Core indicator report
Made available as reference material for State and Conservation 5-2016
© HELCOM 2015
www.helcom.fi
www.helcom.fi > Baltic Sea trends > Indicators
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Metals (lead, cadmium and mercury)
Key Message
This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of heavy
metals in the Baltic Sea water and biota. Good Environmental Status (GES) is achieved when the
concentrations of heavy metals are below the levels used to define the GES boundary.
Key message figure 1: Status assessment results based on evaluation of the indicator 'Metals (lead, cadmium and
mercury)'. The assessment is carried out using Scale 3 HELCOM assessment units (defined in the HELCOM Monitoring
and Assessment Strategy Annex 4). Click to enlarge.
2
Environmental Status Assessment within D8
Heavy metals
Matrix Area
Danish German Swedish Polish Finish Lithuanian Latvian Estonian
Cd Seawater 2014 2014
Mussel
soft body 2012 2014 2013 2014
Hg Fish muscle
2012 2012 2013 2014 2012 2014 2007
Pb Seawater 2014 2014
Fish liver 2012 2014 2013 2014 2011 2014 2008
Mussel
soft body 2012 2013 2013 2014
Environmental Status Assessment within D9
Heavy metals
Matrix Area
Danish German Swedish Polish Finish Lithuanian Latvian Estonian
Cd Fish liver 2012 2014 2013 2014 2011 2014 2008
Mussel
soft body
2012 2014 2013 2014
Hg Fish muscle
2012 2012 2013 2014 2012 2014 2007
Pb Fish liver 2012 2014 2013 2014 2011 2014 2008
Mussel
soft body
2012 2013 2013 2014
Biorąc pod uwagę obszary monitorowane dobry stan środowiska w zakresie poziomów Cd i Pb w wodzie
morskiej stwierdzono w basenach: Bay of Mecklenburg, Bornholm Basin, Great Belt and Kiel Bay oraz
Eastern Gotland Basin. Nieodpowiedni stan środowiska w zakresie poziomów Cd w małżach odnotowano w
3
wodach pozostających pod jurysdykacją Danii, Niemiec, Szwecji i Polski. W przeciwieństwie do Cd, stężenia
Pb odnotowane w ostatnich latach małżach w tych samych rejonach wskazują na dobry stan środowiska,
podobnie jak stężenia Pb w wątrobach ryb pozostające poniżej poziomów docelowych w obszarach wód
niemieckich, szwedzkich i fińskich. Natomiast stężenie Pb obserwowane w wątrobach ryb odłowionych w
obszarach duńskich, polskich, litewskich i estońskich wskazują na stan nieodpowiedni w tym zakresie.
Stężenia docelowe dla Hg w mięśniach zostały przekroczone aż w 5 (obszarach duńskich, szwedzkich,
polskich, fińskich i litewskich) z 7 monitorowanych rejonów. W przypadku obszarów niemieckich i fińskich
osiągnięty został dobry stan środowiska w tym zakresie. Należy jednak podkreślić, że w przypadku
większości parametrów obserwuje się trendy spadkowe wskazujące na możliwość osiągnięcia dobrego
stanu w obszarze Bałtyku w zakresie trzech monitorowanych metali.
Once the evaluation is carried out, the confidence of the indicator evaluation is expected to be high since
the data on metal concentrations in fish and bivalves is spatially adequate and time series are available for
several stations. The indicator is applicable in the waters of all countries bordering the Baltic Sea.
Relevance of the core indicator
Cadmium - Cd, lead - Pb and mercury - Hg należą do metali charakteryzujących się udokumentowanym
działaniem toksycznym. Wszystkie metale wymieniane są przez DIRECTIVE 2013/39/EU OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 12 August 2013 (amending Directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC
as regards priority substances in the field of water policy) jako substancje priorytetowe which pose “a
threat to the aquatic environment, with effects such as acute and chronic toxicity in aquatic organisms,
accumulation of pollutants in the ecosystem and loss of habitats and biodiversity, and also poses a threat to
human health”. Additionally mercury was identified as a priority hazardous substance. Metale ulegają
bioakumulacji w organizmach zarówno flory, jak i fauny morskiej wywołując szkodliwe oddziaływanie, które
w dużej mierze zależy od poziomu ich stężeń w tkankach. Szkodliwe oddziaływanie może występować na
poziomie pojedynczych organizmów, dotyczy to przede wszystkim przedstawicieli fauny, ze szczególnym
uwzględnieniem ichtiofauny. Additionally both Cd and Hg are biomagnifying, i.e. concentration levels
increase up through the foodchain. Obecność metali ciężkich w tkankach może wywoływać rozmaite efekty
biologiczne, które następnie mogą przekładać się na zmiany obserwowane na poziomie populacji,
gatunków i ostatecznie wpływać na bioróżnorodność i funkcjonowanie całego ekosystemu. Zawartość
metali ciężkich w rybach, szczególnie tych o znaczeniu komercyjnym przekłada się również bezpośrednio na
zdrowie ludzi spożywających ryby. Dlatego też kontrolowanie poziomu stężeń metali ciężkich, zwłaszcza
tych o krytycznym znaczeniu dla zdrowia ekosystemu oraz dla zdrowej żywności muszą być kontrolowane i
stanowią podstawowy element w ocenie stanu środowiska zarówno w zakresie desryptora D8, jak i
Deskryptora D9, wymienianych jako 2 z 11 podstawowych elementów w zakresie których należy osiągnąć
dobry stan środowiska.
There have been substantive legislations in the HELCOM area to decrease inputs of all three metals to the
Baltic Sea, but generally, except for lead no clear trend of decreasing metal concentrations in biota are
found.
