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EIA in the Baltic countries. The case of three oil terminals
1995-12-31
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Baltic Countries: The Case of Three Oil Terminals is the second phase of a research and exchange project that has been going on between Baltic and Nordic experts on Environmental Impact Assessment since 1992. The objective of the projects is to contribute to the capability of the Baltic states in carrying out EIAs. By scrutinizing the processes of the EIAs carried out for three Baltic oil terminals, working groups consisting of both Nordic and Baltic EIA experts have sought to highlight the practical implications of the `EIA vocabulary` eagerly taught by Western experts and perhaps even more eagerly studied by their `Eastern` counterparts during the last few years. The three cases were: Lithuania, Oil Port of Klaipeda; Latvia, Oil Terminal in Liepaja; Estonia, Muuga Port. (au)
Air-sea-ice interactions within coastal polynyas in the Southern Weddell Sea
2008-10-01
DescriptionCoastal polynas are areas of persistent open water where it is expected there would be sea ice. They act as havens for wildlife and areas of enhanced communication between the atmosphere and ocean, in areas where they would otherwise be separated by a think layer of sea ice. This project will look at the amount of heat, moisture and momentum that is exchanged within coastal polynas in the southern Weddell Sea, at the foot of the South Atlantic
Tritium in waters of international importance in 1981-1984
1988-03-01
A study has been carried out on the radiation situation with respect to tritium in the drainage basin of the Baltic Sea and in the Soviet section of the Danube in the period of 1981-1984. Pollution of the Baltic during this period turned out to be quite constant and coincident with the tritium level of the preceding five years. Concentrations increased slightly in the Gulf of Riga and in a number of rivers flowing into the Baltic (Daugava, Pirita, etc.). In the same period the tritium contamination of Danube water was 2-3 times greater that of the Baltic. The tritium content of the Baltic was calculated: its average value in the period 1981-1984 was 1.56 x 10/sup 17/ Bq.
1995-11-01
For assessment of plutonium in the Baltic Sea, plutonium has been studied in precipitation, water, sediments and macroalgae (Fucus sp.). Data collected over 25 years are available. The major source of plutonium in the Baltic Sea is fallout from nuclear tests. The Chernobyl accident contributed very little to the overall activity concentrations of {sup 239} {sup +} {sup 240}Pu but the contribution of {sup 238}Pu and {sup 241}Pu was more significant. In certain parts and adjacent areas of the Baltic Sea, European reprocessing facilities have given a significant contribution of all plutonium isotopes. In the Baltic Sea the major fraction of plutonium is rapidly associated with sediments and only 1% is present in the water column. Scavenging processes other than association with Fe/Mn oxyhydroxides are most important. The long-term residence compartment indicate a residence time of 8-10 years. (author).
Levels of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB in Baltic fish of different age and gender
2008-01-01
Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in Baltic Sea fish like herring (Clupea harengus membras), sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus), perch (Perca fluviatilis), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and flounder (Platichthys flesus trachurus) collected from four areas of the Estonian coastal waters are reported. All samples are studied for their relationship between the length (cm) and wet weight (g); length (cm) and age (years); lipid content and dry matter. The level of PCDD/F and PCB concentrations in younger 1-5 years old Baltic herring and sprat collected in 2002-2005 from the eastern and central parts of the Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga and Open Baltic Sea (Central Baltic) is related to the fish ag...
Intrusion of radioactive industrially polluted water from North Sea into central Baltic Sea
1985-02-01
The problem of penetration of radioactive industrially polluted water into the central Baltic Sea was studied. The content of Cs-134 as determined in water near the bottom of deep water trenches along the path traveled by North Sea water entering the Baltic. Samples were taken at 5 locations, with Cs-134 concentrated from samples of several thousands of liters. It was found that radioactive pollution caused by the entry of water from the North Sea extends through the system of deep water depressions into the Baltic as far as the Gotland trench. The greatest degree of contamination is found in the Arkona depression adjacent to the straits. The concentration of Cs-134 in the Gdansk trench is one-half as great and in the Gotland trench one-third as great as in the Arkona depression. Radioactive contamination in the Baltic is attributed to discharge of radioactive wastes by plants at Windscale.
2006-01-01
Multi-year monitoring data for PCBs in abiotic media and biota collected from the Baltic region were compiled into a database and analyzed using the equilibrium lipid partitioning (ELP) approach to study temporal trends as well as to investigate food web biomagnification. Statistically significant reductions in ELP concentrations between 1987 and 2001 were observed in guillemots, air, and some fish species and a general, but not always statistically significant decline in concentrations was observed throughout the Baltic ecosystem. Estimated clearance half-lives ranged from 2.7-10.7 years. The database contained concentrations for a range of different Baltic species, which comprise a well-known Baltic food web. It was possible to derive the trophic position of the species in this food web and relate them to ELP concentrations. A significant positive correlation ...
2010-01-01
The Baltic Sea is one of the largest estuarine systems on earth. Two narrow straits, Oresund and The Belt Sea, together with a large transition area consisting of Kattegat and Skagerrak hamper interactions with the North Sea. The Baltic Sea water is low in salinity due to the large freshwater input from river runoff to the Baltic Sea but has an excess of inorganic carbon from dissolution of carbonate minerals in the river drainage basins. In this study we use dissolved inorganic carbon data from the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat together with modelled water transport to evaluate the dissolved inorganic carbon exchange between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea during 2006. The total inorganic carbon export from the Baltic Sea in the straits area is 5.5+/-0.3Tg Cyear^-^1, or 0.45+/-0.03 10^1^2m...
1995-12-31
In order to study the fate and occurrence of two groups of hydrophobic compounds in the Baltic aquatic environment a large number of samples were collected from the southern Baltic proper to the northern Bothnian Bay for the analyses of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The following sample matrices were collected; bottom surface sediments (0--1 cm, collected with gravity corer), settling particulate matter (collected with sediment traps), open water samples and over water samples (suspended particulates and dissolved fraction sampled by filtration) and air samples (aerosols and vapor phase sampled by filtration). All samples (except over water and air) were collected at open sea in the Baltic. The analyses results have been used to make a model approach on the whole Baltic and to elucidate different aspects of the behavior of PAHs and PCBs in the Baltic, such as the occurrence of the compounds in water and sediment, the total content as well as the concentration variabilities over such a large geographical area, Further, the data on settling particulate matter as well as the air concentration data were used to estimate the total fluxes of PAHs and PCBs to the bottoms of the Baltic and t o the total water area of the Baltic, respectively. Further, data on the PAH and PCB content in river water from four major rivers provides rough estimates of the riverine input to the Baltic. The dynamics of PAHs and PCBs within the water mass have also been studied in terms of settling velocities and residence times in the water mass for these type of compounds in the open Baltic.
The Coordination of Cooperation in Strategic Business Networks - the Cruise Baltic Case
2009-01-01
The purpose of this study was to analyze the coordination of cooperation in strategic business networks in the tourism industry. The various facets of the coordination are explored in an intensive single case study on Cruise Baltic. The data includes the narrative accounts of 22 actors in the case network, a strategic network promoting cruise tourism in the Baltic Sea region. The study reveals different forms of coordination which enhance network development. Through the adoption of the strategic network approach it offers a current and fresh perspective on destination management and marketing. Furthermore, it pinpoints the need for coordinative activities on the different levels and dimensions of cooperation.
2008-11-06
This study aims at the estimation of the impact of different atmospheric factors on the past sealevel variations (up to 200 years) in the Baltic Sea by statistically analysing the relationship between Baltic Sea level records and observational and proxy-based reconstructed climatic data sets. The focus lies on the identification and possible quantification of the contribution of sealevel pressure (wind), air-temperature and precipitation to the low-frequency (decadal and multi-decadal) variability of Baltic Sea level. It is known that the wind forcing is the main factor explaining average Baltic Sea level variability at inter-annual to decadal timescales, especially in wintertime. In this thesis it is statistically estimated to what extent other regional climate factors contribute to the spatially heterogeneous Baltic Sea level variations around the isostatic trend at multi-decadal timescales. Although the statistical analysis cannot be completely conclusive, as the potential climate drivers are all statistically interrelated to some degree, the results indicate that precipitation should be taken into account as an explanatory variable for sea-level variations. On the one hand it has been detected that the amplitude of the annual cycle of Baltic Sea level has increased throughout the 20th century and precipitation seems to be the only factor among those analysed (wind through SLP field, barometric effect, temperature and precipitation) that can account for this evolution. On the other hand, precipitation increases the ability to hindcast inter-annual variations of sea level in some regions and seasons, especially in the Southern Baltic in summertime. The mechanism by which precipitation exerts its influence on Baltic Sea level is not ascertained in this statistical analysis due to the lack of long salinity time series. This result, however, represents a working hypothesis that can be confirmed or disproved by long simulations of the Baltic Sea system - ocean, atmosphere and land. (orig.)
Agricultural development and nutrient flows in the Baltic states and Sweden after 1988
1999-06-01
During March-August 1990, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania proclaimed independence from the Soviet Union. After independence, agriculture in the Baltic states changed from a state controlled economy with huge collective farms to a market economy with privately owned family farms. Due to the financial situation, the use of mineral fertilizers dropped to the 1950s level. During 1994, the yields of forage grass and fodder grain were only 40% and 50%, respectively, of Swedish yields. Due to the loss of export possibilities, the total production of meat, milk and eggs in the Baltic states declined by 40-50% between 1989 and 1994. The aim of this study is to demonstrate changes in nitrogen and phosphorus flows within agriculture in the Baltic states after independence and to make comparisons with the situation in Swedish agriculture during the same period of time. A special study was made of whether the changed nutrient flows have caused changes in nutrient runoff from the Baltic states to the Baltic Sea 39 refs, 6 figs, 3 tabs
Sediment surface geochemistry of three Baltic Sea deep basins
2001-05-01
Three deep basins were chosen for this study and the most recent changes that are reflected in the uppermost 15 to 35 cm are reported. The Gotland Basin, the largest continuous sedimentation basin in the southern Baltic Sea, was chosen for the present study. Simultaneously, a quite large basin, the North Central Baltic Basin was investigated and chemical data are reported for the first time. In the southern Baltic Sea the Bornholm Basin was investigated. All 3 basins are different as regards the physicochemical conditions in the area. The investigated elements were divided into different groups according to their origin and geochemical behavior: elements of natural terrestrial origin; nutrients; elements that are confined to early diagenetic minerals; and in the near-surface zone the anthropogenic elements including several harmful metals. Although there seems to be a decreasing trend in the surface zone the metal concentrations are still clearly elevated.
Power Sector Reform in the Baltic States
2002-01-01
The Swedish Energy Agency is active in different ways to support and promote an environmentally friendly development of the energy sector in the Baltic Sea Region. The Agency is of the opinion that it is of greatest importance to use the market forces in the work to introduce a more rational use of both production resources and the electricity network installations that in a longer perspective contribute to a more efficient and environmentally adapted electricity system in the Baltic Sea Region. In the present report it is fairly evident that in recent years certain important progress has been made in the work on integration of the electricity markets of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. However, it also points out that important measures remains to be implemented. The report puts focus on areas that may need further studies or widened studies that include more countries in the Baltic ...
High resolution model studies of transport of sedimentary material in the south-western Baltic
2009-01-01
The paper presents high resolution model simulations of transport, deposition and resuspension of sedimentary material in the south-western Baltic, based on an upgrade of the sediment transport model described in the work of Kuhrts et al. [Kuhrts, C., Fennel, W., Seifert, T., 2004. Model studies of transport of sedimentary material in the Western Baltic. Journal of Marine Systems 52, 167.]. In the western Baltic, a grid spacing of at least 1nautical mile is required to resolve the shallow and narrow bathymetry and the associated current patterns. A series of experimental model simulations is carried out with forcing data for the year 1993, which include a sequence of storms in January. Compared to earlier model versions, a more detailed description of potential deposition areas can be pr...
Has the invasive round goby caused new links in Baltic food webs?
2010-01-01
The Ponto-Caspian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus, Pallas 1814) most probably was established in the Gulf of Gdask, Baltic Sea, in the late 1980s and has since become one of the dominant species in the region. In this study we assess the role of round gobies as prey for two important fish species in the Gulf of Gdask, cod (Gadus morhua) and perch (Perca fluviatilis). We compared their present diet with stomach analyses from the area prior the round goby establishment, as well as with diet analysis from Baltic regions where round gobies are absent. There were large differences in the diet between cods from the Gulf of Gdask 20032006 compared to cods in earlier studies (19771981) from the Southern Baltic Sea. There were also large differences in cod and perch diets from are...
2006-12-15
Multi-year monitoring data for PCBs in abiotic media and biota collected from the Baltic region were compiled into a database and analyzed using the equilibrium lipid partitioning (ELP) approach to study temporal trends as well as to investigate food web biomagnification. Statistically significant reductions in ELP concentrations between 1987 and 2001 were observed in guillemots, air, and some fish species and a general, but not always statistically significant decline in concentrations was observed throughout the Baltic ecosystem. Estimated clearance half-lives ranged from 2.7-10.7 years. The database contained concentrations for a range of different Baltic species, which comprise a well-known Baltic food web. It was possible to derive the trophic position of the species in this food web and relate them to ELP concentrations. A significant positive correlation between ELP concentrations and trophic position was obtained. Estimated food web magnification factors ranged between 1.9 and 5.1 for selected congeners. - The equilibrium lipid partitioning approach is applied to a large Baltic database of PCB concentrations in abiotic and biota media to investigate time trends and biomagnification.
2000-08-01
Comparative temporal trend studies of {sigma}DDT and PCB on the Baltic pollution, using matrices from Baltic biota and dated lamina from sediment cores in anoxic sediment areas of the Baltic (no bioturbation) have been carried out. Chemical analyses of consecutive laminas of the cores representing individual years were compared to long-term temporal trend monitoring of Baltic biota based on annual sampling and analyses. Earlier studies of sediment cores from the Baltic have often indicated increasing concentrations of halogenated organic compounds in recent time whereas monitoring of Baltic biota showed decreasing concentrations from the 1970s and onwards. In the present study two sediment cores from the northwestern Baltic proper indicate a concentration (dry weight basis) peak in the same time period as for biota, but the decrease during recent decades is slower than for biota. In lamina representing the period 1940-1950 remarkably high concentrations of both PCB and {sigma}DDT were found. Interestingly also a high proportion of nonmetabolized DDT was found in these old lamina, whereas lamina representing 1960-1970 showed a low portion of nonmetabolized DDT and high portions of the metabolites DDE and DDD during the period 1970-1998. The results are discussed in relation to resuspension of sediments, diffusion and interstitial transport of halogenated organic compounds in the sediment cores. The results indicate the importance of resuspension of sediment and that carbon normalized data are inappropriate for interpretation of temporal trends. The results also show that we have no appropriate model to interpret the pollution of the Baltic by halogenated organic compounds, retrospectively, by using lamina from anoxic sediment cores, but that we urgently need more knowledge on the important retention mechanisms in sediment.
Screening of hydrophobic DNA adducts in flounder (Platichthys flesus) from the Baltic Sea
2009-01-01
Neoplasia and other histopathological lesions in flounder (Platichthys flesus) liver have been investigated in several European sea areas, including the Baltic Sea. Several studies have been able to link neoplasm epizootics in fish with the exposure to genotoxins such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The level of hydrophobic DNA adducts in tissue DNA reflects the exposure of the organism to PAHs. Using hydrophobic DNA adduct levels as biomarkers, possible PAH exposure was assessed in flounder from 10 different sites in the Baltic Sea, collected during the years 1995-1997. The results show that the overall levels of hepatic DNA adducts were low and, in general, the chromatograms appeared clean. The highest levels of DNA adducts were found at two sites in the southern Baltic Sea. ...
2007-01-01
Metal concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in an infaunal facultative deposit-feeding bivalve, the Baltic clam Macoma balthica, in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea) were assessed and compared to selected concentrations of metals in the environment. Between October 1996 and September 1997, dissolved and easy extractable (by 1M HCl) metal fractions of total suspended particulate matter (TPM) in the overlying water and of surficial sediments (M. balthica were determined simultaneously. The study highlights the importance of sediment geochemistry as a factor modifying ambient trace metal bioavailabilities. Surficial sediments appeared to contribute most to the accumulation of Cu and Pb in M. balthica, reflecting the high metal availability in the Gulf. Assimilation of Cu from sed...
Levels of persistent organic pollutants in Baltic herring
2004-09-15
The Baltic Sea has a long history of being one of the most polluted brackish water areas in the world. Baltic herring (Clupea harengus L.) that plays a significant role in the diet of both human and Baltic seals is a good indicator of pollution of the Baltic Sea. Herring of the Gulf of Bothnia are considered to be stationary fish as they have a low migratory behaviour. Migration among young herring in the Gulf of Finland is also low, whereas older herring migrate even to the southern Baltic Sea. The growth of herring in the Gulf of Finland has retarded since the 1980's. Monitoring of organochlorine compounds such as PCBs has been performed in the Baltic Sea since the late 1960's. This monitoring has shown a continuous decline of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). In 1990's, the data of herring did not reveal any clear decline in the concentrations of PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF, dioxins). There is less data on levels and trends of other pollutants such as toxaphene, polychlorinated napthalenes (PCN) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in Baltic herring from different areas of the Baltic Sea. PCNs have been used for similar purposes as PCBs and PBDEs are widely used as flame retardants. The main aim of this study was to investigate by herring analyses the contamination of different sites along the coast of Finland. We aimed to see whether polluted and less polluted sites along the coast of Finland were reflected in the herring data. Besides, dioxins and PCBs, toxaphene, DDT compounds, PBDEs and PCNs were analysed.
1998-09-01
In the mid-90s, some power supply companies started to discuss aspects of the future development of the energy sector and energy supply infrastructure in the states of the Baltic Sea basin. They had the vision of establishing a common power market. The Baltic Ring Study was carried out in order to give more concrete shape to the idea, involving as participants all major power supply companies and public utilities in the Baltic area. The study was partly financed by the European Union under the roof of the TEN (Trans-European Network) programme and was completed within two years. The results and conclusions of the study were presented to the public in Riga on the 22 of January 1998 on the occasion of the meeting of prime ministers of the states of the Baltic Sea basin. The article here discusses the content of the study. (orig./CB) [Deutsch] Mitte der 90er Jahre begann zwischen einigen Energieversorgungsunternehmen eine rege Debatte ueber die zukuenftige Entwicklung des Energiesektors und des Strommarktes im Ostseeraum. Es entstand die Vision zur Errichtung eines gemeinsamen Strommarktes. Zur Konkretisierung dieser Vision wurde unter Einbeziehung aller wichtigen Energieversorger im Ostseeraum die Baltic Ring Studie durchgefuehrt. Die Baltic Ring Studie wurde von der Europaeischen Union im Rahmen des TEN-Energie-Programms (Trans-Europaeische Netze) teilfinanziert und konnte innerhalb von 2 Jahren fertiggestellt werden. Die Ergebnisse der Studie wurden anlaesslich des Treffens der Staatsoberhaeupter der Ostseeanrainerstaaten am 22. Januar 1998 in Riga der Oeffentlichkeit vorgestellt. Die aus der Studie gewonnenen Schlussfolgerungen und Empfehlungen werden im Beitrag detailliert beschrieben. (orig./RHM)
Cyanophage as engines of gene transfer within populations of cyanobacteria.
2007-02-28
DescriptionOur previous studies have revealed the presence of many different genotypes within Baltic Sea populations of the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena. Analysis of population data suggests that horizontal transfer of genetic information is important both in the generation and maintenance of this genetic diversity. We have also shown that about 60% of cultured Nodularia isolates contain inducible, temperate cyanophage and that Nodularia-specific lytic phage can be isolated from samples of Baltic Sea [continued...]
1997-12-31
Experiences in the Baltic states and Russia with EBRD and World Bank energy project lending operations are summarized. One was in Vilnius, Lithuania: the technical problem was the least problematic; to deal with institutions and their changes was more important. Another problem with pilot projects is that there has been very little competition, so prices are very high for investments. In the Russian project on housing there is the unsolved VAT problem. (R.P.)
