Introduction

The most common anthropogenic wastes disposed in the coastal zone are industrial and municipal wastes, sewage sludge, and dredged materia.’ Pollutants typically associated with these wastes include heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds, organic carbon, nutrient elements, and pathogens. In addition to the planned disposal of wastes at sea, accidental spills are responsible for occasional, yet substantial, quantities of pollutants in estuarine and marine waters. Pollutants that are lipophilic and have low ater solubility tend to have great biomagnification potential. The bioaccumulation of pollutants in the tissues of aquatic organisms is particularly important because it has been widely used to delineate the degree of contamination of estuarine waters. The bioaccumulation of pollutants is strongly coupled to bioavailability. Estuarine and marine organisms gradually lose their pollutant burden by eliminating contaminants in either soluble or particulate form. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.