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Moving vehicle-based sensors (MVSs) have been increasingly used for real-time sensing and anomaly detection in various applications such as the detection of wildfires and oil spills. In this article, we propose data-driven sampling strategies using MVSs to quickly identify abrupt changes in an area of interest in real time considering their pathwise movement constraints. To tackle challenges due to variability and partial observability of online observations, we integrate instruments of statistical process control and mathematical optimization to monitor the global status of the area of interest and adaptively adjust paths of MVSs to sample from suspicious locations based on real-time data. We provide theoretical investigations and conduct simulations to validate the superior performance of the proposed methods. In a numerical study based on real-world wildfire data, we illustrate that our proposed strategies are able to detect wildfires much earlier than benchmark methods and can significantly reduce wildfire-related costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of oil contamination causes changes in mechanical properties of clayey soil trenches with low liquid limits (CL) such as stress-strain behavior, rupture plain position, plastic zone, and strain energy for soil trenches compared with uncontaminated soils. These changes usually lead to a lower factor of safety against failure and expansion of the plastic zone. The effects of crude oil contamination on the soil shear strength were evaluated by direct shear and plate load tests for various clays and sandy soils. In this research, a numerical finite element modeling in ABAQUS software was used to estimate the effect of oil contamination in the range of 0 to 16% (0%–4%–8%–12%–16%) on the stability safety factor of vertical clayey trenches with heights of 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, and 6 m, and the results were compared with results of a limit state analysis. The findings of the limit equilibrium method show that adding 4% of oil contamination to a clayey trench will decrease 62% of its critical depth. Also, the numerical analysis results show that adding oil contamination in the range of 0 to 16% to the clayey soil will increase the maximum displacements of the trenches to five times their clean state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process assesses natural resource injury due to oil or chemical spills and calculates the damages to compensate the public for those injuries. Ecological restoration provides a means for recovering resources injured or lost due to contamination from oil or chemical spills by restoring the injured site after remediation, or acquiring or reconstructing equivalent resources off site to replace those lost due to the spill. In the case of restored forests, once restoration is implemented, monitoring of forest ecology helps keep recovery on track, with the maturation of forest vegetation, recovered soil conditions, and development of microbial, fungal, and faunal communities, necessary for ecologically functioning forests. This series of papers focuses on applying methods for monitoring restoration progress in forest vegetation and soils, and amphibian, avian, and mammalian communities, assessing strengths and weaknesses of different methods, and evaluating levels of effort needed to obtain accurate indications of forest ecological condition. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1912–1916. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA. Key Points: Ecological restorations recover resources injured or lost due to contamination from oil or chemical spills, by restoring the injured site after remediation, or by acquiring or reconstructing equivalent resources off site to replace those lost due to the spill.In the case of forests, once restoration is implemented, monitoring is important to track the progress of indicators of ecological function, such as maturation of forest vegetation, recovered soil conditions, and development of faunal communities.Articles in this special series describe the recovery of vegetation and soils, and amphibian, avian, and mammalian communities in forest restorations of multiple ages, while simultaneously comparing the strengths, weaknesses, and relative efficiency of different monitoring methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canadian Arctic summer sea ice has dramatically declined due to global warming, resulting in the rapid opening of the Northwest Passage (NWP), slated to be a major shipping route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by 2040. This development elevates the risk of oil spills in Arctic regions, prompting growing concerns over the remediation and minimizing the impact on affected shorelines. Results: This research aims to assess the viability of nutrient and a surface washing agent addition as potential bioremediation methods for Arctic beaches. To achieve this goal, we conducted two semi-automated mesocosm experiments simulating hydrocarbon contamination in high-Arctic beach tidal sediments: a 32-day experiment at 8 °C and a 92-day experiment at 4 °C. We analyzed the effects of hydrocarbon contamination, biostimulation, and a surface washing agent on the microbial community and its functional capacity using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics. Hydrocarbon removal rates were determined through total petroleum hydrocarbon analysis. Biostimulation is commonly considered the most effective strategy for enhancing the bioremediation process in response to oil contamination. However, our findings suggest that nutrient addition has limited effectiveness in facilitating the biodegradation process in Arctic beaches, despite its initial promotion of aliphatic hydrocarbons within a constrained timeframe. Alternatively, our study highlights the promise of a surface washing agent as a potential bioremediation approach. By implementing advanced -omics approaches, we unveiled highly proficient, unconventional hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms such as Halioglobus and Acidimicrobiales genera. Conclusions: Given the receding Arctic sea ice and the rising traffic in the NWP, heightened awareness and preparedness for potential oil spills are imperative. While continuously exploring optimal remediation strategies through the integration of microbial and chemical studies, a paramount consideration involves limiting traffic in the NWP and Arctic regions to prevent beach oil contamination, as cleanup in these remote areas proves exceedingly challenging and costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to assess the ameliorants effect on the biological parameters and Haplic Chernozems hydrophobicity. In model experiment conditions, Haplic Chernozem was polluted by oil and remediation with application of nitroammophos, Sodium humate, biochar, and Baikal EM-1 was simulated during to 30, 90, and 180 days. Indicators of soils activity – germination and intensity indicators of initial seed growth, the activity of catalase and dehydrogenases, the total number of bacteria, hydrophobicity were studied. On the 30 and 90th days after remediation, the most significant reliable decrease in oil regarding was promoted by 2 D biochar. After 180 days of dose 1 D and dose 2 D nitroammophos, as well as 1 D Baikal EM-1, the total petroleum hydrocarbon content was reduced significantly. Baikal EM-1 and biochar contributes to the greatest decrease in hydrophobicity at all periods of the experiment to a greater extent. On the 30th day, the introduction of nitroammophos, biochar, and 1 D Sodium humate contributed to an increase in the integral indicator of the biological state of oil-contaminated Haplic Chernozem, on the 90th day, the introduction of all doses of biochar led to an increase in the indicator, and on the 180th – all doses of Baikal EM-1, and 0.5 D Sodium humate. The research results may be used when choosing a method of soil restoration after oil pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huanghe Estuary, which is characterized by dynamic hydrological and ecological processes, is highly susceptible to marine oil spills due to dense maritime traffic and extensive industrial activities. This study evaluated the vulnerability of estuarine wetlands in the Huanghe Estuary to oil spill stress using the Pressure-Situation-Sensitivity-Recovery (PSSR) framework. By employing the Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this study categorized the vulnerability index (0-1) into five classes: Very Low (0- 0.098), Low (0.098-0.125), Medium (0.125-0.192), High (0.192-0.224), and Very High (0.224-1). The results indicate that the ships indicator has the highest weight, followed by oil rigs. In contrast, the number of chemical splash-proof suits and tugboats have