Nuclear-Based Approaches application for marine pollution assessment and monitoring

This book aims at investigating the pacific use of nuclear techniques to evaluate, measure, and mitigate marine-related environmental issues. In recent decades, the use of nuclear techniques has grown mainly to define and assess the pollution levels in the marine environment. The pacific use of nuclear approaches allows a better understanding and assessment of pollution in coastal and marine ecosystems. The evaluation of pollution levels will not allow for identifying the possible sources of pollutants in an ecosystem, yet the use of nuclear approaches has allowed for establishing the history of pollution in a system. So, since 70's researchers have started reconstructing marine and coastal pollution history using sediment cores by applying radiometric-dating tools. In addition, nuclear techniques are also used for other emergent pollutants, such as marine plastics, and for determining carbon sequestration rates. Nuclear and isotopic techniques are also used to accurately determine and trace oil spills in marine environments, which help in mitigating possible damage and evaluating the risk to human health. Monitoring and mitigating ocean acidification is also possible using nuclear techniques, which contribute to the understanding of the past and present changes in ocean conditions, mainly seawater pH. This book is intended as a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and policymakers who are looking to understand the source and origin of pollution in order to provide accurate solutions and mitigations. Thus, worldwide research activities on marine and coastal stressors continue to develop, there is a clear need for effective global scientific cooperation that includes the use of these nuclear tools.