BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

Qualitv Assurance (OA)
The success of environmental monitoring programmes is directly
related to the collection and interpretation of reliable data.
Interlaboratory exercises provide an opportunity to obtain an
independent evaluation of the participating laboratories'
analytical performance. Within the frame of the BMP, the CP's have
organized a number of intercalibration workshops in order to
develop comparable observations:
- 1st Baltic Intercalibration Workshop of the analytical methods
for determination of harmful substances in sea water - Kiel,
FRG, March 1977.
- 1st Biological Intercalibration Workshop - Stralsund, GDR,
August-September 1979.
- Workshop on the analysis of hydrocarbons in sea water - Kiel,
FRG, March-April 1981.
- 2nd Biological Intercalibration Workshop - Ronne, Denmark,
August 1982.
- 3rd Biological Intercalibration Workshop - Visby, Sweden, August
1990.
Data handlinq
The monitoring data provided by all Baltic Sea States are stored
and processed in the HELCOM Data Base established by the
Commission on a consultant basis. As from 1991, the Environmental
Data Centre (EDC) in Helsinki is responsible for the BMP data
which are delivered on a yearly basis by the CP's. The aim of the
common data bank is to serve as a source of current information on
the state of the Baltic Sea.
APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENTS
The environmental status of the Baltic Sea Area is evaluated at
regular intervals by all the Baltic Sea States. At presently, the
assessment period covers a period of five years, and up till now
two assessments have been conducted. The data used in these
evaluations comprise data from the HELCOM Data Base, together with
additional information from research projects and other national
programmes.
74