T1 GESAMP: Long-Term Consequences of Low-Level Marine Contamination: An Analytical Approach - UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 118
A1 Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution, 
A2 Calamari, Daniele
A2 Gray, John
A2 Howells, Geoffrey
A2 Naeve, Hans
A2 Wells, Peter
K1 marine environment
K1 hydrocarbon
K1 marine pollution
K1 marine ecosystem
K1 toxic substance
YR 1990
FD 1990
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31269
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31269
NO This report examines the potential long-term ecological consequences of persistent low-level chemical contamination in marine environments and proposes an analytical approach for evaluating such effects. It discusses conceptual and methodological challenges in identifying subtle ecological changes caused by contaminants in complex marine ecosystems, where natural variability and limited baseline data complicate interpretation. The document develops principles based on toxicological concepts, including dose–response relationships and exposure over extended periods, and applies them through case studies involving nutrients, chlorinated hydrocarbons, tributyl tin, and petroleum hydrocarbons. These cases illustrate biological responses from cellular to community levels and inform the development of analytical frameworks linking contaminant exposure with ecological effects and monitoring indicators for detecting environmental change.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 19, 2026