Beach litter sources around Nuuk, Greenland: An analysis by UArctic summer school graduate course students.

Modeling studies illustrate the potential for long-range transport of plastics into the Arctic, although the degree to which this occurs remains relatively undocumented. We utilised a teaching exercise at a UArctic summer school graduate course in Nuuk, Greenland to conduct a preliminary in-depth analysis of beach litter sources in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord. Students and instructors collected and analysed 1800 litter items weighing 200 kg from one location in the fjord and another at its mouth.

Characterization of foamed plastic litter on Danish reference beaches - Pollution assessment and multivariate exploratory analysis.

Foamed litter comprise a significant amount of the pollution at beaches globally. This group represents a variety of foamed items and fragments originating from different applications and sources. Although foamed plastic contributes importantly to the marine environmental pollution, there is generally limited knowledge of the composition of this litter pool.

Residual additives in marine microplastics and their risk assessment - A critical review.

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the risk assessment of plastic-associated residual additives, i.e. residual monomers, degradation products and additives, in the marine environment, also considering effects of weathering and bioavailability.

A risk assessment review of mercury exposure in Arctic marine and terrestrial mammals.

There has been a considerable number of reports on Hg concentrations in Arctic mammals since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of the exposure to mercury (Hg) in Arctic biota in 2010 and 2018. Here, we provide an update on the state of the knowledge of health risk associated with Hg concentrations in Arctic marine and terrestrial mammal species. Using available population-specific data post-2000, our ultimate goal is to provide an updated evidence-based estimate of the risk for adverse health effects from Hg exposure in Arctic mammal species at the individual and population level.

A risk assessment of the effects of mercury on Baltic Sea, Greater North Sea and North Atlantic wildlife, fish and bivalves.

A wide range of species, including marine mammals, seabirds, birds of prey, fish and bivalves, were investigated for potential population health risks resulting from contemporary (post 2000) mercury (Hg) exposure, using novel risk thresholds based on literature and de novo contamination data. The main geographic focus is on the Baltic Sea, while data from the same species in adjacent waters, such as the Greater North Sea and North Atlantic, were included for comparative purposes. For marine mammals, 23% of the groups, each composing individuals of a specific sex and maturity from the same species in a specific study region, showed Hg-concentrations within the High Risk Category (HRC) and Severe Risk Category (SRC).

Classification and Quantification of Microplastics (<100 μm) Using a Focal Plane Array-Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging System and Machine Learning.

Microplastics are defined as microscopic plastic particles in the range from few micrometers and up to 5 mm. These small particles are classified as primary microplastics when they are manufactured in this size range, whereas secondary microplastics arise from the fragmentation of larger objects. Microplastics are widespread emerging pollutants, and investigations are underway to determine potential harmfulness to biota and human health.

Risk assessment of added chemicals in plastics in the Danish marine environment.

A risk assessment framework for direct exposure of residual additives and monomers present in ingested plastic particles, including microplastics, in the Danish marine environment, was presented. Eight cases of different polymer types and product groups were defined that represent the most significant exposures, and thus potential high-risk cases, towards marine organisms. Risk Quotients (RQ) were calculated for three trophic levels, i.

SNP genotyping reveals substructuring in weakly differentiated populations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from diverse environments in the Baltic Sea.

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is one of the most important fish species in northern Europe for several reasons including its predator status in marine ecosystems, its historical role in fisheries, its potential in aquaculture and its strong public profile. However, due to over-exploitation in the North Atlantic and changes in the ecosystem, many cod populations have been reduced in size and genetic diversity. Cod populations in the Baltic Proper, Kattegat and North Sea have been analyzed using a species specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array.

Persistent organic pollutants and related biological responses measured in coastal fish using chemical and biological screening methods.

The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution, levels of dioxin-like compounds (DLC), and biological responses in two fish species. The viviparous eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) was collected from various locations in the Baltic Sea and in fjords of Kattegat and Skagerrak, while shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) was obtained at the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) polluted site in North West Greenland. Significant differences were detected both in contaminant levels and relative contributions from either polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD) or polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF or furans) and mono-ortho- and non-ortho (coplanar) polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB).

Total tin and organotin speciation in historic layers of antifouling paint on leisure boat hulls.

Despite their ban on small vessels in 1989 in the EU, organotin compounds (OTCs) are still being released into the environment due to their presence in historic paint layers on leisure boats. 23 paint samples scraped from recreational boats from three countries around the Baltic Sea were analyzed for total tin (Sn) and OTCs. Two antifouling paint products were also subjected to the same analyses.

Biomarker responses in eelpouts from four coastal areas in Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

To increase our understanding of possible chemical impacts on coastal fish populations in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak, the viviparous eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) was used as sentinel species in two major sampling campaigns (spring and autumn) in 16 different coastal sites. Condition factor (CF), liver somatic index (LSI), gonad somatic index (GSI) were measured and the activity of the hepatic enzymes ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione reductase GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and muscular activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were assessed. PAH metabolites in bile were also analyzed.

Development and testing of a prototype tool for integrated assessment of chemical status in marine environments.

We report the development and application of a prototype tool for integrated assessment of chemical status in aquatic environments based on substance- and matrix-specific environmental assessment criteria (thresholds). The Chemical Status Assessment Tool (CHASE) integrates data on hazardous substances in water, sediments and biota as well as bio-effect indicators and is based on a substance- or bio-effect-specific calculation of a 'contamination ratio' being the ratio between an observed concentration and a threshold value. Values <1.

Ecotoxicological investigation of the effect of accumulation of PAH and possible impact of dispersant in resting high arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus.

