploration activities contribute to Nigerian piracy. This paper uses theories, like economic theory, to analyze the linkages between the IOCs exploration activities and Nigerian piracy. It reveals that the IOCs' oil exploration activities in the Nigerian oil industry contribute and sustain Nigerian piracy. Thus, from pollution to corruption, the theories, mostly determined by proxies, illuminate the IOCs' penchant for disregarding due process in their activities, which leads to piracy. The paper suggests the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) governance to encourage industry best practices, bolster accountability, and adopt Dahlsrud's environmental dimension of CSR, similar to the environmental criminology theory that reiterates using the environment to curb crime, to eliminate Nigerian piracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spill pollution has a substantial role in damaging the marine ecosystem. Oil spill that floats on top of water, as well as decreasing the fauna populations, affects the food chain in the ecosystem. In fact, oil spill is reducing the sunlight penetrates the water, limiting the photosynthesis of marine plants and phytoplankton. Moreover, marine mammals for instance, disclosed to oil spills their insulating capacities are reduced, and so making them more vulnerable to temperature variations and much less buoyant in the seawater. This study has demonstrated a design tool for oil spill detection in SAR satellite data using optimization of Entropy based Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (E-MMGA) which based on Pareto optimal solutions. The study also shows that optimization entropy based Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm provides an accurate pattern of oil slick in SAR data. This shown by 85% for oil spill, 10% look-alike and 5% for sea roughness using the receiver-operational characteristics (ROC) curve. The E-MMGA also shows excellent performance in SAR data. In conclusion, E-MMGA can be used as optimization for entropy to perform an automatic detection of oil spill in SAR satellite data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an original approach to predicting oil slick movement and dispersion at the water surface. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of evolving hydro-meteorological conditions and the thickness of the oil spill layer. The main gap addressed by this study lies in the need for a comprehensive understanding of how changing environmental conditions and oil thickness interact to influence the movement and dispersion of oil slicks. By focusing on this aspect, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the complex dynamics of oil spill behaviour, enhancing the ability to predict and mitigate the environmental impacts of such incidents. Self-designed software was applied to develop and modify previously established mathematical probabilistic models for predicting changes in the shape of the oil trajectory. First, a semi-Markov model of the process is constructed, and the oil thickness is analysed at the sea surface over time. Next, a stochastic-based procedure to forecast the horizontal movement and dispersion of an oil slick in diverse hydro-meteorological conditions considering a varying oil layer thickness is presented. This involves determining the trajectory and movement of a slick domain, which consists of an elliptical combination of domains undergoing temporal changes. By applying the procedure and program, a short-term forecast of the horizontal movement and dispersion of an oil slick provided its trajectory at the Bornholm Basin of the Baltic Sea within two days. The research results obtained are preliminary prediction results, although the approach considered in this paper can help responders understand the scope of the problem and mitigate the effects of environmental damage if the oil discharge reaches sensitive ecosystems. Finally, further perspectives of this research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Petroleum hydrocarbons are naturally occurring flammable fossil fuels used as conventional energy sources. It has carcinogenic, mutagenic properties and is considered a hazardous pollutant. Soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons adversely affects the properties of soil. This paper aim to remove pollutants from the environment is an urgent need of the hour to maintain the proper functioning of soil ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach: The ability of micro-organisms to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons makes it possible to use these microorganisms to clean the environment from petroleum pollution. For preparing this review, research papers and review articles related to petroleum hydrocarbons degradation by micro-organisms were collected from journals and various search engines. Findings: Various physical and chemical methods are used for remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminants. However, these methods have several disadvantages. This paper will discuss a novel understanding of petroleum hydrocarbons degradation and how micro-organisms help in petroleum-contaminated soil restoration. Bioremediation is recognized as the most environment-friendly technique for remediation. The research studies demonstrated that bacterial consortium have high biodegradation rate of petroleum hydrocarbons ranging from 83% to 89%. Social implications: Proper management of petroleum hydrocarbons pollutants from the