Antarctic Environmental Specimen Bank - First 5 years of experience

The Project on an Antarctic Environmental Specimen Bank (Banca Campioni Amb ientali Antartici BCAA) began in 1994 in order to collect and classify samp les from the Antarctic ecosystem to be used for future studies. The objectives of the project are similar to the general aims of the Enviro nmental Specimen Banks, but they specifically focus on the chemical aspects concerning the research activities of the Italian Project on the "Micropol lutants Chemistry" (Sector "Chemical Contamination" of the Italian Antarcti c Research Programme - PNRA). During these first years the facilities suitable for storing a significant number of specimens (now over 2,000) at different temperatures (from -30 de greesC to -150 degreesC) and a database system, specifically designed for m anaging and consulting information concerning both the storage of samples a nd data on their chemical characterisation, have been developed. In addition, a programme for validating the procedures of Antarctic organis ms storage by checking the stability of some chemical parameters both in fr esh and freeze-dried specimens has been developed.