Prevalence of Microplastics in the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica in the Chesapeake Bay: The Impact of Different Digestion Methods on Microplastic Properties

This study aimed to determine the microplastic prevalence in eastern oysters (C. virginica) in three sites in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and optimize the digestion methods. The digestion results illustrate that the lowest recovery rate and digestion recovery were related to enzymatic, enzymatic + hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and HCl 5% treatments, while the highest digestion recovery and recovery rate were observed in H2O2 and basic (KOH) treatments. Nitric acid digestion resulted in satisfying digestion recovery (100%), while no blue polyethylene microplastics were observed due to the poor recovery rate. In addition, nitric acid altered the color, changed the Raman spectrum intensity, and melted polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In order to determine the number of microplastics, 144 oysters with an approximately similar size and weight from three sites, including the James River, York River, and Eastern Shore, were evaluated. Fragments were the most abundant microplastics among the different microplastics, followed by fibers and beads, in the three sites. A significantly higher number of fragments were found in the James River, probably due to the greater amount of human activities. The number of microplastics per gram of oyster tissue was higher in the James River, with 7 MPs/g tissue, than in the York River and Eastern Shore, with 6.7 and 5.6 MPs/g tissue.

Comparative Analysis of Ports on the Eastern Baltic Sea Coast

Ports are an important part of the global and regional freight supply chain and transport network. As port activities have a significant impact on the economic growth of these countries, it is necessary to constantly analyse and plan port activities, anticipate market changes and improve the ability of ports to withstand the growing general competitive pressure. This article analyses studies conducted by researchers on the topic of seaports, thus, and find that there are no analyses comparing more than two ports. A comparative analysis of the ports on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea was conducted using the analysis of statistical data. The comparative analysis of ports on the eastern Baltic Sea revealed that Klaipeda port is the most diversified port in the eastern Baltic Sea region, given that it does not have any single most important type of cargo. The largest ports in terms of bulk cargo are in Tallinn, Riga and Ventspils. Primorsk is the largest port for liquid cargo and St. Petersburg handles the greatest volumes of cargo of a general type andwhile the distribution of cargo flows in the port of Visotsk is best correlated with the selected parameters, which allows us to state that the infrastructure of this port is used to the maximum.

Late Holocene Sediment Deposition in Lake Wairarapa

<p>Lake Wairarapa is a highly modified lacustrine system at the southern end of the North Island, New Zealand. Not only is it situated in a region that is affected by catchment altering natural phenomena such as earthquakes, storms and fire, but both the catchment and hydrology of the lake have also been significantly altered by humans. Polynesian settlers arrived in the area approximately 700BP and proceeded to deforest the lowlands. European settlers began arriving from 1844AD onwards, completing deforestation of the lowlands and Eastern Uplands. In 1964 the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme was commissioned in an effort to alleviate flooding. This scheme significantly altered the hydrological regime of the lake. Interest in the condition of the lake and associated wetlands, and the realization that it has important recreational, cultural and ecological value, began to develop in the 1990's. This has led to a desire to see the lake restored to a more natural condition while still maintaining its flood protection capabilities. However, the lake has only been monitored over the last several decades. Any evidence of the lakes condition prior to this time is anecdotal and little is known of its natural tendencies and functions. This research has investigated and quantified morphological changes to Lake Wairarapa at the decadal and millenial scale using a combination of aerial photograph analysis, bathymetric survey comparison and lakebed core analysis. Study at these diverse scales has allowed the observed changes to be related to human environmental modification, while also being juxtaposed against natural trajectories of change. It is hoped that this can inform lake management and restoration efforts and provide a benchmark for measuring future changes to the lake, while also addressing wider issues concerning natural versus anthropogenic landscape change at the local and regional scale. The results of this project suggest that the lake has been steadily infilling over the last 6000BP – particularly along the eastern shore. For the two decades after significant hydrological changes to the lake associated with the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme, the rate of infilling on the eastern shore increased more than tenfold. However, this was accompanied by deepening in other parts of the lake. Today infilling along the eastern shore appears to have returned to natural rates and overall the lake in 2010 is only slightly smaller in volume than in 1975. Longer term anthropogenic influence on the lake and catchment was also evident. In particular Polynesian settlement and subsequent deforestation by fire was apparent in the lakebed cores. This result not only addresses the immediate issue of anthropogenic influence on this particular lacustrine system, but also informs the debate surrounding the dating of Polynesian arrival in New Zealand.</p>