environment is necessary because of their toxicity effects on human and environmental health. Originality/value: This paper discussed novel mechanisms adopted by bacteria for biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation pathways, genes and enzymes involved in petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MyOcean marine core service, implementing the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) objectives, targets the provision of ocean state data from various platforms to assist, among other downscaled activities, the needs of the operational response to marine safety, particularly concerning oil spills. The MEDSLIK oil spill and trajectory prediction system makes use of the MyOcean regional and Cyprus Coastal Ocean Forecasting and Observing System (CYCOFOS) downscaled forecasting products for operational application in the Mediterranean and pre-operational use in the Black Sea. Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) satellite remote-sensing images from European Space Agency (ESA) and European Maritime Safety Agency - CleanSeaNet (EMSA-CSN) provide the means for routine monitoring of the southern European seas for the detection of illegal oil discharges. MEDSLIK offers various ways, to be described in this paper, of coupling the Pan-European capacity for Ocean Monitoring and Forecasting (MyOcean) forecasting data with ASAR imageries to provide both forecasts and hindcasts for such remotely-observed oil slicks. The main concern will be the drift of the oil slick and also, in the case of the forecast mode, its diffusive spreading, although some attempt is also made to estimate the changes in the state of the oil. The successful link of the satellite-detected oil slicks with their operational predictions using the MyOcean products contributes to the operational response chain and the strengthening of maritime safety for accidental or illegal spills, in implementation of a Mediterranean decision support system for marine safety regarding oil spills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in service time of oil pipelines, the probability of pipeline damage increases and the risk of leakage increases. However, as an important equipment for transporting oil, long‐distance pipelines have to be built across rivers. According to statistics, the leakage accidents of oil pipelines crossing rivers account for nearly 50% of all pipeline leakage accidents. Crude oil diffused into rivers easily cause serious pollution and damage to rivers and nearby organisms. Therefore, it is of great significance to study a reasonable, rapid, and efficient oil spill emergency treatment scheme for pollution and property loss. In this paper, an optimization model of emergency disposal scheme based on Apriori‐Topsis is proposed. Firstly, according to the characteristics of the oil spill pipeline, the general scheme library of emergency disposal is automatically generated by association rules, including the type, quantity, layout, and selected disposal technology of oil recovery equipment. Then, combined with the calculation of emergency disposal materials, the multi‐decision technology Topsis model is adopted to optimize the scheme from two angles of oil recovery effect and economic cost, and finally the cost‐effective emergency disposal scheme is obtained. Finally, taking the oil pollution accident on the second line of the Qing river as an example, the optimization model of emergency disposal scheme based on Apriori‐Topsis proposed in this paper is carried out. The application results verify the availability and effectiveness of the model, which provides a new method for the selection of emergency materials for rivers and pipeline process safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several approaches have been proposed to improve oil-contaminated soil remediation. However, the role of zeolite, a safe, clean, economical, and environmentally friendly material, in removing crude oil (CO) from contaminated soils remains unclear. This paper addresses this gap with respect to CO-contaminated sands (COCS) and aims to assess zeolite's capability as a geo-environmentally adaptable material to mitigate the adverse impacts of oil pollution on sandy soils. The cyclic simple shear behavior and chemical analysis of coarse and fine-grain silicate sands are investigated and compared in response to CO contamination. Clean sand specimens were prepared with 60% relative density, whereas COCS specimens were prepared using a 6% crude oil contamination level. This study examines the impact of CO contamination and the use of an environmentally friendly stabilizer through simple shear tests (under static and cyclic conditions), consolidation experiments, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Optimal pollution adsorption was achieved by adding 6% zeolite to fine-grained sand, resulting in a 31.61% increase in the shear modulus index and an 18.70% increase in the friction angle index. Using 8% zeolite improved the shear modulus and friction angle indexes in coarse-grained sand by 21.69% and 11.83%, respectively. FTIR results showed a 45% and 59% enhancement in coarse and fine sands, respectively, indicating the positive role of zeolite in stabilizing COCS through pollutant adsorption. The superior performance of zeolite in fine-grained compared with coarse-grained sand is justified by its higher specific surface area and porous surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper aims to analyze studies conducted