In the past decade, interest in the concept of specimen banking for the archiving of biological and environmental samples for future analysis has increased significantly, and specimen banking is now recognized as an integral part of systematic environmental monitoring. In recent years representatives of similar programs in Japan, Canada, and Sweden have joined in these meetings to expand the exchange of information. The 10th U.S.-German Seminar of State and Planning on Environmental Specimen Banking was held. At the meeting the current status of specimen banking activities in the U.S., FRG, Canada, and Japan was presented and discussed. The publication contains the proceedings of that meeting with contributions describing various activities related to banking and analysis of samples from aquatic, atmospheric, terrestrial, and human monitoring programs.