the lowest weights. Wetland vulnerability under oil spill stress exhibited significant spatial variation, with higher vulnerability observed in areas closer to the coastline, such as the eastern part of Kenli County, the northern part of Wudi County, and the northern part of Hekou District. This study underscores the need for targeted measures and enhanced monitoring to mitigate the risks of large oil spills and protect the ecological integrity of the Huanghe Estuary. The findings presented herein provide critical information that will help policymakers and environmental managers implement effective conservation strategies and risk mitigation efforts in this ecologically sensitive and economically important region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum contamination remains a worldwide issue requiring cost-effective bioremediation techniques. However, establishing a universal bioremediation strategy for all types of oil-polluted sites is challenging. This difficulty arises from the heterogeneity of soil textures, the complexity of oil products, and the variations in local climate and environment across different oil-contaminated regions. Several factors can impede bioremediation efficacy: (i) differences in bioavailability and biodegradability between aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil; (ii) inconsistencies between hydrocarbon removal efficiency and toxicity attenuation during remediation; (iii) varying adverse effect of aliphatic and aromatic fractions on soil microorganisms. This review examines the ecotoxicity risk of petroleum contamination to soil fauna and flora. It also discusses three primary bioremediation strategies: biostimulation with nutrients, bioaugmentation with petroleum degraders, and phytoremediation with plants. Based on current research and state-of-the-art challenges, we highlighted future research scopes should focus on (i) exploring the ecotoxicity differentiation of aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil, (ii) establishing unified risk factors and indicators for evaluating oil pollution toxicity, (iii) determining the fate and transformation of aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil using advanced analytical techniques, and (iv) developing combined bioremediation techniques that improve petroleum removal and ecotoxicity attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motorship wrecks on the seabed pose a serious threat to the marine environment due to oil leaking from their fuel tanks. Such substances can penetrate the sediments and enter the water. There is a need to analyse bottom water and seabed sediment samples for the content of toxic petroleum substances. Tests were undertaken on samples collected near ​​the site of the World War II shipwreck of the s/s "Stuttgart". The wreck is located in the Baltic Sea, in the Gulf of Gdańsk. To answer whether toxic hydrocarbons from wrecks enter the sea environment, a fluorometric analysis was carried out based on measurements of excitation-emission ultraviolet spectra for sediments and near-seabed water. The results of these analyses indicate the presence of oil substances in the sediments and the bottom water at some sampling points close to the wreck site. Studies have shown that the applied method of the so-called fluorometric indicator allows for determining the sites of water pollution with oil substances hidden in sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canines are used by both government agencies and industries for their keen olfactory capability as well as selectivity, reliability, versatility, and speed. Within the last decade, canines have been used for the detection of on-shore crude oil. They were previously shown to find these deposits with high accuracy, providing increased confidence with little risk to oil spill response survey teams. In order to efficiently train canines, it is important to understand the odorants or groups of odorants that such canines use when locating subsurface crude oil deposits, as well as track how the odorant profile changes as the crude oil undergoes degradation. In this study, headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to extract and separate odorants from the headspace of various crude oils. After, eluent fractions of the crude oil odor profile were separated and collected onto sorbent materials, which were then used as canine testing probes in a series of trials. These probes, along with negative and positive controls were presented to three previously-trained and operational crude oil detection canines. Three eluent fractions of both fresh and weathered samples were presented, resulting in a 100% response rate from the canines on all three fractions from both the fresh and weathered samples. These results indicated that canines are capable of detecting crude oil from any fraction of the odor profile demonstrating the potential of the canines to generalize across a variety of crude oils and stages of weathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the synthesis and application of glycerol carbonate (GC) as an emulsifier for light crude oil. GC was synthesized from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate via transesterification, achieving a 90% yield. Characterization through 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR confirmed its structure. The emulsification properties of GC were tested by mixing it with light crude oil and water, demonstrating effective emulsification and forming stable emulsions. Stability tests with GC concentrations of 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20 revealed that emulsions remained stable for over 24 h. A particle size analysis indicated that higher GC concentrations produced smaller droplet sizes, enhancing the emulsification efficiency. This study highlights the potential applications of GC in oil spill remediation and enhanced oil recovery, emphasizing its biodegradability and low toxicity as environmental benefits. Overall, GC is presented as an effective and eco-friendly emulsifier for light crude oil, offering stable emulsions and promising industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed an improved full-scale aggregated MobileUNet (FA-MobileUNet) model to achieve more complete detection results of oil spill areas using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The convolutional block attention module (CBAM) in the FA-MobileUNet was modified based on morphological concepts. By introducing the morphological attention module (MAM), the improved FA-MobileUNet model can reduce the fragments and holes in the detection results, providing complete oil spill areas which were more suitable for describing the location and scope of oil pollution incidents. In addition, to overcome the inherent category imbalance of the dataset, label smoothing was applied in model training to reduce the model's overconfidence in majority class samples while improving the model's generalization ability. The detection performance of the improved FA-MobileUNet model reached an mIoU (mean intersection over union) of 84.55%, which was 17.15% higher than that of the original U-Net model. The effectiveness of the proposed model was then verified using the oil pollution incidents that significantly impacted Taiwan's marine environment. Experimental results showed that the extent of the detected oil spill was consistent with the oil pollution area recorded in the incident reports. [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]

Plants exposed to abiotic stressors show diverse physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses. Biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites—including essential oils—is a vital plant defense mechanism. As these bioactive compounds are widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, it is essential to understand how their production is affected in various environments. While interaction between specific abiotic stressors such as salt stress has been widely studied, relatively less information is available on how essential oil production is affected by toxic contaminants. Present review intends to give an insight into the possible interaction between chemical stress and essential oil production, with special regard to soil and air pollution. Available studies clearly demonstrate that heavy metal induced stress does affect quantity and quality of EOs produced, however, pattern seems ambiguous as nature of effect depends on the plant taxon and on the EO. Considering mechanisms, genetic studies clearly prove that exposure to heavy metals influences the expression of genes being responsible for EO synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Machine Tool & Hydraulics is the property of Guangzhou Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (GMERI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to observe changes in the diet of crab Eriphia gonagra due to the oil spill that occurred in 2019 on two beaches on the Pernambuco coast (Gaibu and Carneiros Beach) Northeastern, Brazil. Changes in the species feeding were investigated considering the periods before, during, and after of the spill and correlated with the analysis of sediment contamination Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Trace Metals (TM). 