Pollutant—particle associations and dynamics in coastal marine environments: a review

A wide variety of substances, including known or potential pollutants, become associated with particles in coastal marine environments. This association may result from: (1) ion exchange, precipitation, or hydrophobic interactions with the particle surface, (2) co-precipitation with iron and manganese hydrous oxide coatings, (3) complexation with organic substances bound or aggregated with particles, (4) incorporation into mineral lattices, organisms or fecal material, or (5) flocculation of colloidal organic and inorganic matter during river and sea water mixing. The transport, accumulation and fate of such chemically-reactive pollutants in coastal marine environments are governed to a great extent by particle dynamics. Understanding of the mechanisms and processes affecting pollutant-particle associations and dynamics allows the prediction of the fate of a wide variety of pollutants in estuarine, coastal and marine environments.