Late Holocene Sediment Deposition in Lake Wairarapa

<p>Lake Wairarapa is a highly modified lacustrine system at the southern end of the North Island, New Zealand. Not only is it situated in a region that is affected by catchment altering natural phenomena such as earthquakes, storms and fire, but both the catchment and hydrology of the lake have also been significantly altered by humans. Polynesian settlers arrived in the area approximately 700BP and proceeded to deforest the lowlands. European settlers began arriving from 1844AD onwards, completing deforestation of the lowlands and Eastern Uplands. In 1964 the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme was commissioned in an effort to alleviate flooding. This scheme significantly altered the hydrological regime of the lake. Interest in the condition of the lake and associated wetlands, and the realization that it has important recreational, cultural and ecological value, began to develop in the 1990's. This has led to a desire to see the lake restored to a more natural condition while still maintaining its flood protection capabilities. However, the lake has only been monitored over the last several decades. Any evidence of the lakes condition prior to this time is anecdotal and little is known of its natural tendencies and functions. This research has investigated and quantified morphological changes to Lake Wairarapa at the decadal and millenial scale using a combination of aerial photograph analysis, bathymetric survey comparison and lakebed core analysis. Study at these diverse scales has allowed the observed changes to be related to human environmental modification, while also being juxtaposed against natural trajectories of change. It is hoped that this can inform lake management and restoration efforts and provide a benchmark for measuring future changes to the lake, while also addressing wider issues concerning natural versus anthropogenic landscape change at the local and regional scale. The results of this project suggest that the lake has been steadily infilling over the last 6000BP – particularly along the eastern shore. For the two decades after significant hydrological changes to the lake associated with the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme, the rate of infilling on the eastern shore increased more than tenfold. However, this was accompanied by deepening in other parts of the lake. Today infilling along the eastern shore appears to have returned to natural rates and overall the lake in 2010 is only slightly smaller in volume than in 1975. Longer term anthropogenic influence on the lake and catchment was also evident. In particular Polynesian settlement and subsequent deforestation by fire was apparent in the lakebed cores. This result not only addresses the immediate issue of anthropogenic influence on this particular lacustrine system, but also informs the debate surrounding the dating of Polynesian arrival in New Zealand.</p>

Environmental Injustice and Industrial Chicken Farming in Maryland

Maryland’s growing chicken industry, including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and meat processing plants, raises a number of concerns regarding public health and environmental justice. Using hot spot analysis, we analyzed the totality of Maryland’s CAFOs and meat processing plants and those restricted to the Eastern Shore to assess whether communities of color and/or low socioeconomic status communities disproportionately hosted these types of facilities at the census tract level. We used zero-inflated regression modeling to determine the strength of the associations between environmental justice variables and the location of CAFOs and meatpacking facilities at the State level and on the Eastern Shore. Hot spot analyses demonstrated that CAFO hot spots on the Eastern Shore were located in counties with some of the lowest wealth in the State, including the lowest ranking county—Somerset. Zero-inflated regression models demonstrated that increases in median household income across the state were associated with a 0.04-unit reduction in CAFOs. For every unit increase in the percentage of people of color (POC), there was a 0.02-unit increase in meat processing facilities across the state. The distribution of CAFOs and meat processing plants across Maryland may contribute to poor health outcomes in areas affected by such production, and contribute to health disparities and health inequity.

Levels of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in Alternative Irrigation Water Vary Based on Water Source on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

In the last several decades, Maryland’s Eastern Shore has seen significant declines in groundwater levels. While this area is not currently experiencing drought conditions or water scarcity, this research represents a proactive approach.