160 specimens were analysed. 24 food items were found, with a prevalence of Mollusca (fragment) and Macroalgae in the diet. There was no detection of oil fragments in the stomachs of animals, however, different patterns were observed in the feeding of the species studied in the BEF, DUR, and AFT periods of the spill. A generalist habit, it was possible to observe changes in captured items, thus we observed a diet with low nutritional levels caused mainly in impacted environments. Two factors may be prevalent in explaining the impacts caused by the feeding of E. gonagra in Carneiros Beach. The first was the decrease in prey that died after the arrival of the oil, the second was the lasting effects of contaminants on the predation capacity of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing adsorption materials with drawbacks in the weak organic solvents/oil retention ability, slow adsorption speed and low adsorption capacity for alkanes still hardly meet demands of the application field, especially in emergencies. The copolymerization of the long‐chain alkenes, 1‐octene, with isoprene was designed in this paper to synthesize an adsorption resin (PIOT), instead of acrylate monomers reported in the literature. And trimethylolpropane triacrylate was designed as a crosslinking agent. Results show that the PIOT grows in the form of powders, which are the loose accumulation of nanoflakes with a diameter of about 47.89 ± 11.06 nm. In view of the chain structure and morphology of the PIOT, it can quickly reach the maximum adsorption within 10 s along with a high adsorption capacity for various solvents and kerosene. Even for hexane, the adsorption capacity of the PIOT increases by 345.2% compared with the reported adsorption resin. The oil retention rate of PIOT can be maintained at 86 ± 6% after centrifugation at 1000–3000 rpm for 5–25 min. Compared with commercial activated carbon, the PIOT has outstanding advantages in recycling property and oil retention rate and compared with the reported acrylate adsorption resin, the PIOT has made a great breakthrough in adsorption capacity for alkanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the North Atlantic and the Northern Ocean, from the second half of 2010 to 2014, satellite imagery data showed increased surface water temperatures (in the Icelandic Depression area in September–October 2010, it was 1.3 °C higher than in 2009). The peak of the annual sum of mean monthly ocean surface temperatures near the Icelandic Depression in 2010 (109.3 °C), as well as the negative values of the monthly averaged North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices, estimated in the second half of 2010 and until March 2011, can be explained by the appearance of an additional film of oil origin on the water surface, formed after an oil spill accident at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Insufficient evaporative cooling of surface waters near the Icelandic Depression related to the formation of an additive film due to the influence of pollution of the North Sea by oil can explain the earlier peak in the annual sum of mean monthly ocean surface temperatures near the Icelandic Depression in 2003 (107.2 °C). Although global warming is usually ascribed to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, ocean surface water pollution could increase the heat content of the ocean and explain the steady temperature stratification and desalination of these waters due to the melting of Greenland's glaciers. Thus, when analyzing the concept of global warming, it is necessary to take into account the aspects of pollution of the ocean surface waters to assess the changes in their capacity to accumulate solar radiation, as well as the changes in the heat content of the ocean mixing zone (~200 m). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic Ocean is an oligotrophic ecosystem facing escalating threats of oil spills as ship traffic increases owing to climate change‐induced sea ice retreat. Biostimulation is an oil spill mitigation strategy that involves introducing bioavailable nutrients to enhance crude oil biodegradation by endemic oil‐degrading microbes. For bioremediation to offer a viable response for future oil spill mitigation in extreme Arctic conditions, a better understanding of the effects of nutrient addition on Arctic marine microorganisms is needed. Controlled experiments tracking microbial populations revealed a significant decline in community diversity along with changes in microbial community composition. Notably, differential abundance analysis highlighted the significant enrichment of the unexpected genera Lacinutrix, Halarcobacter and Candidatus Pseudothioglobus. These groups are not normally associated with hydrocarbon biodegradation, despite closer inspection of genomes from closely related isolates confirming the potential for hydrocarbon metabolism. Co‐occurrence analysis further revealed significant associations between these genera and well‐known hydrocarbon‐degrading bacteria, suggesting potential synergistic interactions during oil biodegradation. While these findings broaden our understanding of how biostimulation promotes enrichment of endemic hydrocarbon‐degrading genera, further research is needed to fully assess the suitability of nutrient addition as a stand‐alone oil spill mitigation strategy in this sensitive and remote polar marine ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude oil spills imperil aquatic ecosystems globally, prompting innovative solutions such as microalgae-based bioremediation. This study explores the potential of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus quadricauda, for crude oil spill phycoremediation under mixotrophic conditions and varying crude oil concentrations (0.5–2%). C. vulgaris demonstrated notable resilience, thriving up to 1% crude oil exposure, while S. quadricauda adapted to lower concentrations. Optimal growth for both was observed at 0.5% exposure. Chlorophyll a content in C. vulgaris increases at 0.5% exposure but declines above 1%, while a decline was noticeable in chlorophyll b in treatment groups above 1%. Carotenoid levels varied, displaying the highest levels at higher concentrations above 1.5%. Similarly, S. quadricauda showed increased chlorophyll a content at 0.5% exposure, with stable carotenoid levels and a decline in chlorophyll b content at higher concentrations. GC/MS analyses indicated C. vulgaris efficiently degraded aliphatic compounds like decane and tridecane, surpassing S. quadricauda in degrading both aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Growth kinetics was best represented by the modified Gompertz and logistic models. These findings highlight the species-specific adaptability and optimal concentration for microalgae to degrade crude oil effectively, advancing phycoremediation processes and strategies critical for environmental restoration. NOVELTY STATEMENT: This study marks the first exploration of both Chlorella vulgaris and the previously unexplored Scenedesmus quadricauda for crude oil phycoremediation potential under mixotrophic conditions. Additionally, it pioneers the modeling and study of algae growth kinetics in response to crude oil exposure. Notably, this research demonstrated the adaptability and efficiency of C. vulgaris in degrading crude oil components under mixotrophic conditions up to a level of 1%, while S. quadricauda showed similar capabilities at a concentration of 0.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An oil spill is a catastrophic event that results in various toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) entering the environment. Polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs) are more toxic to the environment than their parent PAHs. The high cost and paucity of available PANH standards, the lower abundance of PANHs relative to PAHs, and the difficult separation due to co-elution with PAHs have all contributed to the scarcity of related published literature on the determination of these compounds. To overcome these challenges, a new quantitative method has been successfully developed and validated for the inclusion of 113 polycyclic aromatic carbon (PAC) compounds in a single injection. The 113 compounds consist of PAHs, nitrogen heterocycles, sulfur heterocycles, and alkylated equivalents. Distinct separation of the PANHs and their alkylated counterparts (APANHs) from PAHs was achieved using a gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (GC-QToF) mass spectrometer. The instrument resolved compounds by the high-resolution extraction of monoisotopic masses, allowing response correction factors (RCFs) to be determined from available PANH standards and to calculate concentrations from PAH calibration standards. The developed method was applicable to crude oil samples, generating concentrations of PANHs and relevant information on compound stability for use in oil spill forensics investigation. Development of this practical PAC method provides a powerful tool for screening toxic contaminants, assessing environmental impact, and monitoring recovery following an oil spill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining has a significant impact on reducing river water quality. The decline in river water quality causes problems for human life and the environment. