Tag: Industrial & municipal releases

of a first-of-its-kind study on pharmaceuticals flows from waste waters in St. Petersburg has been published as part of the findings of HELCOM BASE Project. An estimated load of 400kg of a common anti-inflammatory pain killer ends up via River Neva to the Gulf of Finland annually.  he results clearly indicate that the currently employed waste water treatment processes are insufficient for the anti-inflammatory drug and much ends up in the Baltic Sea with a probable negative effect on living organisms. Therefore an improvement of technology is the first necessary step to take. Consuming less pharmaceuticals or substituting persistent substances with greener more environmentally friendly ones is another goal. he new study also found that the concentration of the pain killer Diclofenac in the out-going waste water was often higher than in unpurified sewage water. This phenomenon can be explained by the liberation of Diclofenac during the waste water treatment process. Similar observations have been made at a number of other waste water treatment plants elsewhere in the world. lso a common synthetic hormone (Ethinylestradiol, EE2) was studied. Concluding from pharmaceutical sales statistics and population analysis of St. Petersburg, the amount of EE2 excreted into the sewage system did not exceed 315 g per year which means that the concentration of the hormone in purified waste water was not significant. ithin the study, naturally produced human estrogen E1 was found in raw sewage and, based on the results of the chemical analysis, approximately 40 kg of E1 is excreted annually. In the effluent, E1 was detected in only three out of 31 samples; the average concentration in the effluent was therefore judged to be below the detection limit of 10 ng/L.  Pharmaceuticals and their harmful effects in waterways are a growing concern and only recently, the elevated concentrations have been measured in the marine environment, and also in the Baltic Sea. Baltic Sea is especially sensitive since it is the final basin of the pharmaceuticals residues consumed by more than 80 million people. The BASE Project component to identify sources and flow patterns of pharmaceuticals in St. Petersburg to the Baltic Sea focused on three substances: a common synthetic hormone and a natural hormone, as well as the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac. All of them are included in European Union’s pharmaceuticals monitoring watch list, from 2013. The sampling series were carried out at St. Petersburg’s Central, Northern and South-Western treatment plants. The EU-funded HELCOM Project on Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in Russia (BASE) has cooperated on these previously unstudied concerns with the State Unitary Enterprise Vodokanal of St. Petersburg.  * * *Note for editors: (2012–2014) supports the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan () in Russia.  BASE addresses altogether three priority areas of the HELCOM BSAP: eutrophication, hazardous substances, and biodiversity and nature protection. Within BASE, monitoring activities to support and measure the progress within the abovementioned segments are also being carried out. The pilot projects (See: components) are implemented by experts from Russia with the support of EU experts, while the overall Project, funded by EU, is managed by the HELCOM Secretariat and St. Petersburg Public Organization “Ecology and Business”. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For more information, please contactVladimir NikiforovScientific Research Center for Ecological SafetyRussian Academy of SciencesTel. +7 921 9354408E-mail: vovanikiforov(at)yahoo.co.uk Niina VienoEnvieno KyTel. +358 50 544 8431E-mail: niina.vieno(at)envieno.com Johanna LaurilaInformation Secretary, HELCOMTel.  +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The final report of a first-of-its-kind study on pharmaceuticals flows from waste waters in St. Petersburg has been published as part of the findings of HELCOM BASE Project.

