Environmental Impact Monitoring Research Articles

A Modular Smart Ocean Observatory for Development of Sensors, Underwater Communication and Surveillance of Environmental Parameters

The rapid growth of marine industries has emphasized the focus on environmental impacts for all industries, as well as the influence of key environmental parameters on, for instance, offshore wind or aquaculture performance, animal welfare and structural integrity of different constructions. Development of automatized sensors together with efficient communication and information systems will enhance surveillance and monitoring of environmental processes and impact. We have developed a modular Smart Ocean observatory, in this case connected to a large-scale marine aquaculture research facility. The first sensor rigs have been operational since May 2022, transmitting environmental data in near real-time. Key components are Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) for measuring directional wave and current parameters, and CTDs for redundant measurement of depth, temperature, conductivity and oxygen. Communication is through 4G network or cable. However, a key purpose of the observatory is also to facilitate experiments with acoustic wireless underwater communication, which are ongoing. The aim is to expand the system(s) with demersal independent sensor nodes communicating through an “Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT)”, covering larger areas in the coastal zone, as well as open waters, of benefit to all ocean industries. The observatory also hosts experiments for sensor development, biofouling control and strategies for sensor self-validation and diagnostics. The close interactions between the experiments and the infrastructure development allow a holistic approach towards environmental monitoring across sectors and industries, plus to reduce the carbon footprint of ocean observation. This work is intended to lay a basis for sophisticated use of smart sensors with communication systems in long-term autonomous operation in remote as well as nearshore locations.

Multivectority of ecological and economic assessment of water resources of Ukraine

The financial and economic mechanism of balanced use of natural resources includes a wide specification of environmental, organizational, economic and financial instruments. The author's vision of the multi-vector nature of the ecological and economic assessment of water resources is outlined, which is a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the use and management of water resources for making informed decisions with the determination of priorities for Ukraine. It is substantiated that formation of fundamental scientific bases for the evaluation of water resources of Ukraine should be based on the use of ecological and economic approaches, in particular: ecological dimension, economic analysis, social dimension, technical analysis, legal and regulatory context, risk analysis, climate change analysis, water infrastructure projects, water conflict management, environmental impact monitoring and assessment, alternative scenarios. A study of publicly available data on the assessment of the use of water resources of Ukraine was conducted. Based on the results of the study, we proposed the structure of a multi-vector model of the tools of the ecological and economic mechanism of water resources assessment, which is systematized according to interrelated instrumental blocks: ecological dimension — assessment of the impact of any water projects or activities on natural ecosystems, aquatic biological resources, and water quality; economic analysis — consideration of economic indicators; social dimension — assessment of the impact of projects on society; technical analysis — analysis of technical solutions, engineering aspects and technological parameters of water projects; legal and regulatory context — consideration of relevant legislative and regulatory requirements; analysis — risk assessment of possible risks and development of strategies for their management. The ecological and economic approach helps ensure balanced use of water resources, taking into account the needs of humanity and the requirements of the environment. On the basis of the multi-vector nature of the ecological and economic assessment of water resources, recommendations on environmental protection, optimal use of resources, social impact of projects, risk management strategies and other important aspects can be provided. The author's approach to theoretical-methodological approaches and methodological provisions regarding the formation of a model of tools for the ecological-economic mechanism of water resources assessment, the effective influence of which is aimed at balancing the ecological, economic and social components of the use of water resources of Ukraine, is proposed. It is substantiated that the functioning of multi-directional tools of the ecological and economic mechanism will ensure both greening and increasing the economic and social effectiveness of the use of water resources, the consolidation of management aspects around strategic tasks and priorities determined by the Basic principles of the state environmental policy of Ukraine for the period up to 2030.

ЗЕЛЕНА ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ ЕКОНОМІКИ НІМЕЧЧИНИ В СУЧАСНОМУ КОНТЕКСТІ ГЛОБАЛЬНИХ ВИКЛИКІВ

