Marine mammals are top predators in the food chain, which increases the probability of detecting changes in ecosystems and high levels of hazardous substances. Substances found in low levels in fish can be enriched and detected in high levels in seals and porpoises, which makes them suitable as indicator organisms for early detection of changes in the environment. The primary aim of the monitoring is to study the long-term effects of hazardous substances and other human activities affecting the marine environment by documenting population development for grey seals, harbor seals, ringed seals and harbor porpoises in combination with studies of cause of death, health, diseases and chemical analyzes. Marine mammals (bycatch, hunted or found dead for unknown reasons) are collected and investigated each year. Monitoring of Baltic seal healths started in 1975 and was expanded with ongoing health and disease monitoring of marine mammals in 2020. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects. Comment: D8C2 was not in the list for the feature Adverse effects on species and habitats, but this criteria is relevant for this programme.

Monitoring, where biological effects are studied at both subcellular and cellular levels, can be used to describe the general state of health of different organisms and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the toxicity of unknown and known substances in a study area. The national monitoring of the health status of coastal fish aims to use proven and sensitive methods to demonstrate the presence and effects in fish of a possible large-scale impact of hazardous substances in coastal reference areas in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The aim of the monitoring is to be able to describe the current state of the environment in coastal reference areas regarding effects of mainly hazardous substances on the state of fish health by following time trends of biochemical, physiological, histological and pathological effect variables in fish. The surveys shall also provide reference data for surveys on fish in regionally and locally affected areas and provide a basis for monitoring environmental quality objectives, regional environmental objectives and the effects of measures taken to reduce chemical emissions. The national monitoring of fish health began with surveys of perch in 1988 in the Baltic Sea and in 1989 the programme was expanded with eelpout from the North Sea. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects.

White-tailed eagles are at the top of the food chain in the Baltic Sea, which makes the species particularly exposed to hazardous substances. White-tailed eagles can show high levels of persistent organic compounds that are also enriched in their adipose tissue. The white-tailed eagle was one of the earliest animal species to signal the problems of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea, which was expressed as a greatly reduced reproductive success. The primary purpose of the monitoring is to study effects and demonstrate long-term load changes of hazardous substances in the marine environment by documenting the reproductive capacity and population development of the white-tailed eagle population along the Swedish Baltic coast. Observed reproduction figures are compared with background levels from the time before the impact of environmental toxins. Other than the main areas that are included in national monitoring there are also monitoring in other areas based on voulontary actions, but this is mostly conducted by elderly persons, so the future of these ations are rather uncertain, therefore we only included MRU:s covered by national monitoring. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects.

Air pollutants can travel long distances in the atmosphere before reaching land, inland water or sea via dry deposition or precipitation. Emissions of pollutants to air come primarily from combustion (for example, vehicle traffic and burning with fossil fuels), metal production, wind transport of sand and by the spread of ammonia from manure into the air. The SEPA, municipalities and air conservation associations monitor air quality in Sweden, through measurements and model calculations of air pollution. Frequency of monitoring varies from daily to monthly. Emission data from Swedish industries are available to the public on the website ”Utsläpp i siffror”, where the information is retrieved from the environmental reports for the facilities that are required to submit an emission declaration (according to Appendix 1 in the Environmental Report Regulation (NFS 2016: 8)). Information in the environmental reports is also annually reported to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR). Sweden's modeling of air pollutants is part of the internationally coordinated European monitoring and evaluation program (EMEP) under the UN Convention on Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). Substances deposited over land and lakes can be spread to the sea and this input is thus captured in the calculations of inputs of pollutants from land. Substances deposited directly on the sea surface are calculated using models under C-LRTAP by EMEP. This information is used in the Swedish marine management based on reports that EMEP delivers to HELCOM and OSPAR. EMEP receives data from countries within the UN Economic Commission for Europe as well as data on international shipping, and produces various model products, e.g. deposition on the sea surface and source distributions showing which countries and sectors the air pollutants come from. Input data are not used to assess the state of the environment, but as the load can cause a number of negative effects on the ecosystem, it is used to identify the causes of impacts, design necessary measures, and to follow up effects of implemented measures. The monitoring of the inputs of nutrients and metals to the sea via the atmosphere began in 1979, when the collection of Swedish data for Helcom and Emep began at a station in northern Sweden. The measurements of organic hazardous substances started in 1994.