A made in St. Petersburg, Russia, has found that the waste water
treatment process reduces effectively the amount of micro-sized plastics in
waste water. However, it is also possible that the waste water treatment plants
themselves constitute a point source of microplastic litter into the Baltic Sea
aquatic environment. is a growing concern; it harms the coastal and marine environments
ecologically, economically as well as socially.  Public and scientific interest in microplastic waste in marine
environment has increased considerably in recent years, but relatively little
is known about the sources of these fragments less than 5mm in size. The
EU-funded HELCOM commissioned the study from Helsinki Region Environmental Services
Authority () and the State
Unitary Enterprise “”. HSY has developed a microplastic sampling method targeted at
waste water and now applied in the joint study. One of the results of the research
project is the transfer of knowledge of the procedures and methodology for
studying microplastics in this context. Thanks to this successful cooperation
the Vodokanal of St. Petersburg will be able to continue microplastic research
independently.>>Annual global plastic production keeps increasing, and it is evaluated
that marine litter consists by 60–80 % of plastics, most of it being very small
and called microplastics. The smallest particles are especially problematic because they are very persistent; they
potentially transport harmful substances more efficiently than larger
particles; and they can be ingested actively by small organisms with rapid
metabolism and potentially accumulate in the food web.>>Despite the plastic litter being a growing concern, only
a few studies exist globally about the sources of microplastics, and also the
methods of sampling and analyzing lack standards. >>In the new report, the amount of microplastic was studied by sampling
the wastewater at the beginning of the purification process as well as during
and after the process. Water samples were filtered through different mesh-sized
filters using a specific filter device. 
All samples were inspected under a light microscope and microplastics
were identified and counted. The methodology has been successfully used in a
pilot study at Viikinmäki WWTP (in 2012 and 2013). >>Due to the preliminary status of the research project, the gained results
– the treatment process reducing effectively the amount of micro-sized litter
but a part of it also ending up in the environment – must be seen as indicative.
In order to evaluate the actual role of waste water treatment plants in the
total microplastic load of the marine environment, a more detailed
investigation is needed into the amount and types of microplastic litter in
wastewaters and in natural waters. Furthermore, extensive studies of other
possible sources are needed.  > * * *Note for editors: (2012–2014) supports
the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan () in Russia. 
BASE addresses altogether three priority areas of the HELCOM BSAP:
eutrophication, hazardous substances, and biodiversity and nature protection.
Within BASE, monitoring activities to support and measure the progress within
the abovementioned segments are also being carried out. The pilot projects
(See: ) are implemented by experts from Russia with the support of EU experts,
while the overall Project, funded by EU, is managed by the HELCOM Secretariat
and St. Petersburg Public Organization “”. #160;The Baltic Marine Environment Protection
Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental
organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union
working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of
pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM
has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine
Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki
Convention. #160;* * *For further information, please contact:Saija Vuola
Project Manager
HELCOM BASE
Tel: +358 40 668 4657 
Skype: helcom48
E-mail: saija.vuola(at)helcom.fi>>Mari
Heinonen>Process
Manager >Helsinki
Region Environmental Services Authority HSY>Tel.
+358 9 1561 3187>E-mail:
mari.heinonen(at)hsy.fi >>

Johanna Laurila
Information Secretary
HELCOM
Tel: +358 40 523 8988
Skype: helcom70
E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

The results say that the treatment process reduces effectively the amount of micro-sized plastics in waste water while a part of it also ends up in the water environment.

​Better sewage sludge handling, which would improve phosphorus recycling and reduce its losses to the Baltic marine environment, as well as the monitoring results of phosphogypsum waste handling site in Wiślinka, Poland, have been key items in the of the HELCOM Land-Based Pollution Group (), continuing today in Gdansk, Poland. Since the early 2000s the LAND Group has been meeting yearly, to discuss actions to limit emissions and discharges of nutrients from land-based sources from the Baltic Sea catchment, including transboundary pollution. The Group involves the major regional actors including all coastal governments, EU, HELCOM Observers and other key stakeholders.  he 2013 HELCOM called for sustainable use of nutrients in the Baltic Sea Region. To respond to this call, the Gdansk Meeting 14-16 May is considering the draft HELCOM Recommendation on sewage sludge handling which is being prepared by Germany and Sweden. Waste water treatment sector generates vast amounts of sludge with high nutrient content that could be utilised sustainably with due environmental precautions. Having a set of specific requirements on sewage sludge handling would also respond to the topical issue of nutrient recycling. quot;In normal operation of a waste water treatment plant, the generated sewage sludge contains nutrients, micronutrients and particles that can be utilised on arable land for production of crops. Catching phosphorus from waste water is a sustainable way to save nutrient resources for farming. Sludge can be also utilized for energy recovery. Besides, if phosphorus from sewage sludge is not handled properly or collected for reuse, there is a risk of its leaking to the Baltic Sea”, says Leonid Korovin, Chair of HELCOM LAND Group.  The most recent information on phosphogypsum waste handling site in Wiślinka, Poland, was addressed in the Meeting yesterday. The Meeting welcomed the new plans to divert drainage waters from around the phosphogypsum waste stack back to the production cycle at Fosfory Plant in Gdansk that would reduce potential threat of nutrients leakage into the Baltic. The Meeting also invited Poland to submit the environmental review report in English to the Contracting Parties to ease the follow-up of national information provided at the Meeting. The joint Polish-Finnish samplings in the vicinity of the Wiślinka phosphogypsum dumpsite last year were a follow-up to the implementation of requirements of HELCOM Recommendation “Reduction of Pollution from Discharges into Water, Emissions into the Atmosphere and Phosphogypsum out of the Production of Fertilizers”. ollowing the decision by 2013 Ministerial Meeting to continuously assess potential significant sources of nutrient pollution on land e.g. industries, fur- and fish-farming, and when needed, address them with abatement measures and/or emission limits, the Meeting may consider which sector of industry/source, potentially contributing to nutrient pollution and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, could be screened in a similar detailed manner than handling of phosphogypsum waste from fertilizer industry. Specific focus would be on the environmental performance and application of Best Available Technologies/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) for reduction of inputs of nutrients, as well as hazardous substances. Other items in the intense agenda of the Meeting will be related to pharmaceuticals, concerning national reporting as well as pilot study in St. Petersburg within the HELCOM-EU BASE Project); process towards development of the regional action plan on marine litter; as well as remaining hot spots in the region, among others. All the documents can be accessed after the Meeting in the Meeting site (). * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Mikhail Durkin Professional Secretary – LAND Group, AGRI/ENV FORUM, FISH/ENV FORUM Tel. +358 46 850 9195 Skype: helcom04 E-mail: mikhail.durkin@helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(@)helcom.fi

