Distribution and influencing factors of atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the east coast of China in spring: Indication of the sea as a sink of the atmospheric NOx.

An integrated observation of NOx that included coastal cities and oceanic cruises covering the Qingdao coastal waters sites (QDCW) and the Yellow Sea and East China Sea sites (YECS) was conducted in spring. The average concentrations of the coastal cities, the QDCW, and the YECS were 5.4 ± 4.1, 4.2 ± 3.5, and 2.9 ± 6.8 ppb for NO while 18.5 ± 7.2, 9.4 ± 5.2, and 4.9 ± 6.4 ppb for NO2, depicting lowest levels in the open seas. Atmospheric NO and NO2 showed similar spatial variations over the seas, the stations where the air masses originated from land or nearshore regions showed higher levels, but the decisive influencing factors were not the same in the different study areas. The calculated NOx flux value in the YECS (-8.7 × 10-17 mol N cm-2) indicated that the sea surface was a net sink of atmospheric NOx.

Long-term variation in nutrients in the South Yellow Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs.

Based on historical data from 1976 to 2019, the effects of anthropogenic activities on long-term changes in nutrients and their ecological effects in the South Yellow Sea were investigated. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations increased continuously from 1990 until the mid-2000s, followed by a shift from an upward trend to a downward trend. The phosphate (PO4-P) and silicate (SiO3-Si) concentrations also showed obvious interannual variations throughout the study period. The concentrations of DIN, PO4-P and SiO3-Si have decreased significantly in recent decade and more. These changes mainly resulted from the reduction in terrestrial input, while the main reason for the decrease in DIN and PO4-P concentrations is the reduction in anthropogenic input. The long-term nutrient changes in the South Yellow Sea have potential ecological impacts on green tide features.

Impact of water-sediment regulation on the concentration and transport of dissolved heavy metals in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Anthropogenic activities in river basins, especially large-scale water conservancy projects, have notably impacted the physical, chemical and ecological environments of estuaries and coastal areas. In this paper, the effects of water and sediment regulation (WSR) on the concentration and transport of heavy metals in the Yellow River were studied based on a continuous daily heavy metal survey in both the middle reaches (Xiaolangdi station) and lower reaches (Lijin station) of the Yellow River during the WSR period in 2019. The results indicated that the variation in the water oxidation-reduction environment of the Xiaolangdi reservoir during the WSR process exerted an important impact on the concentrations of dissolved Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr and As at the Xiaolangdi station but exerted almost no influence on the concentration of dissolved Ni. At Lijin station, the dissolved heavy metal content first increased and then decreased in the first stage, which mainly depended on the release of heavy metals from resuspended sediments. In the second stage, the heavy metal content gradually decreased due to adsorption onto fine particles discharged from the reservoir. The dissolved heavy metal flux during the water-sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) period accounted for 16.9-33.4% of the annual total dissolved heavy metal flux. WSRS changed transport of water and sediment. The dissolved heavy metal concentrations at the Xiaolangdi station were mainly controlled by the discharge of water and sediments from the Xiaolangdi reservoir, while the dissolved heavy metal concentration at the Lijin station was largely affected by the sediments resuspended from downstream riverbeds and the water and sediment scheduling mode of the Xiaolangdi reservoir. Dissolved heavy metal transportation was highly influenced by the WSR process within a short time. Human intervention, especially WSRS operation, apparently alters the natural states of both the mainstream and estuarine environments of the Yellow River.

Variations in the nutrient concentration and composition in Liaodong Bay under long-term human activities.

This paper analyzed the long-term variations in nutrients in Liaodong Bay and their potential influencing factors based on historical data from 1978 to 2019. Under the influence of both human activities and natural changes, the concentration of DIN increased approximately 4-fold from the end of the 1990s to the mid-2010s, while DIP and DSi concentrations decreased from the beginning to the end of the 1980s and have since increased again. Asynchronous changes in nutrient levels have led to changes in the nutrient composition, which has caused a series of ecological effects. The total phytoplankton abundance decreased from the 1980s to the end of the 1990s and then increased again. Additionally, the phytoplankton composition shifted from a diatom-dominated to a dinoflagellate-dominated system, and the dominant species of zooplankton changed. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) rarely occurred before the 1980s but have frequently occurred since the end of the 1990s.

Indirect photodegradation of sulfisoxazole: Effects of environmental factors (CDOM, pH, salinity, HCO3-, metal ions, halogen ions and NO3-).