2004-05-01
An important question for safety assessments of nuclear waste repositories is the salinity of the Baltic Sea under different conditions. The salinity affects the potential recipient ecosystems, the water turnover along the coast and the hydrology as well as the groundwater chemistry. In this report a model that enables computation of the Baltic Sea salinity for different sea level positions and freshwater supplies is presented. The model is used to compute the salinities in Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay for all combinations of global sea level changes from -10 m to 10 m and freshwater supplies from 0 to 60,000 m{sup 3}/s. The results are presented in a series of graphs that enables the reader to make an assessment of the impact of a given climatic change. The model is also used to compute the decrease of the salinity in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay during the next few millennia due to the postglacial uplift. The results show that modest changes in global sea level, say {+-}1 m, give a salinity change of the order of 1 psu in southern Baltic proper. Changing the freshwater supply with about 2,000 m{sup 3}/s (approximately 10%) gives a similar salinity change. Further, a sea level drop of about 5 m or an increase of the freshwater supply by a factor of 3 is needed to reduce the salinity in southern Baltic proper below 1 psu. In this limit large parts of the Baltic would be limnic. A 50% decrease of the freshwater supply increase the salinity in the southern Baltic proper by a factor of 2 to some 15 psu, but the effect is even more drastic in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay where the salinity increase to 13 and 10 psu, respectively. A less windy climate might have a significant effect in lowering the Baltic salinity due to a combined effect of lowered mixing in Kattegat and lowered exchange between Kattegat and the Baltic. A windier climate will not have such strong effect since increased mixing does not affect the Baltic as much. Most probably the shoreline displacement due to isostatic adjustment after the previous glaciation will dominate the salinity variations in the Bothnian Bay during the coming few millennia. The salinity will gradually decrease until 1750-2000 years from now when the Bay becomes a lake.
Study of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea in 1988-1989
1991-10-01
This report presents the results of a joint study on radionuclides in the water and sediments of the Baltic Sea, in the waters of rivers discharging into the Baltic Sea, and in deposition in the region of the Gulf of Finland. The study was carried out by the V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute (St. Petersburg, USSR) and the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Helsinki, Finland). Concentrations of [sup 3]H, [sup 90]Sr, gamma-emitting radionuclides, [sup 238]Pu and [sup 239],[sup 240]Pu were determined. The radiation situation in the Baltic Sea in 1988-1989 was determined from the contamination originating from the Chernobyl accident. The contamination levels in both the surface and near-bottom waters of the Baltic Sea in general levelled off in 1989. A preliminary assessment of a [sup 137]Cs inventory in the Gulf of Finland in 1988-1989 gave a level approximately 10 times higher than that for 1985. (orig.).
Study of radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea in 1988-1989
1991-10-01
This report presents the results of a joint study on radionuclides in the water and sediments of the Baltic Sea, in the waters of rivers discharging into the Baltic Sea, and in deposition in the region of the Gulf of Finland. The study was carried out by the V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute (St. Petersburg, USSR) and the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Helsinki, Finland). Concentrations of {sup 3}H, {sup 90}Sr, gamma-emitting radionuclides, {sup 238}Pu and {sup 239},{sup 240}Pu were determined. The radiation situation in the Baltic Sea in 1988-1989 was determined from the contamination originating from the Chernobyl accident. The contamination levels in both the surface and near-bottom waters of the Baltic Sea in general levelled off in 1989. A preliminary assessment of a {sup 137}Cs inventory in the Gulf of Finland in 1988-1989 gave a level approximately 10 times higher than that for 1985. (orig.).
US foreign policy and the Baltic states. Master`s thesis
1996-03-01
This thesis examines U. S. foreign policy toward the Baltic states from 1918 to 1991 to determine if the U.S. has been realistic in its dealings with small nations. An analysis of U.S. policy indicates that the United States acts hypocritically by accepting compromises on the very moral principals to which it claims to be the protectorate of when domestic political costs are high. The sacrifice of national values degrades the credibility of the moral high ground necessary for U.S. policy. This study reviews the events that occurred during the three major periods in U.S.-Baltic relations: The initial period of Baltic independence following World War I; the Soviet annexation of the Baltics during World War II: and finally the beginning of the second period of Baltic independence during the breakup of the Soviet Union. In all three cases U.S. policy was unclear and contradictory. The Baltic case provides a good example of the tendency for U.S. policy to be paradoxical and ineffective. This study concludes that despite the U.S. policy of nonrecognition of the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states during the Cold War, the United States failed to adhere to its principals when given the opportunity. In the process, it also neglected problems within its borders that required attention perhaps more urgently than those outside. The tendency for U.S. policy to ignore the issues that actually threaten its security internally and placing a higher priority on external matters that do not have a real impact on its standing could likely lead to its inadvertent downfall.
Sources, transport, reservoirs and fate of dioxins, PCBs and HCB in the Baltic Sea environment
2009-01-15
A better knowledge of sources, transport, reservoirs and fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Baltic Sea environment is crucial for the identification of effective actions against these compounds. In this report the present situation regarding sources and current fluxes of persistent pollutants in the Baltic Sea ecosystem is presented. The compounds selected for the study were: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs). These classes of compounds represent a broad range of physical-chemical properties, and hence their environmental behaviour encompasses the spectrum of most chemicals listed in the Stockholm Convention. Based on current knowledge and some new field measurements in air, sea water and sediments, mass balances for the selected POPs were calculated. These mass balances indicate that the atmosphere is the major source of PCDD/Fs to the Bothnian Sea and the Baltic Proper and also the dominant external source of HCB and PCBs to the Baltic Sea. These findings emphasise the need for further international agreements to prevent long-range transboundary transport of these POPs
Evolution study of contamination Russian Baltic fish by PCDD/F and WHO-PCB
2004-09-15
Baltic Sea is well known as the most polluted sea in the world, but its fish products have a significant role in diet of Baltic countries habitants. In Dioxin 2003 meeting we have present first results of analysis of Baltic fishes caught by Russian fisherman for market. The results confirmed a rather high level of pollution in the Baltic seafood by PCDD/Fs and have shown necessity of the further researches. Although PCDD/Fs profile in fisher's body is not consist unsteady and was formed under affection of various factors, it was obvious that essential path comes with PCB; also previously were found that WHO-TEQ{sub PCB} in seafood could exceed WHO-TEQ{sub PCDD/F} level. In given works we present results of the analysis of two freshwater species of fishes and updating research of former analyzed kinds, included of WHO-PCBs determination.
2006-07-01
This study reviews sediment data obtained from the Baltic Sea from 1995-2003. Recent sediment accumulation rates (SAR) were estimated at 69 stations in the Baltic Sea from 99 sediment cores using concentration peaks of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu as time markers of the years 1986 and 1963, respectively. SAR values varied widely between 60-6160 g m{sup -2} yr{sup -1}. The highest SAR values were observed at stations in the northern part of the Bothnian Sea, river estuaries and the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Generally, the SAR (median) of stations in the Bothnian Sea was two times higher than values in the Gulf of Finland or the Bothnian Bay, and about seven times higher than in the Baltic Proper. A strong correlation was detected between the SAR and total {sup 137}Cs activities. The usability of estimation methods has been considered and, e.g., unstable sedimentation could limit the use of radionuclides in sediment dating and estimation of the SAR at stations in the Baltic Sea. (orig.)
Perspectives for RandD in Bioenergy in the Baltic States
2009-11-15
This study has identified two almost contradictory trends regarding bioenergy in the Baltic States. On the one hand, RandD performed in bioenergy in the Baltic States is rather limited. This might be somewhat surprising, because on the other hand various forms of bioenergy are either already used on a large scale or are widely assumed to become important in the near future. Bioenergy is explicitly recognized in various policy plans as an important component of the energy system in all the Baltic States. Thus the limited RandD efforts raise a number of questions, which probably lack unequivocal answers, but which would be important to discuss in the Baltic States. In all three Baltic States, bioenergy has a major potential. The present trend with boiler houses using biomass in a district heating systems commenced in the 1990s with significant foreign support. Technology was mainly imported, but in some cases local producers have drawn upon these experiences and become producers in their own right. The result has been that the Baltic States have relatively well developed bioenergy technology in use in district heating. But perhaps more importantly, there is know-how and experience in the Baltic States from the use of bioenergy, which however needs to be constantly upgraded. Regarding interest groups, one question raised by some interviewees was whether the natural gas industry with Russian Gazprom as the key player has a bigger say in the energy policy of the Baltic States than officially admitted. Although this issue remains speculative, the question as such is justified and should not be omitted from the discussion. The interest groups behind bioenergy are relatively weak, at least in comparison with other interest groups in the energy sector. As long as the farmers' organizations are not unambiguously behind bioenergy, the political support for investments in developing new technology is likely to remain lukewarm. Cooperation between the Baltic States in developing bioenergy RandD is almost insignificant. The Baltic States have created an industry which has become successful in exporting wood chips, pellet and briquettes. Although this often is a local success story for many a small municipality, the added value is highly limited and this contributes to a situation where the Baltic economies remain dependent on inexpensive labour instead of high value added through technological development. Promoting the understanding of the potential role of bioenergy would be important in the Baltic States. As long as bioenergy is almost solely seen as a question of security of supply (and perhaps justifiably so) and not as a major technology under development, RandD funding will not be directed to it. There are a few fields in which RandD conducted in the Baltic States might contribute to the broader development of bioenergy. Among the most promising is the straw research in Lithuania and the reed experiments in Estonia. In Latvia RandD has been conducted on the integration of bioenergy in the energy system. If successful, micro- and small-scale CHPs could have profound impacts on the construction of the future energy systems in the Baltic States, where, as has been mentioned, population density is low, self-sufficiency high on the agenda, and most CHPs currently available too big. The main risk to the Baltic States in the bioenergy sector appears to be left out from global RandD-trends. The reasons for this are mainly domestic, such as lack of funding through insufficient political support. So far, the Baltic States have more or less successfully implemented technology developed elsewhere, but the domestic contributions remain modest. Against the background that the Baltic States need more industry with high productivity and thus value added, bioenergy- related technology would in many respects make a good match with the needs of the Baltic societies. For the Nordic countries, the skills already developed in the Baltic States could be a valuable contribution as would the opportunity to test new technology in locations where t here are significant gains to make, in particular where fossil fuels are still burnt for heating. This was an insight of the 1990s, which could be re-used today, but with more focus on technological cooperation than on technology transfer
POP load and vitamins as potential biomarkers in the Baltic seals
2004-09-15
Exceptionally high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and 1,1,1.trichloro- 2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethane (DDT) and its metabolites were reported in the Baltic seals in the late 1960s and early 1970s. PCB levels in ringed seals, in particular, are still high enough to threaten the well being of the animals. The observed difference in contaminant pattern between ringed and grey seals in the Baltic has not been explained, but could be partly due to species-specific food sources. Several pathological and biochemical changes observed in the Baltic seals correlate with the individual POP loads. Of the observed biochemical changes, elevated cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) levels, decreased liver vitamin A stores and increased vitamin E levels in blubber or plasma, have been proposed as possible biomarkers of contaminant load in Baltic seals. However, as the vitamin A and E status of marine mammals also reflects the nutritional vitamin level, the lower vitamin A and elevated vitamin E levels observed in the Baltic seals could be a reflection of the levels of these vitamins in their food sources. The aim of this study was to investigate the contaminant load in the Baltic seals and to evaluate the utility level of potential exposure and effect biomarkers. Seals from less contaminated areas were used as reference material (Svalbard and Sable Island, Canada). In the present study, POP and vitamin levels were also studied in seal prey species in order to study the transfer of these compounds to grey and ringed seals from their main food sources.
Dioxin concentrations in sediments of the Baltic Sea. A preliminary survey of existing data
2004-09-15
The Baltic Sea region is one of the most contaminated areas with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins). The high load of dioxins in Baltic fish has lead to restrictions of the use of contaminated fish for human consumption. Uncertainties about sources, geographical distribution of these contaminants, the pathways of bioaccumulation and possible ecotoxicological and human health effects are of concern. POPs may enter the Baltic Sea from atmospheric deposition, riverine input and point sources along the coast. The ultimate sink for the majority of the compounds is the open sea and coastal sediments, although some fraction enters the food chain. Analysis of sediment has been widely used to study regional and temporal trends of dioxin pollution in freshwater and oceans and the Baltic Sea has been one of the most studied sea areas for dioxin-like compounds as well. Only a fraction (unknown) of the analytical results have been published in scientific papers, however. Here we present regional distribution of certain congeners of dioxins in surface sediments and in six sediment cores from the Baltic Sea. New data is compared with data on earlier Finnish sediment surveys. Some data from published papers and unpublished data from the Kattegat Sound is also given for reference. The purpose of this paper is to: 1. get an ''draft'' picture of regional distribution (possible hot spots, major regional differences) along the Finnish-Swedish-Danish-German coastal and open sea sites in the Baltic 2. study differences in congener distributions (source identification) 3. study temporal changes in sediment profiles 4. identify major areas with gap of data 5. call for more data (both published and grey literature as well as new sediment surveys)
2008-01-01
The Baltic coast of Northern Poland is an interesting region for palaeoclimatic studies because of the mixed oceanic and continental climatic influences and the fact that the dominance of one or the other of these two influences might have changed over time. Also, unlike many more intensively studied regions of Europe, human impact in the region was rather limited until the 19th century. We present a 1200-year high-resolution record from Stki mire, an ombrotrophic bog located 35km from the Baltic Sea coast. Using testate amoebae, stable isotopes (13C) of Sphagnum stems, pollen, plant macrofossils and dendroecological analyses, our aims were to: 1) reconstruct the last millennium palaeoenvironment in the study site and its surroundings, 2) identify the major wetdry shifts, 3) det...
2007-01-01
Wave power, along with renewable energy-generating sources like tides and streams, is underestimated considering its advantageous physical properties and predictability. This paper examines possible examples of wave power installations in the Baltic Sea and the Danish part of the North Sea. Hindcasting data is used allowing estimations of wave energy generated and results show promising areas in the North Sea, but also several parts of the Baltic Sea are of interest. The study is based upon linear generator technique, placed on the seabed using point-absorbers arranged in arrays of up to several thousand units. The study aims at showing the physical possibilities of wave energy, including economical feasibility and environmental advantages of wave energy even in moderate wave climates. Wit...
2008-01-01
The brown alga Fucus vesiculous is one of the few marine species in the Baltic Sea. Fucus vesiculosus shows high morphological and physiological variability as a response to its environmental conditions. The salinity in the Baltic Sea is 45psu, compared to 35psu in the Atlantic. Photosynthesis of algae is usually measured after collection and transportation to constant culture conditions. However, in this study, relative photosynthetic electron transport rates, calculated from chlorophylla fluorescence parameters were compared in algae collected from 1 and 4m depths by SCUBA divers. Measurements of light response curves from the same individuals of F. vesiculosus at different depths and times of the year have, to our knowledge, not been made previously. Measurements were perform...
Cost effective reductions in the agricultural load of nitrogen to the Baltic Sea
1997-11-01
To restore the health of the Baltic Sea, the Helsinki Commission, HELCOM, suggests that the nitrogen load should be reduced by 50%. The agricultural sector accounts for about 1/3 of the total load of nitrogen to the Baltic Sea, while point sources account for about 1/4. The remaining load reaches the Baltic as atmospheric deposition. The purpose of this study is to calculate cost effective reductions in the agricultural load of nitrogen to the Baltic Sea coastal waters. The Baltic Sea drainage basin is divided into 17 regions, which differ with respect to costs, leaching and nitrogen retention. For each region, cost functions are estimated for 11 nitrogen abatement measures in the agricultural sector. It is difficult to find reliable data on both costs and biological parameters for all regions included, and several assumptions are made to obtain the cost functions. In this paper the total cost of a 50% reduction of the nitrogen load from arable land is estimated to 11,700 million SEK per year. A decrease in the use of fertilizer nitrogen is the most important measure in a cost effective policy. Other measures included in the cost effective solution are changes in land-use and in manure management practices. If, instead, each country is required to reduce its load by 50%, the total cost will increase by nearly 60%. Three out of nine countries around the Baltic Sea would gain from separate reduction targets, while all others lose by such a policy. The results are sensitive to assumptions about the biological parameters and the shape of the cost functions for reductions in chemical fertilizer. 75 refs, 3 figs, 11 tabs
1997-07-01
Two mesoscale models, the MIUU model (developed at the Department of meteorology at the Uppsala University, Sweden) and the KAMM model (developed at the `Institut fuer Meteorologie und Klimaforschung der Universitaet Karlsruhe`, Germany), have been compared using two low-level jet cases over the Baltic Sea. The MIUU model is three-dimensional hydrostatic and contains a `level-2.5` higher order closure scheme. The KAMM model is also three-dimensional, but non-hydrostatic and uses a first-order closure scheme. The models have been applied on two well-documented Baltic-Sea low-level jet cases. The first one is quite steady and shows only small differences in the wind field during the first half of the simulated day. The second one is completely unstationary, with low-level jets arising and disappearing during both of the simulated days. In the simulations, described here, it has been shown that both models are able to simulate the Baltic Sea low-level jet. Both models confirm the contention that the Baltic-Sea low-level jets indeed exist. As regards the realistic simulation of such low-level jet situations, a higher-order closure scheme such as in the MIUU model seems to be more suitable. The author believes that in the two cases, studied here, the hydrostatic approximation, which is used in the MIUU model but not in KAMM, should not have any influence on the wind field over the Baltic Sea. The differences in the wind field over the Baltic Sea should rather be caused by the different turbulence parameterization schemes, as described in the following 55 refs, 47 figs, 6 tabs
{sup 137}Cs accumulation in coastal sediments in Sweden
2005-09-15
Seabed sediment samples were collected in 1998, 2000 and 2001 at 20 sites located in the Baltic Sea and 4 sites in the Skagerrak. The objectives of the sampling campaigns were (i) to establish the coastal sediment distribution of {sup 137}Cs, (ii) to evaluate the vertical core distribution of {sup 137}Cs, (iii) to study the sediment accumulation rates, and (iv) to assess the sediment inventories of {sup 137}Cs. The results show a very high variation in {sup 137}Cs concentrations and an almost 100-fold difference in inventories, showing predominance of Chernobyl derived {sup 137}Cs in the Baltic Proper compared to the western Baltic and the Skagerrak areas. Sediment accumulation rates were highly dependent on sediment types and ranged from 0.05 to 1.8 cm/y.
The key features of the bottom sediment composition in the anoxic Lake Mogilnoe
2010-01-01
In the summer 2006, integrated geological, geochemical, hydrological, and hydrochemical studies were performed on the relict anoxic Lake Mogilnoe (down to 16 m depths) located on Kildin Island in the Barents Sea. The chemical and grain-size composition of the bottom sediments were compared for the lake (a permanently anoxic basin) and the Baltic Sea Deeps (periodically anoxic basins). The vertical location of the hydrogen sulfide layer boundary in the lake (911 m depths) was practically the same from 1974 up to now. The concentrations of suspended particulate matter in the lake in June and July 2006 appeared to be close to its summer concentrations in the seawaters of the open part of the Baltic Sea. The mud from Lake Mogilnoe compared to those of the Baltic Sea Deeps are chara...
Scientific aspects of the organization of biological monitoring of the Baltic Sea ecosystem state
1980-01-01
Criteria for the selection of biological indicators are listed. At the level of organisms, indicators must combine morphological, ethnological, biochemical, physiological and genetic characteristics that are peculiar and ecologically important for the species. At the population biocenotic level biological indicators must combine structural and functional indicators. The understanding of biological consequences of marine ecosystem pollution involves the determination of species diversity indexes, the use of production destruction characteristics, the use of microbiological indices and the use of indicator forms of hydrobionts. Data from two ecosystem studies of the Baltic Sea are summarized. In the area of photosynthesis, the degradation of organic matter is 2 to 5 times higher than its production due to algae. Microorganisms that destroy paraffin, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons are widely distributed in the open Baltic.
2006-01-01
Aim: The promotion of health through increased physical activity (PA) has become a national public health objective for both adults and children. To achieve this aim a good and comparable monitoring system of PA and its determinants is needed. The aim of the current review paper is to describe how PA is monitored and what the trends are in PA among adults and children in Baltic countries and Finland as well as the association between PA, body mass index (BMI) and socio-economic determinants. Subjects and methods: Data from two relevant surveys at the moment were used to make comparisons in PA trends between Baltic countries and Finland: FINBALT Health Monitor for adults aged 1664years and Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) for 11-, 13- and 15-year-old schoolchildren. Resu...
Late summer metalimnetic oxygen minimum zone in the northern Baltic Sea
2010-01-01
The frequently observed, but commonly ignored hydrographic characteristic of the Baltic Sea, the oxygen minimum zone (OMiZ) above and within the summertime thermocline, was studied during the 6-yr monitoring programme encompassing the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland in the northern Baltic Sea. A temperature-anomaly-driven density gradient was found to be a prerequisite for the existence of the OMiZ. We determined the magnitude of the apparently utilized O2 in the OMiZ by combining graphical analysis and empirical modelling. A sound criterion for distinguishing the cases in which the OMiZ had a biological origin, and not only a hydrodynamic one, was the accompanying ammonium maximum zone (AMaZ). Of a total of 46 stations visited, a density gradient was found at every station, an accompanying O...
2000-01-01
During the last four decades Baltic Sea sediments have been an excellent object for research by radioecologists and other scientists studying sedimentation and other processes in sediments using artificial radionuclides deposited in sediment laminae of the seabed in chronological order. This is due to two major events which have caused significant radioactive fallout in the Baltic Sea region, leaving distinct markers in the corresponding layers of the sediments. One was the global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapon tests in the late 1950s and early '60s, resulting in clear peaks of longlived radionuclides such as Cs-137, Sr-90 and certain transuranic elements (especially Pu-239,240) in the sediments. Another was the fallout from the accident at Chernobyl NPP, in the former USSR, in April 1986. Since the first radioactive ...
