Stiftelsen Hållbara Hav

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The Baltic Sea receives emissions from 85 million people's industries, agriculture and sewage. The emissions from all those who live and work in the region affect the inland Baltic Sea and its sensitive ecosystem. The Baltic Sea is a very sensitive ecosystem. In combination with the heavy burden brought by the 9 surrounding countries, the Baltic Sea has become one of the world's most polluted seas.
The meeting between the salty North Sea and water from rivers and streams produces brackish and layered water with clear boundary layers for salinity and temperature. This causes the turnover rate of the water to be very long. More than 30 years.
There are both positive and negative signals. Many point emissions have been remedied through efficient treatment plants around the entire Baltic Sea, which contributed to reduced emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus. Now the emissions that lead to eutrophication are more diffuse and require other types of measures to deal with. Coastal waters have become cleaner, but no improvement is seen at greater ocean depths and the dead, oxygen-free bottoms are still growing. Unfortunately, in recent years there have been new problems for the Baltic Sea with the accumulation of new problematic substances such as microplastics and pharmaceutical residues.