Occurrences of UV filters, endocrine disruptive chemicals, alkyl phenolic compounds, fragrances, and hormones in the wastewater and coastal waters of the Antarctica.

We present a simplified status description of the prevalence and occurrences of organic micropollutants including endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs), therapeutic drugs, hormones, fragrances and ultraviolet (UV) filters in the wastewaters and the adjacent coastal oceans in the Northern and Southern Antarctica. Different treatment technologies adopted in the research stations and their efficacy in removing pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are reviewed. Till date, 56 PPCPs are reported in the wastewaters of Antarctic research stations, and 23 in the adjacent coastal waters and sea ice. The reported concentrations in the wastewaters are at the levels of µg L-1 for UV filters, plasticizer Bisphenol A, metabolites, antibiotics, alkyl phenolic compounds, and stimulants. Concentrations in the coastal waters and sea ice are two orders of magnitude lower than the wastewaters because of dilution and degradation. It is apparent however, that the PPCP-laden effluents discharged from the research stations contaminate them. If left unchecked, pollution of the coastal waters and sea-ice can lead to toxic levels. Through this review, we have established widespread occurrence of PPCPs in the polar coastal oceans; this study will also provide the status quo for the researchers and policymakers to seriously consider the issue and initiate remedial action in the near future. The existing substantial gaps in understanding of the impact of PPCPs on the flora and fauna of Antarctica, and the ineffectiveness of the current treatment technologies adopted by the research stations are highly evident. Future-oriented polar research should focus on protecting the pristine ecosystem by utilizing climate-sensitive, cost-effective treatment technologies.

Sedimentary processes, metal enrichment and potential ecological risk of metals in lacustrine sediments of Svalbard, Arctic.

The Svalbard archipelago is a glacial environment bestowed with various lakes that act as a natural archive for understanding environmental conditions. The accumulation of sediments in lake basins and their distribution are affected by different mechanisms. Therefore, to understand the distribution of sediments, factors controlling the transport and metal enrichment in the lake environment, core sediments were studied from four lakes (L-A, L-1, L-2 and L-3). Also, the potential ecological risk index (PERI) was computed to determine the impact of metal enrichment on the sediment-associated biota. The results obtained showed that the distribution of trace elements was mainly controlled by the major elements like Al, Ti, Fe, and Mn attributed to their lithogenic origin. Index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) of all four lakes showed a moderate level of enrichment of metals like Cr and Cd indicating an enhanced supply of these metals probably from the catchment rocks and anthropogenic activities. A comparison of metals with Arctic Sediment Quality Guidelines (ASQGs) showed that Cd, Cr and Cu were enriched in the sediments of all the cores indicating the occurrence of adverse biological effects. Furthermore, a potential ecological risk index (PERI) revealed high Cd indicating considerable potential ecological risk to the sediment-associated biota. Thus, trace element influx to the lakes needs to be monitored with due emphasis on Cd contamination.

Dissolved carbon and silica fluxes from Kali, Sharavati and Sita-Swarna rivers, Southwestern India.

Spatio-temporal behaviour of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), inorganic carbon (DIC) and silica (DSi) along the salinity gradient of three south-west Indian monsoonal estuaries are presented. This study showed both conservative and non-conservative behaviour of DOC along the salinity gradient under varying physico-chemical conditions. The gross flux of DOC arriving at the estuary from the rivers was estimated as 0.9 × 109 g/yr for Sita-Swarna river, 4.2 × 109 g/yr for Sharavati river and 5.6 × 109 g/yr for Kali river. Similarly, the net fluxes of DOC estimated beyond the estuarine zone was 5.5 × 109 g/yr (Sita-Swarna), 8.0 × 109 g/yr (Sharavati) and 7.7 × 109 g/yr (Kali). This indicates that these estuaries are the sources of organic carbon to the ocean. The DIC linearly increased towards the higher salinity with net fluxes of 38 × 109 g/yr (Sita-Swarna), 75 × 109 g/yr (Sharavati) and 97 × 109 g/yr (Kali). The combined DIC flux of Sita-Swarna, Sharavati and Kali rivers is ~8% of the total DIC fluxes received from the west flowing rivers of India, to the Arabian Sea. The DSi showed a biogenic removal of 80-85% in all the studied estuaries. From this study it is concluded that the west flowing river estuaries are net sources of DOC and DIC and net sink for DSi. Consideration of the role of west flowing rivers of peninsular India is important for the better understanding of the carbon dynamics in the river-estuary-ocean boundary.