Policy relevance of the core indicator
BSAP segment and objectives MSFD Descriptor and criteria
Primary link Hazardous substances
Radioactivity at pre-Chernobyl level
D8 Concentrations of contaminants 8.1 Concentration of contaminants
4
Secondary link Hazardous substances
Fish safe to eat
D9 Contaminants in fish and seafood 9.1 Levels, number and frequency of contaminants
Other relevant legislation: In some Contracting Parties also Water Framework Directive
Cite this indicator
HELCOM (2015) Metals (lead, cadmium and mercury). HELCOM Core Indicator Report. Online. [Date
Viewed], [Web link].
Download full indicator report
Core indicator report – web-based version January/February 2016 (pdf)
Extended core indicator report – outcome of CORESET II project (pdf)
5
Results and Confidence
Cadmium
Seawater
Cadmium concentrations in the waterphase have been measured by Russia (1995–1998), Germany (1998–
2014) and Lithuania (2007–2014). Nine percent of these were above the annual average Environmental
Quality Standards (AA-EQS) of 0.2 µg l-1 (the same percentage applied if looking at the measurements
reported after 2005). No samples was above the maximum annual concentration EQS (MAC-EQS) of 1.5 for
an expected CaCO3 concentration of class 5 (>200 ppb) in seawater. But for seawater the AA-EQS is already
considered high compared to the 1998 OSPAR (Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of
the North-East Atlantic) Environmental Assessment Criteria (EACs) in seawater of (0.01-0.1 µg l-1) and the
background assessment concentration of 0.012 µg l-1. Hence, the AA-EQS is considered to be the relevant
target.
Zmiany stężeń Cd w wodzie morskiej obserwowane w wodach basenów: Bay of Mecklenburg, Bornholm
Basin, Great Belt and Kiel Bay wskazują na istotny statystycznie trend spadkowy, chociaż obserwowane
zmiany nie są dynamiczne (Fig. 1). Wartości średnie wyznaczone dla poszczególnych lat zmieniały się od
0.19 µg l-1w roku 1998 do zaledwie 0.02 µg l-1w roku 2014, pozostając jednocześnie poniżej wartości EQS, co
mogłoby wskazywać na dobry stan środowiska w zakresie skażenia wód Bałtyku Cd.
Fig 1. Cadmium in seawater in the German area (red line - annual average Environmental Quality Standard (AA-EQS)
0.2 µg dm-3, green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Stężenia Cd w wodzie morskiej mierzone są również w ramach monitoringu prowadzonego przez Litwę w
obszarze Eastern Gotland Basin. W 2012-2014 poziomy stężeń Cd nie przekroczyły granicy oznaczalności
stosowanej metody, która wynosiła 0.1 µg l-1, co decyduje o tym, że również w tym obszarze stan
środowiska w zakresie skażenia Cd można uznać za dobry.
19961998
20002002
20042006
20082010
20122014
20160.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
Cd
(se
aw
ate
r),
g
dm
-3
R = -0.2472; p = 0.00000
6
Fish
Monitoring stężeń Cd w rybach w obszarze Bałtyku prowadzony jest od wielu lat. Główną matrycą
uwzględnianą w analizach jest wątroba najbardziej specyficznych gatunków ryb, ze szczególnym
uwzględnieniem tych o znaczeniu komercyjnym, takich jak śledzie (Clupea harengus) i flounder (Platichtys
flesus).
Pomimo, że dla Bałtyku nie przyjęto wartości docelowych wyznaczających granicę pomiędzy stanem dobry i
nieodpowiednim dla Cd, to jego udokumentowane szkodliwe działanie oraz wciąż stosunkowo wysokie
stężenia obserwowane w tkankach ryb Bałtyckich nakładają konieczność kontrolowania poziomów Cd w
środowisku morskim.
W przypadku czterech obszarów: Danish, Finish, Polish, German obserwuje się istotne statystycznie trendy
wskazujące jednoznacznie na obniżanie stężeń Cd w wątrobie flądry (Fig. 2, Fig. 6) i śledzi (Fig. 3-6).
Maksymalne średnie stężenie Cd w wątrobie śledzi w obszarach duńskich w okresie objętym badaniami
odnotowano w 1999 roku i wynosiło ono 694 µg kg-1 w.w. Średnie stężenie Cd w wątrobie fląder
odłowionych w 2012 roku w rejonie wód duńskich (112 µg kg-1 w.w.) było zdecydowanie niższe od
średniego stężenia Cd odnotowanego w rybach w wodach fińskich w 2011 (419 µg kg-1 w.w.) i od średniego
stężenia Cd w rybach z obszarów polskich w 2014 (590 µg kg-1 w.w.).W obszarach niemieckich trend
spadkowy obserwowano również w przypadku śledzi w okresie obejmującym lata 1997 – 2000 i 2007 –
2008, w którym średnie stężenie Cd wynoszące 1003 µg kg-1 w.w. w roku 1997 spadło do 174 µg kg-1 w.w.
w roku 2008. Podobnie przedstawia się sytuacja w przypadku flądry w obszarach niemieckich, dla której
stężenia w okresie od 1986 do 2001 zmieniały się w zakresie od 51 µg kg-1 w.w. w 1996 do 232 µg kg-1 w.w.
w 1987. Natomiast w latach 2013 i 2014 były na bardzo zbliżonym poziomie i wynosiły odpowiednio 53 i 52.