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate river water quality and develop strategies for improving river water quality due to open pit coal mining activities in Tenggarong Seberang District and develop environmental improvement strategies. Several chemical parameters, including pH, TSS, Fe, and Mn, were observed through laboratory tests to determine water quality in the Separi River used in coal mining. The next step was determining environmental improvement strategies using the ISM approach. Twenty stakeholders from related agencies and institutions using FGD were involved in developing a policy strategy. The results of the analysis showed that there has been a decrease in river water quality standards due to mining activities in the research area, and the quality is still below the standard quality. Therefore, two significant strategies must be a priority for the environmental management of the Separi River. First, Conducting an environmental audit of the factors causing the decline in river water quality is necessary. Second, there must be warnings and legal sanctions for negligence in oil spills and oil used from coal mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the expanding oil-related activities, the arctic and sub-arctic marine environments are increasingly vulnerable to oil-related pollution such as accidental oil spills. These cold-water ecosystems harbor many fish species that are both ecologically and economically important such as the pelagic polar cod (Boreogadus saida), capelin (Mallotus villosus), and benthic long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides). The latter two are much less studied and it is crucial to characterize their responses to oil-related contaminants and develop molecular biomarkers and genomic resources for future monitoring. In this study, liver slice preparation and culture methods were used to characterize the transcriptome responses (using RNA-seq) in capelin and long rough dab to exposures of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compound benzo[a] pyrene (BaP). The liver slice culture and exposure experiments were performed onboard a research vessel in the Barents Sea. Strong up-regulation of genes involved in biotransformation, particularly the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway was observed in both species. A comparison of the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with previously published polar cod exposures indicates that the latter respondedmore strongly (higher number of genes), suggesting higher uptake and bioconcentration of BaP in the fatty liver tissue, although other factors such as differences in clearance rate could potentially affect the responses. This study provides new genomic resources and gene expression biomarkers in capelin and long rough dab, enhancing our understanding of their response mechanism to oil-related contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anning Refinery, a large-scale joint venture in southern China, possesses significant potential in regard to polluting local groundwater environments due to its extensive petroleum raw materials. This study aims to mitigate the substantial risks associated with oil spills and prevent consequential groundwater pollution by developing a robust groundwater flow model using the MODFLOW module in GMS software that aligns closely with natural and pumping test conditions. Furthermore, by integrating the MT3DMS model, a groundwater solute transport model is constructed and calibrated using sodium chloride tracer dispersion data. Notably, the wax hydrocracking unit and aviation coal finished product tank area are identified as key pollution sources warranting attention. By considering local constraints such as karst collapse, ground subsidence, and single-well water output capacity, the study introduces a tailored groundwater pollution management model. The research simulates various scenarios of petroleum pollutant migration in groundwater and proposes multi-objective emergency response optimization plans. In Scenario 1, simulations show that petroleum pollutants migrate within the unconfined aquifer and enter the karst aquifer as low-concentration plumes over an extended period. Detection of these plumes in karst water monitoring wells indicates upstream unconfined aquifer contamination at higher concentrations, necessitating immediate activation of the nearest monitoring or emergency wells in both layers. Conversely, in Scenario 2, pollutants reside briefly in the unconfined aquifer before entering the karst aquifer at relatively higher concentrations. Here, low-efficiency pollutant discharge through unconfined aquifer monitoring wells prompts the activation of nearby karst aquifer monitoring or emergency wells for effective pollution control. This model underscores the necessity for proactive monitoring and validates the efficacy of coupled numerical modeling in understanding pollutant behavior, offering valuable insights into pollution control scenario assessments. In summary, the study emphasizes the importance of targeted monitoring and emergency protocols, demonstrating the benefits of integrated modeling approaches in industrial areas prone to pollution risks, and provides critical theoretical and practical guidance for groundwater protection and pollution management, offering transferable insights for similar industrial settings worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical changes of sediment characteristics and levels of inorganic and organic contaminants were studied in dated sediment cores from the Visovac Lake, situated in the Krka National Park, Croatia, to identify the main sources of anthropogenic pressures on this highly protected system. Depth distributions of lithogenic elements showed a steady decrease of terrigenous inputs due to the reduction in agricultural activities in the area, which was particularly pronounced during the 1991–1995 war in Croatia. Vertical and longitudinal distributions of Cd and Zn indicated that they are predominately of anthropogenic origin. The historical profiles of these toxic metals coincide well with the recorded production of metal industry in the upper reach of the Krka River with a sharp decrease reflecting the interruption by the war and slow recovery afterwards. By contrast, the recovery of the tourist industry in Krka NP after the war was accompanied by increasing contamination by elements characteristic of boat and car traffic (Sn, Cu, Pb) as well as oil pollution. The contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls was only moderate. Although levels of metallic and organic contamination can be considered relatively low, the observed shift from industrial to tourism-related sources indicated that touristic activities should also be regarded as a possible threat for this vulnerable karst aquatic ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) concentrations and their associated toxicological effects in terrestrial ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico are largely unknown. Compounding this uncertainty, a large input of organic matter from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have altered Hg cycling and bioaccumulation dynamics. To test this idea, we quantified blood concentrations of total mercury (THg) in Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) and Marsh Rice Rats (Oryzomys palustris) in marshes west and east of the Mississippi River in 2015 and 2016. We also tested for a difference in THg concentrations between oiled and non-oiled sites. To address the potential confounding effect of diet variation on Hg transfer, we used stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope values as proxies of trophic position and the source of primary production, respectively. Our results revealed that five to six years after the spill, THg concentrations were not higher in sites oiled by the spill compared to non-oiled sites. In both species, THg