Sensors in the Oceans, Pollutant Identifications, and Controversies

Abstract

Oceans are the largest means of survival for millions of people and also the source of many life forms. Human activities have made the environmental conditions in marine habitats more dire for the last fifty years. The discharge of agricultural nutrients, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (plastics, pesticides) threaten the coastal zones. Chemical compounds containing one or more radioisotope atoms are known as radiotracers, which are particularly useful for identifying and analysing pollutants as they can readily identify trace amounts of a particular radioisotope and short-lived isotope decays. It is thus important to identify such sources of contaminants by quantifying essential pollutants separately and gathering dependable information regarding their origin, movement, and ultimate destination. Nuclear and isotope techniques help in gathering such data. This book chapter gives an overview of the modern techniques available for probing the various contaminants across marine ecosystems and several drawbacks and controversies associated with the same.