The Yangtze Environmental Specimen Bank (YESB) was initiated by Tongji University in 2010, under competent support from the colleges at Stockholm University and Swedish Museum of Natural History. Jointly supported by the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse and the Key Laboratory of the Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, the YESB aims to the collect, prepare, and store on a long-term basis, environmental samples taken from the Yangtze River Delta and the Yangtze River Basin. In 2011, the small-scale YESB was initially operated in the South campus of Tongji University and the  large-scale YESB was built at the Sustainable Park in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province in 2013, consisting of preparation room, cool room, refrigerator room, scientific demonstration room, information management system, and analysis lab, with a total area of 3000 m 2 . Currently, over 20,000 individual samples are stored in the YESB, including soil, sediment,sewage sludge, fish, mussel, bird egg, human hair and breast milk. Researches have been involved in the preparation of samples and analysis for pursuing studies of temporal and spatial distribution fate and toxicity. Further, also to study human risk of pollutants in the various environmental matrices, which provide basic data for the risk assessment and in a longer run, management of chemicals produced and consumed in the society. In addition, the YESB is playing an important role in global ESB network and social education on environment. In the near future, as a platform of science and technology, the YESB can provide more support for the eco-friendly and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and the eco-environmental protection covering the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The history of the YESB

The Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) is a system for the systematic collection and long-term storage  of specimens, which has been established since the 1970’s in developed counties and recognized as  a fundamental complement for environmental monitoring and scientific research. Currently, the value of ESB is becoming more broadly recognized globally, while China is still at the early stage of such a development. 

–   2007-2008: Prof. Yanling Qiu of Tongji University was a visiting scientist at the Department of  Environmental Chemistry at Stockholm University, headed by Prof. Åke Bergman. The one-year visit included collaboration also with Prof. Anders Bignert at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Prof. Qiu recognized the importance of long-term environmental monitoring during her visit which became the starting point for further development at Tongji University.

–   2009: Professors Bergman and Bignert payed their first visit to Shanghai and Tongji University to learn and make further contacts with scientists at the university, and to introduce the environmental monitoring research in Sweden and the ESBs in Sweden and worldwide.

–   2010: Prof. Jianfu Zhao, Tongji University proposed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Stockholm University, the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Tongji University. As mentioned above (Chapter 1) the MOU was signed on September 8. The aim of the MOU included examination of the risk of anthropogenic chemicals to the environment and human health. 

One of the main tasks of the MOU was to establish the YESB.

–   2011: The YESB started at the South campus of Tongji University, with a volunteer team to help  in the collection and preparation of environmental samples for the specimen bank.

   Also, Tongji University and Jiaxing City reached an agreement on the development of the Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, including the collaboration on the development of the YESB.

–   2013: The YESB organized the International Conference on Environmental Specimen Banks  in Shanghai, with the objective to provide a focus discussion on the sustainable development, management, and international cooperation of Environmental Specimen Bank network coping with regional and global environmental changes. More than a hundred scientists from more than ten 

countries joined in the conference.

–   2014: The YESB became a member of ESB network. Prof. Anders Bignert gave a series lectures and training courses for young researchers of the YESB on sampling strategy, practices in field sampling work and statistical analysis in environmental monitoring. 

–   2015: Prof. Jianfu Zhao and Prof. Xiang-Zhou Meng of the YESB and Prof. Paul Becker from Hollings Marine Laboratory of the United States, as guest editors, organized a Special Issue entitled “Developments and Applications of Environmental Specimen Banks for Monitoring Emerging Contaminants (ECs)” that was published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2015, Volume 22, Issue 3). Overall, 31 papers address the latest development of ESB and the scientific advancements on emerging contaminants in the environment. 

–   2016: The cool room and the sample information system of the YESB went into operation. 

–   2017: In the 3 rd  Committee members of the Key Laboratory of the Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Prof. Jianfu Zhao and Prof. Daqing Yin proposed that the YESB should be developed as a featured platform during the first session, which should promote long-term achievements.

   The Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute (where the YESB is located) was honored as the Jiaxing Ecological Education Base.

–   2018: The 3 rd  Committee members of the Key Laboratory of the Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education proposed that the YESB should pay more attention on analytical method development during the second session, which provides scientific support for the eco-environmental protection covering the Yangtze River Economic Belt. 

   The scientific demonstration room opened and the Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute was honored as Zhejiang Ecological Education Base.

–   2019: The YESB joined the Protection Program of the Yangtze River, and two technicians became involved in the public science education and engaged in collection of samples along the Yangtze River.   The YESB was selected as a component in the video entitled “Love in the Yangtze River”, showing its importance in the protection of the River. 

Contact Us:

YESB at Tongji Campus

Professor Yanling Qiu (E-mail: ylqiu@tongji.edu.cn)

YESB at Jiaxing Base