was higher at sites east of the Mississippi River compared to control and oiled sites, located west. In Seaside Sparrows but not in Marsh Rice Rats, THg increased with δ15N values, suggesting Hg trophic biomagnification. Overall, even in sites with the most elevated THg, concentrations were generally low. In Seaside Sparrows, THg concentrations were also lower than previously reported in this and other closely related passerines, with only 7% of tested birds exceeding the lowest observed effect concentration associated with toxic effects across bird species (0.2 µg/g ww). The factors associated with geographic heterogeneity in Hg exposure remain uncertain. Clarification could inform risk assessment and future restoration and management actions in a region facing vast anthropogenic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil pollution and the energy crisis make oil-water separation an urgent for human need. The widespread use of materials with a single emulsion separation capability is limited. Multifunctional on-demand separation materials can adapt to a wide range of application scenarios, thus having a wider range of applications. The underoil superhydrophilic surface is of great significance for realizing the on-demand separation of oil/water emulsions through the removal of water in the oil and oil in the water. A 3D porous emulsion separation material based on the superhydrophilic principle of sphagnum moss was designed. The material was prepared in a simple step by taking advantage of the adhesion of polydopamine and the introduction of the as-prepared superhydrophilic BaSO4 nanoparticles to achieve superhydrophilicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of 0° and an oil contact angle (OCA) of 157.3°, resulting in excellent separation performance for both water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions. Underoil superhydrophilic porous composite (OSPC) can complete two kinds of emulsion separations by filtration or adsorption. It adsorbs water from water-in-oil emulsion to achieve separation, with a good adsorption capacity of 74.38 g/g and efficiency up to 99%. It can also filter oil-in-water emulsions with an efficiency of 99.92%. The separation efficiencies are all almost unchanged after ten separation cycles. Furthermore, the material has excellent flame retardancy, which reduces the possibility of secondary disasters. The three-dimensional porous sponge has excellent on-demand separation performance for multiple emulsions. It provides a new preparation strategy for underoil superhydrophilic materials and a new idea for the design direction of special wetting materials for the on-demand separation of oil/water emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are highly susceptible to oil exposure. Oil spills cause long-lasting mangrove loss, threatening their conservation and ecosystem services worldwide. This study aimed to explore the impacts of the Gulf War oil spill, which occurred between August 1990 and February 1991, on mangrove vegetation in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea regions (Nayband, Qheshm, Bandar-Abbas, Sirik, Jask, Gabrik and Govatre mangroves). We utilized remote sensing technologies to investigate the potential changes in mangrove area and health in response to the oil spill. The analysis of historical Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data revealed significant degradation in the Nayband, Qheshm and Bandar-Abbas mangrove, which were closest to the contamination source. Results indicated that the oil spill degrades the mangroves around 17.7 ha with poor or moderate greenness and health condition in Nayband mangrove site (Bidkhoon and Basatin). The analysis in Qheshm mangroves revealed that the oil spill had a notable effect on mangroves in Classes 2 and 3, causing them to transition into Class 1, which represents weaker mangroves in terms of health and greenness. Also, the Bandar-Abbas mangrove area experienced a significant decline across all classes around 25%, or 129 hectares. These mangroves experienced greater reductions in overall area as well as declines in vegetation health. In contrast, the mangroves along the northern coast of the Oman Sea showed no evidence of area reduction due to oil contamination. Landward mangroves in Iran, which have lower NDVI values and higher oil concentrations in the sediment, are most susceptible to being lost due to oil spills. These mangroves have revealed their resilience and ability to undergo rapid recovery within 5 years after the Gulf war because the Iranian coastal mangrove areas were largely untouched and undeveloped, which provided a favorable environment. Additionally, the high temperatures and intense solar radiation in the region created a suitable condition for the degradation of the oil, further contributing to the mangroves' recovery. This highlights the need for improved monitoring and conservation efforts to protect mangrove habitats, which are critical for supporting coastal communities and the broader environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mangrove ecosystem in Bintan Regency provides many benefits, both directly and indirectly, for the people around it. Mangrove ecosystem services also vary and play a role in adaptation and mitigation processes in the face of climate change. Oil pollution that occurs every year in Bintan Regency has a negative impact both ecologically and economically. This research aims to estimate the value of mangrove ecosystem services in the East and North Coastal Areas of Bintan Island, which can be used as a basis for the management of the Area. The data collection method used was a survey using a questionnaire on fishermen, tourists, tourism managers, and the surrounding community. In addition, it also collects some secondary data to support data analysis. The results of the study state that the estimated economic value of mangrove ecosystem services is IDR. 135,663,899,478.30/year from a mangrove area of 4354.11 ha. The economic value consists of providing services by 61%, regulatory services by 21%, supporting services by 2%, and cultural services by 16%. The economic value of the mangrove ecosystem services in the coastal area of Bintan Island, Indonesia, has significant implications for policy-making related to mangrove conservation, social welfare, and environmental damage claims. The research provides evidence of the economic value of mangroves, which can be used to support policies and claims aimed at protecting these crucial ecosystems and the benefits they provide to local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an acrylate copolymer‐based oil adsorption resin was designed and synthesized by a suspension polymerization with octadecyl acrylate (SA) and butyl acrylate (BA) as monomers, divinylbenzene (DVB) as a cross‐linking agent, and toluene as a pore‐forming agent. By studying the synthesis conditions, the copolymer "SA‐BA‐DVB" (PSBA) with the best adsorption capacity was obtained, when the molar ratio between SA and BA was about 0.9, the content of the DVB and PVA 1788 was about 0.107 wt% and 1.0 wt%, respectively, accounting for the total mass amount of the monomers. Furthermore, by introducing 2% reactive silica nanoparticles (R‐SiO2), the performances of the PSBA were improved due to its increased hydrophobicity and activity space. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of the resulted R‐SiO2/PSBA to kerosene, diesel oil, benzene, and p‐xylene was 31.90, 34.13, 39.44, and 41.81 mL/g, respectively, which is about 1.12 to 1.21 times higher than that of the PSBA. Also, the R‐SiO2/PSBA show brilliant oil retention rate of about 99% after centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 5 min and recycling ability which can be reusable for at least 10 absorption‐desorption cycles without capacity change, demonstrating that the obtained R‐SiO2/PSBA resin can be used as oil removing agents in the field of oil spill applications. Highlights: R‐SiO2 modified acrylate copolymer as an oil adsorption resin was designed and synthesized.The influence of the monomers, cross‐linking agent, and others on the adsorption resin was systematically studied.The adsorption kinetics and performances of the adsorption resin were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkanes are major constituents of crude oil and are released to the marine environment by natural seepage and from anthropogenic sources. Due to their chemical inertness, their removal from anoxic marine sediments is primarily controlled by the activity of anaerobic alkane-degrading microorganisms. To facilitate comprehensive cultivation-independent surveys of the diversity and distribution of anaerobic alkane degraders, we designed novel PCR primers that cover all known diversity of the 1-methylalkyl succinate synthase gene (masD/assA), which catalyzes the initial