Better sewage sludge handling as well as the monitoring of waste handling sites have been key items in the ongoing Meeting of the HELCOM Land-Based Pollution Group (LAND).

​First pilot results on pharmaceutical flows and microplastic litter from St. Petersburg waste waters to the Baltic Sea were published today in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the XV International Environmental Forum – Baltic Sea Day. The activities of HELCOM to tackle these increasing environmental threats has discovered that a common anti-inflammatory drug, very difficult to remove in treatment process, can be found in waste water, while concentrations of the 2 examined hormones are low. As per microplastics, the study has found that the treatment process reduces effectively the amount of micro-sized litter, but a part of them also ends up in the water environment. The EU-funded HELCOM Project on Implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in Russia (BASE) has cooperated on these previously unstudied concerns with the State Unitary Enterprise Vodokanal of St. Petersburg. Vodokanal is a water and waste water company at the forefront of exploring new issues in Russia. The BASE Project component to identify sources and flow patterns of pharmaceuticals in St. Petersburg to the Baltic Sea focuses on three substances: a common synthetic hormone and a natural hormone, as well as diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug. All of them are included in European Union’s pharmaceuticals monitoring watch list, established last year.  Pharmaceuticals and their harmful effects in waterways are a growing concern and only recently, the elevated concentrations have been measured also in the marine environment, and also in the Baltic Sea. Baltic Sea is especially sensitive since it is the final basin of the pharmaceuticals residues consumed by more than 80 million people.  The pilot study on microplastics in waste waters was carried out in the central waste water treatment plant at SUE Vodokanal of St. Petersburg. It is too early to estimate well the proportion of plastics from all the examined micro-sized litter, out of which some pass the purification process. The samples from this study are stored for possible further research. Annual global plastic production keeps increasing, and it is evaluated that marine litter consists 60–80 % of plastics, most of it being very small and called microplastics. However, only a few studies exist globally about the sources of microplastics, and also the methods of sampling and analysing lack standards. Within HELCOM BASE Project, current methodology and experience of microplastic research will be applied in St. Petersburg waste waters. * * *Note for editors:Baltic Sea Day is an international environmental forum organized annually in St. Petersburg, this year for the 15th time. It brings together hundreds of environmental experts. This year’s event, supported by HELCOM, is focusing mainly on monitoring activities, maritime spatial planning, green technologies and practices, hazardous substances, environmental farming practices, impacts of human activity on marine biodiversity, transboundary rivers and, on the Gulf of Finland Year 2014. Experts engage in several roundtable discussions on 19–21 March 2014.   The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact Saija VuolaProject Manager, BASETel. +358 40 6684657E-mail: saija.vuola(at)helcom.fi Ekaterina VorobyevaProject Manager, BASETel. +7 905 222 9437E-mail: vorobyeva(at)helcom.ru Johanna LaurilaInformation Secretary, HELCOMTel.  +358 40 523 8988E-mail: Johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

First results of pilot studies on urban waste water show that a common painkiller pollutes the Sea.

