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The impact of enhanced and reduced UVB radiation (UVBR) on pelagic ecosystems was studied during two mesocosm experiments in May and June/July 1994. The ambient UVBR exposure was either reduced with mylar foil or artificially enhanced with UVB fluorescent tubes. Developments in the phytoplankton communities were followed during 11 and 8 day periods using several structural and functional parameters. In the May experiment, enhanced UVBR significantly stimulated carbon dioxide fixation, activity of alkaline phosphatase and content of fatty acids. In the June-July experi- ment, the effects induced by changed UVBR were smaller with some indications of decreased algal biomass with enhanced UVBR. Several of the measured parameters indicated that the two experi- ments represented different stages in the plankton community development. In the May experiment, the community was in a development stage, moving from nutrient-replete to nutrient-depleted conditions, while the community in June/July was depleted of nutrients from the start. The stimulating effects of UVBR in May are suggested to be the secondary effects of a photochemically induced breakdown of dissolved organic matter, resulting in an increase in available nutrients.

Four indoor model ecosystems with natural plankton communities have been run. Two of the systems are exposed to artificial photosynthetic active radiation (PAR, 20 W m−2 for 16 h per day) and UV-B radiation (≈ 0.64 W m−2 for 6 h per day), while the other two are exposed to PAR only. Photosynthesis, nitrogen uptake, nutrient concentrations and contents of chlorophyll, particulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are followed for six days, Photosynthesis and drlorophyli content are significantly reduced by the UV-B radition whilst uptakes of nitrate and ammonia are less affected. The contents of particulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are always as high. or higher. in the UV-B-exposed communities as in the controls, while the content of chlorophyll a is reduced. Together with an increased cell number of bacterial predators, this indicates that the biomass of heterotrophs is enhanced in the UV-B-exposed communities.

The effects of tri-butyl-tin (TBT) on autotrophic pico-, nano and microplankton were assessed by a marine enclosure experiment. In accordance with the pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT) concept, an increased tolerance was found for microplankton in enclosures amended with 0.01, 0.6 and 10 nM TBT. In contrast, nanoplankton showed increased tolerance only in an enclosure amended with 10 nM TBT. Neither the entire phytoplankton community nor picoplankton showed increased tolerance. These observations are discussed in terms of the ecology of pico-, nano- and microplankton. In all enclosures amended with TBT, primary production by nanoplankton declined, and primary production by picoplankton increased: changes that are interpreted as indirect effects of TBT. A comparison of TBT levels found in polluted coastal areas and in off-shore areas indicates that phytoplankton communities might be affected by TBT. Size fractionated measurements of TBT tolerance in phytoplankton communities were proven to increase the sensitivity of the PICT concept.

Measuring loads of bioavailable metals is important for environmental assessment near mines and other industrial sources. In this study, a setup of monitoring buoys was tested to assess loads of bioavailable metals near a former Pb-Zn mine in West Greenland using transplanted seaweed, mussels and sea snails. In addition, passive DGT samplers were installed. After a 9-day deployment period, concentrations of especially Pb, Zn and Fe in the species were all markedly elevated at the monitoring sites closest to the mine. Lead concentrations in all three species and the DGT-Pb results showed a significant linear correlation. Zinc and Fe concentrations were less correlated indicating that the mechanisms for Zn and Fe accumulation in the three species are more complex. The results show that there is still a significant load of metals from the mine and that such buoys can be an adequate method to assess present loads of bioavailable metals.

A major need in ecotoxicology is the development of sensitive and robust ecotoxicological methods to detect the effects of toxic substances in complex aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated how copper and atrazine affect the tolerance of microalgal communities and the succession of species. The effects of atrazine and copper on microalgal communities in large freshwater enclosures were investigated for a 20-day period. The community's tolerance of copper and atrazine was determined by short-term photosynthesis tests. Species composition was evaluated using a similarity index and multivariant analysis. In enclosures exposed to copper, tolerance gradually increased during the experiment. In the enclosures exposed to the highest copper concentration (0.24 μM), an increased tolerance of copper was found in phytoplankton communities even after 2 days, and in the enclosure exposed to the lowest copper concentration (0.016 μM), increased tolerance was found after 12 days. In accordance with the PICT (pollution-induced community tolerance) concept, the added copper was sufficient to affect the phytoplankton community, as was confirmed by changes in species composition. Communities exposed to increased copper concentrations also showed increased tolerance for zinc, indicating common tolerance mechanisms for copper and zinc. The effects of atrazine in the enclosures were small and did not induce changes in community tolerance for atrazine or diuron, although the same concentration was high enough to reduce photosynthesis activity by 20% in the short-term test and cause minor changes in species composition. Tolerance levels in phytoplankton and periphyton communities were compared. Neither copper nor atrazine induced changes in the tolerance of the periphyton communities. The short-term EC50 values for atrazine were very similar in periphyton and phytoplankton communities, but for copper, EC50 values for periphyton were about ten times higher than for phytoplankton.