activation of alkanes. We studied masD/assA gene diversity in pristine and seepage-impacted Danish coastal sediments, as well as in sediments and alkane-degrading enrichment cultures from the Middle Valley (MV) hydrothermal vent system in the Pacific Northwest. MasD/assA genes were ubiquitously present, and the primers captured the diversity of both known and previously undiscovered masD/assA gene diversity. Seepage sediments were dominated by a single masD/assA gene cluster, which is presumably indicative of a substrate-adapted community, while pristine sediments harbored a diverse range of masD/assA phylotypes including those present in seepage sediments. This rare biosphere of anaerobic alkane degraders will likely increase in abundance in the event of seepage or accidental oil spillage. Nanomolar concentrations of short-chain alkanes (SCA) were detected in pristine and seepage sediments. Interestingly, anaerobic alkane degraders closely related to strain BuS5, the only SCA degrader in pure culture, were found in mesophilic MV enrichments, but not in cold sediments from Danish waters. We propose that the new masD/assA gene lineages in these sediments represent novel phylotypes that are either fueled by naturally occurring low levels of SCA or that metabolize medium- to long-chain alkanes. Our study highlights that masD/assA genes are a relevant diagnostic marker to identify seepage and microseepage, e.g., during prospecting for oil and gas, and may act as an indicator of anthropogenic oil spills in marine sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring new oil absorbing materials with high adsorption rate remains a global challenge. Hydrophobic porous materials with photothermal conversion property are an attractive option to address oil spills. Herein, the organosilicon (hydroxyl‐terminal polydimethylsiloxane) was used to modify polyurethane (PU) foam to endow it good hydrophobic and compressible properties. Meanwhile, polypyrrole (PPy) with photothermal effect was introduced to endow PU foam with excellent photothermal properties. The PPy@Si/PU composite foams can reach 77.1 and 49.6°C under the laser and simulated sunlight (with the intensity of 1 kW/m2), respectively. The raised temperature of PPy@Si/PU foam makes it adaptable to reduce the crude oil's viscosity and improve its oil adsorption rate. The maximum oil adsorption rate of PPy@Si/PU foam can obtain 175% and 145% under the laser and simulated sunlight, respectively. Therefore, the PPy@Si/PU foam possesses effective photic‐driving oil adsorption capacity, which has a good prospect to be an efficient oil spills treatment material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-based sorbent materials are an essential part of containing oil spills, thus preventing ecological damage. Poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) thermoplastic elastomer fibers were successfully produced by centrifugal spinning. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fibers were bead free and smooth-surfaced, with an average fiber diameter of 5.9 ± 2.3 μm. Contact angle measurements proved the highly hydrophobic (water contact angle of 126.8 ± 6.4°) and highly oleophilic nature of the fiber mat. The sorption and retention capacities of the fiber mat were tested for various oils and benchmarked against polypropylene as the industry standard and polystyrene, which is widely used in the literature. The oil uptake of the fiber mat showed a strong correlation with the viscosity of the oil, resulting in sorption capacities of 10.1 ± 0.8 g/g for sunflower oil, 19.9 ± 2.1 g/g for motor oil, and 23.8 ± 1.8 g/g for gear oil. Oil–water separation tests were also conducted, resulting in ~100% oil removal. The thermoplastic elastomer fiber mat outperformed the industry standard; however, the polystyrene fiber mat demonstrated the best oil sorption performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills occur during different operations in the energy sector, such as crude oil transport, tank filling and cleaning, and fueling. Such spills are one of the major causes of the accumulation of oil derivatives in the environment, requiring the remediation of soil and marine environments. The production of a biosurfactant by Starmerella bombicola ATCC 222214 was maximized by investigating the effect of different carbon/nitrogen sources and culture conditions. The mineral medium selected for its production was supplemented with 2.0% potato peel flour, 5.0% waste canola frying oil, and 0.20% urea. The culture conditions were a 200 rpm shaking speed, a fermentation time of 180 h, and a 4.0% inoculum size. The yield of isolated biosurfactant was 7.72 g/L. The emulsification rates of heavy oil and motor oil were 65.55 and 95.00%, respectively, indicating an affinity for complex hydrocarbons. In stability tests performed at different pH values, temperatures, and NaCl concentrations, the surface tension ranged from 27.14 to 31.08 mN/m. The critical micelle concentration was 2.0 g/L, at which the surface tension was 33.26 mN/m. The biosurfactant was composed of 6,6-dimethoxy-octanoic acid and azelaic acid, and it exhibited low toxicity to Brassica oleracea and Solanum lycopersicum. In the kinetic test, the biosurfactant allowed for the removal of 82.30%, 96.65%, and 98.25% of exhaust motor oil from sand, silty soil, and clay soil, while in the static test in packed columns, the removal yields were 66.62%, 63.03%, and 58.45%, respectively. The biosurfactant produced in this study is promising for environmental remediation applications in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of global water purification, the issue of marine oil spills represents a significant challenge. The use of phase-selective organogelators (PSOGs) as sorbent materials in oil spill remediation is a promising solution due to their environmental adaptability and high absorption capacity. However, there are limited reports on PSOGs that can be used in powder form for rapid phase-selective gelation of crude oils. In this context, the development of innovative dicholesteryl derivatives as low-molecular-weight organogelators (LMOGs) offers a promising solution in powder form. These gelators are synthesized through a one-pot multi-component reaction as green synthesis method, which ensures high purity and eliminates the need for harsh conditions. The incorporation of cholesterol into the gelator structure demonstrate environmental adaptability. The exceptional sorption capacity was attributed to the structured 2D/3D networks observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrophobic properties of these gelators, as evidenced by a water contact angle of 118 degrees, enable them to efficiently gel various organic solvents at low concentrations (1% w/v) at ambient temperatures, without the need for heating–cooling cycles or co-solvents. The eco-friendly nature and efficient oil–water separation capabilities of these gelators in powder form represent a significant advancement in global water purification efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills from pipeline accidents can have long-lasting health effects on residents of polluted regions. Assessing the potential health risk of these accidents is crucial for effective environmental health management. This study analyzed the concentration of 2-OHNAP in urine and hair as biomarkers of PAHs exposure among the people living in a region with frequent oil pipeline incident in Iran. Fifty pairs of hair and urine samples were collected from residents along with demographic information and dietary habits via a questionnaire. The concentration of 2-OHNAP was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). 