Environmental Specimen Bank

An Environmental Specimen Bank is an archive of samples that are stored and to be used for later analyses as needed. This makes it possible to perform a variety of analyses on any given sample at different times for different inquires. The data collected together with the sample, such as sampling location, environmental conditions or information on diet, living environment or lifestyle, serves to interpret the analysis results.

An environmental specimen bank makes it possible to use samples at a later point in time, when newer and better analytical methods are available or when new research questions and/or substances come into focus. The stored material can also be used to study time trends and to monitor the success of regulatory measures. With the help of an environmental specimen bank, environmental monitoring is possible in an efficient and resource-saving way. The investigations can serve as a basis for regulatory measures.

To date, primarily samples that are collected in the frame of different studies, monitoring programs or ecosystem observations are stored in the Environmental Specimen Bank of the Environment Agency Austria.

For human samples, active sampling also takes place if there is interest in donating samples to the Environmental Specimen Bank.

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The Environmental Specimen Bank of the Environment Agency Austria stores samples of different animals such as foxes, birds, fish, martens and brown hares. Further, human samples such as urine, placental tissue and breast milk are also archived. Samples from the Integrated Monitoring of the Zöbelboden monitoring station in the National Park Kalkalpen are also part of the Environmental Specimen Bank. Since 1992 the specimen bank also archives leaf litter, beech leaf, spruce needle and soil samples.

Ecosystemic environmental monitoring 

The samples archived are used to obtain important data that provides fundamental information for environmental and health policy and form a basis for regulatory actions.