Background for the programme:

'Environmental contaminants in terrestrial and urban ecosystems' aims to measure levels of environmental contaminants and the degree of biomagnification in terrestrial food webs, in order to assess the exposure and potential effects of contaminants in wild life in urban areas. The results shall be used for national and international regulation of environmental contaminants. Besides screening studies, this is the first time that the Climate and Pollution Agency measures environmental contaminants in terrestrial wild life. The program is therefore coordinated with the Directorate for Nature Management‘s terrestrial monitoring program (TOV) that measures population dynamics linked to environmental factors such as climate and pollution.

This notice involves sampling, analyses and reporting.

The aim of the investigation:

'Environmental contaminants in terrestrial and urban ecosystems' aims to provide information on the levels and accumulation of environmental contaminants in terrestrial and urban ecosystems. The data will be used to assess the exposure and potential effects of contaminants in wild life in urban areas. The results shall be used for national and international regulation of environmental contaminants.

The program has the following aims:

1. Report the concentration of environmental toxins in several levels of the terrestrial food chain.

2. Assess the degree of accumulation of environmental contaminants in terrestrial and urban ecosystems.

3. Assess how urban wild life is exposed to various types of environmental contaminants.

4. Assess the total load and possible cocktail effect of environmental contaminants in urban wild life.