Nutrients and hazardous substances in the sea often come from sources on land, such as agriculture, forestry, fish farms, industries, stormwater and sewage treatment plants. The pollutants are added to the sea via direct discharges and runoff from land. The total inputs from land are calculated annually based on measured levels of nutrients and hazardous substances in larger estuaries, measured water flows and reported discharges to coastal waters from industrial and municipal point sources. Approximately every six years, calculations are also made of the source distribution, that is, a survey of the sources of the nutrients that end up in the sea. This includes both point sources and diffuse sources of inland waters, including atmospheric deposition. Input data are not used to assess the state of the environment, but as the input can cause a number of negative effects on the ecosystem, it is used to identify the causes of impacts, design necessary measures, and to follow up effects of implemented measures.

Bathing water in lakes and seas in Sweden is monitored in the summers and serves several purposes. Each sampling is a current assessment of the water quality at the bathing site and the municipality informs the public if there are risks with bathing. For the bathing sites covered by the Bathing Water Directive (2006/7 / EC), a historical assessment of the bathing water is also carried out, where the bathing sites are classified based on results from four years back in time. In the event of long-term or short-term pollution in EU baths, the public is informed and measures are taken. The aim of the Bathing Water Directive is for Member States to achieve good bathing water quality and a high level of protection. Bathing water can contain various infectious substances, toxins from phytoplankton or cyanobacteria or other pollutants that can cause diseases and other health-related problems. Faecal contaminated water can contain pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. Accidental ingestion of contaminated water can mainly cause gastrointestinal symptoms. When monitoring EU baths, levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci are analyzed. These bacteria are normally found in the feces of humans and other warm-blooded animals and therefore act as indicators of fecal contamination. At each sampling occasion, an ocular inspection is also performed to detect algal blooms or marine litter. Bathing sites that are not covered by the Bathing Water Directive are often monitored in the same way as EU bathing sites by the municipalities, although this is not mandatory. Monitoring frequence varies from weekly to 2-weekly during the bathing water season (21 June-29 August in the south, 15 July-15 August in the North).

Tributyl tin (TBT) and other organic tin compounds have previously been used as an additive in boat bottom paint because the substance is very effective against biofouling. Unfortunately, TBT has been shown to be extremely toxic and can cause damage to marine life in very low concentrations and is therefore a priority in marine monitoring. Restrictions and bans on the use of TBT-based paints on boats were introduced in many countries starting in the mid-1980s, and the use of these substances is now completely banned. Organic tin compounds are unfortunately percistent and often accumulate in sediments and will continue to have a negative impact on the environment for a long time to come. TBT can disrupt the production of the hormones that control the development, growth and reproduction in animals and can lead to the formation of male sex characteristics, such as the penis and spermatic cords in snails. This phenomenon which is irreversible is called imposex and can lead to reduced reproductive capacity. The disorder has so far been observed in about a hundred snail species in the world. Of these species, Tritia nitida and Peringia ulvae are used in the Swedish monitoring. The purpose of the monitoring is to monitor long-term changes in the marine environment with regard to concentrations and effects of organic tin compounds. The monitoring started in 2003 in the North sea region and 2008 in the Baltic sea. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects.

Monoporeia affinis is a small benthic crustacean that occurs in the Baltic Sea and is a relic from the ice age. Monoporeia affinis is sensitive to hazardous substances found in sediments and other environmental impacts and therefore works well as an indicator species. Environmental monitoring, where biological effects are studied, can be used to describe the general state of health of various organisms and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the toxicity of unknown and known substances in a study area. Registering the incidence of malformed eggs and embryos of Monoporeia affinis is a sensitive method for detecting environmental changes, including exposure to hazardous substances. The purpose of the monitoring is to detect long-term changes in pressures, mainly of metals and organic pollutants, by documenting biological effects with the help of the embryonic development of Monoporeia affinis. The monitoring thus primarily follow changes in environmental conditions with regard to anthropogenic pollutants, but also follow changes in the oxygen situation and other influencing factors such as food supply at the bottom as well as climate change. The monitored areas are selected to provide information on as many sea basins as possible and to provide the opportunity for possible surveys in more affected areas. In order for the results to be used as a reference for surveys in more polluted areas, the sampling stations are located in areas that are unaffected by local emissions. During 2020-2021, the monitoring of the effects of hazardous substances will be evaluated in order to be able to optimize the monitoring programmes both in terms of coverage and costs and to provide a better basis for state assessment and determining the causes of the effects. In particular, biochemical markers and markers for genotoxicity are evaluated as a complement to field studies of embryo malformations and other reproductive variables.