The green transformation represents one of the most ambitious socio-economic and ecological endeavors in the modern world. Germany is a key nation undertaking this economic green transformation. The article’s objective is to analyze the main trends of Germany’s green transformation and to develop a management toolkit for this project. It focuses on the "Energiewende" project, executed by the German government, which encompasses Germany’s comprehensive efforts to shift from fossil fuels to an economy based on renewable energy sources. The article examines socio-political and socio-economic decisions, as well as technological innovations underpinning this movement, including the development of wind and solar power, the integration of energy systems, the modernization of electric transport infrastructure, and the enhancement of Germany’s energy efficiency. It highlights the importance of government policy and legislative initiatives in supporting green transformation and the role of public influence on the project’s implementation. The challenges Germany faces in this green transformation process, such as the need for further investments, network load management, and maintaining energy security, are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on analyzing the socio-economic impacts of the green transformation, including job creation in the renewable energy sector and effects on traditional energy industries. Recommendations are provided on how this strategy could be adapted in Ukraine, along with potential pathways for international cooperation in this field. To support Germany’s green transformation, an analytical platform for renewable energy management and energy efficiency is being offered. This comprehensive set of tools includes modules such as environmental impact monitoring, energy management, public engagement and education, regulatory compliance, and market trend analysis. The proposed research will be beneficial for the academic and analytical community, international organizations, government and local authorities, and business. Future research prospects include exploring opportunities for adapting Germany’s experience in stimulating state and business initiatives for sustainable development in Ukraine.

Classification and Object Detection on Satellite Images Using Custom CNN Architecture

As the variety of applications for satellite image analysis growing, some of these applications include surveillance, military operations, geospatial research, and environmental impact and climate change monitoring. One of the most important aspects of satellite image analysis is the capacity to automatically recognise and classify objects. Recognizing and classifying items in aviation images may be challenging due to the type and size of the objects as well as the shifting visual features. Because of the type and information included in these photographs, manual article location is quite laborious. It is appealing to automate the finding of various highlights or articles from these satellite photos. The conventional techniques for categorising things include two steps: I identifying the areas of the image where objects are present, and (ii) categorising the items in those areas. It's harder to recognise items because of the complicated background, size, noise, and distance features. According to this research, a specially created convolutional neural network may be used to recognise and classify three distinct objects in the photographs, including trees, buildings, and cars. Also, it aims to grasp and briefly sum up the performance characteristics of the fictitious custom CNN.

Analysis of the Economic and Environmental Policy of Ukrainian Defence Industry Enterprises

Introduction. The regulation of economic and environmental impacts of the entire military-industrial complex is a cross-sectoral and international problem. At the same time, research in this area is rather fragmented, which reduces the effectiveness of systematic reviews of the security and defence sector in the context of the green economy. The relevance of the issue of greening the defence industry is significantly enhanced by the need to regulate and operate domestic defence industries in the context of the country's military operations.
 Aim and tasks. The aim of the study is to substantiate the economic mechanism for regulating the greening of enterprises of the defence industry of Ukraine.
 Results. The economic and environmental security requirements for defence industry enterprises are studied, as the activity of polluting sources of enterprises, including defence enterprises in Ukraine, has generally decreased, in 2021, emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources decreased by 9.0% compared to 2020, to almost 2.2 million tonnes, ammunition was disposed of (235.29 thousand tonnes of ammunition were disposed of from 2014 to 2020) and liquid rocket fuel (16.7 thousand tonnes of melange). In 2021, enterprises, organisations and institutions spent UAH 41.3 billion on environmental protection, compared to UAH 43.7 billion in 2020. Of the total environmental costs in 2021, 68% were current expenses and 32% were capital investments. The strategic directions of greening the defence industry enterprises have been identified, including the introduction of resource-saving technologies, environmental monitoring of environmental impact and reduction of the negative impact of the defence industry units.
 Conclusion. The realisation of the greening potential will help protect the country's natural resource potential under the influence of the defence industry. A system of measures should be developed to ensure the protection and restoration of natural systems at a certain cost. Given the importance of the defence industry for the country in the context of current external threats and armed conflicts in certain parts of the territory, it is necessary to develop a strategic vision of environmental security with the involvement of all relevant organisations and taking into account the degree of responsibility and motivation for eco-oriented management.

The Use of eDNA to Monitor Pelagic Fish in Offshore Floating Wind Farms

After nearly 30 years of experience with offshore wind energy (OWE), the industry is moving past the initial learning phase and into large-scale development. One of the strongest motivations for OWE is that projects are large enough to replace fossil-fueled electricity production that we know is a primary contributor to the ongoing climate crisis. Environmental concerns are therefore also at the core of OWE development, and environmental research and impact monitoring have been central parts of the industry since its inception. A large volume of science-based knowledge is available about the environmental impacts of OWE on marine ecosystems, from effects on the seafloor sediment infauna beneath the turbines to those on marine mammals that roam the developed seas.

