Hazardous substances in fjords and coastal waters – 2009. Levels, trends and effects. Long-term monitoring of quality in Norwegian coastal waters

This report is part of the Norwegian contribution to OSPAR’s Coordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme (CEMP). CEMP 2009 included the monitoring of contaminants in blue mussel, dogwhelk, cod, and flatfish along the coast of Norway from the Oslofjord to the Varangerfjord. Time trend analyses were performed on a selection of representative contaminants of totalled 859 data series. Of the 538 time series evaluated for the 2009 investigations, 211 were statistically significant trends, 189 of these were downward trends and 22 were upwards. There were 186 of the 538 cases where concentrations in 2009 exceeded the upper limit to presumed background or the upper limit to Class I (insignificantly polluted). The dominance of downward trends indicates that contamination is decreasing.