Commission staff working document
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http://www.swedishepa.se/In-English/Start/EU-and-international-cooperation/Swedish-EPAs-work-in-the-EU/The-Baltic-Sea-Strategy/Priority-area-3/ In the Baltic Sea region, hazardous substances, including organic contaminants, metals, pharmaceuticals and sunken chemical weapons, continue to be a risk for the environment and for human health. Environmental concentrations of some hazardous substances, such as lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are considerably lower today than 40 years ago. However, the number of chemicals to which humans are exposed and that are released into the environment, has increased substantially. There is a lack of knowledge of their combined effects and diffuse sources. This priority area therefore focuses on both preventive measures and on how to reduce the effects of hazardous substances already released into the environment. Due to their persistence and bioaccumulative properties, many hazardous substances remain in the environment for a very long time and may accumulate in the food chain were they can cause adverse effects, including toxicity and health and reproductive problems, especially in top predators. This may also have negative consequences on human health, as, for example, some Baltic Sea fish contain dioxin levels exceeding the EU maximum allowable levels for food. Hazardous chemicals continue to reach the water environment, and new environmental problems emerge, for example the release of perfluorinated substances and pharmaceutical products. Many hotspots in the Baltic Sea area have been remediated and the relative contribution of chemical substances from diffuse sources is increasing. The predominant vector for hazardous chemicals, such as mercury, cadmium and dioxins, to the Baltic Sea region is the atmosphere. Mercury concentrations in some fish are exceed the level safe for human consumption, and the daily human intake of cadmium from food is so high in parts of the Baltic Sea region that there is a risk of kidney lesions and of bone damage. Long-range transport of contaminants has to be addressed on the EU and international level. Furthermore, the extent of organic and inorganic contaminants and heavy metals, released from chemical and conventional munitions sunk in the Baltic Sea, is not quantified. The effects of chemical warfare agents and their breakdown products on the ecosystem need to be understood to monitor the situation effectively. Natural platforms for cooperation for this priority area include HELCOM. Targets and indicatorsA comprehensive system for the design, the monitoring and the follow-up of indicators and targets will be set up in 2013, under the responsibility of the priority area coordinator. The still missing targets and deadline, baseline, and statistics/information sources related to the below indicators will be defined. Targets and indicators for priority area ‘Hazard’ have been developed in line with existing and developing targets and indicators in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
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