µg kg-1 w.w. Brak jednoznacznego kierunku zmian stężeń Cd odnotowano w przypadku śledzi w obszarach
szwedzkich. Średnie stężenie Cd w roku 1981 (261 µg kg-1 w.w.) było bardzo zbliżone do stężenia w roku
2013 (283 µg kg-1 w.w.), podczas gdy maksymalną wartość odnotowano w roku 1993 (557 µg kg-1 w.w.).
Wzrost stężeń Cd odnotowano natomiast w wątrobie śledzi z obszaru Estonii w latach 2003-2008, chociaż
stężenia w 2008 roku były zbliżone do 200 µg kg-1 w.w. (Fig. 6). Wzrost stężeń charakteryzował również
flądry odłowione w obszarach litewskich, dla których zawartość Cd w 2014 roku wynosiła 420 µg kg-1 w.w. i
była dwukrotnie większa od wartości obserwowanej w 2011 roku. Należy jednocześnie podkreślić, że okresy
badań są krótkie.
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 20140
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.3756; p = 0.0000
7
Fig. 2 Concentration of cadmium in flounder (Platichtys flesus) liver in the Danish area (green – trend line, circles –
samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 3 Concentration of cadmium in herring (Clupea harengus) liver in the Finish area (green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 4 Concentration of cadmium in herring (Clupea harengus) liver in the Swedish area (green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 20120
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.1475; p = 0.0000
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.0328; p = 0.1120
8
Fig. 5 Concentration of cadmium in herring (Clupea harengus) liver in the Polish area (green – trend line, circles –
samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 6 Concentration of cadmium in herring (Clupea harengus) and flounder (Platichtys flesus) liver in the German area
(green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
19961998
20002002
20042006
20082010
20122014
20160
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.2248; p = 0.0000
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 20100
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.5564; p = 0.0000
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.1906; p = 0.00000
9
Fig. 7 Concentration of cadmium in herring (Clupea harengus) liver in the Estonian area and in flounder (Platichtys
flesus) liver in the Lithuanian area (green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
Mussel
Zmiany stężeń Cd w soft body of mussels w obszarach szwedzkich i niemieckich wykazują nieznaczny, ale
istotny statystycznie wzrost. Średnie stężenie Cd w Macoma baltica w obszarach szwedzkich w 2013 roku
wynosiło aż 2347 µg kg-1 d.w., wskazując na to, że biorąc pod uwagę kryterium dobrego stanu jest na
poziomie 960 µg kg-1 d.w., dobry stan środowiska w tym zakresie nie został osiągnięty, podobnie jak w
obszarach niemieckich, gdzie średnie stężenie w roku 2014 wynosiło 1076 µg kg-1 d.w., w obszarach
polskich (1443 µg kg-1 d.w.) oraz w obszarach duńskich (1132 µg kg-1 d.w.).
Fig. 8 Concentration of cadmium in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the Danish area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 960 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Cd
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = 0.0291; p = 3830
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090
50
100
150
200
250
300
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.066; p = 0.0076Estonia
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Cd
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.3333; p = 0.2443 Lithuania
10
Fig. 9 Concentration of cadmium in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the German area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 960 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
Fig. 10 Concentration of cadmium in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the Polish area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 960 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Cd
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = 0.2636; p = 0.0002
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Cd
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = 0.0667; p = 0.7680
11
Fig. 11 Concentration of cadmium in Baltic macoma (Macoma baltica) soft body in the Swedish area (red line –
background assessment criteria (BAC) 960 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different
locations and different dates)
Mercury
Fish
Monitoring rtęci, podobnie, jak w przypadku kadmu, prowadzony jest w niektóry obszarach od wielu lat.
Zawatość Hg określana jest w mięśniach różnych gatunków ryb występujących w Bałtyku, jednak dla
przejrzystości porównania pomiędzy poszczególnymi obszarami wybrano do prezentacji śledzia i flądrę jako
gatunki szeroko rozpowszechnione w całym obszarze. Zmiany stężeń Hg w mięśniach ryb nie są bardzo
dynamiczne. W obszarach Danii, Szwecji i Niemiec obserwuje się nieznaczny spadek (Fig. 12, 14, 16), w
obszarach Polski i Litwy brak jest jednoznacznego trendu (Fig. 15, 18), natomiast nieznaczny wzrost
odnotowuje się w wodach Finlandii i Estonii (Fig. 13, 17), chociaż okres raportowania danych w przypadku
ostatniego państwa obejmuje tylko lata 2004-2007. Aktualnie najwyższe średnie stężenie Hg odnotowano
w mięsniach śledzi w rejonie wód duńskich w 2012 roku (113 µg kg-1 w.w.). W tym samym roku stosunkowo
wysokie średnie stężenie Hg równe 79 µg kg-1 w.w. odnotowano również w śledziach z obszarów fińskich. W
pozostały rejonach zawartość Hg w wątrobach ryb była bardzo zbliżona do wartości wyznaczającej granicę
dobrego stanu (20 µg kg-1 w.w.). W obszarach polskich średnie stężenie Hg w 2014 roku wynosiło 21 µg kg-1
w.w., w obszarach szwedzkich 27 µg kg-1 w.w. i w obszarach litewskich 30 µg kg-1 w.w. Tylko w rejonie wód
estońskich i niemieckich średnie zawartości Hg w mięśniach śledzi, wynoszące odpowiednio 12 µg kg-1 w.w. i
14 µg kg-1 w.w., nie przekroczyły wartości docelowej, wskazując na dobry stan środowiska w tym zakresie.
