A short summary of the results up to year 2002/03 is given below. Graphical presentations,

tables and details are given in the following chapters. A summary of the estimated

concentrations up to 2002/03 is given in table 23.3.

•

The condition of herring in the Baltic is decreasing in almost all autumn time series. At

the same time fat content is decreasing in herring from Harufjärden, Landsort and

Utlängan (autumn and spring).

•

Lead concentrations in herring, cod and perch livers are decreasing in almost all time

series from both the Swedish west coast and the Baltic.

•

The increasing trends of cadmium concentrations in herring liver from the Baltic Proper

and from the Bothnian Sea reported for the period 1980 to 1997 seems to have

stopped.

In herring from Ängskärsklubb a significant decrease can be seen for the last ten years,

and in the time series from Landsort there is also indications of this decrease.

•

Cadmium concentrations in blue mussels from the Baltic Proper are about 5 times

higher

than the suggested background levels for the North Sea and 3 times higher than

the mussel samples from Fladen and Väderöarna.

•

HCH’s are decreasing at almost all sites with a time serie long enough to permit a

statistical trend analysis.

•

HCB is decreasing in herring, cod and guillemot from the Baltic Proper and also in

herring and cod at the Swedish westcoast. However, some relatively

high

concentrations

have been detected in the last years, and it looks like the decrease is

levelling out.

•

TCDD-equivalents have not decreased in herring at Harufjärden, Karlskrona and

Fladen during the investigated timeperiod 1990-1999. There is a significant decrease of

these substances in guillemot eggs from St Karlsö between 1970 and the middle of the

80-ies after that, the decrease has levelled out.