Source, mobility, and bioavailability of metals in fjord sediments of Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system, Arctic, Svalbard.

Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system situated on the west coast of Svalbard archipelago is an ideal location to investigate the impacts of climate change on the environment. As a consequence of global warming, metal concentrations in the Arctic region are increasing due to permafrost melting and changes in biological processes. Therefore, the fjord sediments were studied for identification of provenance, mobility, bioavailability, and potential toxicity of metals in the fjord environment. Finer sediments and organic matter were found to be higher away from the glacier outlets, while coarser sediments were found to be higher near the glacier head. Illite, kaolinite, and chlorite constituted the clay mineral assemblage which had slightly influenced the metal distributions. The variations in metal abundance were attributed largely to the glacial activity along with the influence of Atlantic water mass in western Spitsbergen. Fjord system received sediment from the weathering of rocks indicating an input of terrigenous material. Comparison of metals in bulk sediment with Arctic sediment quality guidelines (ASQGs) showed that Zn and Cu were enriched in the sediment. However, to avoid the overestimation of the risk associated, fractionation of the metals was carried out which revealed higher Mn and Co in labile phases that pose a considerable risk to the biota.

Spatio-temporal variability of trace metals and major ions in a small tropical river, southwest coast of India.

Sita, a small tropical river originating in the Western Ghats, southwestern India, was chosen for this study to understand the spatial and temporal variability of dissolved trace elements and major ions. Sampling was done in monsoon, post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons across the river catchment. Dissolved elements like Zn, Ni, Cu and Co showed high concentrations during monsoon which could be because of the intense chemical weathering of silicate rocks in the catchment, surface runoff and wet atmospheric deposition. In the remaining seasons, the river is fed by the groundwater and anthropogenic effluents which is contributing to higher concentrations of dissolved Pb, Fe and Cd. The results are analysed using factor analysis (SPSS 12), which helped to delineate the sources of metal assemblages. Factor 1 is dominated by major ions (Na, K, Cl, Mg, Ca), which could be naturally sourced from atmospheric deposition and weathering of rocks. Factor 2 is dominated by trace metals (Cd, Pb, Co) and sulphates (SO4) which may have anthropogenic sources such as the discharge of domestic and industrial effluents and agricultural effluents.

The Interdependency of the Morphological Variations of the Planktonic Foraminiferal Species Globigerina bulloides in Surface Sediments on the Environmental Parameters of the Southwestern Indian Ocean.

18 surface sediment samples collected from a north-south transect along the Indian Ocean have been analyzed for planktonic Foraminifera content. Among the other planktonic foraminiferal faunas, Globigerina bulloides was present substantially in all samples. Census data of G. bulloides were measured for different parameters (average size, mean proloculus size, coiling direction, and number of chambers) and a Q-mode cluster analysis was applied on these data. Samples were segregated into two homogeneous clusters, each reflecting particular environmental conditions. Two clusters are as follows: (1) Cluster A, comprised of 6 samples and characterized by the highest range of foraminiferal and ecological parameters, except sea surface temperature and salinity which shows the lowest range, and (2) Cluster B, comprised of 12 samples and characterized by the lowest range of foraminiferal parameters and ecological parameters, except sea surface temperature and salinity which shows the highest range. The study suggests that the ecological parameters are the governing factors for the morphological characteristics of planktonic foraminiferal species G. bulloides.