​Helping to minimize impact of any disposed material containing heavy metals and other hazardous substances is the ultimate goal of the dredged material Baltic expert meeting continuing today. HELCOM Guidelines which concern dredged material needs revising, the last being adopted in 2007, to better follow processes at the global level () and in the neighbouring marine regions such as North-East Atlantic (). The 2-day expert group meeting looks closely into recent legislative and technological developments and project outcomes related to dredging, in order to optimally update the guidelines for the Baltic Sea area.   Dredging is essential to maintain navigation in ports and harbours as well as for developing port facilities. However, dredging represents one of the human pressures onto marine environment hence it impacts sea floor integrity; releases and relocates contamination; and disturbs sea life by noise, turbidity and siltation. Bottom sediments being dredged, especially within port areas, often contain a cocktail of hazardous substances accumulated there as a result of human activities upstream. Only material which is considered “clean” can be disposed at sea.  Some of the dredged material from within the Baltic Sea area is, by its nature, either uncontaminated or only slightly contaminated by human activity – i.e. at, or close to, natural background levels. Such material can be utilised for various beneficial purposes such as land reclamation, beach nourishing and dykes.  The revised HELCOM Guidelines for the disposal of dredged material at sea should address options for sustainable handling of both contaminated and “clean” material, avoiding loss of resources and at the same time not compromising good environmental status.  * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has governed the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information, please contact:Mikhail Durkin Professional Secretary  – LAND Group, AGRI/ENV FORUM, FISH/ENV FORUM E-mail: mikhail.durkin@helcom.fiTel. +358 46 850 9195 Skype: helcom04 Johanna Laurila Information Secretary Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail:

Helping to minimize impact of any disposed material containing heavy metals and other hazardous substances is the ultimate goal of the dredged material Baltic expert meeting.

​High-level decisions expected for a healthier Baltic Sea marine environment 3 October 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark – New targets for nutrient input reductions for the Baltic Sea per each Baltic coastal state are expected to be adopted today by HELCOM Contracting Parties, consisting of all the nine Baltic coastal states and the European Union, in the 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The targets will be an important part of the new Ministerial outcome which will set the overall direction for regional actions for a healthier marine environment of the Baltic Sea. Other major decisions expected today concern environmentally friendly shipping and, in particular, a joint proposal to apply for the NOx Emission Control Area (NECA) status for the Baltic Sea, as well as agriculture and more specifically, nutrient balanced fertilisation practices. A key focus of the Meeting is on HELCOM work to reduce nutrient inputs which cause eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. The HELCOM nutrient input reduction scheme has been subject to extensive review in the past years, for ensuring a solid scientific basis and a fair sharing of the reduction burden. Finally today, the updated, jointly agreed figures on maximum allowable inputs and reduction targets for HELCOM countries are put forward for adoptionThe substantial potential to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from ships, if the Baltic Sea is designated with a special NECA status for the Baltic Sea, has led to preparing of a joint HELCOM application to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The timing of submitting the application to IMO for such a designation will be another major issue for the ministers. The intensive negotiations preceding today’s high-level gathering have also addressed agricultural practices in the region, such as applying nutrient accounting at farm level by 2018. Positive examples in some HELCOM countries may pave the way to decisions on nutrient balanced fertilisation across the whole region and less nutrient losses. Targeted and cost-effective measures on manure handling are also a part of the draft Ministerial Declaration. Other items waiting for ministers’ decisions today include an amendment of the Helsinki Convention which more explicitly calls for international response to pollution accidents on shoreline. In contrast to the established framework on response cooperation at sea, which has been in place since the 1970s adoption of the Helsinki Convention, such shoreline response has so far largely been a national matter. Furthermore, several decisions by the Ministerial Meeting would result in fewer pressures on biodiversity as well as improvements in the conservation measures for instance of species, habitats and biotopes.Since the adoption of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in 2007, this is the second Ministerial Meeting, following the Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in 2010, to assess the effectiveness of the Action Plan and subsequent progress towards Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea. The 2013 Ministerial Meeting relies on the assessing of how far the region has come in the implementation of HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP, 2007–2021). This careful groundwork has also explored any positive trends and signs of decreasing pollution which could be observed as a result of the actions taken.  Out of all the measures and actions agreed in the Baltic Sea Action Plan, as well as following up the 2010 Moscow Ministerial Declaration, about one third of actions have been accomplished. Six out of ten measures have been partly accomplished or are still on-going with varying degree of implementation in different countries, and the remaining ten per cent are still to be initiated.Please note that the outcome of the Ministerial meeting will be summarized today for the press starting at 11.45 (CET+1hrs). The Declaration will be available after the Meeting at: Twitter: #HELCOM2013 * * *Note for editors: starts at 9:00 on 3 October 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The high-level representatives of Environmental Ministries from the nine Baltic coastal states and the EU Environment Commissioner gather to discuss the status and the future of the Baltic Sea marine environment. The Meeting reviews the progress in implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan (2007–2021) and sets priorities for action. The Ministerial Declaration, signed at noon, revolves around the still unsatisfactory status of the Baltic Sea; the ecosystem approach as the basis for blue and green growth, the opportunities for more coherent policies and implementation, as well as committing to do more for a healthier Baltic Sea.The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. HELCOM works since 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” more usually known as the Helsinki Convention. * * *For further information:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: Skype: helcom70

