We operate an Arctic environmental sample bank. Samples collected in Greenland are archived, frozen or dried, at Aarhus University’s locality in Roskilde.

During a series of mining projects in Greenland, samples from the unaffected environment have been collected. It is necessary to know the background level of the elements that can be a contamination risk, before a mining project or other larger industrial projects are initiated. This knowledge will be used when the project reaches the exploitation phase and when the discharge needs to be monitored. In case an unexpected problem occurs during monitoring, samples can be found in the sample bank and re-analysed, thus showing concentration levels before the initiation of a project.

Samples collected in connection with mining projects and other research projects have also proven to be useful in connection with the assessment of the development and spreading of new chemical compounds - especially when we need to know the earlier levels of these compounds. As an example, this applies to the so-called brominated flame retardants. In this connection, samples from the environmental sample bank have been used to show what the concentration of these substances was in the past. This also applies to the assessment of the development of the global mercury pollution, where old samples of e.g. feathers from birds have been analysed.  

The environmental sample bank holds over 20,000 samples that can be used and analysed for old or new contaminants.