2008-01-01
Despite the ecological significance of microbial iron and sulphate reduction in aquatic environments, the processes involved have been poorly studied in Baltic Sea sediments. On the basis of indirect evidence, we conclude that the bottom sediments of the non-stratified and oligotrophic northernmost, and the poorly stratified and mesotrophic next northern, sub-basins of the Baltic have tolerated the external nutrient load rather well, as they are still in a state in which iron reduction and coupled cycling of iron and phosphorus prevail in the surface sediments. Since iron-reducing bacteria are unable to reduce ferric oxides completely, part of the iron-bound phosphorus may be permanently buried in the sediments. The good ability of the sediment to retain phosphorus results in low concentra...
Ecology of mysid shrimps in the Bornholm Basin (central Baltic Sea)
2009-01-01
Mysid shrimps are an important trophic link in the food web of the Baltic Sea. In 2002 and 2003 we investigated species composition, distribution, life cycle and prey in the Bornholm Basin (central Baltic). Three species and one genus were identified: Mysis mixta, Neomysis integer, Mesopodopsis slabberi and Praunus sp. The dominant M. mixta and N. integer occurred in the whole study area but were more abundant in the peripheral, more shallow regions. Size frequency distribution indicated one generation for M. mixta and probably two for N. integer. Main prey of all size classes in both species was the cladoceran Bosmina coregoni maritima during summer and autumn. In spring and winter also copepods of the species Temora longicornis and Pseudocalanus acuspes were important prey items. Detritu...
Diversity and distribution of benthic macrofauna in the Baltic Sea
2010-01-01
This study attempts to model the probability of occurrence of some characteristic macro-invertebrate species of the Baltic Sea from different functional groups (i.e. grazers, deposit and suspension feeders, and predators) in response to major environmental forcing factors (salinity, water depth and seabed substrate type). Analyses were based on the inventory data set compiled by revising the data on macrobenthic species for over 12,000 sampling events in the Baltic Sea. In addition, data on environmental variables are retrieved from the results of modelling and large-scale mapping efforts. A simple logistic regression based modelling technique was applied and the candidate model with highest discriminatory power was selected for habitat suitability mapping. Habitat suitability models allow...
2009-01-01
Summary Actinobacteria are highly abundant in pelagic freshwater habitats and also occur in estuarine environments such as the Baltic Sea. Because of gradients in salinity and other environmental variables estuaries offer natural systems for examining factors that determine Actinobacteria distribution. We studied abundance and community structure of Bacteria and Actinobacteria along two transects in the northern Baltic Sea. Quantitative (CARD-FISH) and qualitative (DGGE and clone libraries) analyses of community composition were compared with environmental parameters. Actinobacteria accounted for 22-27% of all bacteria and the abundance changed with temperature. Analysis of 549 actinobacterial 16S rRNA sequences from four clone libraries revealed a dominance of the freshwater clusters acI ...
2010-01-01
The aim of this study was to characterize mercury (Hg) contamination in the coastal waters of the Southern Baltic Sea, and to investigate transformations of Hg in the initial links of the marine food chain. Concentrations of Hg in water, particulate matter, plankton and macrophytes at various stations in the coastal zone (a bay with restricted water exchange, near an industrial city, river mouths, and the open sea) were measured in 2006-2008. Hg concentrations observed in the Southern Baltic varied greatly, showing the highest average values in all environmental compartments near the river mouths. In shallow, sheltered parts of the gulf, where water exchange is restricted, Hg concentrations in the water and in macrophytes were elevated relative to those in the coastal zone of the deeper pa...
Dioxin concentrations in sediments of the Baltic Sea - A survey of existing data
2007-01-01
Recent survey results for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, dioxins) in Baltic Sea sediments from Finland, Sweden and Denmark were merged with previously published Baltic Sea data. Regional distribution of concentration levels, differences in congener patterns, and temporal changes in sediment profiles were examined. One of the main objectives was to study if any major point sources for different PCDD/F congeners could be identified on a regional scale, based on sediment records. The survey confirmed the impact of chlorophenol production derived highly chlorinated PCDF-congeners on the total toxicity in sediments in the Gulf of Finland near the Kymijoki river estuary. Signatures of other point sources or combined point sources pertinent to specific industry bran...
2010-01-01
Organotin compounds (OTCs) leaching from the antifouling paints used in boats and ships have contaminated many water areas worldwide. The purpose of this study was to obtain a general view of the organotin contamination in fish in Finnish lake areas and Finnish coast of the Baltic Sea using perch as the main indicator species. Perch sampling covered areas presumed as less contaminated and areas suspected as more contaminated. Besides perch, 12 other species were sampled from sites presumed as less contaminated. OTCs measured were mono-, di- and tributyltin, mono-, di-, and triphenyltin and dioctyltin. The sum concentration of OTCs (OTCs) in perch in the least contaminated areas of the Baltic Sea were around 20ng/g fresh weight (fw) and less than 10ng/g fw in lake areas. In heavily contamin...
Building a brand identity in a network of Cruise Baltic's destinations: A multi-authoring approach
2010-01-01
This article examines the process of building a brand identity in the cruise sector based in the Baltic Sea region. The stakeholders in this multicultural case network, which carries the brand name Cruise Baltic, are involved in developing a network of destinations as a corporate brand. The single-case study takes a supply-side approach describing the dynamic process of building a brand identity. Qualitative data were gathered from the narratives of the actors in the network. The research results show how the process of building a brand identity becomes apparent in the networking, cooperation and communications among 10 countries and the 44 partners involved. This evolutionary process could be described in terms of temporal phases on the one hand, and according to the different levels of c...
Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: The Baltic Sea case
2010-01-01
There is an increasing understanding and requirement to take into account the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) in environmental quality assessments. While IAS are listed amongst the most important factors threatening marine biodiversity, information on their impacts remains unquantified, especially for phytoplankton species. This study attempts to assess the impacts of invasive alien phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea during 1980-2008. A bioinvasion impact assessment method (BPL - biopollution level index) was applied to phytoplankton monitoring data collected from eleven sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. BPL takes into account abundance and distribution range of an alien species and the magnitude of the impact on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning. Of the 12 alien/cry...
2004-01-01
Recent studies of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (L.) from the southern Baltic (the Gulf of Gdansk) have revealed striking morphological, histological and cytogenetic features. Strong deformation of the shell, including elongation of the posterior end and the appearance of an easily visible flexure in this part, has been recorded. The population contribution of the deformed blunt shelled ('irregular') clams ranged from 0% to 65% and tended to increase with depth. The morphologically 'irregular' clams had higher accumulated tissue concentrations of trace metals (As, Ag, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn), indicating a different metal handling ability. Adverse conditions in deeper water regions of the Gulf (e.g. hypoxia, hydrogen sulphide, elevated bioavailability of contaminants) have been suggested as inducers of the phenotypical changes (morphological deformation) in part of the ...
Salmon Syndrome M74: Cause Still A Mystery
1999-03-03
Fewer Baltic salmon are now dying from the puzzling M74 syndrome, but salmon deaths could increase again. Despite intensive studies the cause is still not solved. Precautionary treatment with vitamin B1 reduces ...
Biomarker hydrocarbons in Lower Proterozoic sediments of north Eurasia
2009-01-01
Geochemical characteristics of Lower Proterozoic organic matter of the Baltic and Aldan shields have been studied. Particular emphasis has been placed on biomarker hydrocarbons which carry information on lipid complexes of Lower Proterozoic living organisms and their postmortem evolution.
{sup 137}Cs dating of laminated sediments in Swedish archipelago areas of the Baltic Sea
1998-08-01
In deep off-shore areas of the Baltic Sea, sediment accumulation rates are typically on the order of one or a few millimeters per year, and even less in consolidated sediments, based on laming counts and radiometric dating. In lacustrine and marine basins, the highest sedimentation rates are usually found in the deepest part, since sediments and associated contaminants are known to be gradually `focused` from shallow to deep areas by resuspension. Accordingly, net sedimentation in coastal areas is usually low or absent due to strong erosion forces. On the other hand, coastal sediments are likely to be important in controlling the fate and turnover of contaminants that are released into coastal waters. Since little is known about the turnover of coastal sediments, in particular for heterogeneous semi-enclosed areas such as the Baltic archipelagos, a study of sediment accumulation rates has been initaited, with a focus on areas where erosion is likely to be minimal. The study is part of a project focusing on the relationship between eutrophication and contaminant cycling (EUCON). 88 sediment cores were collected during summer 1996 from accumulation bottoms of 18 more or less protected bays in archipalgo areas along the swedish coast of the Baltic Sea 4 refs.
Ants (Insecta: Vespida: Formicidae) in the upper Eocene amber of central and Eastern Europe
2009-01-01
A total of 5754 ant inclusions from 13 European collections of Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, and Scandinavian ambers are studied and identified as belonging to 147 species, 57 genera, and 9 subfamilies. The taxonomic composition and relative species abundances of species in representative collections are analyzed and considerable differences between the above four types of amber are shown. These differences appear to reflect differences in ecological conditions rather than in age. The Baltic and Bitterfeld ant assemblages are shown to be most similar, the Scandinavian assemblage turns out to be most dissimilar to these, and the Rovno assemblage is shown to be intermediate.
/sup 137/Cs and /sup 90/Sr in bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea in 1980
The results of the field investigations of /sup 137/Cs and /sup 90/Sr distribuiton between water and bottom sediments in the Baltic Sea carried out in March-June, 1980, are given. /sup 137/Cs content in the upper layer of the bottom sediments studied range from less than 1.5 to 79 Bk/kg, and /sup 90/Sr content from 0.1 to 4.4 Bk/kg. The highest levels of bottom sediment contamination with these radionuclides were recorded in the mouths of the rivers discharging into the sea.
Turbulence structure of the marine stable boundary layer over the Baltic Sea
1994-12-31
For more than half of the year the land surfaces surrounding the Baltic Sea is warmer than the sea surface, and the marine boundary layer over the Baltic is stable. Observations, at various sites in the Baltic Sea area during the last decade. also indicate frequent occurrence of low-level jets at the top of the stable boundary layer. In many cases the marine jet can be considered as an analogy in space to the evolution of the nocturnal jet with time. The frictional decoupling occurs when warm air over the land is flowing out over the sea. Data from two areas together with model simulations are used in this study to characterize turbulence structure in the marine boundary layer. The measurements include profiles of wind and temperature on towers situated at two isolated islands, together with turbulence recordings and aircraft measurements. Also wave height and water surface temperature have been measured. The model simulations are performed with a second-order closure model.
Full Text Available.Nutrient over-enrichment of the Baltic Sea, accompanied by intensified algal blooms and decreasing water clarity, has aroused widespread concern in the surrounding countries during the last four decades. This work has used a well-tested dynamic mass-balance model to investigate which decrease in total phosphorus loading would be required to meet the environmental goal to restore the trophic state in the Baltic Sea to pre-1960s levels. Furthermore, the extent to which various abatement options may decrease the phosphorus loading in a cost-effective manner has been studied. Upgrading urban sewage treatment in the catchment could, alone or in combination with banning phosphates in detergents, be sufficient to meet the set environmental goal, at an estimated annual basin-wide cost of 0.21–0.43 billion euro. Such a plan would potentially decrease the total phosphorus loading to the Baltic Sea with 6,650–10,200 tonnes per year.
Radioactivity in Fucus vesiculosus L. from the Baltic Sea following the Chernobyl accident
1992-01-01
The brown alga Fucus vesiculosus L. has been used as a bioindicator for the investigation of the impact of the Chernobyl accident on the spatial and temporal distribution of radionuclides in the Baltic Sea. The investigations were performed in July 1986 and in August-September 1987. In July 1986 the gamma-emitting radionuclides {sup 134}Cs, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 103}Ru, {sup 106}Ru and {sup 110m}Ag were detected in F. vesiculosus along the Swedish east, south and southwest coasts. The activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs varied from 600 Bq/kg at the northernmost locality to 20 to 25 Bq/kg at the southeast coast. In August-September 1987 the activity concentrations of radiocaesium had increased by a factor of 2 to 3 at most localities off the Swedish east coast. We did not observe any increase of transuranic radionuclides or {sup 99}Tc in the algae. The subsequent extent of the radionuclide contamination in the Baltic Sea, primarily caesium, from Chernobyl was studied at one locality on the Swedish south coast from April 1987 to November 1988. A pronounced increase in the activity concentrations was observed during 1988, indicating an outflow of water, containing relatively higher levels of Chernobyl derived radionuclides, from the Baltic Sea. (author).
Phosphorus recycling and burial in Baltic Sea sediments with contrasting redox conditions
2010-01-01
In this study, redox-dependent phosphorus (P) recycling and burial at 6 sites in the Baltic Sea is investigated using a combination of porewater and sediment analyses and sediment age dating (210Pb and 137Cs). We focus on sites in the Kattegat, Danish Straits and Baltic Proper where present-day bottom water redox conditions range from fully oxygenated and seasonally hypoxic to almost permanently anoxic and sulfidic. Strong surface enrichments of Fe-oxide bound P are observed at oxic and seasonally hypoxic sites but not in the anoxic basins. Reductive dissolution of Fe-oxides and release of the associated P supports higher sediment-water exchange of PO4 at hypoxic sites (up to 800mmolPm-2d-1) than in the anoxic basins. This confirms that Fe-bound P in surface sediments in the Baltic acts as...
Nitrogen retention in the Szczecin Lagoon, Baltic Sea
2010-01-01
Nitrogen (N) retention and transformation in the Szczecin Lagoon, southern Baltic Sea, were studied by means of budget calculations and stable isotope data of dissolved and particulate matter. Two stations, one located at the main outlet of the lagoon (Swina Strait) and the other 100 km to the south, on the Oder River (Widuchowa), were sampled biweekly over the years 2000-2002. The Oder River is one of the five largest rivers draining into the Baltic Sea and the largest one discharging its waters into the western Baltic. According to our data, the Oder River carried approximately 60 kt y-1 total N, of which 7 kt y-1 (<12 %) are particulate organic nitrogen and 46 kt y-1 (77 %) dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Seasonal patterns of particulate nitrogen and nit...
MPC&A training needs of the NIS/Baltics States.
This report serves to document contract deliverables considered to be of continuing interest associated with two workshops conducted as part of an initial assessment of Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) training needs of the Newly Independent and Baltic States (NIS/Baltics). These workshops were held in Kiev, Ukraine, ca. 2003-2004, with the assistance of personnel from the George Kuzmycz Training Center (GKTC) of the Kiev Institute of Nuclear Research (KINR). Because of the dominant role Ukraine plays in the region in terms of the nuclear industry, one workshop focused exclusively on Ukrainian training needs, with participants attending from twelve Ukrainian organizations (plus U.S. DOE/NNSA representatives). The second workshop included participation by a further ten countries from the NIS/Baltics region. In addition, the training needs data developed during the workshop were supplemented by the outcomes of surveys and studies conducted by the GKTC.
MPC&A training needs of the NIS/Baltics States.
This report serves to document contract deliverables considered to be of continuing interest associated with two workshops conducted as part of an initial assessment of Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) training needs of the Newly Independent and Baltic States (NIS/Baltics). These workshops were held in Kiev, Ukraine, ca. 2003-2004, with the assistance of personnel from the George Kuzmycz Training Center (GKTC) of the Kiev Institute of Nuclear Research (KINR). Because of the dominant role Ukraine plays in the region in terms of the nuclear industry, one workshop focused exclusively on Ukrainian training needs, with participants attending from twelve Ukrainian organizations (plus U.S. DOE/NNSA representatives). The second workshop included participation by a further ten countries from the NIS/Baltics region. In addition, the training needs data developed during the workshop were supplemented by the outcomes of surveys and studies conducted by the GKTC.
MPC&A training needs of the NIS/Baltics States.
2006-07-01
This report serves to document contract deliverables considered to be of continuing interest associated with two workshops conducted as part of an initial assessment of Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) training needs of the Newly Independent and Baltic States (NIS/Baltics). These workshops were held in Kiev, Ukraine, ca. 2003-2004, with the assistance of personnel from the George Kuzmycz Training Center (GKTC) of the Kiev Institute of Nuclear Research (KINR). Because of the dominant role Ukraine plays in the region in terms of the nuclear industry, one workshop focused exclusively on Ukrainian training needs, with participants attending from twelve Ukrainian organizations (plus U.S. DOE/NNSA representatives). The second workshop included participation by a further ten countries from the NIS/Baltics region. In addition, the training needs data developed during the workshop were supplemented by the outcomes of surveys and studies conducted by the GKTC.
2010-01-01
Frenzel, P., Keyser, D. &Viehberg, F.A. 2010: An illustrated key and (pala6e6o)ecological primer for Postglacial to Recent Ostracoda (Crustacea) of the Baltic Sea. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 567-575. 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2009.00135.x. ISSN 0300-9483 This synopsis of Baltic Sea brackish water Ostracoda gives an overview of all known Recent species for the first time. It also includes Holocene taxa now extinct in the area. There are 131 species, two of which are recorded only from Yoldia stage (Preboreal) sediments. The illustrated key is based exclusively on valve morphology, providing a taxonomical base for geoscience and biological studies using ostracods from the Baltic Sea area. A list of ecological tolerances and preferences as well as the latitudinal distribution of all species is intended a...
Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)
1995-04-01
The interaction of the ocean and the atmosphere is a key to understanding and ultimately predicting global climate. Our present understanding is that Arctic air-sea-ice processes influence global climate by modifying the surface albedo and the global thermohaline circulation. Although the sensitivity of global climate to processes occuring in the Arctic Ocean is widely acknowledged, there is great uncertainty about the magnitude and overall effect. To improve our knowledge of Arctic and global climate requires multivariate data sets of two kinds: An accurate climatology, including monthly mean values and variances for the major quantities that characterize the Arctic air-sea-ice system; and, Detailed process-oriented data sets that document the simultaneous temporal variations of the coupled atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system on time scales of hours to a year. To address these issues, a program, Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) that will combine in situ observations, satellite remote sensing, analysis and modeling has been proposed. To achieve the overall scientific goals of SHEBA, the following specific issues will be addressed: Surface heat and mass budget; Arctic clouds; Upper ocean interactions; and, Coupled sensitivity of ice, atmosphere and ocean. To meet the goals and scientific objectives of SHEBA will require the following components: a one-year filed program over the Arctic Ocean pack ice, a satellite remote sensing component, and a modeling component.
1995-12-31
Complex mixtures of lipophilic contaminants have been shown to affect certain top predators in the aquatic food chain, including seals. A recent demonstration that harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) fed Baltic Sea herring displayed impaired natural killer cell activity and T-lymphocyte function represented the first demonstration of immunotoxicity induced by ambient levels of contaminants in the environment. While these animals had a lower ability to respond to immunizations with inactivated vaccines, specific antibody responses, and in vitro antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses, obvious constraints limited the ability to extend these results with host resistance tests or an evaluation of thymus and other lymphoid organs. The authors therefore set up a parallel study by exposing pregnant laboratory rats to the same Baltic herring contaminant mixture as received the seals. They then examined immune function parameters and host resistance to virus infection. As in the seals, rat pups of the Baltic group had impaired T-lymphocyte function. In addition, thymus cells and/or their precursors appeared to be targeted, as their numbers and function were reduced in the rats. Following challenge with rat cytomegalovirus in a host resistance study, rat pups in the Baltic group had impaired natural killer cell responses to the virus infection, and lower specific CD8 + (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte) responses following in vitro stimulation. By extrapolation, these results suggest that the impaired immune responses observed in the Baltic group of seals may lead to a less effective defense against virus infections in marine mammals inhabiting polluted coastal waters. Toxicological profiles and results of both the captive seal and laboratory rat experiments tend to implicate the 2,3,7,8-TCDD-like PCB, dioxin and furan congeners in the immunosuppression, and point to a major role for the PCBs.
1996-08-01
We carried out a feeding study in rats aimed at extending our aboservations of contaminant-induced immunosuppression in harbour seals. Two herring batches were freeze-dried, supplemented and fed to female adult PVG rats for a period of 4 1/2 months. Daily contaminant intakes of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalents (TEQ) were estimated to be 0.3 ng/kg body weight and 1.6 ng/kg in the Atlantic and Baltic groups, respectively. At the end of the feeding experiment, no contaminant-related changes in spleen CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} cellularity, natural killer cell activity, or mitogen-induced proliferative responses of thymus or spleen cells could be detected. However, total thymocyte numbers and thymus CD{sub 4}{sup +}/CD{sub 8}{sup +} ratios were reduced in the Baltic group. A novel model was established to assess the specific T-cell response to rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV). When applied to the feeding study, no differences between the Atlantic and Baltic groups in the RCMV-induced proliferative T-lymphocyte responses could be detected, but virus titres in salivary glands of infected rats of the Baltic Sea group were higher. These elevated RCMV titres and changes in thymus cellularity suggest that the dietary exposure to low levels of contaminants may have been immunotoxic at a level which our immune function test could not otherwise detect. While the herring diet per se appeared to have an effect on several immune function parameters, lower plasma thyroid hormone levels in the Baltic Sea group of rats confirmed that exposure to the environmental mixture of contaminants led to adverse PHAH-related health effects. (orig.). With 9 figs.
