The role of physico-chemical parameters in the WFD process

European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
© iStockphoto.com/ansonsaw
Support of Water Policy Reforms
towards Integrated Water Resources Management
WORKSHOP ON
ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
The role of physico-chemical parameters in the
WFD process
Karin Deutsch
Kyiv, 19-20 June 2018

Physico-chemistry and WFD: Quality Element
Water Framework Directive, Annex V – Normative definitions:
Rivers
 Biological elements
 Composition and abundance of aquatic flora
 Composition and abundance of benthic invertebrate fauna
 Composition, abundance and age structure of fish fauna
 Chemical and physico-chemical elements supporting the biological
elements
 General conditions: Nutrients, oxygen balance, salinity, pH,
temperature, acid neutralization capacity
 Specific synthetic and non synthetic pollutants: National relevant
specific pollutants
 Hydromorphological elements supporting the biological elements

Physico-chemical quality elements according to WFD
Water Framework Directive, Annex V (Normative definitions of ecological status classifications):
Definition of High, Good and Moderate Status for Physico-chemical Quality Elements of Rivers
Element High status Good status Moderate status
General
conditions
The value correspond totally or
near totally to undisturbed
conditions
Nutrient concentrations remain
within the range normally
associated with undisturbed
conditions
Levels of salinity, pH, oxygen
balance, acid neutralising
capacity and temperature do not
show signs of anthropogenic
disturbance and remain within the
range normally associated with
undisturbed conditions
Temperature, oxygen balance,
pH, acid neutralising capacity
and salinity do not reach levels
outside the range estalished so
as to ensure the functioning of
the type specific ecosystem
and the achievment of the
values specified for the
biological quality elements
Nutrient concentrations do not
exceed the levels established so
as to ensure the functioning of
the ecosystem and …….
Conditions consistent with the
achievement of the values
specified above for the
biological quality elements.
Specific
synthetic and
non-synthetic
pollutants
Concentration below zero and at
least below LOD of the most
advanced analytical techniques in
general use (standard methods
WFD)
Concentrations do not exceed
standards set in accordance with
Annex 5, 1.2.6
Conditions consistent with the
achievement of the values
specified above for the
biological quality elements.

high ecological status good ecological status
WFD QUALITY ELEMENTS
Hydromorphology Biology Physico-Chemistry
Hydrology
Morphology
River continuity
Makroinvertebrates
Fish
Phytobenthos
Makrophytes
Pollutants
Non-synthetic
Synthetic
General
Parameters
Temp., pH,
O2, N, P etc.
chemical Status
Priority Substances
Ecological Status
ECOLOGICAL STATUS – RELEVANCE OF ELEMENTS FOR
STATUS ASSESSMENT

HOW TO ESTABLISH RANGES AND
LEVELS
5
Type-specific values also for GPCQE

GENERAL PHYSICO-CHEMICAL QUALITY
ELEMENTS (GPCQE)
Which parameters for the different quality elements?
• Nutrients,
• oxygen balance,
• salinity,
• pH,
• temperature,
• acid neutralization capacity
EU member states: large number of supportive physical and
chemical parameters are in use
Reflects the long tradition in use
6

7
Lit: WFD CIS ECOSTAT WG A Report “Comparison of Environmental Quality Objectives, Threshold Values or
Water Quality Targets Set for the Demands of the European Water Framework Directive” (2012)

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL QUALITY ELEMENTS
IN AUSTRIA
 General conditions (GPCP)
EQS/guiding values for 8 parameters – type-specific
 National relevant specific synthetic and non-
synthetic pollutants
EQS for 28 synthetic and 6 non-synthetic pollutants

AUSTRIA: GPCQE – NUTRIENT PARAMETERS
Quality element
WFD
Austria
Parameter Biological
type
Legal
Implementation
General Nutrient
concentrati
ons
Phosphorus Running
water:
SRP
Bioregions +
Trophic Reference
Condition PHB
Quality Objective
Ordinance –
Ecological Status
of Surface
Waters (2010)
Lakes:
TP
13 Laketypes
Nitrogen Running
water:
Nitrate
Bioregions +
Saprobic
Reference
Condition MZB
Specific
pollutants
Nitrite Chloride-
classes
Quality Objective
Ordinance –
Chemical
Condition of
Surface Waters
(2006 idgF)
Ammonium pH +
Temperature