New targets for nutrient input reductions for the Baltic Sea per each Baltic coastal state are expected to be adopted today by HELCOM Contracting Parties.

The Ministers of the Environment and High-Level Representatives of the nine Baltic coastal countries and the European Union, convened in a HELCOM Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark today, have reached an agreement on a package of extensive actions and measures. This will open up new themes to be addressed in the protection of the Baltic Sea. After a year of negotiations, the new HELCOM Ministerial outcome expresses the ambition of the Baltic Sea region to become a model for good management of human activities and to steer regional actions for reaching a healthier marine environment for the Baltic Sea.  Today the Ministerial Meeting has adopted an overarching scheme for combatting eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. Within the scheme, each country commits to fulfil particular targets for reducing nutrient pollution, through measures addressing discharges and emissions from land and via air. The updated targets represent the best available knowledge and give guidance to sharing responsibility for reducing nutrient inputs originating from both HELCOM and non-HELCOM countries, as well as from shipping and sources outside the region.  Agriculture was singled out as a crucial sector for the success of reaching good environmental status of the Baltic. Regarding sustainable agricultural production, the Meeting agreed, among others, on measures that include annual nutrient accounting at farm level and environmentally sound utilization of manure nutrients to be achieved by the specific deadlines.  The future designation of the Baltic Sea as a Nitrogen Oxide Emission Control Area (NECA) under the MARPOL Convention of the International Maritime Organisation emerged as the main topic for negotiations among the Ministers. After lengthy negotiations the Meeting concluded by recalling the earlier commitment regarding the designation, and specified that it would lead to a reduction of nearly 7000 tons of nitrogen to the sea every year. The outcome further stresses that the achievement of the Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication relies on additional reduction efforts by shipping sector. The regional cooperation on preparedness and response to pollution especially on shoreline will now improve thanks to the adoption of an amendment to the Helsinki Convention providing the legal basis for HELCOM work. Furthermore, the new HELCOM Recommendation on airborne surveillance of illegal spills from ships enables more flexible border crossings of the patrol aircrafts, for more efficient gathering of evidence on environmental offenses.   The new Declaration also contains actions on Baltic marine protected areas. Some of them target fisheries practices with negative impacts in protected areas and others overall upgrading of the network of the areas. Furthermore, conservation plans for species, habitats and biotopes which are at risk of extinction will be developed.  New ways of biodiversity protection include a regional action plan for marine litter, to be developed within two years, as well as actions on negative impacts of underwater noise.  The Contracting Parties agreed that the implementation of all commitments in the declaration will be continuously reviewed by the Ministers. To support the continuous assessment of the state of the sea, the Meeting agreed on a new Monitoring and Assessment Strategy. Since the adoption of the Baltic Sea Action Plan in 2007, this is the second Ministerial Meeting, following the Ministerial Meeting in Moscow in 2010, to assess the effectiveness of the Action Plan and subsequent progress towards good environmental status of the Baltic Sea.  Out of all the measures and actions agreed in the Baltic Sea Action Plan as well as following up the 2010 Ministerial Declaration, about one third of agreed actions have been accomplished. Six out of ten measures have been partly accomplished or are still on-going with varying degree of implementation in different countries, and the remaining ten per cent are still to be initiated. * * *Reduction targets Changes in the country-wise nutrient reduction targets for nitrogen and phosphorus per country: 2007 – as in HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Pla2013 – as adopted by the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting on 3 October 2013* = figures after ‘+’ refer to loads originating from the country but being discharged to the Sea via another country; additional specific footnotes to the above table can be found in the text of the Ministerial Declaration * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. HELCOM has worked since 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” more usually known as the Helsinki Convention. Associated documents for the Ministerial Meeting at:   * * *For further information, please contact:Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: Skype: helcom70 