The geological history of the Baltic Sea. A review of the literature and investigation tools
2009-09-15
The bedrock in Sweden mainly comprises Proterozoic magmatic and metamorphic rocks older than a billion or one and a half billion years with few easily distinguished testimonies for the younger history. For the construction of a geological repository for deposition of nuclear waste this later, brittle, history is of great consequence. In the Gulf of Bothnia, the Baltic Sea and the countries on the eastern and southern sides of the Baltic Sea, the Proterozoic bedrock of the Svecofennian Province continues underneath a cover of sedimentary rocks of Mesoproterozoic, Palaeozoic and in the south up to Tertiary age. By studying these, lithologies, basin analyses, preserved structures, topography, etc., information may be gained on the later history, not only in the basins but also in the exposed shield area. The deformation is governed by the plate tectonic scenario and mantle configuration of a specific time and suitable structures are utilized and reactivated. The collision and amalgamation of the different tectonic terranes that comprise the basement left it strongly heterogeneous and the sutures between these rheologically different segments ample for future deformation and the adjustment between the segments to the changing and prevailing plate tectonic scenarios; the assembling and break-up of Rodinia, Laurasia and Pangea. Glaciations induce bending of the plate. Suitable datum surfaces for assessment of the deformation are the base of major sedimentary sequences, often linked to plate tectonic cycles, specifically the sub-Cambrian peneplain, the base of the Devonian, Mesozoic, Oligocene, Rupelian and Pleistocene, as well as major differences in metamorphic grade and style of deformation in adjacent rock blocks. The Baltic Sea with its Gulfs has almost since the beginning of history been the locus for rifting and extensional events, e.g. the rapakivi magmatism, 1.5-1.6Ga, formation of the Mesoproterozoic Jotnian sandstone basins and the opening of the Tornquist Sea in the Neoproterozoic-Palaeozoic. A recent change in the stress regime and Pleistocene subsidence together with erosion has given us the present Baltic Basin. The history of the Baltic Sea region is described with reference to illustrations in the reviewed literature and investigation methods with examples are given in an Appendix
Levels of PCDD and PCDF in fish edible tissues from Polish coastal waters
2004-09-15
Introduction Human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) is a matter of great concern in many part of the world. In most countries, the bulk of the dietary intake of dioxins and related compounds is due to the contamination of food of animal origin. According to Codex Alimentarius Commission 2-62% of dietary dioxin intake in Europe originates from fish and fish products. In the past century the Baltic Sea has been exposed to heavy pollution, much of it from industry. A lot of persistent toxic organohalogen compounds at high contaminant level can be found in tissues living in this area animals; eagles, seals and fish. Baltic Sea is heavily loaded by dioxins, notable e.g. in high TEQs in herring, other fish and some humans. Dioxin content in fish caught in different north and east Baltic locations can be as high as four times the prescribed EU maximum level (4 pg WHO-TEQ PCDD/PCDF/g fresh weight). PCDD and PCDF content in fish from south part of Baltic - Polish coastal water is unknown. The aim of the preliminary study on food dioxin contamination in Poland was to determine PCDD/PCDF level in tissues of Baltic consumption fish collected by local fishermen at the middle part of Polish Baltic coast (close to Koobrzeg and Unieocie, Koszalin voivodeship).
1993-11-01
In 1974, abnormally high mortality was recorded among yolk-sac fry of Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) originating from feral females manually stripped and fertilized with milt from feral males. The cause of this mortality, designated M74, is unknown. The hypothesis is that xenobiotic compounds responsible for reproduction failure in higher vertebrates in the Baltic Sea also interfere with reproduction in Baltic salmon. The significance of M74 should not be underestimated, because the syndrome has caused up to 75% yearly mortality of developing Baltic salmon yolk-sac larvae in a fish hatchery dedicated to production of smolt during the last two decades. The author cannot exclude the possibility that only a relatively low number of naturally spawned eggs develop normally because of M74. No individual pollutant has been shown to be responsible for the development of M74 syndrome. However, a higher total body burden of organochlorine substances may be responsible for the M74 syndrome. The presence of induced hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes in both yolk-sac fry suffering from M74 and adult feral females producing offspring affected by M74 supports this hypothesis. In addition, the P450 enzyme activity in offspring from feral fish is higher than the activity in yolk-sac fry from hatchery-raised fish, suggesting that feral Baltic salmon are influenced by organic xenobiotics.
2009-01-01
In the 20years since the Baltic Way, a common identity has resurfaced among the Baltic states, which are bound by strong geo-strategic interests and political ties to the European Union, NATO and the forum of cooperation of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB-8). One of the EUs current challenges is to address the problems of uneven infrastructure and economic development in the Baltic region, along with the environmental hazards threatening the Baltic Sea. The author argues that the EUs Baltic Sea Strategy will be highly useful for restoring and maintaining the ecological balance of the Baltic Sea and for promoting balanced economic development in the region. Latvia is committed to the development of an integrated energy market and seeks to foster growth and competitiveness ...
Power Sector Reform in the Baltic States
2002-08-01
The Swedish Energy Agency is active in different ways to support and promote an environmentally friendly development of the energy sector in the Baltic Sea Region. The Agency is of the opinion that it is of greatest importance to use the market forces in the work to introduce a more rational use of both production resources and the electricity network installations that in a longer perspective contribute to a more efficient and environmentally adapted electricity system in the Baltic Sea Region. In the present report it is fairly evident that in recent years certain important progress has been made in the work on integration of the electricity markets of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. However, it also points out that important measures remains to be implemented. The report puts focus on areas that may need further studies or widened studies that include more countries in the Baltic Sea Region. One of the aims of the report is to form a basis also when it comes to evaluate the needs to replace electricity production that will be phased out when the two nuclear reactors in the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant will be closed down. What possibilities are there to use alternative energy sources that will not increase the emissions of green house gases and what possibilities will there be to implement such projects as climate projects in line with the mechanism of Joint Implementation under the Kyoto Protocol? The report also touches upon such aspects. The development of the electricity market in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania has been in the focus ever since these countries reached independence from the former Soviet Union. In later years thus certain important steps to establish a common and joint electricity markets has been achieved. The development is very rapid - from three separate markets dominated by the three national power monopolies to a more or less open market allowing for trade with electricity over the borders. To start with it will be possible for greater industrial customers to participate in the Joint Baltic electricity Market but the aim is a step-by-step opening of the market to comprise a larger number of customer groups. This will in its turn pave the way for a rapid EU adjustment of the Baltic electricity market and a more practical connection to the neighbouring markets, for example the Nordic Electricity Market. The Nordic Electricity Market is one good example of a successful way for regional market integration, which is used as a model and source of positive experiences in other regions, both within the EU and in the candidate countries. The Baltic authorities are interested to make further use of the Nordic experiences and to introduce an electricity market, which in its construction is very similar to the Nordic model. This will make it even more interesting for the Nordic authorities and actors to follow the development in the Baltic States and to finds ways and means for more practical co-operation and partnership. It shall also be noted that the support from the Nordic Countries, including through the Nordic Council of Ministers for Energy, to the reform and adjustment to the EU policies and requirement of the energy sector in the Baltic States has increased in recent years. In this context the co-operation established within BASREC - the Baltic Sea Region Energy Co-operation - where electricity market issues constitutes one of four main areas shall be observed.
A study of low level jets over the Baltic Sea east of the island of Gotland
1996-12-01
To be cost effective, wind turbines sited in the sea must be large, with hub heights in the range 50-100 m. Numerous studies from the Baltic Sea area indicate that low level wind maxima (low level jets) occur frequently at such heights during the part of the year when the sea surface is generally colder than the surrounding land areas. In fact, stable stratification, which is a prerequisite for the existence of low level jets, occur during no less than 2/3 of all time over the central parts of the Baltic Sea proper. Generally speaking, low-level jets will be favourable for wind energy production at heights of interest for off-shore wind turbines. The present report presents first an overview of what is known from previous studies about low level jets in the Baltic Sea area. In the next two sections results from a field campaign carried out during 29 May - 15 June 1995 in the area east of Gotland are presented. A major component of this experiment were airborne measurements. The measuring period turned out to be ideal for detailed studies of low level jets. In fact such phenomena were found in no less than 43 out of 50 pilot balloon wind soundings carried out throughout the measuring period. Results from this field experiment are presented and discussed. In addition, detailed information for each measuring flight occasion is presented in graphical form. The report concludes with some final remarks concerning the possible role of low level jets for wind energy exploitation in the Baltic Sea as well as similar remarks related to certain other features observed during the 1995 field campaign. 14 refs, 44 figs
Radiocaesium and polonium in seals from Swedish coastal waters
2004-07-01
Radiocaesium,{sup 137}Cs (T{sub 1/2}= 30 a) and {sup 210}Po (T{sub 1/2}= 138 d) have been studied in tissues (muscle, liver, kidney and gonads/ovaries) from a large number of seals from the Baltic Sea and the Swedish west coast during 1995-2002. The Baltic Sea is a marginal sea with long residence time for dissolved compounds. Concentrations of radiocaesium increased 10 fold in the Baltic Sea following the Chernobyl accident, while concentrations of polonium can be supposed to be in equilibrium except for seasonal variations. The major food for seals in the Baltic proper is fish, while at the west coast other food stuff such as crustaceans play an important role. By supposing that the seals consume 5% of their body-weight per day and by using known data for caesium and polonium in fish the biological half-life in seals is estimated to 20 days for Caesium and 35 days for Polonium. Radiocaesium is evenly distributed in the organs of the seals and was about 100 Bq kg{sup -1} in the Baltic Sea while at the west coast the concentrations were significantly lower, about 5-30 Bq kg{sup -1}. Polonium shows the highest concentrations in kidney, about 100-200 Bq kg{sup -1} d.w. in the Baltic sea and higher concentrations 100-1000 Bq kg{sup -1} at the west coast. This reflects clearly the differences in food choice/availability in the different areas. The estimated maximal doses were 76 {mu}Sv per year to muscle from {sup 137}Cs and 6.8 mSv from {sup 210}Po to kidney. Seals constitute a good bio-marker for radioactivity in Swedish coastal waters. Concentration factors are higher for radiocaesium in the Baltic Sea due to lower salinity and consequently higher concentrations in fish compared to other areas, but lower for polonium than in areas where crustaceans also constitute an important foodstuff. (author)
Soft tissue accumulated concentrations of nine metals (V, As, Se, Ag, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cu and Zn) were studied in two main phenotypes (1) according to external shell colour (white and pink), and (2) according to shell shape (shell with a rounded posterior end--"regular" and with an elongate posterior end and a notable flexure--"irregular") of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica from southern Baltic Sea off Poland. No differences in metal concentrations were observed between colour-based phenotypes. By contrast, "irregular" clams exhibited generally higher concentrations of all elements in their tissues than "regular" bivalves. This finding provides the first reference on a potential linkage of shell deformation with tissue metal concentrations within one entire population of clams living in the same habitat. Different ability of metal handling in the shape-based phenotypes is presumably related to different physiological capacity of the bivalves induced by the selection effect of specific environmental conditions. It is suggested that unfavourable conditions in deep waters of the Gulf of Gdansk (e.g. hypoxia/anoxia, hydrogen sulphide, elevated bioavailability of metals) induces, in a certain part of the population, morphological deformation of shell (thereby leading to irregular shape) and in parallel physiological adaptations which result in greater sensitivity to trace metals of "irregular" clams. This hypothesis however, requires further investigation with special focus on genetic divergences between phenotypes because till now we cannot exclude the co-occurrence of two types (semi-species) of clams in the Gulf: an Atlantic type and a Baltic type. Genetic analysis with a use of DALP technique revealed strong intrapopulational polymorphism but no fingerprints or intraspecific polymorphism characterising any of the phenotypes considered (both colour- and shape-based). Since eight polymorphic loci were clearly identified further studies of population genetic structure hold optimistic promise.
PCB and DDT in laminated sediments from offshore and archipelago areas of the NW Baltic Sea
2000-08-01
Temporal trend studies of PCBs and DDTs in two annually laminated sediment cores from the offshore NW Baltic proper and the Stockholm archipelago demonstrate that studies of laminated sediments are useful tools for detecting time trends of HOCs. The concentration trends of PCBs and DDTs, on a dry weight basis, from the two cores show quite large similarities to trends reported in pelagic biota from the NW Baltic proper, although the reduction in concentrations from the 1970s and onwards is approximately half of the reductions seen in biota. The sediment accumulation trend for these substances was not coupled to the concentration trend in biota but is closely linked to climate-related erosion/resuspension dynamics. The gross accumulation rate in the archipelago area proved to be 8 times higher compared to that of the offshore NW Baltic proper (885 and 108 g m{sup -2} water area yr{sup -1}, respectively). Since PCB and DDT concentrations were similar in offshore and coastal areas, and the burial rates of PCB and DDT were closely linked to gross accumulation rates, the sediment burial of contaminants in relation to water area was severalfold higher in the archipelago compared to the offshore area. The high burial of sPCB and sDDT in the archipelago indicated an import of contaminants from the open sea to the archipelago. Although eutrophication-induced scavenging of contaminants may have occurred in the Baltic Sea, natural processes have obscured evidence of this.
1993-12-31
This study conducted by the Institute of Oceanography at Kiel in the course of seven years attempts a biological monitoring of the Baltic Sea. Ten papers, which are not individually recorded in the database, deal with the following topics: 1. Seasonal and long-term changes of chemico-hydrographic parameters in the Kiel Bay, 2. Phytoplankton parameters, 3. Microbiological investigations, 4. Zooplankton, 5. Benthon monitoring in the southern Baltic Sea, 6. Organic pollutants, 7. Remote sensing by satellite, especially as a means of explaining pelagial monitoring data, 8. Numerical modelling of the Baltic Sea, 9. Investigations on fish spawn, and 10. Heavy metal analyses of the Baltic Sea. Thus the project demonstrates the close connection between basic ecological research and routine measurements for the monitoring of the system. (UWA) [Deutsch] Diese ueber 7 Jahre laufende Studie des Instituts fuer Meereskunde in Kiel versucht ein biologisches Monitoring der Ostsee. In 10 Beitraegen - die nicht einzeln erfasst werden 1) Saisonale und langzeitliche Veraenderungen chemisch-hydrographischer Parameter in der Kieler Bucht; 2) Die Phytoplanktonparameter; 3) Die mikrobiologischen Untersuchungen; 4) Das Zooplankton; 5) Das Benthosmonitoring in der suedlichen Ostsee; 6) Die organischen Schadstoffe; 7) Die Satellitenfernerkundung insbesondere zur Erklaerung pelagischer Monitoringdaten; 8) Die numerische Modellierung der Ostsee; 9) Fischbrutuntersuchungen und 10) Schwermetallanalysen der Ostsee beschrieben. Das Projekt stellt damit eine enge Verbindung zwischen oekologischer Grundlagenforschung und Routine-Messungen zur Ueberwachung des Systems dar. (UWA)
Common Baltic energy systems - a precondition for sustainable development
1996-10-01
The Baltic Sea is turning to be an inland sea of the European Union. Interlinking the energy systems of the Baltic Sea countries and the relevant EU networks should concur with the process of unification of the states. The primary strategic goal is to create a common free energy market based on regional energy systems around the Baltic Sea -the Baltic Ring. This common energy system must cover both electricity transmission lines and natural gas pipelines. The Baltic Ring project is of major importance for the economic interaction and growth, sustainable development and security of the energy supply of Baltic Sea states. (author)
The epidemiology of epilepsy in Europe - a systematic review
2005-01-01
Population-based epidemiological studies on epilepsy are available mainly from the UK and the Nordic, Baltic and western Mediterranean countries. No studies were identified from large areas of Europe, especially from the former eastern Europe (except the Baltic countries) and the eastern Mediterranean countries. Based on the prevalence of epilepsy in different studies and accounting for incomplete case identification the estimated number of children and adolescents in Europe with active epilepsy is 0.9 million (prevalence 4.5-5.0 per 1000), 1.9 million in ages 20-64 years (prevalence six per 1000) and 0.6 million in ages 65 years and older (prevalence seven per 1000). Approximately 20-30% of the epilepsy population have more than one seizure per month. Based on the age-specific incidence r...
Nordic ports prepare for increased Baltic trade
1995-09-01
Results at Scandinavian ports show a mixed picture for 1994 with infrastructural expansion contrasting with structural decline in some tonnages. Of these, coal shows the most consistent overall decline as other fuel sources are sought by increasingly environment conscious administrations. Growth is still largely projected in the area of potential trade across the Baltic with the states of the Former Soviet Union including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. Indeed, in some areas, this trade is already more than established, but all feel there is considerable further potential. In collaboration with the Baltic Ports Organization, the European Union`s Regional Group on Ports and Maritime Transport has drawn up a Strategic Study of the Baltic Sea. The report examines current and future intra regional trade prospects for the Baltic but at present, the EU has yet to be publish the report outside countries that did not participate. Further details will therefore be included in a future issues of IBJ. In response to both rising transit traffic tonnages and future projection some ports, notably those in Finland, are upgrading their cargo handling facilities. In contrast, some ports warn that despite a large number of small-medium size ports around Scandinavia some concentration of cargo handling is inevitable with the consequence that some may face further loss of traffic. This article reviews activity in 1994 and the first half of 1995 at selected Scandinavian ports in Denmark, Sweden and Finland and in associated industries. A further section profiles Nordic shipping services companies.
2008-11-15
This report is an analysis of the planned gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea known as Nord Stream. Although not yet realised, the project has, since its birth, been the subject of harsh criticism and opposition by a significant number of states that consider themselves affected by the pipeline. Whereas the Baltic States and Poland have interpreted the pipeline as a politically motivated strategy that will increase Russia's leverage on them and threaten their energy security, the debate in Sweden was at first mostly concerned with the prospect of increased Russian military presence in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone. The potential environmental impact of the pipeline has been, and continues to be, an overarching concern shared by all the littoral states of the Baltic Sea. Proponents of Nord Stream, most notably Germany, Russia and the Nord Stream consortium, have largely dismissed the concerns as unwarranted and argue that the pipeline is a common European project that all EU-members should embrace, as it will provide much-needed gas to an increasingly energy-thirsty union. This report is an extensive study of the divergent attitudes and debates that have surged in the region regarding Nord Stream, and the aim is to provide plausible explanations as to why the interpretations of the project have been so different in the various states. The report is based on a variety of sources, including several first-hand interviews with researchers and government officials in the Baltic Sea region. (author). refs.,fig.,tabs
2001-01-01
© 2001 Taylor & FrancisThe modern history of the Baltic provinces of the former Russian Empire has essentially been written from an ethnic/national perspective. It is basically the story of the formation of the Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and German ‘communities’, of their ‘specific’ national identities and eventually of nation states. With those who acquired a German identity, the focus has essentially been upon the landed nobility, the so-called ‘Baltic Barons’, the traditional elite that formed a minority even of the ethnically German population. The existence of other German groups has been recognised, such as the ‘literary estate’ (Literatenstand), which in the nineteenth century ‘brought into Baltic higher culture, rationalist viewpoints and represented a potential threat to noble control of local politics.’ However, such groups have received comparatively little attention from historians, especially among those publishing in English. Even then there is limited acknowledgement of their possessing distinctive cultural and other forms of self-identification. A recent study by a Canadian scholar of the Germans of Riga before 1914 tends to impose the values of the landed elite upon them. In works published in post-1945 (West) Germany by emigres from the region, there is an inclination to present a distinctive ‘Baltic German’ identity that is largely derived from the experience of the landed elite. Publisher: Carfax Contributor: School of History and Politics : Politics Other identifier: National Identities, 2001; 3 (1):37-49; 1460-8944; 0020063772; 0020011641; 10.1080/14608940020028484 Language: en
Modelling PCB bioaccumulation in a Baltic food web
2007-07-15
A steady state model is developed to describe the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants by 14 species in a Baltic food web including pelagic and benthic aquatic organisms. The model is used to study the bioaccumulation of five PCB congeners of different chlorination levels. The model predictions are evaluated against monitoring data for five of the species in the food web. Predicted concentrations are on average within a factor of two of measured concentrations. The model shows that all PCB congeners were biomagnified in the food web, which is consistent with observations. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the single most sensitive parameter is log K {sub OW}. The most sensitive environmental parameter is the annual average temperature. Although not identified amongst the most sensitive input parameters, the dissolved concentration in water is believed to be important because of the uncertainty in its determination. The most sensitive organism-specific input parameters are the fractional respiration of species from the water column and sediment pore water, which are also difficult to determine. Parameters such as feeding rate, growth rate and lipid content of organism are only important at higher trophic levels. - The bioaccumulation behaviour of PCB congeners in a Baltic food web is studied using a novel mechanistic model.
