Chemicalisation
Chemicalisation signifies the increasing use of chemicals and environmental pollution happening in consequence of that. Chemicalisation also affects human health.
Not nearly every impact of the chemicals used nowadays is identified. When getting into the environment the hazardous substances may react with each other and transform into something else. This makes the assessment of the impacts even more difficult. Oil, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals are examples of the problematic substances in the sea environment.
Archipelago Sea stores many hazardous substances
In open sea areas, the waves and forceful flows dilute the concentration of hazardous substances. On the other hand, especially in deep water areas, the sedimentation is essential for the exit of the pollutants from the aquatic ecosystem. Hazardous substances remain a long time in the Archipelago Sea because of its rambling nature, the weak exchange of water, stratification and the shallowness. Further, the cold climate delays the decomposition of substances.
One of the problems related to the hazardous substances is that they may cause trouble even long after their actual use is finished. Hazardous substances are stored in the sediment, but for example dredging and the lack of oxygen enable the release of the chemicals back into the water. Eutrophication is one of the causes for the very low oxygen levels at the bottom of the Archipelago Sea. Some hazardous substances also become even more toxic than before in the oxygen free environment.
The brackish environment of the Archipelago Sea is a very challenging living environment for many species and that is why they especially suffer from the hazardous substances.
Toxic fishes?
Many hazardous substances like dioxins and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are discovered from the fish of the Archipelago Sea, especially from the king-sized Baltic herrings and salmon. The older the fish, the bigger the amount of foreign substances accumulated into it.
Nowadays there are many restrictions and recommendations for eating fish. On the other hand, fish is also very good for your health. Many studies have discovered that the good fatty acid found in the fish diminishes the probability to get heart and vascular diseases. So to say, restrictions are mainly related to special groups like small children.
Oil is poison for the Archipelago Sea
Oil is transported from mainland to another by sea. Also in the Baltic Sea the oil transportations are increasing. According to the experts, it is only a matter of time when the major oil accident is going to happen in the Baltic Sea.
The consequences of the major oil accident could be tremendous for the Baltic Sea. The natural decomposition of oil would be very slow in the cold water and collecting of oil in winter would be complicated by the ice cap. Therefore also the confusion of oil into the body of water would be at different level than in the oceans. In the narrow sea areas, the oil could reach the shore in less than 24 hours.
In the rambling shore, like in the Archipelago Sea, oil would stain huge amount of coastline. This would be a major problem while the sheltered beaches are important living, breeding and eating areas and they would be extremely slow to clean by hand.
Even without the oil accidents, the Baltic and the Archipelago Sea continue to be strained by the hazardous substances from the air and the catchment area.
ASSIGNMENT 17
A day without chemicals: Make a list of ten things you could not do if you had to give up chemicals.
ASSIGNMENT 18
Examine what kind of impacts the oil has on the sea environment.
ASSIGNMENT 19
Find out what kind of restrictions are related to the eating Baltic herring and salmon caught from the Baltic Sea.
More information
Finnish Environment Institute: Baltic Sea
Helcom: The marine environment: Hazardous substances
Helcom: Dioxins in the Baltic Sea
Evira - Finnish Food Safety Authority
Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute
WWF: Chemical threats to the Baltic Ecoregion
