Do wastewater treatment plants act as a potential point source of microplastics?Preliminary study in the coastal Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

Traditional and emerging human activities are increasingly putting pressures on marine ecosystems and impacting their ability to sustain ecological and human communities. To evaluate the health status of marine ecosystems we need a science-based, integrated Ecosystem Approach, that incorporates knowledge of ecosystem function and services provided that can be used to track how management decisions change the health of marine ecosystems. Although many methods have been developed to assess the status of single components of the ecosystem, few exist for assessing multiple ecosystem components in a holistic way. To undertake such an integrative assessment, it is necessary to understand the response of marine systems to human pressures. Hence, innovative monitoring is needed to obtain data to determine the health of large marine areas, and in an holistic way. Here we review five existing methods that address both of these needs (monitoring and assessment): the Ecosystem Health Assessment Tool; a method for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the Bay of Biscay; the Ocean Health Index; the Marine Biodiversity Assessment Tool; and the Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool. We have highlighted their main characteristics and analyzing their commonalities and differences, in terms of: use of the Ecosystem Approach; inclusion of multiple components in the assessment; use of reference conditions; use of integrative assessments; use of a range of values to capture the status; weighting ecosystem components when integrating; determine the uncertainty; ensure spatial and temporal comparability; use of robust monitoring approaches; and address pressures and impacts. Ultimately, for any ecosystem assessment to be effective it needs to be: transparent and repeatable and, in order to inform marine management, the results should be easy to communicate to wide audiences, including scientists, managers and policymakers.

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Overview of Integrative Assessment of Marine Systems: The Ecosystem Approach in Practice

Human pressures and their potential impact on the Baltic Sea ecosystem

Abundance and composition of near surface microplastics and plastic debris in the Stockholm Archipelago, Baltic Sea.

The organic derivatives of phenol are classed as dangerous compounds, and their presence has been detected in surface water, bottom water, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and mussel as well as liver and muscle of fish from the Gulf of Gdansk and in liver, muscle, and guano of gulls residing in the coastal zone of this basin. The greatest sources of bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), and 4-nonylphenol (NP) were found to be the Vistula River and the water purification plant in Debogorze. In living organisms, concentrations of BPA, OP, and NP ranged between the limit of quantification and several hundred ng g−1 dry weight (dw), and the highest concentrations were found for BPA. Prolonged alimentary exposure to BPA, OP, and NP in fish and birds was indicated by liver/muscle concentration ratios generally >1. The most influential factors on BPA and alkylphenol concentrations in the tissues of fishes and gulls were mainly diet and habitat. The study confirmed possible bioaccumulation in the food web. High BPA and NP concentrations in guano (≤2,700 and ≤300 ng g−1 dw, respectively) indicated the ability of birds to detoxify and signalled the reintroduction of these compounds to seawater. Herring, flounder, and cod from the Southern Baltic are a safe food source for human consumption because their BPA and alkylphenol contents are low.

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Anna Brzozowska

Papers

Hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea: An integrated thematic assessment of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea