Black ice

is the floe of ferric hydroxide precipitated when this solution is discharged into the sea (not titanium dioxide itself, as suggested by Mar. Poll. Bull., 5(4): 51) and most of the undesirable effects reported (see, for example, Mar. Poll. Bull., 4(11): 169-171) arise from its fine particle size and stickiness. A particular problem at Llanelli is that the prospective site lies well up the shallow Burry Inlet, which separates the unspoilt Gower peninsula from its industrial hinterland. In order to get the dumping barges to and from the plant, it would be necessary to dredge a deeper, straighter channel; and studies are being made of the feasibility of directing the main currents into this channel to keep it scoured. This is bound to cause changes in the balance of sediment deposition and erosion elsewhere, especially along the southern shore. The cockle fishery there (which is currently engaged in a controversy over the effects of predation by oyster-catchers) depends on beds which are already at an unusually high tidal level; it is feared that any diversion of currents would lead to further elevation, followed by an acceleration of the rate at which Spartina grass is colonizing the flats and by general disturbance of the ecology of the area. Few of these people who use this estuary want to see it become a narrow trained channel flanked by Spartina marsh, the fate of so many industrially-developed inlets. It is ironical that the steelworks at Port Talbot is importing iron ore not 20 miles away from the site proposed for this plant which will be throwing so much of it away. The shortage of skilled labour in the area also implies the influx of several thousand people, increasing pressures on local building land, sewage treatment facilities and other services which are already overstrained. A. NELSON-SmT~

Black Ice The drilling of offshore oil deposits in the Arctic Ocean will inevitably be associated with peculiar marine pollution problems, possibly of global importance. The principal petroleum project is in Prndhoe Bay on the Alaskan North Slope, but exploratory drilling by Canadian and Soviet teams is underway elsewhere in the Arctic Ocean. (See Mar. Poll. Bull., 5(4): 49-51. Writing recently in the American conservationist magazine, Environment, Rene Ramseier (Head of Floating Ice Station, Environment Canada, Wolfe Island, Ontario) claims that oil spills in the Arctic, in which large quantities of oil may be trapped under the ice, 'could pose a profound threat to global ecology'. Oil from Arctic spills would be difficult to recover and undergoes little decomposition under the cold conditions. 'Trapped oil layers would move hundreds of miles under the influence of a gigantic clockwise current at the top of the world.' 'Oil under slowly moving, established ice packs would form layers or lenses that would probably reach the surface as the ice melted above and froze below'. The consequent change in the reflectivity (albedo) of the ice is normally associated with significant changes (including the displacement of temperature and rainfall patterns) in the climate of the northern hemisphere, 'because the Arctic basin acts as a sort of "weather kitchen" for the northern part of the world'.

Reference Tool The Environmental Studies Institute of the International Academy at Santa Barbara, California, has just published the 1972/73 two volume index of Environmental Periodicals Bibliography (524 pp.). Thousands of periodical articles have been made available to researchers in this comprehensive index. The Index, two years in the making, includes more than 100,000 subject, biographic, geographic and author entries, covering subjects from air pollution to wildlife. The publication attempts to impose order on the vast quantities of environmental literature appearing daily. As the companion volume to the bimonthly issues of Environmental Periodicals Bibliography, the index directs researchers to every article appearing in the journal's tables of contents reproduced in these issues. The periodicals covered are classified into six major fields of interest: (1) Human Ecology; (2) Air; (3) Energy; (4) Land Resources; (5) Water Resources; (6) Nutrition and Health.

Sygna Slick Occasionally, 'spaceship earth' vents its outrage at the works of man. Late in May, the Australian East Coast was subjected to the wrath of coincident 80 knot winds and 20 year perigree syzygy (ultra-high) tides. The Norwegian bulk-carrier Sygna of 53,000 tonnes was waiting off Newcastle Harbour to load coal. At the height of the storm, Sygna up-anchored and used fullpower to head into the wind. One and a half hours later she was driven aground in Stockton Bight, breaking her back soon after. A large quantity (400 tonnes) of heavy fuel oil was released, and high seas drove the slick along the coast, fouling beaches 10 km to the north and 3 km to the south. Stockpiled A-B type dispersants were available (see Mar. Poll. Bull., 4(11): 162-3; 5(2): 31), but could not be used because of very high seas for several days following the spill. The Australian Government has ordered the owners to have the remaining oil (1,600 tonnes) pumped from the wreck within two weeks. DAVID HUGHES

Russian Views The following is a selection of recent items from the Soviet Press and agencies, compiled by our Russian correspondent, Vera Rich.

Chemical Fibre, Like Wool The Department of Chemical Fibres of the Moscow Textile Institute has produced a new synthetic, with the somewhat tongue-twisting name (even for a Russian) of MTILON, the initials of the Institute followed by the international suffix '-lon'. This material, 'not easily distinguishable from wool' but costing only some 2.5-3 roubles (£1.25-£1.50) per kilogram to produce, is now under production at the Ryazan Chemical Fibre Plant and the Lyubertsy Carpet Plant. Its applications range from fire-proof and acid-proof protective clothing to the microanalysis of platinum metals in ores and solutions. It is also recommended as a filter for purifying waste waters, specifically for the extraction of dissolved mercury. 99