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3.1 Introduction

Chemicals are used in products which we make use of in many different ways to try and improve our quality of life, from food production to health protection to transport and heavy industry. At some point in their lifetime, chemicals can enter the water cycle, whether by deliberate discharge following waste water treatment, or as a result of processes such as leaching from soils into groundwater, run-off from surfaces, or atmospheric deposition (including the “raining out” of small particles taken up into the atmosphere). Some chemicals can be very harmful through direct toxicity, such as through sublethal effects which affect an organism’s healthy functioning, or can become problematic as they accumulate up the food chain. Once in the environment, it can be very difficult both to clean up harmful chemicals and to prevent their migration to places distant from original use. Thus much source control legislation for chemicals, such as REACH  and the Regulation on Biocidal Products,  is aimed at minimising release of harmful substances into the environment. Monitoring under the WFD provides key feedback as to the success of measures intended to restrict harmful releases (chapter 6).

The WFD aims to ensure the good chemical status of both surface water and groundwater bodies across Europe. For surface waters this goal is defined by limits on the concentration of certain pollutants relevant across the EU, known as priority substances[1]. In addition, there may be other chemicals discharged in significant quantities within a river basin district. These River Basin Specific Pollutants (RBSPs) are part of the assessment of good ecological status (chapter 2).

Good chemical status means that no concentrations of priority substance exceed the relevant environmental quality standards (EQS) established in the Environmental Quality Standards Directive 2008/105/EC (as amended by the Priority Substances Directive 2013/39/EU[2]). EQS are set to protect the most sensitive species by direct toxicity, including predators and humans via secondary poisoning.

The WFD seeks to progressively reduce emissions, discharges and losses of priority substances to surface waters. Under the WFD, losses, discharges and emissions to water of a particularly harmful subset of these, priority hazardous substances, should be completely phased out within 20 years, and the uses of these substances have been significantly restricted. 

A smaller group of priority hazardous substances were identified in the Priority Substances Directive as uPBTs (ubiquitous[3], Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic).  uPBTs persist in the environment, can be transported long distances and pose long-term risks to human health and ecosystems. Owing to widespread environmental contamination, achieving concentrations at or below the EQS for this group of substances can be particularly challenging.

 Text box: How chemicals can get into water

 

Further and detailed information on chemical status assessment is available in WISE

·         Monitoring of chemical status (see chapter 1)

·         Change in proportion unknowns unknown chemical status

·         Confidence in: SWB chemical status assessment Table and Graph*;

 

* draft dashboards;

Previous comments

  • mohauvol (Volker Mohaupt) 23 Feb 2018 16:27:27

    "Some chemicals can be very harmful through direct toxicity, such as through sublethal effects which affect an organism’s healthy functioning, or can become problematic as they accumulate up the food chain."

    Please replace "such as" by "as well as".

  • mohauvol (Volker Mohaupt) 23 Feb 2018 16:31:01

    "EQS are set to protect the most sensitive species by direct toxicity, including predators and humans via secondary poisoning."

    This is not correct to our opinion. EQS is not set to protect the sensitivest species, because it is impossible to test all species in ecosystem. TGD EQS (2011) states: "EQSs should protect freshwater and marine ecosystems from possible adverse effects of chemicals as well as human health via drinking water or ingestion of food originating from aquatic environments. Several different types of receptor therefore need to be considered, i.e. the pelagic and benthic communities in freshwater, brackish or saltwater ecosystems, the top predators of these ecosystems and human health..

  • UEPG (European Aggregates Association) (invited by kristpet (disabled)) 26 Feb 2018 13:54:48

    In reference to " heavy industry":  In the European Union, a vast majority of aggregates extraction sites are dealing with inert materials such as sand, gravel and crushed rock, and produce inert wastes according to EU definitions and criteria included in EU Directives. The industry’s production process does not include the use of chemicals and therefore does not represent a threat for water quality. It is necessary to make a clear distinction between the concept of mining and quarrying, as the nature of their activities and the properties of the materials they extract are very different. It is therefore essential to define clearly in the report what is meant by heavy industry or mining. As mining sites counting for less than 5% in comparison with quarries, sand and gravel extraction sites representing 95%, it would be recommended to clearly define which measures apply to mining and which ones to the Aggregates Industry rather than addressing the entire extractive industry. 

  • mitiksar (Sari Mitikka) 26 Feb 2018 19:09:22

    In text box is written: "Approximately 50 % of the mercury atmospherically deposited in Europe comes from legacy or natural sources, for example, during volcanic eruptions."

    The proportion of legacy & natural sources in Europe is clearly higher than 50%. According to AMAP/UNEP report it is more than 60%. Suggested formulation "almost 2/3 of the mercury..."

  • mitiksar (Sari Mitikka) 26 Feb 2018 19:10:18

    In Finland, acid sulfate soils are concern as the highest source for Cd (and for several other metals).

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