Pollution in the Marine Environment

Both contamination and pollution entail the perturbation of the natural state of the environment by anthropogenic activity. The two terms are distinguishable by the severity of the effect pollution induces the loss of potential resources. Additionally, a clear cause-effect relationship must be established for a substance to be classified as a pollutant towards a particular organism. 

Issues in Environmental Seienee and Teehnology No. 13 Chemistry in the Marine Environment The Royal Soeiety of Chemistry, 2000 

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There are numerous examples and instances of pollution in the marine environment and a comprehensive coverage would be beyond the scope of a single article. Only a few case studies are presented here. They are global in character and represent examples where public and scientihc concern has been sufficient to provoke strategies to mitigate and/or prevent such pollution. 

Bernhard, M. and A. Zattera. 1975. Major pollutants in the marine environment. Pages 195-300 in E.A. Pearson and E.D. Frangipane (eds.). Marine Pollution and Marine Waste Disposal. Pergamon Press, NY. 

Baseline Studies of Pollutants in the Marine Environment and Research Recommendations, 1972. 

Table 7.21. Human non-carcinogenic risk assessment of POPs pollution in the marine environment of Hong Kong in 2000-2004...

The use of bioindicators and biomonitors for gathering environmental information is currently widespread, although some abuse of these terms is customary. The terms bioindicator and biomonitor are commonly but incorrectly taken to be synonymous a bioindicator provides qualitative information on the quality of the environment, whereas a biomonitor supplies quantitative data on environmental contamination.14 This section focuses on the latter, since the trace metal content of biota has been commonly used in biomonitoring programs of metal pollution in the marine environment and is considered to provide a time-integrated measure of metal bioavailability.1,15,16... 

Waldichuk, M. (1989) The state of pollution in the marine environment. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 20, 598-601. 

Pollution in the Marine Environment". International Experts Discussion, Rovinj, Yugoslavia, Pergamon Press, London (in press). 

Baseline Studies of Pollutants in the Marine Environment (Heavy Metals, Halogenated Hydrocarbons and Petroleum), background papers for a workshop sponsored by the N.S.F. OfiBce for the I.D.O.E., Brookhaven Natl. Lab., 24-26 May, p. 231, 1972. 

Whitfield, M. Turner, D.R. In "Proc. Int. Expert Discussion, Lead-Occurence, Fate and Pollution in the Marine Environment" Branlca, M. Konrad, Z. Eds. Pergamon Press Oxford, 1980. 

People often have the misconception that oil spills from tankers are the primary source of oil pollution in the marine environment. While it is true that most of the large spills are from tankers, it must be recognized that these spills still make up less than about 5% of all oil pollution entering the sea. The sheer volume of oil spilled from tankers and the high profile given these incidents in the media have contributed to this misconception. In fact, as stated earlier, half of the oil spilled in the seas is the runoff of oil and fuel from land-based sources rather than from accidental spills. 

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