In the waste water treatment process in sewage treatment plants, sewage sludge is produced as a by-product. The sludge contains nitrogen and phosphorus that originate from the waste water. In addition to these nutrients, sludge also contains micronutrients and organic matter. Many of these substances are required for the production of food and they can be recycled by using sludge as a fertiliser on farm lands. Phosphorus is the nutrient that is of primary interest at present. This is due to the fact that phosphorus is a finite resource that is mined and has various levels of unwanted impurities. In the foreseeable future, there will be a shortage of phosphorus ore with low levels of impurities. Ores with higher levels of impurities may also be used in the production of mineral fertilisers in the future, but it may require that energy demanding cleaning techniques are used. Such a scenario will lead to higher market prices for phosphorus fertilisers, which may have social consequences on a global scale. It is therefore crucial that the available phosphorus is used efficiently, from an economic, environmental and social perspective.

Fish from Nordic fish farms have been criticized for containing "too high" concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) among others dioxin and PCB. These allegations have caused debate and may have a negative effect on the sale of products from Nordic fish farms in addition to giving a generally bad reputation that affects more or less all Nordic fish farms. It is generally agreed that the relatively high concentrations of POPs detected in fish from Nordic fish farms are caused by the high concentrations of POPs in the fish feed produced and used in the Nordic countries. Beside potential health effects caused by high POP contents in the fish fillet, the surrounding environment may be impacted as well, not only by excreted POPs but also by veterinary medicines used in the fish farms. In Nordic fish farms, veterinary medicines are mainly used therapeutically against different infectious diseases. The amount of veterinary medicines used varies from year to year and in some years, considerable amounts have been used. The major environmental concern in relation to the use of veterinary medicines is the potential occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the naturally occurring micro flora.

Inhibition of primary production by UV-B radiation (UVBR) in Kings Bay, western Spitsbergen, was modelled using measured physical and biological data. The underwater radiation regime was modelled using continuous measurements of incoming radiation and repeated measurements of underwater attenuation of Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) and UVBR. By using attenuation measurements, P/I curves and UVBR sensitivity measurements, we modelled the reduction of primary production in the photic zone for 14 days. We also calculated how the estimate was dependent on the different factors. The model showed that, on average, 2.9 % of the primary production was inhibited by UVBR, assuming that the inhibition is a function of the UVBR irradiance. If the ozone layer were reduced to 200 DU, the inhibition would increase to 4.4% using unweighted UVBR values. The model indicated that at ambient ozone levels the inhibition was practically independent of the chosen weighting function, but the choice was critical when predicting the effects of a depleted ozone layer. At 200 DU, using DNA weighting, the inhibition was 14.4% but using erythema weighting it was 6.5%. Different P/I curves did not change the estimate while changes in water attenuation gave results in the range 1.6–5.2%. The most uncertain factor in the model was the estimate of the sensitivity of primary production. Using four different in situ incubations, the estimated integrated reduction in primary production caused by UVBR ranged from 0.05–4.1%.

Extrapolating toxicant effects with a fixed application factor (AF) approach or one of the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) models presumes that toxicant effects on single, individual-level endpoints reflect effects at the ecosystem level. Measured effect concentrations on plankton from multispecies field tests using tributyltin (TBT) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) were compared with published laboratory single-species test results and measured in situ concentrations. Extrapolation methods were evaluated by comparing predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs), calculated by AF and SSD models with NOECs and E(L)C 50 s obtained from field studies. Overall, structural parameters were more sensitive than functional ones. Measured effect concentrations covered approximately the same range between laboratory and field experiments. Both SSD and AF approaches provide PNECs that appear to be protective for ecosystems. The AF approach is simpler to apply than the SSD models and results in PNECs that are no less conservative. Calculated PNEC values and the lowest field effect concentrations were lower than measured environmental concentrations for both substances, indicating that they may pose a risk to marine ecosystems.

The fate of esfenvalerate was investigated by sampling and chemical analysis after spraying of an artificial pond (25 g a.i./ha) and in the laboratory with [14C]esfenvalerate by trapping of 14CO2 and fractionation of the sediment. The effects were investigated on pelagic communities in enclosures in a natural lake and in the laboratory on surface (Cymatia coleoptrata) and sediment (Chironomus riparius) insects. The latter were used in sediment-plus-water and in water-only tests, measuring effects on emergence and mortality. The measurements in the artificial pond indicated exposure concentrations in the surface microlayer, water column, and sediment of 0.4 microgram/L, 0.05 microgram/L, and 9 micrograms/kg dry weight, respectively, two weeks after application. The degradation studies showed a limited mineralization (26.5%) of [chorophenyl-14C]esfenvalerate during 112 d. Part of the substance was transformed to water-soluble compounds (18.1%) or compounds attached to fulvic acids (26.2%), humic acids (14.2%), or nonextractable sediment constituents (8.8%). The formulated product Sumi-Alpha 5 FW caused 100% mortality to Cymatia coleoptrata after surface application of 0.13 g a.i/ha. Effects on zooplankton were recorded at 0.005 microgram/L of esfenvalerate. The 96-h median lethal concentration for first-instar larvae of Chironomus riparius was 0.13 microgram/L, whereas the delayed emergence lowest-observed-effect concentration was 0.8 microgram/L.