2-OHNAP was detected in 100% of urine and 88% of hair samples. The mean concentration of 2-OHNAP in urine was 16.65 ± 21.98 μg/g creatinine and in hair was 8.16±7.62 ng/g dry weight (dw). However, there was no significant correlations between the levels of 2-OHNAP in urine and hair. The mean values of HQ and CR were below 1 and 10−6, respectively. Moreover, some simulated health risk indices were near the threshold levels, and the carcinogenic risk above 70% of the simulated CRs was above 10−6 as well. Therefore, the health risk attributed to the exposure to the parent compound of 2-OHNAP in the study area is currently acceptable, but it is not negligible and may be worsened in the future. This study provides a valuable scientific information for regional decision makers and stakeholders about human health programs and identification of environmental health priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to address the issue of environmental pollution resulting from marine oil spills by evaluating the oil adsorption performance of commonly used fence materials. Conventional oil adsorption materials exhibit limited rates and capacities for oil adsorption. Existing methods have proven insufficient in meeting the requirements for efficient and rapid oil–water separation. A new oil-absorbing barrier was developed by utilizing high oil adsorption resin as the primary material and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as the binder, leveraging the exceptional oil adsorption and hydrophobic properties of P(BMA-SMA-St)/MIL-101(Fe) resin. The oil-absorbing fence was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The oil adsorption rates of carbon tetrachloride, toluene, diesel and gasoline by the oil adsorption fence with 25 g/L resin content were 101.26 g/m2, 68.12 g/m2, 35.19 g/m2, and 46.69 g/m2, respectively. After 120 h of UV irradiation, the coating's oil absorption capacity remained nearly unchanged, and it demonstrated outstanding mechanical, chemical, and wear resistance. As a result, the oil adsorption fence possesses the capability to rapidly absorb oil from the water's surface during the process of containing oil pollution, leading to positive social and economic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration is given to a mathematical model for the formation of hydrates in a jet flow of hydrocarbons for two initial stages (submerged jet and plume). The purpose of the mathematical modeling is to investigate the effects of various compositions of jet flow components on the dynamics of hydrate formation. The object of investigation is a jet flow of hydrocarbons occurring in technogenic spills. The current importance of this investigation is associated with the need to predict the dynamics of oil and gas propagation for cases of technogenic accidents in deepwater development of deposits. A mathematical model has been created for a jet flow for two initial stages with account for the influence of the composition of the flow components. Computational experiments have been carried out for various initial values of pressure and oil volume content in the jet with a view to assessing the dynamics of gas hydrate formation in oil emulsion. The results of the mathematical modeling included the following dependences obtained for various versions of the composition of jet flow components: dependence of the temperature and mass of the newly formed hydrate on the vertical coordinate and the dynamics of variation in the radius of the hydration shell in bubbles. As a result of comparison of the results of a laboratory experiment with the results of mathematical modeling a high-quality agreement has been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the environmental injustices faced by the Kukama Indigenous women in the Loreto department of the Peruvian Amazon due to extractive activities like oil exploration and mining. The Kukama women led a successful legal battle to recognize the Marañón River as a holder of rights, marking a historic ruling in Peru. Their struggle highlights the importance of Indigenous women's knowledge and resistance in the global movement for environmental justice and the Rights of Nature. The article emphasizes the Kukama women's unique worldview and their integral role in challenging environmental injustices beyond regulatory frameworks. [Extracted from the article]

Given the vast quantity of oil and gas input to the marine environment annually, hydrocarbon degradation by marine microorganisms is an essential ecosystem service. Linkages between taxonomy and hydrocarbon degradation capabilities are largely based on cultivation studies, leaving a knowledge gap regarding the intrinsic ability of uncultured marine microbes to degrade hydrocarbons. To address this knowledge gap, metagenomic sequence data from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill deep-sea plume was assembled to which metagenomic and metatranscriptomic reads were mapped. Assembly and binning produced new DWH metagenome-assembled genomes that were evaluated along with their close relatives, all of which are from the marine environment (38 total). These analyses revealed globally distributed hydrocarbon-degrading microbes with clade-specific substrate degradation potentials that have not been reported previously. For example, methane oxidation capabilities were identified in all Cycloclasticus. Furthermore, all Bermanella encoded and expressed genes for non-gaseous n-alkane degradation; however, DWH Bermanella encoded alkane hydroxylase, not alkane 1-monooxygenase. All but one previously unrecognized DWH plume member in the SAR324 and UBA11654 have the capacity for aromatic hydrocarbon degradation. In contrast, Colwellia were diverse in the hydrocarbon substrates they could degrade. All clades encoded nutrient acquisition strategies and response to cold temperatures, while sensory and acquisition capabilities were clade specific. These novel insights regarding hydrocarbon degradation by uncultured planktonic microbes provides missing data, allowing for better prediction of the fate of oil and gas when hydrocarbons are input to the ocean, leading to a greater understanding of the ecological consequences to the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico, occurred in 2010 at 1525 meters depth, releasing approximately 507 M liters of oil. Research cruises in 2010 and 2011 were conducted to assess the initial and subsequent effects of the oil spill on deep-sea infauna. The spatial-temporal response of the deep-sea meiofaunal harpacticoid community composition to the DWH oil spill was investigated at 34 stations ranging from < 1 km to nearly 200 km from the wellhead in 2010 and 2011. The pattern of reduced harpacticoid diversity in impacted zones compared to non-impacted zones in 2010 persisted in 2011. However, an increase in Hill's diversity index (N1) and the family richness across the two years in some of the impacted stations could suggest a first signal of a tentative recovery and an improvement of environmental conditions. The multivariate analysis of harpacticoid family composition revealed the persistence of an impact in 2011 with moderately high values of turnover diversity in the harpacticoid communities through time (37%) and space (38–39%). The consistent presence in all years and stations of long-term tolerant families (e.g. Ameiridae), the sharp decrease of fast-responding opportunistic families (e.g. Tisbidae), and the increase of more sensitive ones (e.g. Ectinosomatidae, Canthocamptidae, Cletopsyllidae, and Laophontidae) lead to the preliminary conclusion that some initial signals of recovery are evident. However, as impacts were still evident in 2011, and because recruitment and succession rates can be extremely slow in the deep sea, full community recovery had not yet occurred one year after the DWH disaster. This study confirmed that harpacticoid copepod family diversity can offer an accurate assessment of oil-spill impacts on deep-sea benthic communities over space and time as well as a better understanding of the recovery mode of the system after an oil spill event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses another means of protecting the ocean to that of the London Convention regime, which prohibits or restricts the dumping of waste at sea, namely through compensation under the existing liability and compensation regimes relating to the spills of oil and other hazardous and noxious substances. Some main features of the existing liability regimes relating to ship-source spills – namely spills from oil tankers, spills of bunker oil from other ships and releases of other hazardous and noxious substances – are presented and their advantages and weaknesses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spill SAR images are characterized by high noise, low contrast, and irregular boundaries, which lead to the problems of overfitting and insufficient capturing of detailed features of the oil spill region in the current method when processing oil spill SAR images. An improved DeepLabV3+ model is proposed to address the above problems. First, the original backbone network Xception is replaced by the lightweight MobileNetV2, which significantly improves the generalization ability of the model while drastically reducing the number of model parameters and effectively addresses the overfitting problem. Further, the spatial and channel Squeeze and Excitation module (scSE) is introduced and the joint loss function of Bce + Dice is adopted to enhance the sensitivity of the model to the detailed parts of the oil spill area, which effectively solves the problem of insufficient capture of the detailed features of the oil spill area. The experimental results show that the mIOU and F1-score of the improved model in an oil spill region in the Gulf of Mexico reach 80.26% and 88.66%, respectively. In an oil spill region in the Persian Gulf, the mIOU and F1-score reach 81.34% and 89.62%, respectively, which are better than the metrics of the control