The structure of the hydrophobe in alcohol ethoxylates (AE) and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE) has a significant influence on the biodegradation pathways and biodegradation rates of these nonionic surfactants in bacterial inocula present in waste treatment plants. APE undergo initial microbial attack at the terminal part of the polyoxyethylene (POE) chain followed by a shortening of the POE chai...

In this paper, we examine the utility of a heterogeneous fleet of aquatic robots to cooperatively assess large-scale aquatic ecosystems, with a specific focus on representing the responses of coral reef ecosystems to climate change. We approach this problem through a unique blend of persistent aquatic sampling, vision-based sensing, and cooperative mission planning across a fleet of heterogeneo...

Title of Dissertation: THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL MIXING AND SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY IN MERCURY AND METHYLMERCURY BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLING AND BIOACCUMULATION WITHIN SHALLOW ESTUARIES Eun-Hee Kim, Doctor of Philosophy, 2004 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Robert P. Mason, Marine Estuarine Environmental Science The objective of this study was to examine, using mesocosm experiments, the long-term ef...

This Critcal Review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Fifty-seven studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation were measured and 19 of these investigations provided direct comparisons relating passive sampler uptake and orga...

It has been hypothesized that ingestion of microplastic increases exposure of aquatic organisms to hydrophobic contaminants. To date, most laboratory studies investigated chemical transfer from ingested microplastic without taking other exposure pathways into account. Therefore, we studied the effect of polyethylene (PE) microplastic in sediment on PCB uptake by Arenicola marina as a model spec...

Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) are field-based measurements of the bioaccumulation behavior of chemicals in food-webs. TMFs can provide valuable insights into the bioaccumulation behavior of chemicals. However, bioaccumulation metrics such as TMF may be subject to considerable uncertainty as a consequence of systematic bias and the influence of confounding variables. This study seeks to i...