MORPHOLOGY OF LANDSCAPES AND GEOPHIZICAL INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM OF THE KHMELNYTSKE PRYDNISTERIA

The aim. Geochemical indicators are used to assess the anthropogenic impact on landscapes. Normality geophysical indicators are used much less, although since ancient times scientists have proposed indicators of heat and water balances, the ratio of energy losses to evaporation and heat exchange, hydrothermal coefficients of heat and moisture to characterize natural areas and smaller natural complexes.
 Methodology. The analysis of published and cartographic materials, landscape schemes and maps of physical and geographical zoning and field route observations made it possible to identify the morphological structure of landscapes in the territory of Khmelnytske Prydnistrovia. Data on geophysical parameters of the zonal types of plains landscapes are systematized. The parameters for the assess of anthropogenic impacts are suggested for the landscapes species.
 Results. The article contains tables of the landscape structure by the ratio of the areas of certain types of areas and agroclimatic indicators for 4th natural regions of the Khmelnytske Prydnistrovia, geophysical and biogeophysical indicators for landscape zones and subzones. For the Gorodoksky, Ushitsky, Toltrovy and Zhvanchitsky natural regions, indicators of the ratio of heat and moisture were determined with an increase in the sum of temperatures of the active growing season from 2500 ° C to 2780 ° C in the Dniester valley, a decrease in the GTC from north to south from 1.5 to 1.2 and variations in the moisture coefficient in range typical for the southern forest-steppe (0.8-0.7). The duration of the frost-free period increases from 160 days in the Gorodok area to 178 days in the Dniester valley on average over a hundred years of observations.
 Originality and practical value. All indicators are a normative basis for comparison with the corresponding data in modern landscape complexes that have been changed or transformed by economic activities. For different types of active surfaces (water, meadow, field, and forest tracts), the albedo, absorbed radiation, the ratio of energy expenditure on evaporation, and turbulent heat exchange with the atmosphere are given.
 Conclusion. When conducting environmental impact assessment and monitoring, when identifying violations of natural processes, geophysical indicators are needed to assess the environmental impact (EIA). Preservation and protection of the natural ecological framework, its study, and research of processes and patterns of migration of matter and energy at the local level is possible only in stationary conditions of reserves and sanctuaries. Elucidation of causal relationships in natural processes, pathways of micronutrient migration and distribution and redistribution of radionuclides, and study of the intensity of anthropogenic impact on the formation and functioning of local level geosystems are necessary to create a database of actual material.
 The analysis of the landscape structure by the area of certain types of localities showed the differences between the natural areas of Khmelnytskyi Transnistria, which are also manifested in agroclimatic resources. Different types of active surfaces (water, meadow, field, and forest tracts) are characterized by individual indicators of albedo, the ratio of absorbed radiation, energy consumption for evaporation, and turbulent heat exchange with the atmosphere.
 Geophysical and biogeophysical indicators allow to assess changes in the factors of functioning of natural landscapes, so it is advisable to assess the natural-technical and natural-anthropogenic complexes of the rank of localities, types of landscapes and physical-geographical provinces. Geophysical indicators are the normative basis for comparison with the corresponding.
 Key words: geophysical indicators, the structure of landscapes, Khmelnytske Prydnisteria, agroclimatic dates, ecology.

A Three-Year Plant Study of Salt-Tolerant Transgenic Maize Showed No Effects on Soil Enzyme Activity and Nematode Community.

The environmental effects of genetically modified crops are now a global concern. It is important to monitor the potential environmental impact of transgenic corn after commercial release. In rhizosphere soil, plant roots interact with soil enzymes and microfauna, which can be affected by the transgenes of genetically modified crops. To determine the long-term impact of transgenic plant cultivation, we conducted a field study for 3 consecutive years (2018–2020) and observed the enzyme activities and nematode populations in plots planted with transgenic maize BQ-2, non-transgenic wild-type maize (Qi319), and inbred line B73. We took soil samples from three cornfields at four different growth stages (V3, V9, R1, and R6 stages); determined soil dehydrogenase, urease, and sucrase activities; and collected and identified soil nematodes to the genus level. The results demonstrated seasonal variations in dehydrogenase, urease, and sucrase activities. However, there was a consistent trend of change. The generic composition and diversity indices of the soil nematodes did not significantly differ, although significant seasonal variation was found in the individual densities of the principal trophic groups and the diversity indices of the nematodes in all three cornfields. The results of the study suggest that a 3-year cultivation of transgenic corn had no significant effects on soil enzyme activity and the soil nematode community. This study provides a theoretical basis for the environmental impact monitoring of transgenic corn.