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Cd
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = 0.1989; p = 0.0000
12
Fig. 12 Concentration of mercury in flounder (Platichtys flesus) muscle in the Danish area (green – trend line, red line -
Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
Fig. 13 Concentration of mercury in herring (Clupea harengus) muscle in the Finish area (green – trend line, red line -
Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.2049; p = 0.0000
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.2299; p = 0.0000
13
Fig. 14 Concentration of mercury in herring (Clupea harengus) muscle in the Swedish area (green – trend line, red line
- Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
Fig. 15 Concentration of mercury in herring (Clupea harengus) muscle in the Polish area (green – trend line, red line -
Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 20140
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.0988; p=0.0003
19961998
20002002
20042006
20082010
20122014
20160
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.0084; 0.8448
14
Fig. 16 Concentration of mercury in flounder (Platichtys
flesus) and in herring (Clupea harengus) muscle in the German area (green – trend line, red line - Environmental
Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 17 Concentration of mercury in herring (Clupea harengus) muscle in the Estonian area (green – trend line, red line
- Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different
dates)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 20082
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.2326; p = 0.033
1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 20020
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
2600
2800H
g (
mu
scle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.3569; p = 0.0000P. flesus
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 20140
10
20
30
40
50
60
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.2213; p = 0.0014C. harengus
15
Fig. 18 Concentration of mercury in herring (Clupea harengus) and flounder (Platichtys flesus) muscle in the
Lithuanian area (red line - Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 20 µg kg-1 w.w., circles and squares – samples
taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 19. Temporal development of mercury concentrations (µg kg-1 ww) in herring muscle in Bothnian Bay
(Harufjärden), Bothnian Sea (Ängskärsklubb), Northern Baltic Proper (Landsort) and Bornholm Basin (Utlängan). The
green area denotes concentrations that are below the GES boundary.
The concentrations of mercury in the eggs of common guillemot have decreased since 1970s (Fig. 20).
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150
20
40
60
80
100
Hg
(m
uscle
),
g k
g-1
w.w
.
C, harengus
P. flesus
16
Fig. 20. Temporal development of mercury concentrations (ng/g ww) in eggs of Common Guillemot in Stora Karlsö,
Gotland.
Lead
Seawater
Lead concentrations in the waterphase have been measured by Russia (1995–1998), Germany (1998–2014)
and Lithuania (2007–2014). Eleven percent of these measurements were above the AA-EQS of 1.3 µg l-1.
The percentage was 15% for measurements from 1998 to 2005 and reduced to 9% above AA-EQS if looking
at the measurements reported after 2005. One samples was above the MAC-EQS of 14 for an expected
CaCO3 concentration of class 5 (>200 ppb) in seawater. But for seawater the AA-EQS is already considered
high, compared to OSPARs 1998 EACs in seawater (0.5-5 µg l-1) and the background assessment
concentration of 0.02 µg l-1, so the AA-EQS is considered to be the relevant target (Fig. 19).
Średnie stężenia Pb w wodach niemieckich pozostawały poniżej wartości wyznaczającej granicę pomiędzy
stanem dobry i nieodpowiednim (Fig. 21). W 2014 roku średnie stężenie Pb w wodzie morskiej wynosiło
zaledwie 0.09 µg l-1 wskazując na dobry stan środowiska rejonów: Bay of Mecklenburg, Bornholm Basin,
Great Belt and Kiel Bay
Stężenia Pb w wodzie morskiej w obszarze Eastern Gotland Basin w latach 2012-2014 nie przekroczyły
granicy oznaczalności stosowanej metody, która wynosiła 1 µg l-1, co decyduje o tym, że również w tym
obszarze stan środowiska w zakresie skażenia Cd można uznać za dobry.
17
Fig. 21 Lead in seawater in the German area (red line - annual average Environmental Quality Standard (AA-EQS) of 1.3
µg dm-3, green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fish
Biorąc pod uwagę zmiany czasowe stężeń Pb w wątrobie najbardziej rozpowszechnionych gatunków:
śledzia i flądry istotne statystycznie trendy spadkowe odnotowano w obszarach wód duńskich, fińskich
szwedzkich, polskich i niemieckich (Fig. 22 – 26). W przypadku obszarów estońskich wystąpił wzrost stężeń
Pb w wątrobach śledzi, od 63 µg kg-1 w.w. w 2003 roku do 134 µg kg-1 w.w. w roku 2008 (Fig. 27). Równie
wysoka wartość charakteryzowała obszar wód litewskich, w 2014 roku wynosiła 103 µg kg-1 w.w. (Fig. 28).
Zarówno w tych obszarach, jak również w polskich, gdzie średnie stężenie Pb w 2014 wynosiło 43 µg kg-1
w.w.i obszarach duńskich (53 µg kg-1 w.w. w 2012 roku) nie został osiągnięty dobry stan środowiska, że
względu na to, że wartość docelowa równa 26 µg kg-1 w.w. była przekroczona. Natomiast średnie stężenia
Pb w rybach z obszarów fińskich, szwedzkich i niemieckich, wynoszące odpowiednio 10 µg kg-1 w.w. (2013),
16 µg kg-1 w.w. (2011) i 21 µg kg-1 w.w. (2014), nie przekroczyły tej wartości wskazując na dobry stan
środowiska w tym zakresie.
