Biomonitoring and environmental specimen banking

Abstract

The environmental specimen banking program (ESB) of the Federal Republic of Germany implies a collection of specimens from representative areas of Germany, stored under stable conditions for deferred analysis. It is an important part of the ecological assessment program. The ecological concept is presented as the frame of the entire ESB program. It is based on the selection of representative sampling areas and specimens. Standard operating procedures (SOP's) for sampling and characterization of specimens, as well as sampling designs specific to the areas, are presented as further important parts of the quality assurance system in relation to the correct sampling of specimens.

Biota monitoring and the Water Framework Directive—can normalization overcome shortcomings in sampling strategies?

“…Fish are collected at 16 riverine sampling sites located in the rivers Rhine, Elbe, Danube, Saar, Saale, and Mulde and one lake site (Lake Belau in Northern Germany). Sampling and processing are highly standardized following standard operating procedures (German Environment Agency 2016; Klein et al 2012; Paulus et al 1996; Rüdel et al 2008). Per site and year, the filets of approximately 20 8–12-year-old bream are pooled and cryo-homogenized to annual samples.…”

Retrieval of chlorophyll and nitrogen in Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) using imaging spectroscopy

“…Stand ages range from 44 to 135 years. Foliar samples were obtained according to standardised procedures from the upper part of the crown of three randomly selected trees within each stand detailed in the guidelines of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (Paulus et al, 1996). Skilled forest rangers climbed the trunks up to the treetop and cut off three branches from the upper crown region of each tree (approximately 7th-12th whorl of the branches).…”

Survey of patterns, levels, and trends of perfluorinated compounds in aquatic organisms and bird eggs from representative German ecosystems

“…In order to ensure a high degree of continuity, all steps of the ESB sample treatment are performed according to ESB standard operating procedures (Umweltbundesamt 1996;Paulus et al 1996;BMU 2008). The sampling of bream (A. brama), eelpout (Z. viviparus), blue mussels (M. edulis) and eggs of feral pigeon (C. livia f. domestica) is described in ESB specific guidelines (Umweltbundesamt 1996;Klein et al 2003Klein et al , 2007Paulus et al 2003a;Wagner et al 2007) and accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025 by DGA GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany).…”