Hazardous substances

Strategic objective

Emissions and use of hazardous substances will not cause injury to health, harm ecosystems, or damage the productivity of the natural environment and its capacity for self-renewal. Concentrations of the most hazardous chemicals in the environment will be reduced towards background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero concentrations for man-made synthetic substances.

National targets

Indicators

Status

Prevent injury and environmental damage caused by chemicals
Emissions and use of hazardous substances will not cause injury to health, harm ecosystems, or damage the productivity of the natural environment and its capacity for self-renewal. Concentrations of the most hazardous chemicals in the environment will be reduced towards background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero concentrations for man-made synthetic substances.

Concentrations of lead and cadmium in moss  



Lead and cadmium in moss
 

Levels of contamination in mussels  



Index of contamination in mussels
 
 

Reduce emissions of priority substances
Releases of certain ecological toxins (see the priority list in figure table 8.3) will be eliminated or substantially reduced by 2005 or 2010

Index for emissions of hazardous substances on the Norwegian priority list weighted by how dangerous they are  



Emissions of priority substances
 
 

Eliminate emissions within one generation
Releases and use of substances that pose a serious threat to health or the environment will be continuously reduced with a view to eliminating them within one generation (by the year 2020).

No indicator developed  

 
 

Reduce risks
The risk that releases and use of chemicals will cause injury to health or environmental damage will be minimised.

Trends in the use of dangerous chemicals by branch of industry  



Use split by industry
 
 

Stop pollution from contaminated soil
The dispersal of ecological toxins from contaminated soil will be stopped or substantially reduced. Steps to reduce the dispersal of other hazardous substances will be taken on the basis of case-by-case risk assessments.

Number of sites where there is severe soil pollution  



Sites with severe soil pollution
 
 

Stop pollution from contaminated sediments
Contamination of sediments with substances that are hazardous to health or the environment will not give rise to serious pollution problems.

Advice against consumption of fish and shellfish from Norwegian fjords; number of fjords and total area concerned  



Advice against consumption
 

No indicator developed