The new HELCOM Ministerial outcome, issued today, expresses the ambition of the Baltic Sea region to become a model…

A recently released
on climate change in the Baltic Sea area looks into historical and more
recent changes in the region’s climate and changes that are projected
to take place in the future. The new assessment is an important
contribution to the ,
to be held next Thursday in Copenhagen, Denmark. Climate is an
important controlling factor for the marine ecosystem. The report
examines possible future changes in the Baltic Sea and explains what
future climate change may mean for the protection of the sea. he
report also contains proposals for action to counteract the expected
negative impacts from climate change on the Baltic Sea ecosystem. This
has been done to follow-up the needs for more stringent and
supplementary actions due to climate change indicated by the HELCOM 2007
and 2010 Ministerial Meetings Highlights from the report:-        The Baltic Sea region is warming faster than the Earth as a whole. On average since the late 19th
century the increase in annual average surface air temperature has been
0.11˚C per decade in the northern Baltic and 0.08˚C in the southern
Baltic compared to the global average of 0.05˚C per decade. The warming
is anticipated to continue-        Annual average sea-surface water temperature has increased
by up to 1˚C per decade since 1990 and a further increase of 2 to 4˚C
is projected near the end of this century. There will be a drastic
decrease in the amount of sea-ice cover and the length of the ice season
in the Baltic Sea if the warming continues as expected-        Precipitation during the past century has tended to increase in winter and spring
in the Baltic Sea region. Model simulations indicate that winter
precipitation could continue to increase during this century. Patterns
of river runoff tend to change considerably-        The volume of snow in the region is expected to decrease, particularly in the southern half of the region-        Sea-surface salinity may decrease
and the change may be largest in the region of the Danish Straits, and
small in the northern and eastern Baltic, and the smallest in the
Bothnian Bay-        Surface sea level projections
are associated with considerable uncertainty: mid-range scenarios
project a 0.6 m and high-end scenarios a 1.1 m sea-level rise over this
century-        Acidification that stems from increased CO
concentrations in the atmosphere has been slightly offset by an
increase in alkalinity; the decrease of 0.15 pH units expected for
marine systems from the increased atmospheric CO concentrations has been diminished by roughly 0.03 units due to increased alkalinity from the catchment area-        Changes in ecosystem structure and functioning
are expected as a result of climate change, warming in particular. Such
changes would include shifts in the ranges of species and distribution
of habitats, as well as a decrease of oxygen in the water-        Proposed actions to buffer the Baltic Sea ecosystem against the expected negative changes:
reduction of nutrient inputs to the maximum allowable levels, overall
reduction of human pressures stemming from activities such as shipping,
fisheries and construction activities, and lastly, the report proposes
strengthening of the network of marine protected areas so that it will
ensure a safe space for species and habitats he
previous assessment of climate change in the Baltic Sea Area was
released in 2007 (HELCOM BSEP No. 111) and the broader technical book,
Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin, in 2008,
published by Springer. The current assessment builds on and extends the
previous assessment, and summarizes the current state of knowledge he report is a result of close collaboration between HELCOM and , the successor programme to .
It is based on the Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic
Sea which is to be released in 2014. The material used for this
assessment has been produced by more than 120 experts from the Baltic
Sea region within the framework of BALTEX/Baltic Earth. The proposals
for action stem from the work of HELCOM ownload the report   * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as ,
is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal
countries and the European Union working to protect the marine
environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to
ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has
governed the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of
the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention  * *For more information, please contact:Ms. Maria LaamanenProfessional SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 46 850 9198Skype: helcom101E-mail:  #160Ms. Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail:

The Baltic Sea region is warming faster than the Earth as a whole, states a recent HELCOM report on climate change. The assessment looks into past changes and future projections in the region’s climate.