19961998
20002002
20042006
20082010
20122014
20160
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Pb
(se
aw
ate
r),
g
dm
-3
R = - 0.2799; p = 0.0000
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Pb
(liv
er)
, u
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.4075; p = 0.0000
18
Fig. 22 Concentration of lead in flounder (Platichtys flesus) liver in the Danish area (red line – background assessment
criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 23 Concentration of lead in herring (Clupea herengus) liver in the Finish area (red line – background assessment
criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 24 Concentration of lead in herring (Clupea herengus) liver in the Swedish area (red line – background assessment
criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 20120
100
200
300
400
500
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.2050; p = 0.0000
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
100
200
300
400
500
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.4802; p = 0.0000
19
Fig. 25 Concentration of lead in herring (Clupea herengus) liver in the Polish area (red line – background assessment
criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig. 26 Concentration of lead in herring (Clupea herengus) liver and in flounder (Platichtys flesus) in the German area
(red line – background assessment criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at
different locations and different dates)
19961998
20002002
20042006
20082010
20122014
20160
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = -0.3608; p = 0.0000
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = - 0.1094; p = 02552C. harengus
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = - 0.1419; p = 0.0003
20
Fig. 27 Concentration of lead in herring (Clupea herengus) liver in the Estonian area (red line – background assessment
criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
Fig.28 Concentration of lead in flounder (Platichtys flesus) liver in the Lithuanian area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 26 µg kg-1 w.w., circles – samples taken at different locations and different dates)
The lead concentrations in herring liver have decreased since leaded fuels was banned in the 1980s, but in
the last 10 years the decrease has levelled off, although the decline is still significant in 3 out of the 4 shown
Swedish stations (Fig. 29).
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
R = 0.4953; p = 0.0366
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
Pb
(liv
er)
,
g k
g-1
w.w
.
21
Fig. 29. Temporal development of lead concentrations (µg g-1 dw) in herring liver in Bothnian Bay (Harufjärden),
Bothnian Sea (Ängskärsklubb), Northern Baltic Proper (Landsort) and Bornholm Basin (Utlängan). The green area
denotes concentrations below the GES boundary.
Mussel
W przypadku stężeń Pb w tkance miękkiej małży odnotowuje się spadek w obszarach niemieckich, polskich i
szwedzkich, natomiast w obszarach duńskich brak jest istotnych statystycznie zmian (Fig. 30 -33). We
wszystkich rejonach objętych badaniami aktualne średnie stężenia Pb pozostają poniżej 1300 µg kg-1 d.w.,
wartości uznawanej za granicę GES/subGES, wskazując na dobry stan środowiska w zakresie poziomu
skażenia Pb w tkance miękkiej małży. Najwyższe średnie stężenie Pb charakteryzowało gatunek blue mussel
w wodach duńskich (1234 µg kg-1 w.w. w 2012 roku). Nieco niższą wartość odnotowano w przypadku
Macoma baltica w wodach szwedzkich (985 µg kg-1 w.w. w 2013). W 2013 roku średnie stężenie Pb w Mytilus
edulis w wodach niemieckich wyniosło 639 µg kg-1 w.w. , natomiast najniższymi stężeniami Pb w 2014 roku
charakteryzowały się omułki pobrane w obszarze wód polskich (307 µg kg-1 w.w.).
22
Fig. 30 Concentration of lead in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the Danish area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 1300 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
Fig. 31 Concentration of lead in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the German area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 1300 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Pb
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = -0.0122; p = 0.7174
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Pb
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = -0.4781; p = 0.0181
23
Fig. 32 Concentration of lead in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) soft body in the Polish area (red line – background
assessment criteria (BAC) 1300 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different locations and
different dates)
Fig. 33 Concentration of lead in Baltica macoma (Macoma baltica) soft body in the Swedish area (red line –
background assessment criteria (BAC) 1300 µg kg-1 d.w., green – trend line, circles – samples taken at different
locations and different dates)
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Pb
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = -0.7595; p = 0.00004
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Pb
(so
ft b
od
y),
g k
g-1
d.w
.
R = -0.1147; p = 0.00007
24
Confidence of indicator status evaluation
The data on metal concentrations in seawater is not spatially adequate. Time series are available only for
German area: Bay of Mecklenburg, Bornholm Basin, Great Belt and Kiel Bay. For Eastern Gotland Basin
(Lithuanian data) there are available data only for period 2012-2014. The confidence of the results is
expected to be low.
The data on metal concentrations in fish and bivalves is spatially adequate and time series are available for
several stations therefore the confidence of the results is expected to be high.
Good Environmental Status
Good Environmental Status (GES) is achieved if the concentration of metals is below the specified GES
boundary of (Good Environmental Status figure 1).
Good environmental status figure 1. GES is achieved if the concentrations of metals are below the GES
boundaries listed in Good environmental status table 1. The boundary is an environmental quality standard (EQS)
derived at EU level as a substance included on the priority list under the Directive on Environmental Quality Standards.
The GES boundaries for metals are based on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for water and biota
(Good environmental status table 1) which have been defined at EU level for substances included in the
priority list under the Water Framework Directive, WFD (European Commission 2000, 2013).
The GES boundary is applicable if concentrations are measured in the appropriate matrix. For historical
reasons, the countries around the Baltic Sea have differing monitoring strategies. As a pragmatic approach,
a GES boundary is defined in this indicator. However, if suitable monitoring data is not available in a region
the secondary GES boundary can be used for the evaluation of alternative matrixes (Good environmental
status table 1). Under the WFD, Member States may establish other values than EQS for alternative
matrixes if specific criteria are met (see Art 3.3. in European Commission 2008a, revised in European
Commission 2013).
25
Good environmental status table 1. GES boundaries for the included metals. BAC = Background assessment criteria.
