Modern Treatment Strategies for Marine Pollution

By P. Senthil Kumar

Modern Treatment Strategies for Marine Pollution provides an overview of assessment tools that identify contaminants in marine water, also discussing the latest technologies for removing these contaminants. Through templated and consistently structured chapters, the author explores the importance of seawater to our marine ecosystems and the devastating effects pollutants are causing. Sections cover the emission of toxic pollutants from industries, wastewater discharge, oil spills from boarding ships, ballast water emission, abnormal growth of algal blooms, and more. Techniques explored include huge diameter pipelines erected for removing floating debris from seawater, which is denoted as a primary idea for cleaning contaminants.

The book includes numerous case studies that demonstrate how these tools can be successfully used. It is an essential read for marine ecologists and oceanographers at the graduate level and above, but is also ideal for those looking to incorporate these techniques into their own work.

• Presents and discusses advanced technologies used in the treatment of marine water
• Includes case studies to show what techniques have been successful
• Provides new information on contamination assessment and analytical protocols for identifying pollutants, which is essential for readers to use in their own work

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Oct 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780128222805

P. Senthil Kumar

Dr. P. Senthil Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry, India. He has a wide research experience in the fields of water/wastewater. He has 17 years of teaching and research experience. He has 30100 citations with an author’s h-index of 85 along with an i10 index of 464. He has been listed in Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2022 (Cross-Field) and also received the AICTE National Technical Teachers Award (NTTA 2022).

Book preview

Kumar

Chapter one

Introduction to marine biology

Abstract

The ocean covers around 75% of the Earth’s surface. This segment has lots of components that are categorized as biotic and abiotic components. Biotic components are biological compounds living within the marine ecosystem, whereas abiotic components are physical and chemical constituents of marine bodies. Biotic compounds survive in various segments of marine biology that are found in different zones of marine water. There are various factors that affect the marine biology interactions like pH, salinity, temperature, density, wave currents, hydrodynamic conditions, turbulence and penetration of light. This chapter gives an introductory note on the marine ecosystem, its components, the nature of marine water and the various physiological parameters that affects the marine biological environment. It is an overview of the type and categories of marine ecology. Additionally the chapter covers the type of biotic and abiotic interactions that are happening inside marine biology.

Keywords

Marine ecosystem; intrinsic factors; biological interactions; marine ecology; ocean

1.1 Introduction

About 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with seawater, which is the major source of food, energy and mineral resources. This ocean water carries living organisms, hence it is called an aquatic ecosystem. The ocean helps to control the global climate that further depends on environmental factors like temperature, monsoon, human activities, etc. The aquatic ecosystem is classified into two types: freshwater ecosystem and marine water ecosystem. The marine ecosystem includes habitats of open seas, coastal zones, salt marshes and wetlands along shores and river mouths. Also it includes estuaries, tidal inlets and the foreshore ecosystem [1].

1.1.1 Nature of seawater

Seawater is a different solution that has water and chemical compounds as its constituents. When any external factor comes into contact with seawater, a degree of solubilization takes place. Water, which acts as a solvent medium, is an universal solution in which diffusion/transport of ions takes place. On the other hand, the chemical constituents of seawater include dissolved and undissolved substances. Dissolved substances include salts, organic compounds and gases. Undissolved substances include gas bubbles, inorganic and organic solids. The chemistry of seawater reveals the presence of six ions like Cl−, Na+, SO²−, Mg²+, Ca²+ and K+. These ions are categorized as major constituents that contribute nearly 99.5% in seawater, whereas iron falls under the category of minor constituents [2].

1.1.2 Categories of marine ecosystem

The marine ecosystem is characterized by two components: biotic and abiotic components. Biotic components are living organisms like parasites, predators, competitors and other species. Abiotic components are temperature, salinity, turbulence, density, sunlight and concentration of nutrients. All these components are affected by various factors like quality of seawater, buoyancy, gravity, temperature, density, penetration of light, water turbulence and hydrostatic pressure [1]. In general biotic factors include plants, animals, fungi, algae and bacteria. Abiotic factors include sunlight, temperature, moisture, wind, soil type and nutrient availability.

1.1.3 Presence of biotic and abiotic components in marine biota

The marine ecosystem provides information about marine organisms and their habitats which provide knowledge about the effects of global changes on marine ecology. This ecological study provides a better understanding of the interactions between organisms and environmental factors. This complex interaction provides a route for various external factors that are involved in the marine ecosystem. They are ocean temperature, dramatic changes in weather patterns, ocean acidification, melting of glaciers and pollution. There are a few factors that affect life in the ocean. Some of them are discussed below [3].

1.1.3.1 Temperature

Temperature is one of the most important factors that affects the rate of biological processes in ocean. In general the difference in temperature affects weather globally. It is known that increased water temperature results in weakened currents and less rainfall, which further affects physiochemical and biological conditions of the ocean [3].

1.1.3.2 Nutrient concentration

Temperature change in the ocean affects the nutrient concentration, which in turn affects the biological growth of biota within ocean water. This also affects the primary production of fish stocks and in turn the effects of fish stock production affect global yield and supply [3].

1.1.3.3 Influence of CO2 levels

The influence of global industrialization affects the CO2 level in the atmosphere. An increased level of CO2 lowers ocean pH, producing acidification in ocean water. There are certain organisms that are affected by reduced pH, such as corals, bivalves and calcareous plankton, which in turn induces negative effects in the food web