Procedures and Methods for Integrated Global Background Monitoring of Environmental Pollution

This report describes procedures and methodological guidance for integrated global background monitoring of environmental pollution within international environmental observation programmes coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme. It outlines the objectives, principles and operational tasks of monitoring systems designed to detect anthropogenic environmental change against natural variability. The document reviews the development of integrated monitoring approaches that measure pollutants and ecological responses across multiple environmental media, including air, precipitation, soils, surface waters and living organisms. It presents criteria for establishing background monitoring stations, guidance for sampling and analytical procedures, and approaches for quality control and statistical processing of monitoring data to support consistent global environmental assessment and data sharing.