Effects of Quarrying Activities on Environmental Sustainability in Makenene, Centre Region, Cameroon

Quarrying activities has been regarded as one of the informal activities which has the potential of contributing to the development and economies of communities where ever the quarry companies are installed. But at the same time, the environmental and health impacts of mining on surrounding communities have been a major concern to governments, the general public and stakeholder organizations and individuals. This paper examines the effect of quarrying activities on environmental sustainability of the Makenene community especially at “quartier carrier” in the Center region of Cameroon. To achieve the main aim of the study, three objectives were set to access the environmental impact of quarrying activities on land degradation, water, air and soil quality in Makenene sub-division, examine the effect of quarrying activities on the health of the people of the study area and to appraise the measures which have been put in place for sustainable quarry extraction with focus on environmental sustainability. Purposive and systematic random sampling techniques were used to administer 155 copies of questionnaires drawn from Miller and Brews (2003) sample determination method. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The major findings showed that quarrying activities have significantly affected the “quartier carrier” in Makenene countryside as it has led to environmental degradation, water and air quality distortion. The findings also proved that there have been considerable human health problems resulting from quarrying activities. Based on the findings, the study strongly recommends the government bench of Cameroon to effectively implement its mining/quarry laws and make sure prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), monitoring and evaluation are effective to see that quarry companies operate within the legal frameworks while maintaining environmental sustainability. Keywords: Environmental degradation, Natural resource exploitation, Quarry, Sustainability DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-1-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2022

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

A circular approach to technological innovation with waste from the agri-industrial supply chain

Today’s construction sector is able to act as a catalyst for circular processes in synergy with various industrial supply chains, including those that include the reuse of plant by-products, which can potentially be used as secondary raw materials (SRM). These processes fall within a research cluster described through four projects, articulated on the basis of an experimental work method, performance monitoring and assessment of environmental impact. The activities of the cluster have led to collaboration between companies and universities, laying the foundations for process and product innovation, highlighting the need to implement tools and policies to streamline SRM recovery and storage chains.

Establishing the relationship between benthic macroinvertebrates and water level fluctuation in subtropical shallow wetlands.

Wetland water level fluctuations often influence benthic macroinvertebrate communities through changes in water quality, substrate, and macrophytes and, hence, affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. However, there is lack of understanding on how water level fluctuations affect the structure and composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical shallow wetlands in Nepal. Here, we assessed the changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in response to water level fluctuations and identified indicator taxa sensitive to such fluctuations. A study was conducted over 4 seasons covering one annual cycle of water level fluctuation in 4 wetlands of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. The study revealed that benthic macroinvertebrate composition significantly differed across water levels. Dissimilarities in macroinvertebrate community composition were mainly attributed by families Atyidae, Dytiscidae, Baetidae, Planorbidae, Chironomidae, Bithyniidae, Sphaeriidae, and Thiaridae. Taxon specific richness, densities, and biomass varied across the water levels while no difference was documented for overall family richness, density, and biomass. Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera richness decreasedwhen water levels were low while Coleoptera and Diptera richness increased. Medium water level supported high benthic macroinvertebrate diversity. Indicator taxa analysis identified Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae and Dytiscidae, Hemiptera: Pleidae, Diptera: Muscidae and Mollusca: Sphaeriidae, Viviparidae, and Thiaridae, as indicators of low water level. Similarly, Coleoptera: Scirtidae, Hemiptera: Micronectidae and Oligochaeta: Tubificidae as indicators of medium water level, and Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae and Ephemeroptera: Caenidae as indicators of high water level. Redundancy analysis identified water level as one of the most influencing factors in benthic macroinvertebrate community variation. Considering the significant response of benthic macroinvertebrates to water level fluctuations, theyare important as ecological indicators in research aimed at developing environmental flow frameworks. Indicator speciesare likely to be a vital tool in environmental impact assessment and monitoring in relation to hydrological development. The outcomesof this research have important implications to conservation and management of wetlands to preserve the valuable ecosystem functions provided by wetlands.

An Integrative Approach to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining Contamination in the Amazon.