Metal GES boundary Secondary GES boundary
ref matrix concentration
Cadmium and its compounds
EQS
water water AA 0.2 µg/l QSsediment
[1] 2.3 mg/kg dw BAC blue mussel 960 μg/kg dw
Mercury and its compounds
EQSbiota
secondary
poisoning
fish 20 µg/kg ww (Contracting Parties' national legislation differ regarding the consideration of background concentrations)
Lead and its compounds
EQS
water water AA 1.3 µg/l QSsediment 120 mg/dw
BAC blue mussel 1,300 μg/kg dw, BAC fish 26 μg/kg ww (liver)
[1] Applies to freshwater sediment (standard for marine sediment is currently not available). Sweden however considers this
standard to be applicable also for assessment of the marine environment
The EU food safety limits are meant for fish meat (i.e. muscle samples). Concentrations in liver are generally
higher than muscle (except for Hg), so the higher values of food safety limits for bivalves are used instead
for Pb and Cd. This follows the OSPAR (2010) approach (see Law et al. 2010 for discussion). If the indicator
is used to evaluate the protection goal of human health, then the boundary values presented in Good
environmental status table 2 can be applied.
Good environmental status table 2. Boundary value concentrations that can be applied if the indicator is used to
evaluate human health. The values based on the European Commission Regulation setting maximum levels for certain
contaminants in foodstuffs (European Commission 2006a).
Cadmium and its compounds Mussel 1,000 µg/kg dw Fish muscle 50 µg/kg ww (fish liver 1,000 µg/kg ww; bivalve value, see Law et al. 2010 for discussion)
Lead and its compounds Mussel 1,500 µg/kg dw fish muscle 300 µg/kg ww fish liver 1,500 µg/kg ww
Mercury and its compounds Fish muscle 500 µg/kg ww (mussel 2,500 µg/kg dw)
26
Assessment Protocol
The concentration of metals in the marine environment are used to evaluate whether an area reflects a
Good Environmental Status (GES) compared to the specified concentration levels.
Uwzględniając zakres prowadzonego obecnie w krajach członkowskich monitoringu metali ciężkich oraz
stężenia poszczególnych metali wskazane jako granice pomiędzy stanem i nieodpowiednim
zarekomendowano odpowiednie matryce, które można wykorzystać w ocenie stanu środowiska Bałtyku w
ramach Descriptor D8 and Descriptor D9 (Assessment protocol table 1)
Assessment protocol table 1. Matrices recommended for the heavy metals assessment within D8 and D9
D8 D9
primary matrix
secondary
matrix
primary matrix
secondary
matrix
Cd seawater mussel fish muscle mussel, fish liver
Pb seawater fish liver
mussel
fish muscle mussel, fish liver
Hg fish muscle - fish muscle -
Ocena aktualnego stanu środowiska uwzględniająca poziomy metali w wytypowanych matrycach powinna
zostać przeprowadzona w miarę możliwości dla każdego z obszarów wytypowanych do oceny (assessment
units at the level 3).
The metal concentration data requires some treatment before an evaluation against the GES boundary can
be carried out due to varying sampling methods used by different countries in the Baltic Sea region.
To evaluate concentrations against the GES boundary, all biota monitoring data are to be converted to
'whole fish concentrations' using conversion factors (Assessment protocol table 3). The conversion factors
presented are to be considered preliminary and more studies on the conversion factors from tissue-specific
concentrations to whole fish concentrations are required to solve geographical and species-specific
differences in conversion factors.
Assessment protocol table 1. Conversion factors between whole fish and fish liver/muscle concentrations for cadmium
and lead in herring and perch. Factors for cadmium and mercury are based on individual samples from one station and
one year. Factors for lead are based on pooled sampled means from various geographic location and years. The
factors are to be considered as preliminary. Source of information: Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Whole fish/liver Whole fish/muscle
Species Cadmium Mercury Lead Mercury
Herring 0.11 0.52 4.58 0.86
Perch 0.16 1.63 12.18 0.72
27
It should be noted that the conversion factors have been determined based on data where several samples
were below the detection limit, especially for lead and cadmium in muscle. As chemical concentrations of
cadmium in the muscle are expected to be low this may be a more pronounced problem for the conversion
factors for liver. Estimates of whole-fish concentrations are based on carcass homogenate concentrations
from herring and perch collected from Gaviksfjärden in autumn 2011, liver concentrations from herring and
perch at Harufjärden (herring) and Kvädöfjärden (perch) collected in the autumns of 2009 and 2010.
Muscle concentrations are from herring at Harufjärden and perch at Kvädöfjärden collected in the autumn
during 2000-2006. Concentrations below detection limit are evaluated as reported concentrations divided
by two.
Whole-fish concentrations have been estimated using the following formula:
Cwf = (Cc*Wc + Cl*Wl + Cm*Wm)/(Wc+Wl+Wm)
The metal conversion factors between different organs are based on a combination of results as described
above. A dry weight percentage of 35% in herring liver has been assumed when information on dry weight
content was missing in the ICES database.
Normalization of sediment data to the same level of TOC/clay-silt content should be tested. The standard
OSPAR normalization procedure calls for normalization to 2.5% TOC or 5% Al (or 52 mg/kg Li) as indicator
for clay-silt content (OSPAR 2008).
28
Assessment units
The core indicator evaluates the status with regard to concentrations of metals using HELCOM assessment
unit scale 3 (division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and offshore
areas). The assessment units are defined in the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy Annex 4.
29
Relevance of the Indicator
Hazardous substances assessment
The status of the Baltic Sea marine environment in terms of contamination by hazardous substances is
assessed using several core indicators. Each indicator focuses on one important aspect of the complex
issue. In addition to providing an indicator-based evaluation of the status of the Baltic Sea in terms of
concentrations of metals in the marine environment, this indicator will also contribute to the next overall
hazardous substances assessment to be completed in 2018 along with the other hazardous substances core
indicators.