1998-05-01
The Oder river drains a highly polluted industrial area and enters the Baltic Sea through a system of shallow lagoons. Surficial sediments in the discharge area of the Oder are highly enriched in heavy metals compared to their preindustrial background levels. Pore-water studies in short sediment cores reveal anoxic environments over the entire sediment column, except for a suboxic layer in the uppermost 5 to 20 mm of the sediment where Mn- and Fe-oxyhydroxides are reduced by organic matter. Heavy metals (such as Cu, Zn and Pb) are mobilized within the suboxic zones in the inner lagoon (represented by the Oder Lagoon) and in the open Baltic (represented by the Arkona Basin). The Achterwasser, located between the Oder Lagoon and the Arkona Basin, is directly affected by sea-level fluctuations in the Baltic. Pore-water studies indicate that, in contrast to the situation in the Oder Lagoon and Arkona Basin, surficial sediments of the Achterwasser represent a sink for heavy metals. This is associated with the high rate of Fe-sulphide formation occurring there, at least seasonally during salt-water inflow.(Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)
1997-08-01
Electrochemical and microbiological effects of biofilms formed on different types of stainless steels in natural sea water were studied. A flow-through model ecosystem was used to generate biofilms in the laboratory. The ecosystem was modeled to maintain the levels of organic and inorganic carbon close to those in the sea by periodical illumination. Natural brackish water was used. The open circuit potentials in the laboratory were recorded for 6 to 10 weeks. The biofilms formed were analyzed by microbial cultivation, measurement of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and by different microscopical methods (epifluorescence and scanning electron microscopy). Four field tests were performed in Baltic Sea during the period of May 1993 to April 1996. Ennoblement of the all stainless steels studied occurred in Baltic Sea at the depth of 15 m irrespective of the season and the temperature of the sea water. Only when immersed close to the surface (at the depth of 0.4 m) the increase of open circuit potential of material S31600 was not observed. One reason for that might be the dominance of algae in the biofilm. The experiments showed that the ennoblement of stainless steels occurred in the laboratory reproducibly and similarly to that observed in the field provided that the flow rate was sufficiently high (5 to 30 mm/s). These laboratory tests did not indicate an enhancement of corrosion due to potential ennoblement.
2007-07-01
Bottom sediments play an important role in radioecological studies of the marine environment because a large proportion of radioactive substances entering the sea is adsorbed over time onto suspended particulate matter and deposited in sediments. Generally, this is the final sink for most of the organic material produced in the water phase, as well as for other particles transported by water currents from other sea areas and from adjacent terrestrial areas. During their slow settling, the particles tend to bind radionuclides from the water phase and carry them to the bottom. Under favourable conditions, the deposited particles form undisturbed laminae in a stratigraphic sequence on the seabed, and the bottom sediments create an archive from which the history of the area can be read. Various particle-bound substances can be identified as markers of specific historical events and, with the aid of marker horizons, the laminae can be dated. Modern dating methods provide reliable time scales in which time-dependent changes in the concentrations of radionuclides can be recorded. As an example, the radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s and the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in April 1986 have created useful markers in the sediments of many sea areas, especially in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea offers exceptionally good opportunities to conduct sedimentological studies because the average rate of sedimentation there is much higher than in the oceans and in most other coastal seas. The anoxic conditions in the near-bottom water of the Baltic Proper, and hence the lack of benthic animals over large bottom areas, result in the formation of an undisturbed sedimentary medium, which enables the sampling of sediment laminae in an undisturbed stratigraphic sequence. However, sediment sampling is extremely sensitive to errors, which can cause substantial differences in results. This fact should always be taken into account when considering sediment results. This report presents the results of a Sediment Baseline Study carried out by the HELCOM Project Group for Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM MORS-PRO) in 2000-2005. The goal of the study was to complement the knowledge and inventories of long-lived radionuclides in the seabed of the Baltic Sea by providing additional data from so-called 'white areas' lacking data, and from radionuclides that were not measured in earlier surveys. (orig.)
2006-01-01
Developments between 2004 and 2006 indicate that a North European Gas Pipeline (NEGP) through the Baltic Sea, from Russia to Germany, may be realised in the coming decade. This would provide Europe with yet another opportunity to diversify its import channels of gas. It is however reasonable to assume that the NEGP also could change the strategic pattern and be a source of friction. The NEGP may rock the regional stability and reduce the potential of the new EU members to become security providers in Europe's northern dimension. It also gives increased leverage and influence to Russia, a state that has moved in an authoritarian direction under President Putin. The aim of this pilot study is to elucidate on the NEGP pipeline and Sweden's increasing dependence on Russian energy. A subsidiary aim is to outline a set of concerns that have bearing on the situation for the EU and Baltic Sea ...
Model studies of the flux of CO{sub 2} over the air-sea interface in the Baltic Sea
1994-12-31
In the discussion about the green house effect generated by the burning of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) has a key role. A major part of the surplus CO{sub 2} has been suggested, by the scientific community, to be withdrawn from the atmosphere and to be taken up by the growth in continental shelf areas with high primary production, and in terrestrial forests. The exact quantity and reaction ways and mechanisms of those processes are not known today. The Baltic Sea is, for several reasons, a well chosen area to study this phenomenon. It is a shallow continental Mediterranean sea, in this area almost the first measurements of the carbonate system were carried out in the end of the last century. This has resulted in long time series of measurements of the carbonate system available for use in, e.g. modelling work, a working numerical carbonate model.
1965-01-15
To get information on the possible effects of future releases of radioactive effluents into Tvaeren, a bay of the Baltic, the Atomic Energy Company has had to carry out a biological and radiological programme in Tvaeren. The work was scheduled to extend over at least two years but in fact proceeded from 1957 to 1963. Unfortunately, no exact idea of the natural activity could be gained on account of the fallout from the repeated atomic bomb tests. Instead, the work developed into a study of the variations in biological samples caused by these tests. This report studies the correlation between the activity in fallout and that in flora and fauna. The contribution of natural activity from the radionuclide K-40 has been determined and is given for all samples. The following values may be regarded as representative of total {beta}-activity and activity of K-40 in the investigated samples. T 1204 has been used as standard.
2009-01-01
Background, aim, and scope The Mecklenburg Bight (Western Baltic Sea) near Luebeck, Germany was historically used to dump industrial waste at sea and, thus, sediments in some regions are highly polluted at present. While earlier studies identified hot spots of chemical pollution, little is known about biological activities and impacts on exposed marine organisms. This study aimed to assess the pollution in the Mecklenburg Bight to determine the degree of contamination with sediment-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as biological activities. Materials and methods Sediment cores with a depth of 30cm were sampled at a dumping site and at a reference site, sliced in distinct layers, freeze-dried, and processed using the accelerated solvent extraction method. Sediment was ...
2010-01-01
In this study we relate patterns in the spatial distribution of macrofaunal communities to patterns in near-bottom environmental parameters, analysing the data observed in a limited area in the western Baltic Sea. The data used represents 208 stations, sampled during the years 2000 to 2007 simultaneously for benthic macrofauna, associated sediment and near-bottom environmental characteristics, in a depth range from 7.5 to 30m. Only one degree of longitude wide, the study area is geographically bounded by the eastern part of the Mecklenburg Bight and the southwestern Darss Sill Area. Spatial distribution of benthic macrofauna is related to near-bottom environmental patterns by means of various statistical methods (e.g. rank correlation, hierarchical clustering, nMDS, BIO-ENV, CCA). Thus, ke...
2009-01-01
This study focuses on diatom assemblages occurring in cores of Late-glacial and Holocene deposits retrieved from the mouth of the lower Rega River valley, of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Sediment samples from four cores were the subject of the present study. Diatom-inferred environmental characteristics, e.g., water level; water salinity (conductivity), trophic status and pH, within each core are presented. Diatom assemblage zones (DAZ) were distinguished, based on differences in the distribution of particular ecological groups. Each DAZ appears to be related to environmental changes during the deposition of a given sediment interval. The Late-glacial (Allerd) sediments originated in a shallow lake with increasing concentrations of solutes and nutrients. The Holocene record begi...
2007-01-01
In this study it was evaluated whether the ECOPATH with ECOSIM software could be used as a platform to facilitate the construction of models and study of transport and accumulation of radionuclides in aquatic food webs. The evaluation was based upon a food web model of carbon (C) and carbon-14 (14C) flow for a coastal area in the Baltic Sea, the ECOPATH, the ECOSIM and the ECOTRACE models. The original carbon flows and assumptions were easily incorporated into the ECOPATH and ECOSIM modelling environment. The new model was also well suited to drive a 14C flow model (ECOTRACE) for each of the organisms included. ECOTRACE estimated steady-state concentrations of 14C that were between 73 and 142% of the original flows. The results clearly show that there is great potential for a successful development of this approach for integrating scientific ...
2009-01-01
The objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of enzymatic activities, environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in flounder, Platichthys flesus, from the Polish coastal area of the Baltic Sea. Fish were sampled in different contaminated sites in the Gulf of Gdansk and in a reference area outside the gulf. The activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione s-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), were studied, as well as the frequency of micronuclei, nuclear buds and fragmented-apoptotic cells. A higher mean activity level of muscular AChE and a lower activity level of hepatic GST were evident in samples taken from the reference site, relative to those fou...
2009-01-01
We report a one year field experiment to study sedimentary degradation of isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) and long-chain alkenones, lipids used for the TEX86 and Formula Not Shown sea surface temperature (SST) proxies, respectively. Homogenised surface sediments from the Namibian upwelling region were set out on moorings in oxic (Oder Bay and Arkona Bay; Baltic Sea) and sub-oxic to anoxic (Gottland Basin; Baltic Sea) waters and in oxic Atlantic waters off Cape Blanc for one year to assess the influence of oxygen exposure on GDGTs and alkenones. No selective degradation effect on both TEX86 and Formula Not Shown proxies was evident under anoxic and sub-oxic conditions. Under oxic conditions, GDGT concentrations and the TEX86 did not significantly change as well. How...
Water exchange of Oeregrundsgrepen. A baroclinic 3D-model study
1999-01-01
Hypothetically transport of radionuclides from the SFR repository for low and medium active wastes could be mediated by natural water circulation within receiving coastal basins. In this context a basic equation, free surface 3D-model has been used to compute the water exchange of the Oeregrundsgrepen bay-like area for a representative full year cycle. This has been achieved in two steps in order to provide coherent densimetric and sea level elevation boundary data relative to the adjacent Baltic coastal water. Weather data from 1992 were chosen. The focus is placed entirely on water exchange aspects with no consideration of what the water parcels may contain. Earlier model and measurement programs have also been reviewed. The first phase consisted of running a 3D-model encompassing the entire Baltic Sea. This model resolves the Baltic horizontally in five by five nautical ...
1993-12-01
Can the ability of the bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea to act as sinks for metals be quantified? The aim of this pre-study is to investigate the development of a model for metal burial in bottom sediments during early diagenesis. The model has earlier been used to estimate the `apparent half-life` of plutonium, by measuring an exponential decreasing concentration, quantified in the parameter k. The possibilities to model other metals is investigated, together with an attempt to develop the parameter k into physical parameters relevant for the processes. Different processes that influence the metal sorption and burial rate are discussed and parameters of importance are reviewed. The choice of metals is done according to the HELCOM convention, where the metals Hg, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr and As are chosen. Whether the model for estimation half-life can be used for other metals than Pu depends on their sorption to sedimenting material, organic and inorganic and of other chemical processes such as precipitation and complexation. For metals that sorb in the same way as Pu, Pu could be used as an indicator of how fast they will be buried in different types of bottoms. Thus, if the sedimentation rate is known and the sorption of the metal to organic and inorganic material can be established, then Pu could serve as model substance for other metals. 21 refs, 2 figs, 4 tabs
Foraminiferal response to environmental changes in Kiel Fjord, SW Baltic Sea
2008-07-01
The living benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Kiel Fjord (SW Baltic Sea) were investigated in the years 2005 and 2006. The faunal studies were accomplished by geochemical analyses of surface sediments. In general, sediment pollution by copper, zinc, tin and lead is assessed as moderate in comparison with levels reported from other areas of the Baltic Sea. However, the inner Kiel Fjord is still exposed to a high load of metals and organic matter due to enhanced accumulation of fine-grained sediments in conjunction with potential pollution sources as shipyards, harbours and intensive traffic. The results of our survey show that the dominant environmental forcing of benthic foraminifera is nutrients availability coupled with human impact. A comparison with faunal data from the 1960s reveals apparent changes in species composition and population densities. The stress-tolerant species Ammonia beccarii invaded Kiel Fjord. Ammotium cassis had disappeared that reflects apparently the changes in salinity over the last 10 years. These changes in foraminiferal community and a significant increase of test abnormalities indicate an intensified environmental stress since the 1960s. (orig.)
2010-01-01
The DarssZingst peninsula at the southern Baltic Sea is a typical wave-dominated barrier island system which includes an outer barrier island and an inner lagoon. The formation of the DarssZingst peninsula dates back to the Littorina Transgression onset about 8,000cal BP. It originated from several discrete islands, has been reshaped by littoral currents, wind-induced waves during the last 8,000years and evolved into a complex barrier island system as today; thus, it may serve as an example to study the coastal evolution under long-term climate change. A methodology for developing a long-term (decadal-to-centennial) process-based morphodynamic model for the southern Baltic coastal environment is presented here. The methodology consists of two main components: (1) a preliminary an...
Bioaccumulation of {sup 51}Cr, {sup 63}Ni and {sup 14}C in Baltic Sea benthos
2005-03-01
The Baltic Sea is a species-poor, semi-enclosed, brackish sea, whose sediments contain a wide range of contaminants, including sediment-associated metals and radionuclides. In this study, we have examined and compared bioaccumulation kinetics and assimilation efficiencies of sediment-associated {sup 51}Cr, {sup 63}Ni and {sup 14}C in three key benthic invertebrates (the deposit-feeding Monoporeia affinis, the facultative deposit-feeding Macoma baltica, and the omnivorous Halicryptus spinulosus). Our results demonstrate that (i) all radionuclides were accumulated, (ii) the different radionuclides were accumulated to various extents, (iii) small changes in organic carbon concentration can influence the accumulation, and (iv) the degree of accumulation differed only slightly between species. These processes, together with sediment resuspension and bioturbation, may remobilise trace metals from the sediment to the water and to higher trophic levels, and therefore should be taken into account in exposure models and ERAs. - Bioaccumulation of radioisotopes in Baltic Sea benthos has important implications for contaminant transfer and exposure.
2009-01-01
Metal pollution is viewed as a modern problem that began in the 19th century and accelerated through the 20th century; however, in many parts of the globe this view is wrong. Here, we studied past waterborne metal pollution in lake sediments from the Bergslagen region in central Sweden, one of many historically important mining regions in Europe. With a focus on lead (including isotopes), we trace mining impacts from a local scale, through a 120-km-long river system draining into Malaren - Swedens third largest lake, and finally also the Baltic Sea. Comparison of sediment and peat records shows that pollution from Swedish mining was largely waterborne and that atmospheric deposition was dominated by long-range transport from other regions. Swedish ore lead is detectable from the 10th centu...
Wave energy resources in sheltered sea areas: A case study of the Baltic Sea
2006-01-01
Wave energy is a renewable source, which has not yet been exploited to a large extent. So far the main focus of wave energy conversion has been on the large wave energy resources of the great oceans on northern latitudes. However, large portions of the world potential wave energy resources are found in sheltered waters and calmer seas, which often exhibit a milder, but still steady wave climate. Examples are the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and the North Sea in Europe, and ocean areas closer to the equator. Many of the various schemes in the past consist of large mechanical structures, often located near the sea surface. In the present work we instead focus on wave power plants consisting of a number of small wave energy converters, forming large arrays. In this context, we look at advant...
Variation in fat content and fatty-acid composition of the Baltic herring Clupea harengus membras
2010-01-01
The fat content and fatty-acid profiles of herring, Clupea harengus membras, from the southern Baltic Sea varied depending on when (fishing season) and where (fishing grounds) the fish were caught as well as on their size and sex. The fat, protein and dry matter content and the fatty-acid profiles were assayed in C. h. membras muscle tissue. The changes observed in fatty-acid profiles were determined by factors such as specimen mass and fat content, which, in turn, depended on fishing season. This is explained by dietary differences between juvenile and older fish. Gonad maturation and spawning in the latter are also factors. The study results provide confirmation of the hypothesis that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (...
2010-01-01
Purpose The speciation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment-porewater systems affects both the chemical fate and bioavailability of these compounds. PAHs may be dissolved or sorbed to sediment particles or dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Furthermore, soot carbon has been shown to control the sorption of PAHs onto particles in natural waters. The present study investigates the distribution of individual PAHs among these three phases by examining sediments from the western Baltic Sea, focusing on a highly contaminated former dumping area and evaluating the importance of soot-carbon partitioning. Materials and methods Freely dissolved concentrations of nine PAHs were measured in the porewater of sediment samples using solid-phase microextraction, a cost- and time-efficient m...
Unraveling subtle details of expendable bottom penetrometer (XBP) deceleration profiles
2009-01-01
The expendable bottom penetrometer (XBP), a free-falling probe which can be deployed by a single person, is commonly used to rapidly classify seafloor sediment strength as hard, medium or soft. Assessments of deceleration-depth profiles of soft sediments (maximum deceleration smaller than 20g) suggest that a finer subdivision of this class is possible. Thus, XBP datasets were recorded during two cruises aboard the R/V Planet in 2003 and 2006 in four study areas in the western Baltic Sea. The profiles can be distinguished in terms of gradient and curve progression. Comparing these data with descriptions of gravity cores taken at the same localities during the research cruises reveals a typical profile for western Baltic Sea mud, and distinct profiles for sediments containing localized inh...
2009-01-01
Abstract The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), a sessile suspension feeder, has been known to enhance the benthos in the sediment around mussel beds and druses. The enhancement is mainly due to biodepositing activity of the mussel and the resultant organic enrichment of the sediment. In addition, mussel beds increase habitat complexity. In June 2007, we studied the distribution of D. polymorpha beds and their effects on the benthos in Kleines Haff, the western part of the Szczecin Lagoon, a Southern Baltic coastal water body. We expected that: (i) the sediment near a Dreissena bed will support meio- and macrobenthic assemblages more abundant than those living away from the bed, and (ii) the meio- and macrobenthic assemblages close to the Dreissena bed will show a stronger dominance of t...
2010-01-01
The study aimed to estimate the total oxygen flow through the shallow littoral of the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea). Daily primary production and daily oxygen consumption by meso- and macroplankton and meio- and macrobenthos were measured, as well as the remaining (abiotic/microbial) oxygen consumption of the water column and bottom sediment. The daily gross primary production was 5.0l of oxygenm-2, oxygen consumption was 9.2lm-2, of which 16% were used by the water column and 84% by the bottom sediment. Abiotic oxygen consumption in water column contributed to less than 5% of the total oxygen consumption, and in the bottom sediment to 67%. Mesoplankton in the water column and meiobenthos in the bottom sediments were the major oxygen consumers in the littoral (67% and 26%, respectiv...
The ocean quahog Arctica islandica L.: a bioindicator for contaminated sediments
2005-01-01
The use of benthic organisms as bioindicators in the aquatic environment is a suitable method for assessing the effects of contaminants in coastal waters. The accumulation of heavy metals in body tissues due to lifestyle and feeding mechanisms makes it possible to reveal contamination rates and recovery trends within polluted areas. Comparing a polluted historical dumping site in the inner Mecklenburg Bight (western Baltic Sea) with a less-contaminated reference site at the edge of the Mecklenburg Bight, representing the background contamination of the western Baltic Sea, the present study discusses the population structure and heavy metal exposure of the ocean quahog Arctica islandica L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia) and evaluates this organism as a bioindicator for contaminated sediments. The org...
The impact of storm water runoff on a small urban stream
2009-01-01
Background, aim, and scope In urban areas, storm water runoff often transports various pollutants, some of which settle and form sediments. In order to have the comprehensive view of the ecological state of storm water runoff recipients, both water and sediments of the stream must be assessed. In the Baltic Sea Area, the Water Framework Directive & HELCOM Recommendations aim to prevent or minimise pollution caused by harmful substances arising from storm water runoff, in order to promote the ecological restoration of the Baltic Seaone of the most vulnerable seas. The aim of the study was to investigate the toxicity of bottom sediments of a small storm water runoff recipient focusing on the potential impact of successive discharges of urban storm water. Some storm water runoff quality pa...
