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Methodology uncertainty

The methodologies used for aggregating and testing trends in concentrations illustrate the overall European trends. Organic and oxygen conditions vary throughout the year, depending especially on flow conditions, affected by weather events etc. Hence, the annual average concentrations should ideally be based on samples collected as often as possible. Using annual averages representing only part of the year introduces some uncertainty, but it also makes it possible to include more river sites, which reduces the uncertainty in spatial coverage. Moreover, the majority of the annual averages represent the whole year.