The purpose of the project is to increase the knowledge on the effects of using dispersants on oil spills in high arctic areas: more precisely, to investigate accumulation in and effects on high arctic copepods. Such knowledge is crucial for performing a robust net environmental benefit analysis prior to making a decision as to whether or not dispersant may be allowed as an operational oil spill response in high arctic sea areas.

Polonium-210 (210Po) is a radionuclide sentinel as it bioaccumulates in marine organisms, thereby being the main contributor to committed dietary doses in seafood consumers. Although seafood and marine mammals are an important part of the traditional Inuit diet, there is a general lack of information on the 210Po concentrations in the Greenlandic marine food chain leading to the human consumer. Here, we determine background 210Po concentrations in edible parts of different marine organisms from Greenland and provide a dose assessment. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), organs of ringed seal (Pusa hispida) and polar bear (Ursus maritimus) displayed significantly elevated 210Po concentrations in respect to all other studied organisms (p < 0.001). 210Po concentrations ranged from 0.02 Bq kg-1, w.w. in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) muscle to 78 Bq kg-1, w.w. and 202 Bq kg-1, w.w. in ringed seal muscle and kidneys, respectively. 210Po concentration ratio for edible parts increases in the order bladderwrack (Fucus Vesiculosus), northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), blue mussels, and from fish species to ringed seal and polar bear. 210Po distribution in fish, ringed seal, and polar bear follows a general pattern, the lowest concentrations were in muscle, and the highest concentrations were in the organs involved in metabolism. The derived 210Po annual absorbed dose in edible parts of studied marine organisms are several orders of magnitude lower than the recommended dose rate screening value of 10 μGy h-1. Effective doses from intake of 210Po to Greenland average children (1.4 mSv y-1), and high seafood and marine mammal consumers (2 mSv y-1 for adults and 3.6 mSv y-1 for children) are higher than the world average annual effective dose due to ingestion of naturally occurring radionuclides.

14 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, The factors controlling prokaryote abundance and activity along salinity gradients were investigated in the Bras del Port solar saltern system (Alacant, Spain) in May 1999. Specific growth rates were high and prokaryote abundance relatively low at the lowest (seawater) salinities; the opposite was found at higher salinities. Experiments were carried out in representative salterns at salinities of 4 to 37 %, to test whether prokaryote abundance and growth rate were (1) limited by inorganic or organic nutrients (nutrient addition experiments), (2) limited by cell abundance (dilution experiments), or (3) affected by zooplankton cascading down to affect the prokaryote predators. Low-salinity ponds were limited by organic nutrients, while high-salinity ponds responded slightly only to dilution. Zooplankton affected prokaryote growth rates particularly in the medium-salinity ponds. In the low salinity ponds, zooplankton effects were weak and probably indirect (through increased supply of organic matter). Neither organic matter limitation nor zooplankton predation pressure affected prokaryote development in the higher salinity ponds. We suggest that 3 types of functional communities occur in the same saltern system: (1) an active, substrate-limited community in the low salinity ponds; (2) an active, grazer-controlled community in the medium salinity ponds; and (3) a possibly dormant, probably substrate-limited, community in the high salinity ponds. However, the results at the highest salinities were equivocal, because the dilution manipulation had detrimental effects, artificially decreasing the contribution of the haloarchaea, which were essential contributors to the total activity in the saltern. Bacterial taxonomic community composition was also determined in these experiments by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses on 16S rRNA genes, and showed very small changes in community composition in the experimental manipulations. Together with the known microbial community structure and composition at differing salinities along the gradient, our results show that functional aspects of the microbial food web also vary between salterns, This study was supported by EU contract MIDAS MAS3-CT97-0154. Final preparation of the ms was supported by EU contract BASICS (EVK3-CT-2002-00078) and MCyT project MICRODIFF (REN2001-2120/MAR)