2009-01-01
Mesograzers are known to reduce the biomass of their host plant and modify the structure of the whole macrophyte community in many ecosystems. Thus, the introduction of an efficient mesograzer may destabilize macrophyte community and also affect the native grazers. We estimated how large proportion of macrophyte production are consumed by the alien gammarid G.tigrinus and the native gammarid G.salinus in the species poor ecosystem of the northern Baltic Sea. We analysed whether G.tigrinus consumes different diet as the native G.salinus and whether the effect of G.tigrinus on the survival of the native G.salinus is macrophyte species specific. Grazing experiments showed that there was a clear difference in the grazing rates of gammarids among the studied macrophyte species in su...
2007-01-01
The possibility of an upward flow of saline groundwater with long residence time and its mixing with young recharge waters has been studied in the Laxemar area, situated on the main land north/northwest of the Aespoe underground Hard Rock Laboratory. The knowledge of these near surface processes and transport pathways is essential in order to understand the interaction between recharge and discharge patterns of the groundwater and the possible effect from a faulty repository on the biosphere. Hydrogeological modelling in the literature suggests a major out flow regime along the Baltic coast and therefore, possible traces of deeper saline groundwaters could be expected. A total of 108 samples collected from surface, shallow and deep groundwaters from lakes, ditches, quarries, and wells have been analysed together with samples from the Baltic Sea. The project was ...
Physiological effects of diclofenac, ibuprofen and propranolol on Baltic Sea blue mussels
2010-01-01
Pharmaceuticals are constantly dispersed into the environment and little is known of the effects on non-target organisms. This is an issue of growing concern. In this study, Baltic Sea blue mussels, Mytilus edulis trossulus, were exposed to diclofenac, ibuprofen and propranolol, three pharmaceuticals that are produced and sold in large quantities and have a widespread occurrence in aquatic environments. The mussels were exposed to pharmaceuticals in concentrations ranging from 1 to 10,000mgl^-^1. The pharmaceuticals were added both separately and in combination. Mussels exposed to high concentrations of pharmaceuticals showed a clear response compared to controls. Firstly, they had a significantly lower scope for growth, which indicates that the organisms had a smaller part of their energy...
Modelling PCB bioaccumulation in a Baltic food web
2007-01-01
A steady state model is developed to describe the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants by 14 species in a Baltic food web including pelagic and benthic aquatic organisms. The model is used to study the bioaccumulation of five PCB congeners of different chlorination levels. The model predictions are evaluated against monitoring data for five of the species in the food web. Predicted concentrations are on average within a factor of two of measured concentrations. The model shows that all PCB congeners were biomagnified in the food web, which is consistent with observations. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the single most sensitive parameter is log K OW. The most sensitive environmental parameter is the annual average temperature. Although not identified amongst the most sensitive input parameters, the dissolved concentration in water is believed to be ...
2010-01-01
This study presents the first optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating application of young Holocene sediments from the coastal environment along the German Baltic Sea at the barrier-spit Darss-Zingst (NE Germany). Fifteen samples were taken in Zingst-Osterwald and Windwatt from beach ridges to reconstruct the development of the Zingst spit system and separate phases of sediment mobilisation. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was applied to coarse grain quartz for OSL dating. The reliability of OSL data was tested with laboratory experiments including dose recovery, recycling ratio and recuperation as well as the stratigraphy. We conclude that the sediment is suitable for OSL measurements and the derived ages are internally consistent as well as in agreement with th...
2006-01-01
Inter-annual variations and long-term trends in phytoplankton primary production (PP) within the Baltic entrance region (the Kattegat and the Belt Sea) are presented and discussed. The study employs the core of Danish monitoring data, with measurements at 68 different sites from the past 2050 years. Temporal development of the annual PP is compared with changes and variations in the land-based nutrient inputs and to other, independent, Swedish and Danish PP data. Spatial and seasonal variations based on annual and monthly PP, respectively, are evaluated. There are large variations on all scales; annual PP ranges from 50 to 500g C m2, with maximum values in some Danish fjords and minimum values in open waters during the 1950s. The Kattegat and the Sound have a lower mean producti...
2006-01-01
Quantitative analysis of coastal marine benthic communities enables to adequately estimate the state of coastal marine environment, provide better evidence for environmental changes and describe processes that are conditioned by anthropogenic forces. Remote sensing could provide a tool for mapping bottom vegetation if the substrates are spectrally resolvable. We measured reflectance spectra of green (Cladophora glomerata), red (Furcellaria lumbricalis), and brown (Fucus vesiculosus) macroalgae and used a bio-optical model in estimating whether these algae distinguish optically from each other, from sandy bottom or deep water in turbid water conditions of the Baltic Sea. The simulation was carried out for three different water types: (1) CDOM-rich coastal water, (2) coastal waters not direc...
1998-08-01
The project was carried out in co-operation with the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, and the samples were mainly taken on board the Institute`s research vessel Aranda. In 1995 sediment samples were taken on three cruises of the RV Aranda from 43 sampling stations situated in the Baltic Proper, the Bothnian Sea and the Gulf of Finland. The aim of the study was to determine sedimentation rates in different parts of Baltic Sea, using Pb-210, Cs-137, Pu-238 and Pu-239,240 profiles in sediments, and to consider differences in the results obtained with different methods. The presentation is based on results from two sampling stations - one situated in the eastern part of the open Gulf of Finland, the other in the archipelago zone of the eastern Gulf of Finland 11 refs.
Elemental and organic carbon in aerosols over urbanized coastal region (southern Baltic Sea, Gdynia)
2010-01-01
Studies on PM 10, total particulate matter (TSP), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) concentrations were carried out in the Polish coastal zone of the Baltic Sea, in urbanized Gdynia. The interaction between the land, the air and the sea was clearly observed. The highest concentrations of PM 10, TSP and both carbon fractions were noted in the air masses moving from southern and western Poland and Europe. The EC was generally of primary origin and its contribution to TSP and PM 10 mass was on average 2.3% and 3.7% respectively. Under low wind speed conditions local sources (traffic and industry) influenced increases in elemental carbon and PM 10 concentrations in Gdynia. Elemental carbon demonstrated a pronounced weekly cycle, yielding minimum values at the weekend and maximum va...
Ecological risk perception in the societies in transition: Case study of Baltic States
1994-12-31
The state of the environment and human health in countries that arise after the collapse of the USSR in influenced by different factors. The heritage of the previous regime can be characterized with a high environmental pollution level. However the transition from centrally planned to a free market economy is accompanied not only with changes in the political and social system, but also with changes in attitudes and in environmental values. All these processes have been analyzed on example of Baltic states analyzing the changes in ecological risk perception in societies of different economical and political structure. The ecological risk perception at first is associated with education level, especially regarding environmental education. However another important aspect is the perception of ecological risk at level of state policy. Just now this aspect can be regarded as the most important factor in ecological risk perception. Surprisingly low is the role of scientifical expertise in the ecological risk identification.
2009-01-01
The polychaetes Streblospio benedicti (Webster, 1879) and Manayunkia aestuarina (Bourne, 1883) have been recorded in the Vistula Lagoon of the Baltic Sea since the mid 1990s. The impact that salinity and the necrozooplankton (dead plankton) concentration in the near-bottom layer have on their distributional patterns was studied. The spatial distribution of these polychaetes depends on the water salinity; however, no correlation was found between their abundance and the necrozooplankton concentration. An area of high necrozooplankton concentration was defined for the near-bottom water layer in the central part of the lagoon; its position is mostly determined by the currents. We assume that the sustainable presence of S. benedicti and M. aestuarina is supported by their opportunistic species...
Detailed seismic imaging of a chemical munition dumpsite in the Bornholm Basin, south-western Baltic
2010-01-01
Very high resolution seismic investigations were carried out over a munition dumpsite in the Bornholm Basin, south-western Baltic Sea. After WW2 over 32,000tons of chemical weapons were dumped in this area. The aim of the investigations was to image the internal structure of the dumpsite and to identify possible natural hazards with regard to the dumped war material. Two geophysical surveys were carried out in the summers of 2006 and 2007. During the surveys, acoustic sources with a distinct frequency spectrum (parametric echosounder, sparker, boomer) were deployed simultaneously. This approach proved very fruitful as it allowed to study the sediments in a wide depth range and in the highest possible detail. In total, seven seismicstratigraphic units have been identified, related to d...
2008-01-01
Kymijoki, the fourth largest river in Finland, has been heavily polluted by pulp mill effluents as well as the chemical industry. Up to 24000ton of wood preservative, chlorophenol known as Ky-5, was manufactured in the upper reaches of the river, an unknown amount of which was discharged into the river between 1940 and 1984. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) occurred as impurities in the final Ky-5 product. The PCDD/F concentrations and burden in the river sediments were studied and the transport of PCDD/Fs from contaminated sites downstream and into the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea was estimated. More than 190 sediment cores were sampled to estimate the volume of contaminated sediments and the total PCDD/F burden. The transport of PCDD/Fs was estimated usi...
2009-01-01
The invasive polychaete genus, Marenzelleria and the native amphipod, Monoporeia affinis are food and habitat competitors in the Baltic Sea. Previous studies have shown that moderate densities of Marenzelleria can affect the behaviour of M. affinis. To examine the short-term interactive effects of interspecific habitat choice and environmental contaminants a series of habitat colonisation experiments were performed. The contaminants examined included harbor sediments and sediment spiked with the antifouling substances, Cu, Zn and Irgarol. Polychaetes and amphipods were exposed to contaminants in single-species and two-species experiments. In spiked-sediment experiments, M. affinis showed clear dose-dependent response. These experiments verified that behavioural response of M. affinis to di...
2009-01-01
The present study investigates the concentrations and patterns of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their metabolites in liver and plasma of two ringed seal populations (Phoca hispida): lower contaminated Svalbard population and more contaminated Baltic Sea population. Among OCPs, p,p'-DDE and sum-chlordanes were the highest in concentration. With increasing hepatic contaminant concentrations and activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, the concentrations of 3-methylsulfonyl-p,p'-DDE and the concentration ratios of pentachlorophenol/hexachlorobenzene increased, and the toxaphene pattern shifted more towards persistent Parlar-26 and -50 and less towards more biodegradable Parlar-44. Relative concentrations of the chlordane metabolites, oxychlordane and -heptachlorepoxide, to sum-chlordanes were higher in the seals from Svalbard ...
Bird migration studies and potential collision risk with offshore wind turbines
2006-01-01
Worldwide, Germany is the leading country in the use of wind energy. Since sites for the erection of wind turbines became scarce on land, ambitious plans for the offshore regions have arisen. There have been applications for 33 sites within the German Exclusive Economic Zone in the North and Baltic Seas, some of which entail several hundred individual turbines. Eleven pilot projects are approved, and two others rejected. As several hundred million birds cross the North and Baltic Seas at least twice every year, the Offshore Installations Ordinance says that licensing will not be given if the obstacles jeopardize bird migration. Birds are potentially endangered by offshore wind farms through collisions, barrier effects and habitat loss. To judge these potential risks, the occurrence of bird...
Biodegradation of nodularin and effects of the toxin on bacterial isolates from the Gulf of Gdansk
2009-01-01
Nodularin (NOD), a cyclic pentapeptide produced by the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena, is one of the most abundant natural metabolites occurring in the Baltic Sea. The present study investigated the role of this compound in the interactions between cyanobacteria and other bacteria. The toxin inhibited the growth of 15 out of 32 bacterial strains isolated from water and sediments of the Gulf of Gdansk, southern Baltic Sea. Most of the bacteria sensitive to NOD belonged to the Proteobacteria phylum. Incubation of nodularin in the presence of the bacterial isolates did not reveal any NOD-degrading activity. However, natural microbial communities from sediment removed the toxin within 5-7 days. Analysis by liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry with turboi...
Bioaccumulation of uranium 234U and 238U in marine birds
2010-01-01
In the paper was presented results of our study about uranium 234U and 238U radioactivity in the marine birds samples, collected in the Polish area of the southern Baltic Sea. We chose 11 species of sea birds: three species permanently residing at southern Baltic, four species of wintering birds and three species of migrating birds. The obtained results indicated that uranium is very irregularly distributed in organs and tissues of marine birds. The highest uranium content is characterized in liver, rest of viscera and feathers, the smallest in skin and muscles. The uranium concentration was higher for carnivorous species (long-tailed duck (C. hyemalis), common eider (S. mollissima), lower for species eating fish (great cormorant (P. carbo), common guillemot (U. aalge), red-throated diver (G. stellata) and razorbill (A. tarda)), but the biggest ...
2009-01-01
Abstract The Kaliningrad region is the westernmost part of the Russian Federation; it includes an enclave on the Baltic Sea inside the European Union separated from mainland Russia by Lithuania and Poland. The incidence of tuberculosis in Kaliningrad has shown a steady and dramatic increase from 83/100 000 in 2000 to 134/100 000 in 2006; the rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-tuberculosis) in the Kaliningrad region was reported to be 30.5% among newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. This study presents a first molecular snapshot of the population diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this region. A total of 90 drug-resistant and susceptible M. tuberculosis strains from Kaliningrad were subjected to spoligotyping, 12-locus MIRU typing and mutation analysis of the drug resis...
An approach to palaeoseismicity in the Olkiluoto (sea) area during the early holocene
2007-01-01
Olkiluoto Island is situated in the northern Baltic Sea, near the southwestern coast of Finland, and is the proposed location of a spent nuclear fuel repository. This study examined Holocene palaeoseismicity in the Olkiluoto area and in the surrounding sea areas by computer simulations together with acoustic-seismic, sedimentological and dating methods. The most abundant rock type on the island is migmatic mica gneiss, intruded by tonalites, granodiorites and granites. The surrounding Baltic Sea seabed consists of Palaeoproterozoic crystalline bedrock, which is to a great extent covered by younger Mesoproterozoic sedimentary rocks. The area contains several ancient deep-seated fracture zones that divide it into bedrock blocks. The response of bedrock at the Olkiluoto site was modelled considering four future ice-age scenarios. Each scenario produced shear ...
Acute toxicity assessment of perfluorinated carboxylic acids towards the Baltic microalgae
2009-01-01
The presence of high-energy carbon-fluorine bonds in perfluoro compounds lends them great stability and causes them to be environmentally persistent. Relatively little is known about the acute toxicity of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) to ecotoxicological markers such as aquatic plants and animals. This study tested the toxicity of these compounds to the green alga Chlorella vulgaris, the diatom Skeletonema marinoi and the blue-green alga Geitlerinema amphibium, which are species representative of the algal flora of the Baltic Sea. The EC50 values obtained range from 0.28mM to 12.84mM. A distinct relationship between hydrophobicity and toxicity is demonstrated. For every extra perfluoromethylene group in the alkyl chain, the toxicity increases twofold. LogEC50 values are very well...
Free amino acid pattern in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) exposed to crude oil
In this study the authors investigated changes of free amino acid levels in different tissues of Mytilus edulis exposed to low concentrations of crude oil in a short term study. This investigation was accomplished in the northern area of the Baltic Sea, in the Archipelago of Turku. In this area the salinity of the sea water varies between 6-7%. Mytilus edulis lives there in its extreme conditions and it is therefore especially sensitive to disturbances in its environment.
Free amino acid pattern in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) exposed to crude oil
1985-12-01
In this study the authors investigated changes of free amino acid levels in different tissues of Mytilus edulis exposed to low concentrations of crude oil in a short term study. This investigation was accomplished in the northern area of the Baltic Sea, in the Archipelago of Turku. In this area the salinity of the sea water varies between 6-7%. Mytilus edulis lives there in its extreme conditions and it is therefore especially sensitive to disturbances in its environment.
1992-11-01
The electric power sector of the countries and their many problems are described. Statistical data on supply and demand pieces, primary energy use et cetera are given. A brief overview of the economical situation, and a discussion of nuclear power safety in the area are presented. (34 refs., 7 figs., 37 tabs.).
1992-01-01
The electric power sector of the countries and their many problems are described. Statistical data on supply and demand pieces, primary energy use et cetera are given. A brief overview of the economical situation, and a discussion of nuclear power safety in the area are presented. (34 refs., 7 figs., 37 tabs.)
Behaviour of radionuclides in sedimentation processes under varying redox conditions
2001-04-01
Determination of sedimentation rates plays an important role in material balance and model calculations of seas and other bodies of water. The Baltic Sea offers an exceptionally good opportunity to study processes in sediments and sedimentation rates with radioecological methods, because the concentration peaks of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu are easily detectable in its sediments. In 1995-1996 sediment profiles were taken at 51 sampling stations situated in the Baltic Proper, Bothnian Bay, Bothnian Sea and Gulf of Finland. The aim was to estimate sedimentation rates in different parts of the Baltic Sea by using alternative methods and to consider reasons for eventual differences in results. The {sup 210}Pb, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 239,240}Pu and th sediment trap methods were used in estimations. The results show that the accumulation rates of dry matter may vary between 0.006 and 0.90 g cm{sup -2}y{sup -1} at different sampling stations of the Baltic Sea and the sedimentation rates between 0.2 and 29 mm y{sup -1} depending on the sedimentation itself and the method used in calculation. This is a considerable range in results, considering that all of the sampling stations were located in areas of soft sediment bottoms. In general, the sedimentation rates were highest at the Bothnian Sea sampling stations. In the Gulf of Finland the sedimentation rates were highest in the eastern part, while in the Bothnian Bay and in the Baltic Proper the rates were in general lower than in the 2 areas first mentioned. The differences among the results obtained with various methods varied unsystematically; thus it was not possible to predict that anyone of the methods would always give higher results than any of the others or vice versa. The results show that in the Baltic Sea the use of more than 1 parallel methods in estimation of sedimentation rate is highly recommended. None of the methods is necessarily suitable for routine use in the Baltic Sea. In those cases where the {sup 137}Cs or {sup 239,240}Pu peak is distinct, sharply defined and at sufficient depth, these methods may result in the best estimates. One the other hand, at those stations where the peaks are spread out over a broad range of depths, the methods based on {sup 210}Pb may give more accurate results. On of the advantages of the {sup 210}Pb-based methods is that they give information on sedimentation rate over longer period of time than the {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu methods. In contrast to the {sup 239,240}Pu method, {sup 210}Pb can be analysed gammaspectrometrically; however the gammaspectrometric method for {sup 210}Pb is very demanding both for the equipment and the staff. At least in the case of our material, the practice used in the CF:CS-model appeared to be the most useable {sup 210}Pb-methods for the Baltic Sea sediments. (EHS)
The Baltic States in Taiwan's Post-Cold War 'Flexible Diplomacy'
2002-01-01
None Available Publisher: Taylor and Francis Contributor: School of History and Politics : Politics Other identifier: Europe-Asia Studies, 2002; 54 (5):791-810; 0966-8136; 0020082080; 20080729144410; 10.1080/09668130220147056; 000177251400006
2005-01-01
The seasonal variability of the distribution of dissolved forms of mineral phosphorus and silicon and water alkalinity is studied in the Northern Dvina River mouth. The non-conservative behavior of mineral phosphorus and silicon (presumably caused by the biological consumption of these elements) and the conservative distribution of alkalinity are established. The conservative distribution of alkalinity makes it possible to use the relationship between the values of this parameter and the concentrations of chlorides for the analysis of the genetic structure of water in the desalinized part of the Baltic Sea.
Radioactivity in the Baltic Sea, 1999-2006 HELCOM thematic assessment
2009-01-01
The report describes work carried out by HELCOM's (Helsinki Commission, Baltic Marine Environment Commission) project on the Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea (MORS-PRO) during the period 1999-2006. The main topics include: sources of man-made radioactivity in the Baltic Sea. Levels of man-made radionuclides in seawater, sediments and biota. Work on modelling and evaluations of the riks to man caused by radioactivity in the Baltic Sea. Comparison of man-made radionuclides in the Baltic Sea with levels in other sea regions. The concequent recommendations and work on data quality are presented in the Appendix
Radioactivity in the Baltic Sea, 1999-2006 HELCOM thematic assessment
2009-07-01
The report describes work carried out by HELCOM's (Helsinki Commission, Baltic Marine Environment Commission) project on the Monitoring of Radioactive Substances in the Baltic Sea (MORS-PRO) during the period 1999-2006. The main topics include: sources of man-made radioactivity in the Baltic Sea; levels of man-made radionuclides in seawater, sediments and biota; work on modelling and evaluations of the riks to man caused by radioactivity in the Baltic Sea; comparison of man-made radionuclides in the Baltic Sea with levels in other sea regions. The concequent recommendations and work on data quality are presented in the Appendix
Metal concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in an infaunal facultative deposit-feeding bivalve, the Baltic clam Macoma balthica, in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea) were assessed and compared to selected concentrations of metals in the environment. Between October 1996 and September 1997, dissolved and easy extractable (by 1M HCl) metal fractions of total suspended particulate matter (TPM) in the overlying water and of surficial sediments (<63 microm) were measured monthly at five sublittoral sites in the Gulf of Gdansk, and accumulated tissue metal concentrations in M. balthica were determined simultaneously. The study highlights the importance of sediment geochemistry as a factor modifying ambient trace metal bioavailabilities. Surficial sediments appeared to contribute most to the accumulation of Cu and Pb in M. balthica, reflecting the high metal availability in the Gulf. Assimilation of Cu from sediments is controlled by Mn components possibly through an inhibitory effect of Mn oxyhydroxides, while Pb accumulation from sediments depends on the organic content of the sediment. A dual metal uptake pathway, with a suspended particulate-bound fraction and surficial sediments, was apparent for Mn and Zn. Partitioning of Mn in sediments was related to the concentration of labile Fe, with increased levels of Fe tending to inhibit the accumulation of Mn by the clam. Tissue accumulated Zn might have been altered by the clam's internal regulation, making Zn tissue concentrations, to some degree, independent of its environmental level. The principal source of Ni accumulated by the clams exists in the soluble phase.