over recent years (2011–2021) on hydrocarbon pollution in the Danube's Romanian sector. This involves looking at three main issues: Space-related Romanian Danube hydrocarbon pollution; the nature of samples and the types of tests used for hydrocarbon authentication; hydrocarbon effects on bioindicators and fish cell lines. The papers extracted for this review were selected from three scientific article platforms: Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, by using keywords, a specific search protocol and various selection filters. The main results of the present analysis are the following: the highest levels of hydrocarbon contamination in suspended particulate matter and sediments were found in the sector Iron Gates-Călărași (2013), and the main pollution sources were industry, navigation and wastewater discharges; sediment and biological samples accumulate higher concentrations of hydrocarbons than water samples, and are a good indicator for these pollutants' presence; the most widely used bioindicators are aquatic worms, mollusks, crustaceans, the wild common bleak, and, in the laboratory, fish cells; various methods are used in order to confirm hydrocarbon presence and/or their effects on biota: fluorescence, comet assay technique, micronucleus test, complementary passive samplers, in vitro bioassays, fugacity-based calculation model, sensors, oil spill modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative forecasting system of the coastal marine circulation has been implemented in the Bonifacio Strait area, between Corsica and Sardinia, using a numerical approach to facilitate the rapid planning and coordination of remedial actions to oil spill emergencies at sea by local authorities. Downscaling and nesting techniques from regional to coastal scale and a 3-D hydrodynamic numerical model, coupled with a wind wave model, are the core of the integrated Bonifacio Strait system. Such a system is capable to predict the sea state and the dispersion of hydrocarbon spills in the area, providing the forecasts on oil spills through an easy-to-use graphical user inter face. Scenarios and risk maps have been created to identify the most risky areas to oil pollution in relation to vessels traffic. The backward investigation technique has been exploited to trace the most probable area from which pollution was generated. The system has been operationally verified in January 2011 when an oil spill occurred in the area. Finally output data are daily released providing forecasting services to end-users through the web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transport, responsible for delivering over eighty percent of the world's goods, is the backbone of the global delivery industry. However, it also presents considerable environmental risks, particularly regarding aquatic contamination. Nearly ninety percent of marine oil spills near shores are attributed to human activities, highlighting the urgent need for continuous and effective surveillance. To address this pressing issue, this paper introduces a novel technique named OS-BREEZE. This method employs an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) for assessing the extent of oil pollution on the sea surface. The OS-BREEZE algorithm directs the USV along the spill edge, facilitating rapid and accurate assessment of the contaminated area. The key contribution of this paper is the development of this novel approach for monitoring and managing marine pollution, which significantly reduces the path length required for mapping and estimating the size of the contaminated area. Furthermore, this paper presents a scale model experiment executed at the Coastal and Marine Engineering Research Institute (CAMERI). This experiment demonstrated the method's enhanced speed and efficiency compared to traditional monitoring techniques. The experiment was methodically conducted across four distinct scenarios: the initial and advanced stages of an oil spill at the outer anchoring, as well as scenarios at the inner docking on both the stern and port sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming very popular nowadays to reduce the consumption of oil and environmental pollution. The use of battery and super-capacitor is increasing as the power-source of EVs. The bi-directional DC-DC converter is essential to integrate the battery and super-capacitor with the motor of the vehicle. However, a conventional second-order bi-directional DC-DC converter cannot give very high/low output voltage due to its efficiency reduction at extreme duty cycles, which is prerequisite for EVs. The problems of achieving high efficiency in wide-input-wide-output (WIWO) voltage range bidirectional operation using a conventional bidirectional converter are summarized in this paper. Additionally, the available converters from the literature for WIWO voltage range operation are discussed in detail. The various wide voltage range DC-DC converters are classified into different categories based on their operating principle. Additionally, the advantage and disadvantages of these various wide voltage range converter topologies are explained for the EV application. Finally, a general conceptual solution to achieve a WIWO converter with high efficiency is proposed. It is essential to change the voltage level of the motor input as per the speed requirement. Hence, this paper presents a clear idea for the WIWO bi-directional converters for EV application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]