model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing levels of oil spills in both the terrestrial and aquatic environments destroy aquatic life and crops, fill the air with dangerous fumes, and change the physical and chemical features of the soil. Numerous authors have researched oil spills, but the application of supervised machine-learning models has been incredibly under-explored. Therefore, this study compared four supervised machine learning algorithms (Naïve Bayes Classifier, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine) to model the geotechnical properties of oil-polluted soil samples. The soil samples were collected from Engenni Ahoada in Rivers State and Izombe, Imo State, Nigeria. The samples were tested for the following parameters according to the ASTM standard method of measurement: shear strength (SS), liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), bulk density (BD), maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC), California bearing ratio (CBR), and plasticity index (PI). These measurements and the kind of soil (clay or laterite) constituted the inputs for the machine learning algorithms for predicting pollutant type (crude or diesel). The data from the thirty-two (32) sample size was split into train (70%) and test (30%) sets. The models were trained using the train set, and the test sets were used to validate the models. The support vector machine outperformed the competition, with prediction accuracy in the train and test sets of 96% and 89%, respectively. The findings demonstrated that the plastic and liquid limits are the most crucial factors for determining the pollutants in a sample of polluted soil. Also, plastic limit values less than or equal to 22 are likely contaminated by crude oil, while those above 22 are contaminated by diesel. The results therefore recommend using a support vector machine learning model for predicting the pollutant type of polluted soil samples in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, there was an environmental catastrophe in Brazil, when more than 5000 tons of unknown origin crude oil invaded beaches and mangroves. Two years later, two monitoring areas were selected to study seahorses' offspring: Massangana River estuary (apparently healthy area) and Cocaia Island (affected area). Thirty‐six reproductive events of Hippocampus reidi (Syngnathidae) couples from these two areas were monitored to analyze the offspring. At the apparently healthy area, no newborns with malformations were found. However, the offspring from Cocaia Island showed a mean of 19.73% (±5.23) malformations in newborns. It is argued that the toxic/teratogenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have affected the population in two ways: directly through the induction of mutations in the germ cells of the species and through a drastic reduction of the population (bottleneck effect) whose density observed today recovered through consanguineous couplings, potentiating deleterious genotypes in the offspring. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1996–2004. © 2024 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superwetting materials play a crucial part in the fields of chemistry and materials science and draw increasing attention. Among the various applications, superwetting materials demonstrated up-and-coming potential in oil spill remediation. Herein, we report on the preparation of silver-coated copper mesh via a facile chemical deposition and annealing treatment approach that requires neither complex devices nor modification with toxic organic molecules. The resulting sample exhibited remarkable water repulsion (water contact angle of ~ 158° and sliding angle of ~ 1°) and oil affinity (oil contact angle of ~ 0°), contributing to superior separation ability toward various oil–water mixtures (hexane, toluene, benzene, chloroform, tetrachloromethane, kerosene, gasoline, diesel) or effectively cleaning up the floating or underwater oil spill. Moreover, the resulting silver-coated superhydrophobic/superoleophilic copper (Ag-coated SS Cu) mesh demonstrated great durability upon the water flow impact or the abrasion test and was able to continuously separate the toluene–water mixtures over 20 times with an efficiency over 97%. In addition, the sample readily prevented surface fouling via self-cleaning process and exhibited antibacterial ability toward Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis as witnessed by the corresponding bacteriostatic circle (11.38 ± 0.76 mm, 12.65 ± 0.68 mm, and 12.87 ± 0.72 mm, respectively) in the Petri dish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills can have varying degrees of impact on the aquatic environment depending on factors such as the type of oil spilled, the volume released, and the ecosystem affected because crude oil and refined petroleum contain harmful substances such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals. When released into the water, these substances can have immediate and long-term effects on marine life. This research aims to find the factors affecting the degree of pollution from oil spills on the aquatic environment and the areas adjacent to the Qayyarah refinery in northern Iraq. Combines the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the analytical hierarchy process to evaluate the degree of pollution from oil spill incidents in the areas adjacent to the refinery. The statistical analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences and that the value of the correlation coefficient was positive between exchanged cadmium, residual cadmium, exchanged lead, where the lead exchange rate ranged correlation coefficient at a minimum R² 0.674 and a clear increase in the number of bacteria indicating contamination the total number of bacteria coli, fecal coliform bacteria, and fecal strep bacteria (where the numbers of coliform bacteria ranged 102 x 102- (cells/011 mL, and fecal coliform bacteria were between 160 x 102 cells/011 mL. These rates are environmental and vital indicators of the presence of significant levels of organic pollution and evidence of the presence of microorganisms dangerous to the health of residents and living organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to assess the level of aliphatic hydrocarbon (AHC) contamination in bottom sediments of the Azov–Black Sea coast of the Crimea, as well as to identify potential sources of its formation. Bottom sediment samples obtained from 19 stations during the research cruise of the R/V "Professor Vodyanitsky" (June 2020) were used as the material for this investigation. Sampling stations were located along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasus coastlines (the Black and Azov Seas). N-hexane extracts of sediments were studied by gas chromatography to determine the AHC amount and composition. It was established that AHC concentrations in the study area varied from 1.30 to 127.8 mg/100 g. Generally, bottom sediments of the Black and Azov Seas were characterized by low AHC contents, while increased AHC contents were found in the outer harbor of Sevastopol and Yalta regions. To identify potential hydrocarbon sources, various hydrocarbon markers were used. In most of the study areas, n-alkane composition was determined by similar sources of inputs and organic compound transformation. At the same time, oil pollution linked with use of fuel was recorded almost everywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the energy demand increases, there is a significant expansion and utilization of oil resources, resulting in the inevitable occurrence of environmental pollution. Oil has been identified as a prevalent soil contaminant, posing substantial risks to the soil ecosystems. The remediation of soil contaminated with oil is a formidable undertaking. Increasing evidence shows that chemical washing, a remediation technique employing chemical reagents like surfactants to augment the solubilization, desorption, and separation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil, proves to be an efficacious approach, but the latest advances on this topic have not been systematically reviewed. Here, we present the state of knowledge about the surfactant-based chemical washing to remediate oil-contaminated soil. Using the latest data, the present article systematically summarizes the advancements on ex situ chemical washing of oil pollution and provides a concise summary of the underlying principles. The use of various surfactants in chemical washing and the factors influencing remediation efficiency are highlighted. Based on the current research status and knowledge gaps, future perspectives are proposed to facilitate chemical washing of oil-polluted soil. This review can help recognize the application of chemical washing in the remediation of oil-polluted soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]