Strontium-90 and cesium-137 distribution in Baltic Sea waters
1988-09-01
The strontium-90 and cesium-137 concentrations determined in 1983 in the Baltic Sea proper and the Gulf of Finland and in the Soviet Baltic rivers are furnished. The cesium-137 content has been found to be directly proportional to the salinity of the water. Significant influx of technogenic radioactive contaminants from the North to the Baltic Sea was noted in 1983.
Strontium-90 and cesium-137 distribution in Baltic Sea waters
1988-01-01
The strontium-90 and cesium-137 concentrations determined in 1983 in the Baltic Sea proper and the Gulf of Finland and in the Soviet Baltic rivers are furnished. The cesium-137 content has been found to be directly proportional to the salinity of the water. Significant influx of technogenic radioactive contaminants from the North to the Baltic Sea was noted in 1983
Application of flexible Kyoto mechanisms for renewable energy projects in Baltic states
2007-06-15
The article analyses the use of flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto protocol in Baltic States and investigates the perspectives of these tools in the future. The results of the first phase of joint implementation (JI)-activities implemented jointly (AIJ) in Baltic States was overviewed in the article. The stages of JI process, activities and responsible institutions necessary for the implementation of JI projects are addressed in the paper. The main aim of the analysis conducted is to assess the future perspectives for JI projects in Baltic States taking into account EU accession and implementation of EU Linking directive. The institutional structure and legal framework for the implementation of JI in Baltic States was analyzed and measures and institutions necessary for the implementation of these projects were prescribed. The experience of Testing Ground Facility in Baltic Sea Region is presented in article and recommendations for the enhancement of JI in Baltic States were developed based on analysis conducted. (author)
2009-01-01
The contamination of the Baltic Sea with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) has resulted in restrictions on the marketing and consumption of Baltic Sea fish, making this a priority environmental issue in the European Union. To date there is no consensus on the relative importance of different sources of PCDD/Fs to the Baltic Sea, and hence no consensus on how to address this issue. In this work we synthesized the available information to create a PCDD/F budget for the Baltic Sea, focusing on the two largest basins, the Bothnian Sea and the Baltic Proper. The non-steady state multimedia fate and transport model POPCYCLING-Baltic was employed, using recent data for PCDD/F concentrations in air and sediment as boundary conditions. The PCDD/F concentrations in water ...
BALTEX: an integrated system study
1994-12-31
During the last years plans have been developed to study energy and water cycles within the entire water catchment area of the Baltic sea and their interactions with the larger-scale circulation systems following the goal to improve the modelling and measurements of such processes within the climate system. After a build-up phase BALTEX will start an intensive measurement phase of several years in 1996. The management will be performed by several groups which are responsible for modelling, process studies and data management and analyses. 9 refs., 1 fig.
2000-07-01
During the last four decades Baltic Sea sediments have been an excellent object for research by radioecologists and other scientists studying sedimentation and other processes in sediments using artificial radionuclides deposited in sediment laminae of the seabed in chronological order. This is due to two major events which have caused significant radioactive fallout in the Baltic Sea region, leaving distinct markers in the corresponding layers of the sediments. One was the global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapon tests in the late 1950s and early '60s, resulting in clear peaks of longlived radionuclides such as Cs{sup -13}7, Sr{sup -90} and certain transuranic elements (especially Pu{sup -239,240}) in the sediments. Another was the fallout from the accident at Chernobyl NPP, in the former USSR, in April 1986. Since the first radioactive clouds from Chernobyl travelled north and caused high deposition in the Baltic Sea region, the Baltic was the sea most affected by the accident. The main long-lived constituents in this fallout were Cs{sup -137} and Cs{sup -134}. These radioactive markers have since been utilised, e.g. in dating sediments and determining the sedimentation rate. The sedimentation rate (mm a{sup -1}) and sediment accumulation rate (g cm{sup -2} a{sup -1}) vary widely in the Baltic Sea, depending on the area and local environmental factors there. The rates may even be different at sampling points situated very near to each other. A study carried out in 1995-1996 showed that the sedimentation rates varied between 0.2 and 29 mm a{sup -1} at different soft-bottom sampling sites in the Baltic Sea, depending on the sedimentation itself and the method used for calculation. The corresponding accumulation rates of dry matter ranged from 0.006 to 0.90 g cm{sup -2} a{sup -1}. The importance of undisturbed, high-quality samples is especially pronounced in sedimentation rate studies. The loss of soft surface sediments during sampling can significantly affect the results, at least if the calculations are based on the Cs{sup -137} and Pu{sup -239,240} peaks. To get proper results, it is essential to obtain reliable samples from sediments. False conclusions are an obvious risk if the studies are based on biased field samples. To be more precise, it is unreasonable to perform exacting and expensive analyses if the samples themselves are unreliable or of poor quality. However, sampling of the top, least consolidated sediments is difficult and, in addition to properly designed devices, requires standardised, and precise working methods, as well as experience and competence from the crew, including awareness of sources of error. Sediment sampling is without doubt one of the most exacting sampling tasks in the aquatic environment. The prime reason is that the upper, most recent layers of sediments are usually very soft and susceptible to resuspension, i.e. the interface between water and sediment resembles 'a line drawn in water'. The fact that the crew normally can not see what is happening when the sampling device penetrates the sediment makes the work even more difficult. The MORS (Monitoring of Radioactive Substances) Group of HELCOM (Helsinki Commission) handles radioactivity monitoring in the Baltic Sea. All the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea are partners in this co-operation and all results from participating laboratories are reported and stored in a joint database. The MORS monitoring programme includes regulatory sampling and analyses of sediments at permanent stations performed by different partners, and the variety of sampling devices used by different laboratories is great. The Group therefore decided to arrange an intercomparison exercise on sediment sampling methods and devices called 'MOSSIE' (MOrs Sediment Sampling Intercalibration Exercise) in 1992. The arrangements for the exercise, the devices compared and the results are presented and discussed in this report. In addition to the authors, the following persons took part in the samplings on board the RV Aranda and RV Valdivia: Mr. Kari Huusela (STUK), Mr. Juhani Rapo and Ms. Maija Nyberg (Finnish Institute of Marine Research), Mr. Valerie Toporkov, Jan Tomczak and Rafal Stojaczek (Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Poland). Ms. Taina Ilus was responsible for the statistical analysis of the results and the graphs contained in this report. (orig.)
Baltic Grid for e-Science Development in Baltic
2007-07-01
Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania as new members of European Union now are involved in e- Science projects. The Baltic Grid (BG) project is a first step to infrastructure development for e-Science grid computing. Together with the universities of Baltic States some universities and organisations of neighbouring countries are involved in BG project to disseminate their experience and management skills. This paper presents achievements and experiences of BG project in e-infrastructure development in Baltic States and in Latvia and Riga Technical University, in particular. (Author)
Baltic Grid for e-Science Development in Baltic
2007-01-01
Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania as new members of European Union now are involved in e- Science projects. The Baltic Grid (BG) project is a first step to infrastructure development for e-Science grid computing. Together with the universities of Baltic States some universities and organisations of neighbouring countries are involved in BG project to disseminate their experience and management skills. This paper presents achievements and experiences of BG project in e-infrastructure development in Baltic States and in Latvia and Riga Technical University, in particular. (Author)
Studies of leukemia and thyroid disease among Chernobyl clean-up workers from the Baltics
1997-01-01
Following the reactor accident at Chernobyl in late April of 1986, hundreds of thousands of men from throughout the former Soviet Union were sent to Chernobyl to entomb the damaged reactor, remove radioactive debris, and help decontaminate the local environment. They remained for an average of three months and were allowed to accumulate up to 25 cGy of radiation before being sent home. Doses for some workers may have exceeded the allowable limit. The experience of Chernobyl clean-up workers is potentially informative about cancer risk associated with protracted exposure to low levels of radiation. Cohorts of clean-up workers from the Baltic Republics were assembled for study, based on military records and other lists. The study population includes 4,833 men from Estonia 5,709 from Latvia and at least 5,446 from Lithuania, where a pilot study is underway. They are being ...
2010-01-01
Radiocarbon and 210Pb were measured on the uppermost 40 cm of a Wardenaar peat core retrieved from a Baltic raised bog at Slowinskie Blota (Pomerania, North Poland). This site is the subject of ongoing multiproxy studies covering the last 1300 years. Radiocarbon age model was constructed on the basis of 14 AMS dates obtained on selected Sphagnum spp. fragments, with use of PSequence tool. We present here a comparison of this model with the age model obtained using CRS model classically applied to 210Pb measurements
2008-01-01
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an ancient protein that is conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates, indicating its important function throughout evolution. AhR has been studied largely because of its role in toxicology-gene expression via AhR is induced by many aromatic hydrocarbons in mammals. Recently, however, it has become clear that AhR is involved in various aspects of development such as cell proliferation and differentiation, and cell motility and migration. The mechanisms by which AhR regulates these various functions remain poorly understood. Across-species comparative studies of AhR in invertebrates, non-mammalian vertebrates and mammals may help to reveal the multiple functions of AhR. Here, we have studied AhR during larval development of Baltic salmon (Salmon salar). Our results indicate that AhR protein is expressed in nervous system, ...
2008-01-01
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an ancient protein that is conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates, indicating its important function throughout evolution. AhR has been studied largely because of its role in toxicology-gene expression via AhR is induced by many aromatic hydrocarbons in mammals. Recently, however, it has become clear that AhR is involved in various aspects of development such as cell proliferation and differentiation, and cell motility and migration. The mechanisms by which AhR regulates these various functions remain poorly understood. Across-species comparative studies of AhR in invertebrates, non-mammalian vertebrates and mammals may help to reveal the multiple functions of AhR. Here, we have studied AhR during larval development of Baltic salmon (Salmon salar)...
2002-04-01
{sup 137}Cs and {sup 210}Po in muscle, liver and kidney from 5 seals from the Baltic Sea have been studied. Assuming that the seals consume 5% of their own body weight each day and by using previously obtained data for the doses in fish, the biological half time has been estimated to 20 days for Cesium and 35 days for Polonium. The maximum yearly doses are calculated to 76 {mu}Gy from {sup 137}CS to muscle and 3 500 {mu}Gy to kidneys from {sup 210}Po. These data are very preliminary, the number of individuals being so small, and it is difficult to estimate how much food other than fish the seals consume. Furthermore only few data for radioactive concentrations in whole fish exist, which especially impacts the results for Polonium. (LN)
2004-09-15
Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POP) have, in animal studies, impaired normal bone metabolism and resulted in increased bone fragility. Especially considering the dramatical increase in osteoporotic fractures in western societies during the last decades, it is a pertinent question whether a high dietary intake of POP might pose a risk for deteriorated bone quality in humans. This problem has been assessed as a part of the collaborative project ''COMPARE'', funded by European Commission RD Life Science Program. As a study base we have used cohorts of Swedish fishermen's families. We have earlier shown that fishermen living at the east coast of Sweden, have a high consumption of contaminated fatty fish from the Baltic Sea and consequently relatively high exposure levels for various POPs, also compared with fishermen from the Swedish west coast. Such a discrepancy was also found for fishermen's wives. The aim of the project was to assess in epidemiological studies whether a high dietary intake of POP through fatty fish from the Baltic may result in an increased incidence of osteoporotic fractures or decreased bone mineral density (BMD). We give here an overview of the results.
Water exchange of Oeregrundsgrepen. A baroclinic 3D-model study
1999-04-01
Hypothetically transport of radionuclides from the SFR repository for low and medium active wastes could be mediated by natural water circulation within receiving coastal basins. In this context a basic equation, free surface 3D-model has been used to compute the water exchange of the Oeregrundsgrepen bay-like area for a representative full year cycle. This has been achieved in two steps in order to provide coherent densimetric and sea level elevation boundary data relative to the adjacent Baltic coastal water. Weather data from 1992 were chosen. The focus is placed entirely on water exchange aspects with no consideration of what the water parcels may contain. Earlier model and measurement programs have also been reviewed. The first phase consisted of running a 3D-model encompassing the entire Baltic Sea. This model resolves the Baltic horizontally in five by five nautical miles (5x5). This model was driven by gridded (approx. 20x20) synoptic weather data with geostrophic wind and the varying density and sea level elevation on the Kattegat border. Freshwater discharge from the major rivers along the Baltic coastline was also taken into account. Initial data prior to December 1991 have been assessed from the available, but relatively scarce, salinity and temperature profile measurements in the Baltic. The time step was 2 hours. The relevant boundary data in the vicinity of the Oeregrundsgrepen area were saved after one full-year cycle of simulation. The second phase consisted of running a local model over the Oeregrundsgrepen with a higher horizontal grid resolution consisting of a 0.1x0.1 grid. This model was driven by the same weather data, combined with the saved densimetric and sea level elevation boundary data that were produced by the Baltic model with the coarser grid. This procedure applies both for the wide northern and the narrow southern interface. The transference of boundary data necessitated development of an appropriate interpolation scheme. This model has also been run for a full-year cycle allowing one month (December 1991) of spin-up time. The time step has been varied between 3 and 6 minutes. The retention time of the Oeregrundsgrepen was found to vary between 12.1 days (surface) and 25.8 days (bottom) as a yearly average. Special regard has been placed on estimating the ventilation of a particular subarea where a biological model study is currently being performed. This subarea is located in the waters above the SFR-depository embedded within the Oeregrundsgrepen model area. The exchange intensity, expressed as a yearly average transit retention time, spanned from 0.5 days (surface) to 1.2 days (bottom) with regard to the depth strata that the model resolves. The bulk volume average for all strata was 0.77 days with a standard deviation of 0.22 days equally for both intra-monthly and inter-monthly variations. The corresponding average total volume flow across the boundary was 2.1x10{sup 3} m{sup 3}/s.
2009-01-01
The study presents and discusses the application of in situ data from the ocean color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC) to assess primary remote sensing products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the AQUA platform and from the Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) on the OrbView-2 spacecraft. Three AERONET-OC European coastal sites exhibiting different atmospheric and marine optical properties were considered for the study: the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT) in the northern Adriatic Sea representing Case-1 and Case-2 moderately sediment dominated waters; and, the Gustaf Dalen Lighthouse Tower (GDLT) in the northern Baltic Proper and the Helsinki Lighthouse Tower (HLT) in the Gulf of Finland, both characterized by Case-2 w...
2006-01-01
The dynamics of organohalogen contaminants and their metabolites are best studied over time by analysis of biota at high trophic levels. In this study, time trends, 1971-2001, of bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone (BCPS) and of methylsulfonyl-substituted metabolites of PCBs and 4,4'-DDE, were investigated in eggs of guillemot (Uria aalge) hatching in the Baltic Proper. Temporal trends of PCBs, trans-nonachlor, beta-HCH, 4,4'-DDT, and 4,4'-DDE were also assessed. Tris(4-chlorophenyl) methane (TCPMe), a 4,4'-DDT by-product, was detected in the eggs. The concentration of BCPS ranged between 2.6-0.76 mug/g on a lipid weight basis over the three decades and showed a significant 1.6% annual decrease. Three metabolites of PCBs, i.e. 3'-MeSO2-CB101, 4'-MeSO2-CB101 and 4-MeSO2-CB149, were quantified in all ...
2006-08-15
Cyst beds in ships and ports in Finland have previously been unstudied. Therefore, sediments from ships' ballast water tanks and four Finnish ports were sampled for dinoflagellate cysts and other phytoplankton. Untreated sediments were incubated at 10 {sup o}C and 20 {sup o}C in the local 6 psu salinity for 1, 4 and 7 days, and vegetative cells were examined with light and scanning electron microscope. Sediments were inhabited by various dinoflagellates, diatoms, chlorophytes, cyanophytes and small flagellates. Germinated dinoflagellates were found in 90% of ballast tanks and in all ports. Gymnodiniales spp. and Heterocapsa rotundata formed a major proportion of the proliferating dinoflagellate cells. One species, Peridinium quinquecorne, not previously reported from the Baltic Sea, was identified with SEM. The study emphasises that ships are potential transport vehicles for dinoflagellate cysts even in the low salinity Finnish waters, and small-sized dinoflagellates should be focused upon in ballast water studies.
2007-07-01
In this study it was evaluated whether the ECOPATH with ECOSIM software could be used as a platform to facilitate the construction of models and study of transport and accumulation of radionuclides in aquatic food webs. The evaluation was based upon a food web model of carbon (C) and carbon-14 ({sup 14}C) flow for a coastal area in the Baltic Sea, the ECOPATH, the ECOSIM and the ECOTRACE models. The original carbon flows and assumptions were easily incorporated into the ECOPATH and ECOSIM modelling environment. The new model was also well suited to drive a {sup 14}C flow model (ECOTRACE) for each of the organisms included. ECOTRACE estimated steady-state concentrations of {sup 14}C that were between 73 and 142% of the original flows. The results clearly show that there is great potential for a successful development of this approach for integrating scientific knowledge about food webs and radioecological models for aquatic systems.
Teachers as Language-Policy Actors: Contending with the Erasure of Lesser-Used Languages in Schools
2010-01-01
On the basis of an ethnographic study of the Voro-language revitalization in Estonia, this article explores the way teachers function as policy actors in the broader context of the school. As policy actors, the language teachers' appropriation of regional-language policy helps simultaneously to reproduce and challenge existing ideologies in the school environment. I explore the teachers' understandings of their power and freedom to inform their navigation of the circumscribed choices offered in a post-Soviet educational system. [language, anthropology of policy, teachers, Baltic]
2009-01-01
We applied three techniques (DF-ICP-MS, PERALS and alpha-spectrometry) for the determination of minor actinides at environmental levels. For each method the limit of detection and the resolution were estimated in order to study the content and isotopic composition of the actinides. Two international reference materials, IAEA-135 (Irish Sea Sediment) and IAEA-300 (Baltic Sea sediment) were analyzed for activity concentrations of 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu and 241Am. The sensitivities of the three determination techniques were compared. (author)
Rarity, ecological memory, rate of floral change in phytoplanktonand the mystery of the Red Cock
2010-01-01
In this article, we attempt to estimate the contemporary phytoplankton species pool of a particular lake, by assessing the rate of floral change over a period of 15years. Phytoplankton time series data from Lake Stechlin, an oligo-mesotrophic lake in the Baltic Lake District (Germany) were used. Of the 254 algal species recorded during the 15-year of studies with roughly biweekly sampling, 212 species were planktonic. In the individual plankton years, the recorded total number of species changed between 97 and 122, of which the number of dominants (
1994-12-31
At the request of Congress, the US Agency for International Development (AID) funded an assessment of the infrastructure needs of countries in the former Soviet bloc, consisting of the republics of Central and Eastern Europe, and Baltic States, the Newly Independent States (NIS), and Mongolia. This paper presents a summary of the finding submitted to AID`s Office of Capital Projects and Engineering. It describes the current status and outlook of the thermal electric infrastructure in the region and points to capital project opportunities for US products and services. The specific republics studied are listed.
2009-01-01
Metal pollution is viewed as a modern problem that began in the 19th century and accelerated through the 20th century. However, in many parts of the globe this view is wrong. Here, we studied past waterborne metal pollution in lake sediments from the Bergslagen region in central Sweden, one of many historically important mining regions in Europe. With a focus on lead (including isotopes), we trace mining impacts from a local scale, through a 120-km-long river system draining into Maelaren - Sweden's third largest lake, and finally also the Baltic Sea. Comparison of sediment and peat records shows that pollution from Swedish mining was largely waterborne and that atmospheric deposition was dominated by long-range transport from other regions. Swedish ore lead is detectable from the 10th century, but the greatest impact occurred during the 16th-18th centuries with improvements ...
2006-01-01
Cyst beds in ships and ports in Finland have previously been unstudied. Therefore, sediments from ships' ballast water tanks and four Finnish ports were sampled for dinoflagellate cysts and other phytoplankton. Untreated sediments were incubated at 10 oC and 20 oC in the local 6 psu salinity for 1, 4 and 7 days, and vegetative cells were examined with light and scanning electron microscope. Sediments were inhabited by various dinoflagellates, diatoms, chlorophytes, cyanophytes and small flagellates. Germinated dinoflagellates were found in 90% of ballast tanks and in all ports. Gymnodiniales spp. and Heterocapsa rotundata formed a major proportion of the proliferating dinoflagellate cells. One species, Peridinium quinquecorne, not previously reported from the Baltic Sea, was identified with SEM. The study emphasises that ships are potential ...