Due to high lipid content and a slow metabolism, there is a higher risk of bioaccumulation of oil compounds in Arctic than in temperate copepods. There is also a concern that the bioavailability of oil compounds is higher when oil is dispersed with dispersants. The purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge on how the use of dispersants on an oil spill may affect the passive uptake of PAHs in resting high arctic copepods using Calanus hyperboreus as a model organism.

Pristine Arctic: background mapping of PAHs, PAH metabolites and inorganic trace elements in the North-Atlantic Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal environment.

As the ice cap of the Arctic diminishes due to global warming, the polar sailing route will be open larger parts of the year. These changes are likely to increase the pollution load on the pristine Arctic due to large vessel traffic from specific contaminant groups, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A well-documented baseline for PAH concentrations in the biota in the remote regions of the Nordic Seas and the sub-Arctic is currently limited, but will be vital in order to assess future changes in PAH contamination in the region.

Development of tools for integrated monitoring and assessment of hazardous substances and their biological effects in the Baltic Sea.

The need to develop biological effects monitoring to facilitate a reliable assessment of hazardous substances has been emphasized in the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission. An integrated chemical-biological approach is vitally important for the understanding and proper assessment of anthropogenic pressures and their effects on the Baltic Sea. Such an approach is also necessary for prudent management aiming at safeguarding the sustainable use of ecosystem goods and Services.

Evaluating pyrene toxicity on Arctic key copepod species Calanus hyperboreus.

Calanus hyperboreus is a key species in the Arctic regions because of its abundance and role in the Arctic food web. Exploitation of the off shore oil reserves along Western Greenland is expected in the near future, and it is important to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of oil emissions to the ecosystem. In this study C.

Endocrine-disrupting effects of compounds in Danish streams.

Effluents from municipal wastewater-treatment plants and scattered dwellings, as well as runoff from agricultural fields, are sources of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the aquatic environment. The present study investigated the correlation between the occurrence of EDCs in nine Danish streams using passive samplers (polar organic integrative samplers and silicone membranes) and determined their possible biological effects as assessed by mammal cell cultures and the mussel (Unio tumidus). The passive samplers and mussels were exposed simultaneously at the study sites.

Abnormalities in eelpout Zoarces viviparus upon chemical exposure.

Elevated frequencies of abnormal embryos in female eelpout Zoarces viviparus have been demonstrated in Danish, Swedish and German monitoring programmes at certain geographic locations with high levels of anthropogenic input. Pollutants present in areas with high malformation frequencies were selected and tested in a controlled laboratory experiment for their potential to induce abnormalities among eelpout embryos upon injection into pregnant eelpout. Tributyltin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, pyrene, nonylphenol, 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromophenylether and heptadecafluorooctanesulfonic acid were tested, either individually or combined.

PAH biomarkers in common eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) from Danish waters.

Eelpouts (Zoarces viviparus) sampled at surveillance stations during the fall of 2007 and spring 2008 in different Danish coastal areas, were studied for biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure and effects. Two analytical techniques, synchronous fluorescence spectrometry (SFS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC/F), were applied for detecting PAH metabolites in bile and urine. CYP1A activity, in this study regarded as potential biomarker of effect, was measured as 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in liver of eelpouts from different stations.

Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) in marine environmental monitoring.

The implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive necessitates the development of common criteria and methodological standards for marine environmental monitoring and assessment across Europe. Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) is proposed as a key indicator organism in the Baltic and North Sea regions. This benthic fish species is widely used in ecotoxicological studies and as a bioindicator of local pollution due to its stationary behavior.

Metals and organotins in multiple bivalve species in a one-off global survey.

The Galathea 3 expedition circumnavigated the globe in 2006-2007 and collected marine samples from six continents. Bivalves were collected from harbours, other impacted locations and reference sites, and samples from 57 sites were analyzed for metals and 47 for organotins, to assess current contamination levels on a global scale. Metal concentrations in nine bivalve species were normalised to the Mytilidae family using conversion factors based on cosampled species and literature bioconcentration factors.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a one-off global survey of bivalves.

During the Danish Galathea 3 expedition, bivalve samples were collected at the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Ghana, South Africa, Australia, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Chile, US Virgin Islands, Boston, Newfoundland and Shetland Islands and analysed for organochlorines and PAHs. Concentration differences of up to three orders of magnitude were observed, with the highest concentrations at Boston harbour (SPCB 338 ng g(-1) dw, ΣSPAH 5966 ng g(-1) dw) and the Sydney estuary (ΣSPCB 282 ng g(-1) dw, SPAH 1453 ng g(-1) dw). Local impacts were also found for the Greenland capital Nuuk in terms of PCB and PAH levels, while other Greenland samples came closest to representing PAH background levels.

Genetic variation of Zoarces viviparus: six populations revisited after about 35 years.

Totally, 417 eelpouts from six localities were collected in November-December 2007. Among these, 314 were females and from 246 of these females, one offspring was collected. The selected populations were also studied 36-38 years ago with the same technique, horizontal starch gel electrophoresis.

Use of caged Nucella lapillus and Crassostrea gigas to monitor tributyltin-induced bioeffects in Irish coastal waters.

Caging studies have been previously reported to be useful for providing valuable information on biological effects of mollusks over short periods of time where resident species are absent. The degree of imposex in caged dog whelk (Nucella lapillus), was measured using the vas deferens sequence index (VSDI) and the Relative Penis Size Index (RPSI) and the extent of shell thickening in caged Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) was investigated at t = 0 and t = 18 weeks. Nucella lapillus, when provided with mussels as a food source at the control site at Omey Island on the west Irish coast, did not demonstrate imposex features, whereas those transplanted to port areas did.