As the number of legal and illegal gold mining sites increases in the Andes–Amazonia region, integrative methods to evaluate the effects of mining pollution on freshwater ecosystems are of paramount importance. Here, we sampled water and sediments in 11 sites potentially affected by gold mining activities in the Napo province (Ecuador). The environmental impacts were evaluated using the following lines of evidence (LOEs): water physicochemical parameters, metal exposure concentrations, macroinvertebrate community response (AAMBI), and toxicity by conducting bioassays with Lactuca sativa and Daphnia magna. Dissolved oxygen and total suspended solids were under (<80%) and above (>130 mg/Ls) quality standards 65% of the sites. Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in water and V, B, and Cr in sediments were detected above quality standards at sampled sites. Nine out of eleven sites were classified as having bad environmental quality based on the AAMBI. L. sativa seed germination in both water (37% to 70%) and sediment (0% to 65%) indicate significant toxicity. In five sites, neonates of D. magna showed a 25% reduction in survival compared to the control. Our integrated LOEs index ranked sites regarding their environmental degradation. We recommend environmental impact monitoring of the mining expansion at the Andes–Amazonia region using multiple LOEs.

Design and evaluation of a scalable Internet of Things backend for smart ports

AbstractInternet of Things (IoT) technologies, when adequately integrated, cater for logistics optimisation and operations' environmental impact monitoring, both key aspects for today's EU ports management. This article presents Obelisk, a scalable and multi‐tenant cloud‐based IoT integration platform used in the EU H2020 PortForward project. The landscape of IoT protocols being particularly fragmented, the first role of Obelisk is to provide uniform access to data originating from a myriad of devices and protocols. Interoperability is achieved through adapters that provide flexibility and evolvability in protocol and format mapping. Additionally, due to ports operating in a hub model with various interacting actors, a second role of Obelisk is to secure access to data. This is achieved through encryption and isolation for data transport and processing, respectively, while user access control is ensured through authentication and authorisation standards. Finally, as ports IoTisation will further evolve, a third need for Obelisk is to scale with the data volumes it must ingest and process. Platform scalability is achieved by means of a reactive micro‐services based design. Those three essential characteristics are detailed in this article with a specific focus on how to achieve IoT data platform scalability. By means of an air quality monitoring use‐case deployed in the city of Antwerp, the scalability of the platform is evaluated. The evaluation shows that the proposed reactive micro‐service based design allows for horizontal scaling of the platform as well as for logarithmic time complexity of its service time.

A penalty-reward system for pro-environmental project execution

ABSTRACT In this paper, an evolutionary game was developed and used to simulate interactions among the key stakeholders associated with the monitoring and control of environmental impact of the projects. The system dynamics simulation of the evolutionary game indicated problems in sustaining desired behaviour from the concerned stakeholders. Based on the observations from the simulation of the evolutionary game, a penalty – reward system was proposed to deal with these problems and to ensure that execution of projects is pro-environmental with minimum monitoring from the senior management.

Biodiversity data and new species descriptions of polychaetes from offshore waters of the Falkland Islands, an area undergoing hydrocarbon exploration.

Benthic environmental impact assessments and monitoring programs accompanying offshore hydrocarbon industry activities result in large collections of benthic organisms. Such collections offer great potential for systematics, biodiversity and biogeography research, but these opportunities are only rarely realised. In recent decades, the hydrocarbon industry has started exploration activities in offshore waters off the Falkland Islands. A large collection of ca. 25,000 polychaete (Annelida) specimens, representing some 233 morphological species was processed at the Natural History Museum, London. Taxonomic assessment led to recognition of many polychaete species that are new to science. The existing taxonomic literature for the region is outdated and many species in existing literature are likely misidentifications. Initially, an online taxonomic guide (http://falklands.myspecies.info) was created, to provide a single taxonomic source for 191 polychaete species to standardise identification across different environmental contractors working in Falkland Islands. Here, this effort is continued to make data available for 18,015 specimens through publication of raw biodiversity data, checklist with links to online taxonomic information and formal descriptions of five new species. New species were chosen across different families to highlight the taxonomic novelty of this area: Apistobranchus jasoni Neal & Paterson, sp. nov. (Apistobranchidae), Leitoscoloplos olei Neal & Paterson, sp. nov. (Orbiniidae), Prosphaerosyllis modinouae Neal & Paterson, sp. nov. (Syllidae) and Aphelochaeta falklandica Paterson & Neal, sp. nov., and Dodecaceria saeria Paterson & Neal, sp. nov. (both Cirratulidae). The potential of the Falkland Islands material to provide up to date informationfor known species described in the literature is also highlighted by publishing images and redescription of Harmothoe anderssoni Bergström, 1916 and Aphelochaeta longisetosa (Hartmann-Schröder, 1965). Biodiversity and abundance data are made available through a DarwinCore database, including material collected from 83 stations at Sea Lion developmental oil field in North Falklands Basin and voucher specimens’ data collected from exploratory oil wells in East Falklands Basin.