Policy relevance
The core indicator on metal concentrations addresses the Baltic Sea Action Plan's (BSAP) hazardous
substances segment's ecological objectives 'Concentrations of hazardous substances close to natural levels'
and 'All fish safe to eat'. Mercury and cadmium are included in the HELCOM list of substances or substance
groups of specific concern to the Baltic Sea.
The core indicator also addresses the following qualitative descriptors of the MSFD for determining good
environmental status (European Commission 2008b):
Descriptor 8: 'Concentrations of contaminants are at levels not giving rise to pollution effects' and
Descriptor 9: 'Contaminants in fish and other seafood for human consumption do not exceed levels
established by Community legislation or other relevant standards'.
and the following criteria of the Commission Decision (European Commission 2010):
Criterion 8.1 (concentration of contaminants)
Criterion 9.1 (levels, number and frequency of contaminants)
All the three metals are included in the EU WFD (Pb and Cd in water, Hg in biota) and EU Shellfish directive
(in shellfish) (European Commission 2000, 2006b). Part of the EU food directives set limits in a range of fish
species, shellfish and other seafood. In the OSPAR Coordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme
(CEMP), metals are to be measured on a mandatory basis in fish, shellfish and sediment (OSPAR 2010).
Article 3 of the EU directive on environmental quality standards states that also long-term temporal trends
should be assessed for substances that accumulate in sediment and/or biota (European Commission
2008a).
Role of metals in the ecosystem
Metals are naturally occurring substances that have been used by humans since the Iron Age. The metals
cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are the most toxic and have no known biological function.
Mercury and cadmium are furthermore biomagnifying, implying that the toxic effect may be enhanced
through the food web. For mercury, the organic form methyl-mercury (MeHg) is more toxic than elemental
mercury and further MeHg is bioaccumulated, i.e. activity transferred to lipid containing organs. Due to its
high evaporation pressure, the net transport is from soils in the tropics up to Scandinavia to the Baltic Sea,
and further north until concentrating in the Arctic due to the low temperatures and the resulting low
evaporation - a process known as global distillation or the grasshopper effect.
30
Lead and mercury have been connected to impaired learning curves for children, even at small dosage.
Lead can cause increased blood pressure and cardio-vascular problems in adults. Acute metal poisoning
generally results in vomiting. Long term exposures of high levels of lead and mercury can affect the
neurological system. Mercury can lead to birth defects as seen in Minamata bay among fishermen in a
mercury polluted area, and also after ingestion of methylmercury treated corn in Iran. Cadmium is
concentrated in the kidney, and can result in impaired kidney function, and cadmium can exchange for
calcium in bones and produce bone fractures (Itai-Itai disease).
Human pressures linked to the indicator
General MSFD Annex III, Table 2
Strong link Contamination by hazardous substances
introduction of synthetic compounds
Weak link
The main source of all three metals are burning of fossil fuels. The atmospheric deposition to the Baltic Sea
mainly originates from long range transport of the metals from outside the Baltic Sea catchment area
(details available through the Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheet Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals
on the Baltic Sea). All three metals have been used for centuries, but in the last decades have been banned
for most uses.
Current legal use of cadmium and lead includes rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries and for lead car batteries. For
mercury current legal use includes low energy light sources. Sources of mercury include use in amalgams
for dentistry (these have been reduced by installing mercury traps in sinks and generally reducing the use
of amalgams in dental works), as electrodes in paper bleaching, in thermometers and mercury switches and
a range of other products that have been phased out. For lead, the main source was leaded fuels until their
ban in Europe in the 1990s. Both cadmium and lead have pollution hotspots in connection with metal
processing facilities, and cadmium coexists with all zinc ores, and is typically present at levels of 0.5–2% in
the final products. Weathering of outdoor zinc-products thus leads to cadmium pollution.
31
Monitoring Requirements
Monitoring methodology
HELCOM common monitoring of relevance to the indicator is described on a general level in the HELCOM
Monitoring Manual in the programme topic: Concentrations of contaminants.
HELCOM and OSPAR guidelines for measuring metals in biota and sediment exist.
Quality assurance in the form of international workshops and intercalibrations have been organized
annually by QUASIMEME since 1993, with two rounds each year for water, sediment and biota.
Monitoring table 1. Preferred matrix to be used in monitoring sampling strategies.
Preferred matrix Secondary matrix
Mercury (Hg) Water Muscle: Herring, perch, eelpout, flounder; wet weight, with lipid content (%) Soft body: Macoma, Mytilus dry or wet weight, with DW%
Cadmium (Cd) Liver: Herring, eelpout, flounder, perch dry or wet weight, with lipid content (%) and DW%
Soft body: Macoma, Mytilus dry or wet weight, with DW% Sediment
Lead (Pb) Water Sediment dry weight (with TOC/Al/Li) Liver: Herring, eelpout, flounder, perch; Soft body: Macoma, Mytilus
Current monitoring
The monitoring activities relevant to the indicator that are currently carried out by HELCOM Contracting
Parties are described in the HELCOM Monitoring Manual in the relevant Monitoring Concept Tables.
Sub-programme: Contaminants in biota
Monitoring Concept Table
Sub-programme: Contaminants in water
Monitoring Concept Table
Sub-programme: Contaminants in sediment
Monitoring Concept Table
Concentrations of cadmium, mercury and lead are being monitored by all the Baltic Sea countries. In
addition to long-term monitoring stations of herring, cod, perch, flounder and eelpout, there is a fairly
dense grid of monitoring stations for mussels and perch at the shoreline, but very few stations in the open
areas of the Baltic Sea. The monitoring is, however, considered to be representative.