It's a new perspective to explore the influences of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) components and environmental factors on the removal of sulfisoxazole (SIX) from the water matrix. Reactive intermediates (RIs) trapping experiments demonstrated that excited triplet-state CDOM (3CDOM⁎) played a dominant promoting role (54.11%) in the CDOM-mediated SIX indirect photodegradation. Additionally, terrestrial humic-like (C1, C3 and C4) and marine humic-like (C2) fluorescent components were identified by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis of CDOM excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs). C1 and C4 were significantly correlated (R2 > 0.91) with the SIX degradation rate owing to their higher productivity of RIs and a greater contribution to the production of 3CDOM⁎ compared to others. Salinity, pH and HCO3- were conducive to the SIX indirect photodegradation, while metal ions (Fe3+ and Cu2+), halogen ions (Cl- and Br-) and NO3- were opposite. These findings are essential for understanding the environmental fate of SIX in coastal waters.

Toxic metal pollution in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, China: distribution, controlling factors and potential risk.

The Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS), which are adjacent to the most urbanized and industrialized areas in China, are facing a variety of environmental problems. Two cruises were conducted to investigate the pollution status of toxic metals in BS and YS sediments. They generally presented a decreasing trend from near shore to offshore. In addition, two high concentration areas were observed in the central south YS and north of the Shandong Peninsula. The results of multiple regression analyses suggest that Hg is mainly controlled by anthropogenic loading, whereas for Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, sediment properties, especially the Fe oxides content, play a more important role. For As and Cd, the contribution of anthropogenic loading and sediment properties are comparable. The risk assessment indicates that Hg, As, Cd and Ni should be listed as the primary contaminant metals in the BS and YS.

Behavior of suspended particles in the Changjiang Estuary: Size distribution and trace metal contamination.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples were collected along a salinity gradient in the Changjiang Estuary in June 2011. A custom-built water elutriation apparatus was used to separate the suspended sediments into five size fractions. The results indicated that Cr and Pb originated from natural weathering processes, whereas Cu, Zn, and Cd originated from other sources. The distribution of most trace metals in different particle sizes increased with decreasing particle size. The contents of Fe/Mn and organic matter were confirmed to play an important role in increasing the level of heavy metal contents. The Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd contents varied significantly with increasing salinity in the medium-low salinity region, thus indicating the release of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd particles. Thus, the transfer of polluted fine particles into the open sea is probably accompanied by release of pollutants into the dissolved compartment, thereby amplifying the potential harmful effects to marine organisms.

Characterization of the Particle Size Fraction associated with Heavy Metals in Suspended Sediments of the Yellow River.

Variations in the concentrations of particulate heavy metals and fluxes into the sea in the Yellow River were examined based on observational and measured data from January 2009 to December 2010. A custom-built water elutriation apparatus was used to separate suspended sediments into five size fractions. Clay and very fine silt is the dominant fraction in most of the suspended sediments, accounting for >40% of the samples. Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Fe and Mn are slightly affected by anthropogenic activities, while Cd is moderate affected. The concentrations of heavy metals increased with decrease in particle size. For suspended sediments in the Yellow River, on average 78%-82% of the total heavy metal loading accumulated in the <16 µm fraction. About 43% and 53% of heavy metal in 2009 and 2010 respectively, were readily transported to the Bohai Sea with "truly suspended" particles, which have potentially harmful effects on marine organisms.

[Distribution characteristics of COD and DO and its influencing factors in the Daliaohe Estuary].

The concentrations of COD and DO were measured in the Daliaohe Estuary in April, July and November of 2010, and their distribution characteristics and influencing factors were discussed. The results showed that the concentrations of COD were 12.10, 4.42 and 4.38 mg · L(-1) in April, July and November of 2010, respectively. They were mainly influenced by rainfall, runoff and municipal sewage. COD values decreased with the increasing DO from the inner of Daliaohe Estuary to adjacent waters. Spatial distribution of COD was mainly controlled by agriculture and urban sewage and tides. The concentrations of DO were 8.46, 4.23 and 10.30 mg · L(-1) in April, July and November of 2010, respectively, and were mainly influenced by temperature and oxygen consumption of organic matter. Hypoxic zone was found in the low-salinity area in summer, which was mainly controlled by excessive emission of organic matter and nutrients in Yingkou, tidal effects and long residence time of water in the estuary.

[Mixing behavior of arsenic in the Daliaohe Estuary].

Mixing behavior of arsenic in the Daliaohe Estuary was studied. Twenty samples were collected from the Daliaohe Estuary during April, July and November, 2010 and arsenic was determined by HG-AFS. The concentrations of arsenic varied from 2.98-44.1, 1.19-14.6, 1.27-12.4 microg x L(-1) in April, July and November. The seasonal variation of arsenic content was significant. In July, the concentration of arsenic was lower than that in April, and higher than that in November. The data indicated that arsenic did not behave conservatively in April and November, but behaved conservatively in July. An important mobilization of dissolved arsenic was observed from the river up to halfway in the estuary in April and November, 2010. Both input flux (from river to estuary) and output flux (from estuary to coastal zone) of dissolved arsenic were calculated from statistical interpretations of the salinity profiles. Concentration of arsenic in the Daliaohe Estuary is higher than large systems, like the Changjiang Estuary and Zhujiang Estuary.