Detection of the rare Australian endemic blind cave eel (Ophisternon candidum) with environmental DNA: implications for threatened species management in subterranean environments

The blind cave eel, Ophisternon candidum (Mees in J R Soc West Aust 45: 24–32,1962), is a rare groundwater inhabitant found in geographically isolated populations of north-west Australia. The species is listed as vulnerable under Commonwealth legislation and is a priority consideration when environmental disturbance by resource companies is proposed. Detection of this species for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and monitoring is difficult because individuals are naturally rare or traditional sampling techniques are ineffective. To properly manage the species, information on population distribution and connectivity is critical. We sought to examine whether environmental DNA (eDNA) of O. candidum could be detected and whether positive detection was correlated with previous locations where the species had been physically caught. We developed new eDNA species-specific PCR assays to screen groundwater sampling points and we detected O. candidum DNA in three boreholes where the species has previously been collected and five additional groundwater sampling points. Our results demonstrated that the newly designed assays were effective for detecting this rare and vulnerable subterranean species. This work sets a benchmark for the application of eDNA species-specific PCR assays for EIA and monitoring, and has potential for these assays to be expanded more broadly to high-throughput eDNA metabarcoding for subterranean groundwater communities in the future.

The analysis of relatedness and interaction of impact on using house of quality for some cases as building, housing, and apartment in Indonesia

The essence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is on environmental impact management and monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management. Meanwhile, environmental management and environmental monitoring describe a detailed direction of environmental management as a result of impact evaluation. In fact, impact evaluation is not fully reflected in the environmental management plan for some areas. This study aimed to identify the impact evaluation results recommended in the environmental management plan and environmental monitoring plan in some cases of EIA in Indonesia. Research method using house of quality. Sample in this research was EIA on some kinds of business plan which already had environmental permit, especially on building, housing, and apartment. The results showed that the impact interaction was not well analyzed, so that synergistic, cumulative, and/or diagnostic impacts were not entirely imposed on the proponent, but related to the cause of impact and authorized institution.

Correction to: A Review of the Techniques Used to Control Confounding Bias and How Spatiotemporal Variation Can Be Controlled in Environmental Impact Studies

Inferring causality has long been a challenging task in environmental impact studies and monitoring programs, mostly because of the problem of confounding bias, i.e. the difficulty of separating impact from natural variation. Traditional approaches for dealing with confounding, despite improvements in study design and statistical analysis, are inadequate. Using aquatic biota as a case study, this review explains the limitations of traditional methods used to separate the impact of human-made pollution from natural variation in the environment. Advantages and disadvantages of the traditional and novel techniques are enumerated. Bayesian networks (BNs) and structural equation modelling (SEM) as causal modelling techniques are introduced as approaches to improve environmental impact monitoring.

Improved oil spill dispersant monitoring in seawater using dual tracers: Dioctyl and monoctyl sulfosuccinates sourced from corexit EC9500A

A high resolution mass spectrometry method was developed for the environmental impact monitoring of oil spill dispersants. Previously reported instability of dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) dispersant tracer was addressed by the new procedure. The method monitors both DOSS and its degradation product, monooctyl sulfosuccinate (MOSS), by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The related isomer, 4-(2-ethylhexyl) 2-sulfobutanedioate, was chromatographically resolved from MOSS but was not a product of DOSS degradation. Using this direct injection method (10 μL), the practical lower limit of quantitation was 0.5 nM for each analyte, a concentration equivalent to 0.22 ng mL−1, or 0.30 ng mL−1 including initial dilution factor with acetonitrile. The method was shown applicable to analysis of the dispersants Corexit® EC9500 A, Finasol OSR 52, Slickgone NS, and Slickgone EW for which DOSS is an active ingredient. A marine microcosm study of Corexit EC9500A, together with diluted bitumen (dilbit), at 15 ± 1 °C, provided evidence of the stoichiometric conversion of DOSS to MOSS under conditions reflecting a western Canadian marine environment. The advantage of the developed method is in its ability to extend environmental seawater sample collection time from 4 days for DOSS alone, to 14 days when both DOSS and MOSS are simultaneously analysed and results combined. The collection time is likely extended beyond the 14 day period with cooler temperatures. Preservation of collected seawater samples using sodium hydroxide, converting DOSS into MOSS in situ, was rejected due to stability issues. Addition of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid did not improve hold times, thus eliminating the theory of cation induced micelle effects causing DOSS loss.