Polonium-210 (210Po) is a radionuclide sentinel as it bioaccumulates in marine organisms, thereby being the main contributor to committed dietary doses in seafood consumers. Although seafood and marine mammals are an important part of the traditional Inuit diet, there is a general lack of information on the 210Po concentrations in the Greenlandic marine food chain leading to the human consumer. Here, we determine background 210Po concentrations in edible parts of different marine organisms from Greenland and provide a dose assessment. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), organs of ringed seal (Pusa hispida) and polar bear (Ursus maritimus) displayed significantly elevated 210Po concentrations in respect to all other studied organisms (p< 0.001). 210Po concentrations ranged from 0.02 Bq kg-1, w.w. in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) muscle to 78 Bq kg-1, w.w. and 202 Bq kg-1, w.w. in ringed seal muscle and kidneys, respectively. 210Po concentration ratio for edible parts increases in the order bladderwrack (Fucus Vesiculosus), northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), blue mussels, and from fish species to ringed seal and polar bear. 210Po distribution in fish, ringed seal, and polar bear follows a general pattern, the lowest concentrations were in muscle, and the highest concentrations were in the organs involved in metabolism. The derived 210Po annual absorbed dose in edible parts of studied marine organisms are several orders of magnitude lower than the recommended dose rate screening value of 10 µGy h-1. Effective doses from intake of 210Po to Greenland average children (1.4 mSv y-1), and high seafood and marine mammal consumers (2 mSv y-1 for adults and 3.6 mSv y-1 for children) are higher than the world average annual effective dose due to ingestion of naturally occurring radionuclides. This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Environment and Food, Denmark, the DCE – Danish Center for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University, Denmark, and The Environmental Agency for Mineral Resources Activities (EAMRA), Greenland. Samples were collected during several field-work expeditions in Greenland as well as under the annual and biannual sampling under the Danish AMAP CORE programme sponsored by the DANCEA Programme. The Ministry of Fisheries, Hunting, and Agriculture in Greenland, the hunters and colleagues, and local organisers involved in these sampling are greatly acknowledged.Radon and its decay products are the primary sources of the population’s natural exposure to ionizing radiation and the second cause of lung cancer after smoking. A total of 459 radon (222Rn) measurements in 257 residential homes in south Greenland, encompassing 41% of the Greenland population, were carried out, and a dose assessment for adults was performed. A year-long continuous measurement of the indoor radon activity concentration has shown a range of ̴ 0 - 1300 Bq m-3. The annual average of indoor radon was 10.5 ± 0.2 Bq m-3 in Nuuk, 139.0 ± 1.0 Bq m-3 in Narsaq, 42.1 ± 0.7 Bq m-3 in Qaqortoq, and estimated 48.2 ± 0.6 Bq m-3 for South Greenland adult population. In South Greenland, the total number of residential homes where indoor radon exceeds 100 Bq m-3, 200 Bq m-3, and 300 Bq m-3 is 37 homes (15.0%), 13 homes (5.2%), and 8 homes (3.2%), respectively. The contribution of indoor radon to the annual effective dose to an average adult was 0.5 mSv in Nuuk, 6.5 mSv in Narsaq, 2.0 mSv in Qaqortoq, and 2.3 mSv for South Greenland. The estimated annual average dose to adults in Narsaq is higher than the world's average annual effective dose due to inhalation of indoor radon and higher than the dose to adults in Nordic countries as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and several EU and non-EU countries.

This chapter focuses on the impact and regulation of regular oil-exploration activities in the marine environment. It provides a short introduction to the challenges facing the management of the marine ecosystem and to the regulatory framework for oil activities in Greenland. The chapter describes how research and monitoring are an integrated part of the planning, the mitigation of negative impact and the regulatory process of oil-exploration activities. It also focuses on three topics: the development of strategic environmental impact assessments (SEIAs, also called SEAs); drilling discharges during the most recent drilling campaigns in West Greenland; and the noise from seismic surveys in Baffin Bay 2012. The chapter demonstrates how the authorities in some cases have to deal with considerable uncertainty due to lack of basic knowledge, and how they manage to do so in an adaptive manner. It discusses how research and monitoring are fundamental for implementing ecosystem-based management when adapting to Arctic change.

This paper introduces and gives an overview of different projects conducted as part of the EU Horizon 2020 research project GRACE (Integrated oil spill response actions and environmental effects). The main objective of the projects was to improve the knowledge base for combating oil spills in Arctic waters. Hence, the projects focus on developing, comparing and evaluating the effectiveness and environmental effects of different oil spill response methods in an Arctic climate. The paper will include results of experimental work performed in Greenland coastal waters in the following subprojects: 1. In situ burning field trials in Greenland coastal waters 2017. Two burns were completed; offshore and near the coast. Focus will be on environmental impacts from the burns and lessons learned with respect to increased usability of in situ burning. 2. Studies on natural removal of stranded oil on rocky coasts in Greenland. Focus will be on the effects of oil smothering and removal of oil from rocky coast with respects to oil types, degradation by sunlight and wave wash. 3. Future work as a follow up on the GRACE project. Introduction of work that are planned to be completed in Northeast Greenland summer 2019.