Environmental Specimen Bank - ESB
The Environmental Specimen Bank - the ESB - is an essential part of the monitoring of contaminants in the Swedish environment and fauna. It is also of importance for studies of, for example, biological diversity (studies of DNA) and the effects of noxious substances on threatened animal species.
The low temperature freezers at the ESB for storing samples at -80°C.Photo: Tjelvar Odsjö
The ESB has one of the oldest and greatest collections of environmental specimens in the country. The oldest samples are collected in the mid-1960s, and homogeneous and continuous series of samples from the late 1960s up to now are stored. The ESB and is also an central institution for the collection, shipping, preparation and storing of samples from the whole of Sweden.The ESB at the Swedish Museum of Natural History collaborates with other national specimen banks to set and follow international standards. Coordination of ESB in the Nordic countries has been carried out under the authority of the Nordic Council of Ministers. On this site, information is given about other environmental specimen banks in the Nordic countries, as well as lists of species of which samples are stored in the different banks. A collective guidelinehave been published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and describes different protocols for collection, transportation, preparation and storage of environmental samples in the Nordic countries, see the following link.
Coordination of ESB in the Nordic countries
Nordic Environmental Specimen Banking - manual for the Nordic countries
The International Environmental Specimen Bank Group (IESB) promotes the world-wide development of techniques and strategies of environmental specimen banking. IESB is devoted to both, established Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) and new ESBs in the planning stages.
IESB International Environmental Specimen Bank Group
The Environmental SpecimenBank, the freezing room
In Swedish contaminant monitoring, the ESB prepares and stores all samples that are collected annually from sites in the terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine monitoring programs. The ESB also stores older samples of animal tissues and organs from different research projects that have studied the environmental effects of noxious substances. This homogeneous and continuous series of samples is also used for retrospective chemical analysis to detect the levels of new or recently discovered contaminants.Swedish legislation on hunting and shooting rights contains certain regulations specially intended to further nature concervancy, education and research. The Game Act states that certain rare and partly threatened birds and mammals became state property if killed, trapped, or found dead, irrespective of any hunting rights involved. Samples of tissues and organs from the most interesting species are continuously prepared for the ESB when animals are sent to the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Today, the ESB has at its disposal tissue samples from more than 260,000 organisms, mostly from animals but also from plants (moss). The majority of the samples are stored at -30 °C and -80 °C. Some types of samples are stored dry at room temperature.
Specimens from the ESB are available for research work into environmental contamination and bio-diversity. A written application should be addressed to the ESB. Samples will be supplied if the aim of the research falls within the scope of the ESB. The applicant must agree and follow the Loan Policy for scientific purposes. Each order will be assessed in relation to the supply and demand of samples. Clients will be charged for the preparation of samples.
Form for application of samples from the Environmental Specimen Bank 
Loan Policy for Scientific Purposes
Fundamental for the Environmental Specimen Bank is the Sample Preparation Laboratory that is situated at the museum, see the heading in the green field at the left.
Packed samples in -80°C freezerPhoto: Tjelvar Odsjö
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