The number of sediment and biota monitoring stations per sub-basin are indicated in Monitoring Figure 1.
32
Monitoring figure 1. Number of monitoring stations in each Baltic Sea sub-basin.
Description of optimal monitoring
Cadmium, mercury and lead concentrations are spatially highly varying in the Baltic Sea. Therefore, a dense
network of monitoring stations is needed to have reliable overviews of the state of the environment. The
monitoring should contain both long-lived and mobile species (herring, cod, flounder) and more local
species (perch and shellfish).
Sediment monitoring can complement the assessment. Sediment represents longer timespans than biota
(typically years vs. months), and are available in all places, whereas especially local species are not always
available for spatial surveys. Time-trends from dated sediment cores in undisturbed (anoxic) areas can be a
valuable source of information on the development in concentrations from before monitoring was started
and even back to pre-industrialized times.
Monitoring of cadmium, mercury and lead is relevant in the entire sea area.
33
Data and updating
Access and use
The data and resulting data products (tables, figures and maps) available on the indicator web pages can be
used freely given that the source is cited. The indicator should be cited as following:
HELCOM (2015) Metals (lead, cadmium and mercury). HELCOM core indicator report. Online. [Date
Viewed], [Web link].
Metadata
The indicator is based on data held in the HELCOM COMBINE database hosted at the International Council
for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). The COMBINE data can be complemented by data from the database
held by the European Environmental Information and Observation Network (EIONET).
The current status of the COMBINE biota dataset is that data are available for 14 species covering 9 to 32 of
45 possible parameters, and representing results from 1979 to 2013 (dataset extracted in April 2015).
Data are available for concentrations of metals in water from 1998 to 2012, but only from three countries
(Germany, Lithuania and Russia).
Data are available for sediments from 1985 to 2012, but only from three countries (Denmark, Poland and
Sweden).
Cadmium
In the Swedish monitoring programme, the non-linear trends found in the cadmium data series makes it
difficult to estimate the quality in terms of power. From the linear parts of the trends the number of years
required to detect an annual change of 10% with a power of 80% varied between 11 to 15 years.
Mercury
The number of years required to detect an annual change of 10% with a power of 80% varied between 9
and 16 years for the herring time series.
Lead
In the Swedish monitoring programme, the number of years required to detect an annual change of 10%
with a power of 80% varied between 10 to 18 years for the herring time-series. The number of years
required to detect an annual change of 10% with a power of 80% were between 11 and 14 years for the
cod time-series (Bignert et al. 2012).
34
Contributors and references
Contributors
Martin Larssen, Sara Danielsson, CORESET I expert group on hazardous substances
Archive
This version of the HELCOM core indicator report was published in January/February 2016
Core indicator report – web-based version January/February 2016 (pdf)
Extended core indicator report – outcome of CORESET II project (pdf)
Older versions of the core indicator report are available:
2013 Indicator report (pdf)
References
Bignert, A., Berger, U., Borg, H., Danielsson S., Eriksson, U., Faxneld, S., Haglund, P., Holm, K., Nyberg, E.,
Nylund, K. (2012) Comments Concerning the National Swedish Contaminant Monitoring Programme in
Marine Biota. Report to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency 2012. 228 pp.
European Commission (2000) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23
October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. Off. J. Eur. Union
L 327.
European Commission (2006a) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting
maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. Off. J. Eur. Union L 364.
European Commission (2006b) Directive 2006/113/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12
December 2006 on the quality required of shellfish waters. Off. J. Eur. Union L 376.
European Commission (2008a) Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on
environmental quality standards in the field of water policy (Directive on Environmental Quality Standards).
Off. J. Eur. Union L 348.
European Commission (2008b) Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and the Council
establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine
Strategy Framework Directive). Off. J. Eur. Union L 164: 19-40.
European Commission (2010) Commission Decision of 1 September 2010 on criteria and methodological
standards on good environmental status of marine waters (2010/477/EU). Off. J. Eur. Union L232: 12-24.
European Commission (2013) Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12
August 2013 amending Directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field
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600 pp.
35
HELCOM (2010) Hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea – An integrated thematic assessment of hazardous
substances in the Baltic Sea. Balt. Sea Environ. Proc. No. 120B.
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OSPAR (2010) OSPAR Quality Status Report 2010. OSPAR Commission, London. 176 pp. Available at:
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Additional relevant publications
Bignert, A., Danielsson, S., Faxneld, S., Nyberg, E., Vasileiou, M., Fång, J., Dahlgren, H., Kylberg, E., Staveley
Öhlund, J., Jones, D., Stenström, M., Berger, U., Alsberg, T., Kärsrud, A.-S., Sundbom, M., Holm,K., Eriksson,
U., Egebäck, A.-L., Haglund, P., Kaj, L. (2015) Comments Concerning the National Swedish Contaminant
Monitoring Programme in Marine Biota 2015, 2:2015. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm,
Sweden.
Jensen, J.N. (2012) Temporal trends in contaminants in Herring in the Baltic Sea in the period 1980-2010.
HELCOM Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheet 2012.
OSPAR CEMP Assessment Manual. Co-ordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme Assessment
Manual for contaminants in sediment and biota. OSPAR Commission, London. 39 pp.
OSPAR (2009) Draft Agreement on CEMP Assessment Criteria for the QSR 2010. Meeting of the
Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Committee (ASMO), Bonn, Germany, 20 - 24 April 2009.