Development and testing of a prototype indicator-based tool for identification of potential problem areas for marine litter in Europe's seas

We demonstrate a prototype multi-metric indicator-based assessment tool (i.e. Marine Litter Assessment Tool - MALT) for mapping and identification of ‘problem areas’ and ‘non-problem areas’ regarding the occurrence of marine litter in Europe's seas. The study is based on a European-wide data set consisting of three marine litter indicators: (1) litter at the seafloor, (2) beach litter and (3) floating micro-litter. This publicly available data allowed litter status to be determined in 1,957,081 km2 (19.1 %) of the total area of Europe's seas (10,243,474 km2). Of the area assessed, 25.8 % (505,030 km2) was found to be ‘non-problem areas’ whilst ‘problem areas’ accounted for 74.2 % (1,452,051 km2). This indicates that marine litter is a large-scale problem in Europe's seas.publishedVersio

Source-Specific Air Pollution Including Ultrafine Particles and Risk of Myocardial Infarction:A Nationwide Cohort Study from Denmark

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is negatively associated with cardiovascular health. Impediments to efficient regulation include lack of knowledge about which sources of air pollution contributes most to health burden and few studies on effects of the potentially more potent ultrafine particles (UFP). OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to investigate myocardial infarction (MI) morbidity and specific types and sources of air pollution. METHODS: We identified all persons living in Denmark in the period 2005–2017, age &gt;50 y and never diagnosed with MI. We quantified 5-y running time-weighted mean concentrations of air pollution at residencies, both total and apportioned to traffic and nontraffic sources. We evaluated particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤2:5 lm (PM 2:5), &lt;0:1 lm (UFP), elemental carbon (EC), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). We used Cox pro-portional hazards models, with adjustment for time-varying exposures, and personal and area-level demographic and socioeconomic covariates from high-quality administrative registers. RESULTS: In this nationwide cohort of 1,964,702 persons (with 18 million person-years of follow-up and 71,285 cases of MI), UFP and PM 2:5 were associated with increased risk of MI with hazard ratios (HRs) per interquartile range (IQR) of 1.040 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.025, 1.055] and 1.053 (95% CI: 1.035, 1.071), respectively. HRs per IQR of UFP and PM 2:5 from nontraffic sources were similar to the total (1.034 and 1.051), whereas HRs for UFP and PM 2:5 from traffic sources were smaller (1.011 and 1.011). The HR for EC from traffic sources was 1.013 (95% CI: 1.003, 1.023). NO 2 from nontraffic sources was associated with MI (HR = 1:048; 95% CI: 1.034, 1.062) but not from traffic sources. In general, nontraffic sources contributed more to total air pollution levels than national traffic sources. CONCLUSIONS: PM 2:5 and UFP from traffic and nontraffic sources were associated with increased risk of MI, with nontraffic sources being the domi-nant source of exposure and morbidity. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10556.</p

Ikke-hjemmehørende arter i marine områder

Projektleder Jesper H. AndersenDenne rapport omhandler ikke-hjemmehørende arter i de danske farvande og består af to dele. Den første vedrører en opdate-ring af den nationale liste over ikke-hjemmhørende arter i de danske farvande – også kaldet NIS-listen. Den anden del er en ana-lyse af de foreliggede data og informationer om forekomst af ikke-hjemmehørende arter i de danske farvande. Datagrundlaget er væsentligt forbedret siden den første nationale NIS-liste blev udarbejdet. De fire væsentligste forbedringer er: (1) data fra Statens Naturhistoriske Museums Fiskeatlas er nu med, (2) data fra NOVANA-overvågningen omfatter nu flere år (til og med 2018), (3) data fra 2017 om forekomsten af ikke-hjemmehørende arter i 16 danske havne er tilføjet, og (4) data for 2017 og 2018, baseret på eDNA-analyser på 33 stationer i NOVANA-programmet, er nu med. Med den ny NIS-liste og den landsdæk-kende analyse foreligger der nu en opdatering af forekomster af ikke-hjemmehørende arter, herunder fisk, i de danske farvande.publishedVersio

Tekniske anvisninger for eDNA-baseret overvågning af ikke-hjemmehørende marine arter

Forskningschef Jesper H. AndersenDisse tekniske anvisninger er en revideret udgave af de ansvisninger, der tidligere er udarbejdet for Miljøstyrelsen og publiceret vinteren 2017/2018. De reviderede tekniske anvisninger indeholder en detaljeret protokol for hvordan miljø-DNA (environ-mental-DNA eller blot eDNA) kan indsamles, opbevares, oprenses og spores. Anvisningerne er delt i tre dele og omfatter (1) indsamling og filtrering af vand med instruktionerne for efterfølgende opbevaring af filterenheder, (2) ekstraktion af eDNA fra filterenheder, og (3) sporing af eDNA ved hjælp af kvantitativ PCR. Den sidste del med kvantitativ sporing forudsætter, der er udviklet og testet artsspecifikke primere og prober for korrekt sporing af eDNA stammende kun fra ikke-hjemmehørende arter.Miljøstyrelsen (MST)publishedVersio

