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Chemical marine pollution - Bioaccumulation - Health

The following document describes pollution of the marine environment in relation to the type of the pollution and the recipient of it (atmospheric, terrestrial, marine, groundwater, and surface water). Over the past 60 years, the marine environment, has undergone significant changes solely attributed to the human activities. Some of these activities are related to water quality, have a dramatic impact on the marine ecosystem, and due to their complexity they require a detailed study in order to diagnose them to their full extension."Pollution means the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities" (United Nations). The major types presented in this text are: natural pollution (radionuclides or radioactive radiation, thermal pollution, noise and low frequency vibrations); chemical pollution (petroleum, heavy metals ,detergents, insecticides, synthetic organic compounds, solid particles); organic pollution or eutrophication (organic substances of natural origin/ sewage, fertilizers, detergents); biological pollution (microbial contamination biodiversity changes with the introduction of alien species); visual pollution (rubbish, degradation of landscapes and areas of urban sprawl, industrialization of least affected by man, locations or unaffected habitats).

Keywords: chemical pollution, marine pollution, petroleum, heavy metals, etc.

It is expected that each country will produce its own document on the selected issue.

Languages: Greek, English, French, Arabic, Turkish, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Portuguese