Emissions of oil and other harmful substances entail a significant risk to the surrounding marine environment by, for example, causing acute toxic effects or permanent damage such as suffocation. The purpose of the monitoring is therefore to monitor activities at sea in order to be able to detect and combat emissions at an early stage. The operation also performs mapping and follow-up of identified locations where the consequences of an emission, or the risk of emission, are greatest, as well as established critical time periods when the consequences of an emission and the probability of emission are greatest. When a discharge is detected, a visual assessment is made and, if necessary, sampling of the discharge is also performed to obtain more information.

Radionuclides in the marine environment are monitored through both national monitoring and local monitoring at the nuclear facilities. The national monitoring aims to monitor how the levels in the environment change in the long term and on a large scale and is mainly focused on cesium-137, which mainly originates from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and from the atmospheric atomic bomb tests carried out during the 1950s and 1960s. The local monitoring consists partly of control of emissions and partly of sampling and measurement according to an environmental program for radioactive substances in the local environment. The purpose of the latter is to verify that the levels of radioactive substances continue to remain at a low level and that no major releases have taken place that have not been detected through the emission control. The measurements in the local environment also provide knowledge of long-term trends and can be used to validate the calculation methods used to calculate the radiation dose to the public. The results from the measurements in the local environment also provide important knowledge about what it looked like in the surroundings before a possible accident. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's 16 sediment stations are visited every five years, and The Swedish Radiation Safety Authoritys' (SSM) supplementary stations are visited annually. The national monitoring is generally performed once a year, with the exception of the stations where data are reported to OSPAR, where sampling of water and fish is performed twice a year. The programmes for local environmental monitoring are based on the five nuclear facilities and cover the surrounding stretch of coast with a total of just over 140 sampling stations. Sampling is performed annually with sampling frequencies that vary between monthly (epiphytes), quarterly (sediment) and once a year (macrovegetation and benthic fauna). Every four years, an intensive programme is carried out with an increased number of sampling stations, and where a deeper sediment profile is also obtained at each facility for analysis regarding the content of radioactive substances. Concentrations in the following species are monitored: Clupea harengus, Gadus morhua, Zoarces viviparus, Perca fluviatilis, Anguilla anguilla, Esox lucius, Myxocephalus scorpius, Platichtys flesus, Symphodus melops, Chelon labrosus, Homarus gammarus, Cancer pagurus, Cancer maenas, Fucus vesiculosus, Cladophora sp, Fucus serratus, E

Many substances, both metals and organic pollutants, are adsorbed into particles in the sediments and the sediment can therefore constitute a potential swale for pollutants. Sediment is therefore a suitable material to monitor to follow conditions and trends of hazardous substances exposure as well as dispersal patterns of hazardous substances. With the national monitoring, we aim to monitor large-scale changes and diffuse impacts, for example via long-distance transport, and consequently the sampling stations are located so that they are as far as possible unaffected by local emissions. This makes the results suitable for use as reference sites for the local monitoring. The local monitoring is carried out in more affected areas adjacent to cities, ports, industries, sewage treatment plants or estuaries. Monitoring frequency varies from every 5 to 10 years In addition to the elements listed below, Alpha-Chlordan, α-Endosulfan and β-Endosulfan is also monitored (were not part of the Reference List).

Examples of animals that ingest hazardous substances are mussels, fish and seabirds. By measuring concentrations of hazardous substances in samples from these animals, the contaminant load in a sea basin can be reflected. The purpose of the national monitoring is to monitor how the levels of a number of hazardous substances vary over time at selected stations and between stations in reference areas (areas unaffected by local sources) in order to monitor the effects of bans and restrictions on emissions and to generate representative reference values for regional and local hazardous substances studies. Parts of the material collected are saved in the Swedish Museum of Natural History's environmental specimen bank for future retrospective analyzes of currently both known and unknown substances. When analyzing mussels, perch and eelpout, which are stationary species, the hazardous substances load is reflected in a smaller, delimited area, while the analyzes of cod and herring, which move over larger areas, better reflect the general load in a larger area. With the national monitoring, we aim to monitor large-scale changes and diffuse impacts, for example via long-distance transport, and consequently the sampling stations are located so that they are as far as possible unaffected by local emissions. This makes the results suitable for use as reference sites for the local monitoring. The local monitoring is carried out in more affected areas adjacent to cities, ports, industries, sewage treatment plants or estuaries. The monitoring started in 1968 in the Baltic Sea and in 1979 in the North Sea. An extra collection of mussels also takes place approximately every five years in a reference network along large parts of Sweden's coast that enables analysis of oil-related substances before and after a discharge.