This volume represents a practical survey of current understanding of chemical contamination of the Mediterranean Sea. Beginning with an overview of the general physical and socio-economic context, the author reviews the exploration of processes governing the fate of chemicals, assesses the budget of both inorganic and organic contaminants, and describes new tools for studying the impact of pollution on the Mediterranean.
Pollution of the aquatic environment is a real threat across the globe. It is becoming a topic of intense study for researchers. It has been updated and almost completely revised. The Mediterranean Sea has been recognized as a target hotspot of the world as the pollutant concentration in this region is greater than the levels in other oceans. The book summarizes research on marine pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea. It presents 5 concise reviews focusing on microplastics, rare earth elements and biotoxins – which are now commonly found in the region. The Editors also emphasize on pollution problems in the Mediterranean region, with 2 chapters presenting studies on Lebanon and Morocco, respectively. The book adds to the collective information on Mediterranean marine pollution. Additionally, references are included at the end of each chapter for the benefit of advanced readers. The contributions also include discussions on important techniques used to monitor and control marine pollution, such as the bio-monitoring of effluents, and ecological impact assessment of microplastic pollution on fish and the environment.
Pollution of the aquatic environment is a real threat across the globe. It is becoming a topic of intense study for researchers. It has been updated and almost completely revised. The Mediterranean Sea has been recognized as a target hotspot of the world as the pollutant concentration in this region is greater than the levels in other oceans. The book summarizes research on marine pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea. It presents 5 concise reviews focusing on microplastics, rare earth elements and biotoxins - which are now commonly found in the region. The Editors also emphasize on pollution problems in the Mediterranean region, with 2 chapters presenting studies on Lebanon and Morocco, respectively. The book adds to the collective information on Mediterranean marine pollution. Additionally, references are included at the end of each chapter for the benefit of advanced readers. The contributions also include discussions on important techniques used to monitor and control marine pollution, such as the bio-monitoring of effluents, and ecological impact assessment of microplastic pollution on fish and the environment.
This study investigates the extent of the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea with respect to the four bordering EC countries - spain, France, Italy, and Greece. The environmental pressures and economic impacts are examined and the institutional/legal framework is described together with all the necessary environmental expenditures. The book is written in such a way that separate chapters are devoted to each of the four countries, after an initial section summarizing the major commonalities. These chapters are organized in parallel formats so that it is possible to examine the same topic country by country. Good references are provided for the reader who is not familiar with the subject of Mediterranean pollution. For specialists, the book provides a useful overview of adjacent fields other than their own speciality: for policymakers, the chapters provide sufficient foundations for decision-making: for the investment planner and banks, it provides budget and investment needs; and for the private sector, it gives an insight into the possibilities for corporate applications of environmental technologies. Four specialists - Prof. V. Silano (Italy), Dr. M. Vassilopoulos (Greece), Dr. L.A. Romafia (France), and Mr. A. Estevan (Spain- contributed sustantially by evaluating the necessary information from national documents on environmental policies and strategies. The book was developed on the basis of an integrated environmental study financed by the European Investment Bank, to which we would like to express our sincere thanks.
This book addresses a broad range of issues concerning microplastic pollution, including microplastic pollution in various environments (freshwater, marine, air and soil); the sources, fate and effects of microplastics; detection systems for microplastic pollution monitoring; green approaches for the synthesis of environmentally friendly polymers; recovery and recycling of marine plastics; wastewater treatment plants as a microplastic entrance route; nanoplastics as emerging pollutants; degradation of plastics in the marine environment; impacts of microplastics on marine life; microplastics: from marine pollution to the human food chain; mitigation of microplastic impacts and innovative solutions; sampling, extraction, purification and identification approaches for microplastics; adsorption and transport of pollutants on and in microplastics; and lastly, the socio-economic and environmental impacts: assessment and risk analysis. In addition to presenting cutting-edge information and highlighting current trends and issues, the book proposes concrete solutions to help face this significant environmental threat. It is chiefly intended for researchers and industry decision-makers; international, national and local institutions; and NGOs, providing them with comprehensive information on the origin of the problem; its effects on marine environments, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean Sea and coasts; and recent and ongoing research activities and projects aimed at finding technical solutions to mitigate the phenomenon.
This book focuses on different aspects of microplastic pollution, offering authors and readers the opportunity to share their knowledge, identify issues and propose solutions and actions to face this environmental threat. Although plastic pollution is a well-known global problem, the recent discovery of microplastics and nanoplastics in seas and oceans represents a very alarming new environmental challenge. The book offers comprehensive insights into the origins of the problem, its impact on marine environments, particularly the Mediterranean Sea and coasts, and the current research trends aimed at finding technical solutions to mitigate the phenomenon. It is primarily intended for scientists and decision makers from industry, international, national and local institutions and NGOs
A distinction between contamination and pollution is useful when we wish to consider what strategies to adopt in researching the impact of anthropogenic activities on the marine environment. Contamination strictly refers to the chemical burden imposed on the system and is evaluated in terms of the concentrations of chemical compounds in various abiotic (e. g water, suspended particulate matter, sediments) and biotic (plant and animal, pelagic and benthic) components. The concept of pollution, on the other hand, infers an assessment of biological response to the measured levels of contamination. This response may be measured at various levels of biological organisation, from molecular events within the cell to changes in such ecosystem properties as nutrient flux and biological productivity. Such measures of biological response need not infer any value judgements regarding putative damage or disturbance to the natural systems, although the biologist will usually have in mind a reference point of normality with which to compare the measured response; departure from this "normality" may then provide a quantitiative index of disturbance. The challenge to scientists engaged in research into marine contamination and pollution is to weld the chemical and biological elements together (always with reference also to the physical features of the environment) so as to provide a coherent framework for the quantitative evaluation of environmental response.
This volume reviews the oil inputs to the Mediterranean Sea from sources such as shipping, offshore oil installations, and oil refineries, presented in a number of national case studies. A regional overview is also presented for the Adriatic Sea. Topics include mapping of oil slicks in the Adriatic, oil exploration and exploitation activities in the waters of the Levantine Basin (Eastern Mediterranean), the oil pollution preparedness and response activities of individual Mediterranean states, bilateral and regional cooperation among the various states, and the risk of pollution from shipping in sensitive sea areas, for example. Together with the companion volume Oil Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea: Part I - The International Context, it addresses both national and international measures in the region, making it of relevance to the agencies and government bodies tasked with remediating or preventing oil pollution, as well as policymakers and practitioners in the fields of shipping, ports and terminals, oil extraction and marine management. It provides researchers with essential reference material on tools and techniques for monitoring oil pollution, and constitutes a valuable resource for undergraduate and post-graduate students in the field of marine oil pollution.