2007-01-01
This study examined the efficiency of cotton grass fibers in removing diesel oil from the surface of water in conditions prevailing in the Baltic Sea. The effect of low temperature, salinity, and bacterial amendments were tested in laboratory-scale set-ups, whereas 600-L mesocosms filled with Baltic Sea water were used for testing the effects of diesel oil and rapid removal of the oil on microorganisms, phytoplankton, and mussels. Cotton grass proved to be an excellent sorbent for diesel oil from the water surface at a low temperature. Inoculation with diesel-enriched microorganisms enhanced degradation of oil significantly in laboratory-scale experiments. In mesocosm experiments, the addition of diesel oil (0.66 mg/L, 0.533 L/m2) to the basins resulted in higher microbial density than in all other basins, including inoculated ones, suggesting that the ...
2008-01-01
One studies the trans-border transfer and fallout of the post-Chernobyl NPP accident radioactive aerosols the amount of which is higher than 10 mum across Europe. According to the detection of about 20 mum aerodynamic diameter high-active particles in some of the European countries and the calculations of the aerosol fallout with regard to the air mass propagation, the height of the first release was minimum 3000 m and within 10 succeeding days - minimum 700 m. Paper presents the densities of 125Sb, 106Ru, 144Ce, 134Cs and 137Cs fallouts in Finland. All in all, there were 4.3 PBq of 137Cs within the country. One follows the dynamics of 137Cs concentrations in the Baltic Sea surface water in 1974-2005, its bottom depth distribution within 1986-2002, as well as its ...
Impairment of immune function in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) feeding on fish from polluted waters
1994-01-01
Disease outbreaks with high mortality rates among seals and dolphins have recently attracted considerable public and scientific interest. Although in most cases morbillivirus infections were shown to be the primary cause of the disease outbreaks, it was speculated that pollution-induced immunosuppression had played a contributory role. Here we present results of a prospective study under semifield conditions, in which two groups of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were fed herring from marine regions with different contamination levels; the highly polluted Baltic Sea and the relatively unpolluted Atlantic Ocean. During a period of 93 weeks, parameters related to immune function were monitored and compared between the two groups. We found that natural killer-cell activity and mitogen-induced proliferative T-cell responses from the seals feeding on herring from the Baltic Sea were significantly lower. In addition, we observed higher levels of circulating polymorphonuclear granulocytes in these animals, which may indicate an increase in the occurrence of bacterial infections. This is the first demonstration of impaired immunological functions in mammals associated with chronic exposure to environmental contaminants accumulated through the marine food chain. 47 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab
2010-01-01
Alien predators have been recognised as one possible cause for amphibian declines around the world, but little is known of habitat-mediated predation impacts especially on adult amphibians. We studied common frog Rana temporaria under American mink Mustela vison predation in the outer archipelago of the Baltic Sea, south-western Finland. Using egg batches as an index of breeding frog female numbers we compared frog numbers and densities between a large, long-term mink-removal area and a comparable control area. Frog numbers in the removal area were at least 2.7-fold higher than those in the control area. In the presence of mink, frog densities increased with the amount of vegetation cover on the islands, indicating that mink predation affected frog densities especially on less-vegetated is...
2009-01-01
The effect of resuspension on benthic fluxes of oxygen (O2), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (PO43-), silicate (Si(OH)4), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total dissolved iron (Fe) and total dissolved manganese (Mn) was studied at three different stations in the Gulf of Finland (GoF), Baltic Sea during three cruises in June-July 2003, September 2004 and May 2005. The stations were situated on different bottom types in the western, central and eastern part, respectively, of the open GoF. The fluxes were measured in-situ using the autonomous Goteborg benthic lander. To simulate resuspension events, the stirring speed was increased in two of the four chambers of the lander after approximately half of the incubation time. The other two chambers were used as control chambers. Clear ...
Effectiveness of oil spill dispersants at low salinities and low water temperatures
1982-10-01
The effect of ambient low salinity and low temperature in the Baltic Sea on the effectiveness of dispersants was investigated in the laboratory using a MackayNadeau-Steelman apparatus. Three dispersants were tested on two oils (fresh and weathered crude) at different water temperatures (4, 12, and 15/sup 0/C) and different salinities (3, 7, and 12/sup 0//infinity). The results show a strong dependency on water temperature for all the dispersants tested, although one chemical was less sensitive than the others in this respect. The dispersants showed significant differences between their sensitivity to changes in salinity and in the relationships between effectiveness and dosage. The stability of the dispersion obtained seems to be influenced by both type of oil and water temperature, and some difference between the chemicals could be found also in this respect. The parameters studied strongly affected the performance of the dispersants. It is therefore essential to make a careful choice of dispersants for use in low salinity environments such as the Baltic Sea.
2006-01-01
Frequency of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (nuclear buds, bi-nucleated and fragmented-apoptotic cells) was analysed in gill cells of the blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) from selected coastal sites in the Baltic Sea-Kvaedoefjaerden (Sweden), Klaipeda-Butinge zone (Lithuania), Gulf of Gdansk (Poland) and Wismar Bay (Germany). Samples were collected from 650 specimens during bi-annual sampling campaigns in 2001 and 2002. The lowest frequency of MN (0.37 MN/1000 cells) was found in blue mussels from the reference site (Kvaedoefjaerden). The highest MN values (up to 6.7 MN/1000 cells) were registered in blue mussels from the Gulf of Gdansk in autumn 2001 and 2002, and at Wismar Bay in spring 2001 (up to 5.06 MN/1000 cells). Gradients of MN incidences were observed when comparing the three studied locations in Wismar Bay, and at the Lithuanian coast before the ...
1997-01-01
The reactor accident at Chernobyl in 1986 necessitated a massive environmental cleanup that involved over 600,000 workers from all 15 Republics of the former Soviet Union. To determine whether the whole-body radiation received by workers in the course of these decontamination activities resulted in a detectable biological response, over 1,500 blood samples were obtained from cleanup workers sent from two Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia. Here we report the results of studies of biodosimetry using the glycophorin A (GPA) locus in vivo somatic cell mutation assay applied to 734 blood samples from these workers, to 51 control samples from unexposed Baltic populations and to 94 samples from historical U.S. controls. The data reveal inconsistent evidence that the protracted radiation exposures received by these workers resulted in a significant dose-associated ...
Bioaccumulation of sediment-bound Cr-51, Ni-63 and C-14 by benthic invertebrates
2004-07-01
Sediments in many areas of the Baltic Sea are highly contaminated with particle-reactive trace metals and/or radionuclides. These may be re-mobilised into aquatic food chains by bioaccumulation into benthic organisms. In this study, we examined and compared assimilation efficiencies and bioaccumulation kinetics (rates of uptake and elimination) of sediment-associated Cr-51, Ni-63 and organic-associated C- 14 in three common benthic invertebrates from the Baltic Sea (the bivalve Macoma balthica, the amphipod Monoporeia affinis and the priapulid worm Halicryptus spinulosus). There were differences between animals and radionuclides in both the rate of uptake and elimination and the maximum amount accumulated. Understanding how and to what degree different deposit-feeding benthic invertebrates are exposed to and bio-accumulate sediment-associated metals are important for both ecological risk assessment and management decisions in coastal ecosystems. (author)
2010-01-01
Agricultural production and nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea are likely to increase following Poland's and the Baltic States' entrance into the EU. According to HELCOM these trends will be highly dependent on the agricultural policies of the EU. The expansion of the EU can be seen as a window of opportunity where agricultural policy could improve the Baltic Sea environment. Longstanding initiatives with local organic food systems and Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA) in the eight EU-countries in the Baltic Sea drainage area were evaluated during 2001-2004. The empirical results were scaled up to calculate environmental impact and food production for three different scenarios. In one scenario the Baltic Countries and Poland convert their agriculture following the average Swedish produc...
2009-01-01
The Baltic Sea is ecologically unique as one of the world's largest brackish water basins. It was significantly contaminated by radioactivity following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, the major contaminant being long-lived 137Cs. Due to the slow exchange of water between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and the relatively rapid sedimentation rates, radionuclides have prolonged residence times in the Baltic Sea. 137Cs levels are consequently still clearly higher than in other water bodies around the world. In addition to the Chernobyl accident, artificial radionuclides in the Baltic Sea originate from the global fallout following nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s, while discharges into the Baltic Sea from nuclear power plants and other facilities are of minor importance. Here, inventories and the temporal evolution of radionuclides ...
2009-01-01
The Baltic Sea is ecologically unique as one of the worlds largest brackish water basins. It was significantly contaminated by radioactivity following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, the major contaminant being long-lived 137Cs. Due to the slow exchange of water between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and the relatively rapid sedimentation rates, radionuclides have prolonged residence times in the Baltic Sea. 137Cs levels are consequently still clearly higher than in other water bodies around the world. In addition to the Chernobyl accident, artificial radionuclides in the Baltic Sea originate from the global fallout following nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s, while discharges into the Baltic Sea from nuclear power plants and other facilities are of minor importance. Here...
2008-01-01
We found significant population structure and isolation by distance among samples of flounder (Platichthys flesus) in the Baltic, Kattegat and Skagerrak seas using microsatellite genetic markers. This pattern was almost entirely due to a difference between flounder that have demersal spawning in the northern Baltic, as compared to pelagic spawners in the southern Baltic and on the west coast of Sweden. Among demersal spawners we found neither genetic differentiation nor any isolation by distance among sampling sites. We speculate that demersal flounder are descendants of a population that colonized the Baltic previous to pelagic spawners. The demersal flounder may thus have had longer time to adapt to the low salinity in the Baltic, and accordingly display egg characteristics that make it ...
Sedimentation rate in the Baltic Sea
2001-04-01
Varying redox conditions may affect the occurrence and concentrations of certain radionuclides in the surface layers of sediments and in near-bottom waters by causing remobilization of radionuclides from surface sediments to the overlying water and their settling back into the sediment. In recent decades about 70.000 km{sup 2} of the sea bottom in the deepest part of the Baltic Sea (about 19% of its total area) have withstood almost continuous anoxic conditions; thus, it is important to know to what extent depletion of oxygen can affect the behaviour of these radionuclides in near-bottom waters. The aim of the project was to resolve the above question in a coastal basin periodically undergoing anoxic conditions. Radioecological processes in sediments and in near-bottom water under varying redoxconditions were studied in the deep area of the Haestholmsfjaerden Bay in Loviisa (eastern Gulf of Finland) in 1995-1996. The Haestholmsfjaerden Bay is a semienclosed basin between the mainland and the archipelago and is connected with the open Gulf of Finland only through narrow, shallow sounds: In 1995, total depletion of oxygen occurred in the hypolimnion of Haestholmsfjaerden Bay during 2 periods in late summer and autumn. In 1996, oxygen conditions were the worst ever observed in the Haestholmsfjaerden deep. During early autumn anoxic conditions prevailed for more than 1 month in the near-bottom water. The highest total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations in the near-bottom water during these periods were 20- and 4- fold compared with the corresponding values in surface water. According to the results obtained in this project, remobilization of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu from sediments to near-bottom water is negligible or non-existent in the Haestholmsfjaerden deep. If it does occur, however, it may be so slight that it is not possible to observe with the methods used in this study. Although the anoxic periods are quite short in the Haestholmsfjaerden deep, they are of sufficient length for strong remobilization of nutrients. If the initiation of remobilization processes in the case of caesium or plutonium were retarded, then the situation may be different in the deep areas of the Baltic Sea where depletion of oxygen has been almost continuous. (EHS)
2009-01-01
The almost-tideless Tallinn Bay, the Baltic Sea. is one of the few places in the world where high-speed ferries frequently operate close to the shoreline and where wake-waves may have a significant effect on the morphology and the sediment dynamics on medium-energy beaches, in particular, because of the difference of the wake propagation direction from that of dominant wind waves. The properties of ship waves were measured continuously during four weeks in summer 2008 offshore from a semi-sheltered beach located ~2700 m from the sailing line. Beach profiles were measured up to several times a day for more than 20 days. An adjacent jetty restricts sediment transport from the east. Overnight and during high-energy wave conditions. wind generated waves build the beach adjacent to the jetty. During calm periods the beach is not replenished and significant loss of sediment across the beach profile is evident due to ship wakes. The beach therefore, never reaches an equilibrium shape, as might normally be expected on the up-drift side of a groin. Instead, the area offshore adjacent to the jetty serves as a sink for the beach sediments. Publisher: Coastal Education and Research Foundation Format: application/pdf Other identifier: Soomere, T., Parnell, K.E., and Didenkulova, I. (2009) Implications of fast-ferry wakes for semi-sheltered beaches: a case study at Aegna Island, Baltic Sea. Journal of Coastal Research, 56 (1). pp. 128-132. ISSN 1551-5036
2004-07-01
Recent studies of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (L.) from the southern Baltic (the Gulf of Gdansk) have revealed striking morphological, histological and cytogenetic features. Strong deformation of the shell, including elongation of the posterior end and the appearance of an easily visible flexure in this part, has been recorded. The population contribution of the deformed blunt shelled ('irregular') clams ranged from 0% to 65% and tended to increase with depth. The morphologically 'irregular' clams had higher accumulated tissue concentrations of trace metals (As, Ag, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn), indicating a different metal handling ability. Adverse conditions in deeper water regions of the Gulf (e.g. hypoxia, hydrogen sulphide, elevated bioavailability of contaminants) have been suggested as inducers of the phenotypical changes (morphological deformation) in part of the population and, in parallel, of the specific physiological adaptations that result in higher metal accumulation in the 'irregular' clams. Cytogenetic and histological analyses showed the presence of tumours in gill cells and digestive system of the affected clams, the prevalence of disseminated neoplasia ranging from 0% to 94% depending on the site. The disease was manifested by a modified karyotype (i.e. an abnormal number and morphology of chromosomes), a higher activity of nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), and tissue lesions (enlarged cells, actively proliferative with pleomorphic nuclei). Bottom sediments showed acute toxicity and have been proposed as a source of an initialising carcinogenic factor. However, none of the ecotoxicological studies provided was successful in the clear demonstration of a single (or multifactorial) agent that can account for the disseminated neoplasia.
Inter-individual variability in telomere length is highly heritable and has been correlated with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our aim was to determine the association of mean leukocyte telomere length with paternal history of premature myocardial infarction (MI). Mean leukocyte telomere length was measured with real-time polymerase chain reactions in 369 male students (18–28 years) with a paternal history of MI before the age of 55, recruited from 14 European universities, serving as cases and 396 age-matched controls with no paternal history of CHD. Overall, cases had borderline significantly shorter mean length (~550 bp), adjusted for age and geographical region, than controls (p = 0.05). A significant difference in telomere length across the geographical regions of Europe was observed (p < 0.0001), with shorter mean length in the Baltic and South and the longest in the Middle. The case–control difference (∼2.24 kb) in mean length was highly significant only in the Baltic region (p < 0.0001). There is suggestive evidence that, in young men, the biological expression of a paternal history of premature MI is at least in part mediated through inherited short telomeres. The association with paternal history of MI is strongly seen only in the Baltic compared to the rest of Europe, but this is not explained by shorter telomere length in this region.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00109-008-0347-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Predation Danger Can Explain Changes in Timing of Migration: The Case of the Barnacle Goose
Full Text Available.Understanding stopover decisions of long-distance migratory birds is crucial for conservation and management of these species along their migratory flyway. Recently, an increasing number of Barnacle geese breeding in the Russian Arctic have delayed their departure from their wintering site in the Netherlands by approximately one month and have reduced their staging duration at stopover sites in the Baltic accordingly. Consequently, this extended stay increases agricultural damage in the Netherlands. Using a dynamic state variable approach we explored three hypotheses about the underlying causes of these changes in migratory behavior, possibly related to changes in (i) onset of spring, (ii) potential intake rates and (iii) predation danger at wintering and stopover sites. Our simulations showed that the observed advance in onset of spring contradicts the observed delay of departure, whereas both increased predation danger and decreased intake rates in the Baltic can explain the delay. Decreased intake rates are expected as a result of increased competition for food in the growing Barnacle goose population. However, the effect of predation danger in the model was particularly strong, and we hypothesize that Barnacle geese avoid Baltic stopover sites as a response to the rapidly increasing number of avian predators in the area. Therefore, danger should be considered as an important factor influencing Barnacle goose migratory behavior, and receive more attention in empirical studies.
1993-02-01
This paper shows the results after 12 years growth in a provenance trial with Norway spruce at Naessja, county of Gaestrikland in central Sweden. The trial was established in a randomized block design with four replicates and plots with 25 trees. The spacing was 0.6 m and 103 provenances were included in the study. The provenances were divided into six provenance regions: Finland, northern Sweden, southern Sweden, the Baltic States, Belorussia and central Europe. After 12 years growth assessments were made of height and occurrence of lammas shoots, damaged leaders and spike knots. The Belorussian and the central European provenances had the highest mean height in the early assessments, up to age five. At 12 years of age, the southern Swedish and Baltic provenances showed the highest mean height. The most promising provenances were found in the eastern parts of Latvia and Lithuania. The difference in height at 12 years of age between south Swedish, Baltic and Belorussian provenances was not significant. The central European provenances had the lowest mean height at 12 years. The frequency of trees with lammas shoots was high both at four and 12 years of age. Both frequency of lammas shoots and height growth showed a clinal variation in the Swedish and Finnish regions. Regression analysis indicated that a transfer of two latitude degrees to the north gave an increased height growth of 6% compared to the local provenance. The correlation between growth rhythm, frost damage and growth are discussed. The influence of free growth on the ranking in height growth between provenances is also discussed. 27 refs, 9 figs, 5 tabs
Radioactivity in the Baltic Sea 1992-1998
2003-07-01
Since 1984, the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention have collected monitoring data on radionuclides in the Baltic Sea. The data covers concentrations of radioactivity in the Baltic marine environment and discharges from nuclear installations (nuclear power plants and nuclear research facilities) in the catchment area of the Baltic Sea. Additionally, important sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Baltic Sea have been considered - namely atmospheric fallout from nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident, and discharges into sea from European reprocessing facilities at Sellafield in the UK and La Hague in France. Due to the relatively slow exchange of water between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, contaminants such as anthropogenic radionuclides have a prolonged residence time in the Baltic Sea. Levels of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs are consequently still high in the Baltic Sea compared with other water bodies around the world. Strontium-90 contamination originates from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, which peaked in the 1960's and led to direct input to the Baltic Sea from atmospheric fallout, and to delayed input via rivers. Caesium-137 was also released during atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, but the related input was small compared to the direct input from the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The delayed input of {sup 137}Cs to the Baltic Sea from rivers is smaller than the direct atmospheric fallout of {sup 137}Cs, and also much smaller than delayed inputs of {sup 90}Sr, since due to its chemical properties, caesium is less mobile in the environment than strontium. The anthropogenic radionuclides present in the Baltic Sea originate from several sources and modes of input. Direct atmospheric fallout has accounted for the main inputs, from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and from the Chernobyl accident. Run-off from the land into sea via rivers has also contributed significantly for {sup 90}Sr, and to a lesser extent for {sup 137}Cs. Hydrodynamic transport has been significant for radionuclides from European nuclear reprocessing facilities, even though these are located beyond the North Sea, and far away from the Baltic Sea. Only a small proprotion of the total radioactive discharges into the sea from these facilities is estimated to reach the Baltic Sea, but on a relative scale this input is significant for the Baltic Sea. Finally, direct discharges into the Baltic Sea occur in coastal waters from the routine operations of nuclear facilities along the shores of the Baltic Sea itself. These discharges are very low, however, and are authorised by national regulatory authorities. Other anthropogenic radionuclides are present in the Baltic Sea, but {sup 137}Cs is by far the most important radionuclide with respect to radiation doses to humans. Since the Chernobyl accident in 1986, the levels of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Baltic Sea have generally declined mainly due to radioactive decay and the gradual outflow of water through the Belt Sea and the Kattegat. However, increased discharges of radionuclides into the Irish sea from Sellafield since 1994 have affected European coastal waters including the Baltic Sea, which receives small but measurable amounts of technetium-99 in inflow from the North Sea. This report describes the work carried out by the MORS group during the period 1992-1998 concerning radioactive substances in the Baltic Sea. Chapter 2 lists the sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Baltic Sea. Chapter 3 describes the monitoring network which forms the backbone of the HELCOM Recommendation 18/1 on monitoring activities. Chapter 4 describes the work carried out on the analytical quality of the monitoring data. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 describe the levels of radionuclides in seawater, sediments and biota, respectively. Chapter 8 describes the modelling of radioactivity in the Baltic Sea, and Chapter 9 covers the assessment of radiation doses to humans from radioactivity in the Baltic Sea. (orig.)
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