A baseline study of the occurrence of non-indigenous species in Danish harbours

Project Manager/Main Author Jesper H. AndersenWe report the first ever nation-wide study of the occurrence of non-indigenous species in Danish harbours. The sampling was car-ried out using both conventional and biomolecular methods (eDNA). In total, 16 harbours were covered – Esbjerg and Aarhus, the two largest harbours in Denmark, with intensive sampling and 14 harbours with a reduced programme. 26 non-indigenous species were recorded using conventional sampling and 13 species were recorded using eDNA-based methods. Excluding overlapping rec-ords, we have recorded a total of 34 non-indigenous species in the 16 harbours studied. Based on the results, we conclude the following: 1) more non-indigenous species are found in the western parts of Denmark (North Sea region) then in the eastern parts (Baltic Sea), and 2) a few species previously unseen in Danish marine waters were recorded, i.e. the two bristle worms Eteone het-eropoda (fam. Phyllodocidae) and Streblospio benedicti (fam. Spionidae). Further, we provide a proof-of-concept regarding the overarching objectives of the MONIS 1-3 projects and the eDNA-based test systems developed. The results constitute a baseline for future studies in Danish ports and other hotspot areas.publishedVersio

Components of particulate matter air-pollution and brain tumors

Background Air pollution is an established carcinogen. Evidence for an association with brain tumors is, however, inconclusive. We investigated if individual particulate matter constituents were associated with brain tumor risk. Methods From comprehensive national registers, we identified all (n = 12 928) brain tumor cases, diagnosed in Denmark in the period 1989–2014, and selected 22 961 controls, matched on age, sex and year of birth. We established address histories and estimated 10-year mean residential outdoor concentrations of particulate matter ˂ 2.5 µm, primarily emitted black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), and combined carbon (OC/BC), as well as secondary inorganic and organic PM air pollutants from a detailed dispersion model. We used conditional logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) per inter quartile range (IQR) exposure. We adjusted for income, marital and employment status as well as area-level socio-demographic characteristics. Results Total tumors of the brain were associated with OC/BC (OR: 1.053, 95%CI: 1.005–1.103, per IQR). The data suggested strongest associations for malignant tumors with ORs per IQR for OC/BC, BC and OC of 1.063 (95% CI: 1.007–1.123), 1.036 (95% CI: 1.006–1.067) and 1.030 (95%CI: 0.979–1.085), respectively. The results did not indicate adverse effects of other PM components. Conclusions This large, population based study showed associations between primary emitted carbonaceous particles and risk for malignant brain tumors. As the first of its kind, this study needs replication.</p

A literature study of human activities and pressures as well as ecosystem component layers available for Marine Spatial Planning and mapping of cumulative impacts in Swedish marine waters

We report a literature study on the needs for and the availability of data layers required for evidence-based Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as well as mapping of the potential cumulative effects of multiple human activities. Specific focus is on data layers representing a variety of human activities and pressures as well as data layers representing ecologically-relevant species, habitats and communities. The aim of the study is to provide guidance for the Swedish SYMPHONY initiative and process, which ultimately is planned to result in a Swedish national data-driven ‘system’ for MSP and mapping of cumulative effects (Cumulative Effect Assessments; CEA). With this report and its conclusions and recommendations, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) now holds the sufficient information required to – step by step – develop a nation-wide framework supporting evidence-based MSP and CEA. The crucial first step in this process is the build-up of an ecologically-relevant catalogue of pressure layers and ecosystem component layers

Assessment of collective pressure in marine spatial planning:The current approach of EU Member States

Embargo until 18 November 2022We report on EU Member States' assessment of the collective pressure through cumulative impact assessments (CIA) in their implementation of the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD). While the MSPD is ambiguous on how to approach the assessment of collective pressures, the present study is based on a preunderstanding that CIAs are required in marine spatial planning (MSP) for two reasons. Firstly, to address all relevant human activities and their pressures in order to comply with the concept of an ‘ecosystem-based approach’ and to ensure a good environmental status. Secondly, indirectly, to ensure that land-sea interactions are taken into account. Our results show few and inadequate examples of CIA in national MSP processes. Most MSP processes address collective pressure through CIA as part of a strategic environmental impact assessment. In conclusion, while the MSPD requires MSP to ensure collective pressure is kept below a level compatible with good environmental status, as part of an ecosystem-based approach, the study found few examples of ecosystem-based MSP.acceptedVersio