Recent Field Implementation of Contemporary and Smart Farming Technologies at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Smart farming experiential learning and research endeavors have been ongoing at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) for the past several years. Recent field implementation of contemporary technologies for variable rate fertilizer application based on multispectral drone imagery; deployment of wireless solar powered soil moisture sensor network on a field with subsurface drip and fertigation capability; and development of a sustainable platform integrated with a Cartesian robotic device powered by solar and wind energy that can seed, weed, irrigate, and capture time-lapse photography while servicing a small raised bed for specialty crops and vegetables will be described in this paper. Results from the initial phase of implementation efforts and future goals will also be highlighted.

Using Decision Analysis to Integrate Habitat and Community Values for Coastal Resilience Planning

Decision analysis is applied to habitat and community resilience planning in Maryland, USA. Sea level rise is causing wetland loss and increased flooding in coastal areas. A team at The Nature Conservancy analyzed a decision to identify high-value conservation planning units across Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. The team selected two fundamental objectives: minimize habitat loss and minimize community flood impacts. Sub-objectives included habitat function, habitat migration potential, critical infrastructure, and social vulnerability. Spatial attributes were selected based on ecological knowledge about habitat and socio-economic knowledge about sustaining populations in flood-prone areas. Seven planning units were developed across the Lower Eastern Shore. Single-attribute value functions determined the overall value of each unit per attribute, whereas multi-attribute value functions determined the overall value of each unit for all fundamental objectives. Sensitivity analysis incorporated data adjustments based on different flood scenarios and unit sizes, and variation in attribute weights associated with the multi-attribute value function. The Pareto efficiency principle revealed tradeoffs between units for habitat protection and management and community engagement and adaptation. Results indicate that four units are Pareto efficient under different sensitivity iterations and they trade off value in the fundamental objectives, whereas one unit provides the highest combined habitat and community value. This research guided thinking about equity in decision making and targeting conservation actions at local scales. The approach and methods can be used to inform conservation decisions in other similar contexts.

An unmatched case-control study evaluating the relationship between cancer diagnosis and drinking water source on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.

e22514 Background: The lower Eastern Shore of Maryland is an agricultural and rural region with high cancer rates. Prior research has suggested that cancer patients on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland rely on residential private well water more than municipal water, and that cancer patients rely on residential private well water more than individuals in the general county population. The purpose of this unmatched case-control study was to further clarify the relationship between cancer diagnosis and residential private well water use. Methods: A water consumption survey was provided to new hematology/oncology clinic patients seen at a regional hospital on the lower Eastern Shore from October 2020 through February 2021. Participants were asked their age, county of residence, residential water source, daily tap water consumption, presence of a water filtration system, and current or prior cancer history. A case was defined as an individual using residential private well water, and a control was defined as an individual using municipal water. Fisher’s exact test and binominal logistic regression were used to evaluate the relationship between residential water source and cancer history. Results: 334 patients were surveyed and 270 were included in analysis, with 133 cases and 137 controls. Median age of cases was 64 years (SD ± 16.6) and median age of controls was 62 years (SD ± 16.87). Our study found that compared to individuals utilizing municipal water, individuals utilizing residential private well water were more likely to live in their homes for > 5 years (61% vs. 46%, p = 0.015), drink tap water (61% vs. 41%, p = 0.015), and utilize a water filtration system (31% vs. 16%, p = 0.006). Controlling for age, subjects who reported drinking at least two glasses of unfiltered private well water per day were more likely to have a current or prior cancer diagnosis compared to individuals relying on municipal water (OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.07-6.12, p = 0.03). Among subjects who drank less than 2 glasses of tap water per day or utilized a water filtration system, there was no difference in cancer history between individuals utilizing private well water versus municipal water. There were no relationships between county of residency, length of home residency, and cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: Individuals on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland who consume at least 2 glasses of private well water without a water filtration system were more likely to indicate a current or prior cancer history compared to individuals consuming at least 2 glasses of municipal water. Interpretation is limited by small sample size and lack of causality, however, the results signal a need for additional studies evaluating well water use and cancer risk in this region.