EU4EMBLAS defines a Black Sea chemical poisoning list

The ‘European Union for Improving the Environmental Monitoring of the Black Sea’ project (EU4EMBLAS), implemented by the UNDP, has defined a Black Sea specific contaminant list.

The samples of sea water, sediments, and biota (fish, molluscs) obtained in 2016, 2017 and 2019, were screened for several thousands of organic pollutants and their transformation products by wide-scope target (>2,300 substances) and suspect (>65,000 substances) screening techniques.

The EU4EMBLAS identified 17 ‘ready for regulatory monitoring’ substances in the water, 75 substances in the biota, and 22 substances in the sediments at the bottom of the sea. For example, scientists have found one plasticiser in the water called dibutyl phthalate. This particular plasticiser has the highest risk score among all (at present, it is banned in all toys and childcare products as well as in cosmetics because it is carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic to reproduction).

The project proposed to include all these chemicals in the official national monitoring programme of Ukraine, as specific contaminants of the Black Sea.

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