The Arctic Council’s recommendations on climate measures
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Figure 7 Level of key environmental toxins in Svalbard, measured in the air in the period 1993–2012
0,00 1,00
2,00 3,00
4,00 5,00
6,00 7,00
20 40
60 80
100 120
140
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 HCH
HCB PCB
Chlordanes DDT
PAH
Hexachlorocyclohexane HCH, hexachlorobenzene HCB, polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs, chlordanes, dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane DDT and polyaromatic hydrocarbons PAH.
Source: NILU
The presence of PCBs in the air has gone down along with the incidence of PCBs in polar bears. The Norwegian Polar Institute nevertheless pointed out that PCB levels in
polar bears in Svalbard are two to six times higher than in polar bears in Alaska and Canada.
Polar bear research in Svalbard. In Svalbard, the incidence of PCB fell from 1993 to 2012. However, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute, it is still two to six times higher than in Polar bears in
Alaska and Canada.
Photo: Nick Cobbing, Norwegian Polar Institute
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The measurements in Svalbard show that for the key heavy metals there has been a pronounced
171
decline in the incidence of lead, while in the last 20 years there has been no clear tendency for cadmium and mercury
172
, cf. Figure 8.
Figure 8 The occurrence of heavy metals in the air in Svalbard in the period 1994–2012, ngm
3
0,000 0,020
0,040 0,060
0,080 0,100
0,120 0,140
0,00 0,20
0,40 0,60
0,80 1,00
1,20 1,40
1,60 1,80
2,00
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Mer cury
Lead and cadmium
Lead Mercury
Cadmium
Source: NILU, updated figures at August 2013
In an interview, the Norwegian Polar Institute pointed out that increased commercial activity farther north in shipping, petroleum, isheries and tourism will also increase
local environmental impacts. Local pollution in Svalbard is caused by mining activi- ties in particular.
173
According to the Ministry of the Environment, environmental monitoring in the Norwegian Arctic is included in ordinary environmental monitoring cf. state
programme for pollution, nature index, Red Lists and environmental indicators. Within this nationwide monitoring system, a subsystem was also established that was
speciically targeted at the ice-covered parts of the Norwegian Arctic, namely Svalbard and Jan Mayen Environmental Monitoring of Svalbard and Jan Mayen
MOSJ. The Polar Institute is responsible for MOSJ. Separate indicators were prepared in this monitoring work. The atmosphere, land and ocean areas are environ-
mentally monitored through MOSJ. In addition, a number of thematic monitoring programmes are carried out: Overvåking av luftforurensning fra Zeppelinstasjonen i
Ny Ålesund Monitoring of air pollution from the Zeppelin station in Ny Ålesund, Fangst og bestander for kommersielle iskeslag Catches and stocks of commercial
ish species and Temperatur og nedbør på de meteorologiske stasjonene Temperature and precipitation at the meteorological stations. In areas where there
are thematic programmes, MOSJ selects key indicators and puts them in context across disciplines and topics. According to the Ministry of the Environment, this
helps create a new understanding of the relationships between diferent types of environmental impacts and the efects of them in nature.
174
171 Signiicant in statistical terms. 172 MOSJ, NILU, measurements at 2012 with comments and measurement data updated at August 2013.
173 State of the Environment Norway, www.miljostatus.no. 174 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment and Environmental Monitoring of Svalbard and Jan Mayen MOSJ,
www.mosj.npolar.no.
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