GPCQE – HOW TO ESTABLISH
RANGES/VALUES
• Stepwise approach
• Basis:
• WFD compliant biological methods (EQR) for assess
different pressures
• biological data and
• physico-chemical data
• Statistical analysis
10

EXAMPLE AUSTRIA
APPROACH FOR DERIVING QUALITY STANDARDS
Formulation of quality standards based on
 existing monitoring data for running waters of 240 sites
including reference sites for high and good status
 WFD typology
 assessment of biological quality elements with WFD
compliant methods
 Makroinvertebrates – saprobic index as indicator
for organic pollution
 Phytobenthos – trophic index as indicator for
nutrient pollution

AUSTRIA - DATA PROCESSING/1
Parameter
High/good based on
PO4-P (SRP) Phytobenthos – Trophic index (TI)
NO3-N Macroinvertebrate – Saprobic index for high status
• Selection of most indicative biological element:
• Selection of relevant monitoring
sites :
Definition high and good for each
bioregion
 focus of the definition of boundary
values :selection of monitoring sites within
the range boundary - 0,125 TI/SI

 Statistical data not available for all types
 Clusteranalysis identifies similar bioregions
  Expertjudgment
AUSTRIA - DATA PROCESSING/2

AUSTRIA/ SRP - QUALITY STANDARDS
AND GUIDING VALUES
 Compliance checking - monthly data1 year - 90 percentile
PO4-P (mg/l)
Bioregion Trophic reference condition classes
ot
(oligotroph)
om
(oligo-mesotroph)
mt
(mesotroph)
me1
(meso-eutroph 1)
me2
(meso-eutroph2)
high good high good high good high good high good
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
Perzentil
90
AV 0,010 0,020 0,020 0,050
AM 0,010 0,020 0,030 0,060
BR 0,010 0,020 0,020 0,050 0,030 0,080
FH 0,070 0,200
FL 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,030 0,020 0,050
GF 0,050 0,090
GG 0,030 0,060 0,040 0,080 0,060 0,100
HV 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,030
IB 0,050 0,100 0,070 0,150
KH 0,007 0,015 0,020 0,040
KV 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,030
SA 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,030
UZA 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,030 0,020 0,050
VAV 0,010 0,030 0,020 0,050
VZA 0,007 0,015 0,010 0,040

NEW! BEST PRACTICE GUIDE ON ESTABLISHING
NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS TO SUPPORT GOOD
ECOLOGICAL STATUS (2017)
Includes 3 approaches to setting these threshold concentrations:
• Regression analysis, using a continuous relationship between EQR
and nutrient concentration
• Categorical analysis, using the distribution of nutrient concentration
within biological classes
• Minimisation of mis-match of classifications for biology and nutrients
 choice of method depends upon a number of factors, including the
length of the gradient that available datasets cover and the statistical
strength of the relationship between the explanatory and response
variables.
• Excel and R-based statistical “toolkits” are provided
15

BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE/TOOLKIT (V6)
EXAMPLE AUSTRIA PHB-TYPE ME2
16
Categorical methods (Log transformed nutrient conc.)
Ave adj
class
quartiles
Ave adj
class
median
75th
quartile
class
minimise
mis-match
Good/Mod 99 87,73 122,90 130,00
High/Good 53,52 59,90 48,63 50,00
Best Practice Guide on establishing nutrient concentrations to support good ecological status
Geoff Phillips, Martyn Kelly, Heliana Teixeira, Fuensanta Salas, Gary Free, Wera Leujak, Anne Lyche Solheim, Gábor
Várbíró; Final draft, December 2017

ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL STATUS/1
General chemical and physico-chemical elements
 Assessment of ecological status requires biological and
chemical data
 Mismatch Biology and general chemical and physico-chemical
elements
 High status: Worst case
 Good status: Assessment follows the biological results
(intercalibration)
 Consistent mismatch in one type for good/moderate –
checking procedure (CIS-Guidance 13)

CHECKING PROCEDURE 1
Is the level or range for GPCQE more stringent than required?
CIS Guidance No. 13

CHECKING PROCEDURE 2
19
Is the level or range for GPCQE insufficiently stringent than required?

ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL STATUS/3
… nevertheless it is important
• uncertainty can be reduce by using adequate data sets
and categorising water bodies into similar types,
• but the complexity of the ecological interactions involved
will always result in a variation in the relative biological
status
• challenges by multiple stressors
20

AUSTRIA – COMPARISON OF BIOLOGICAL
AND GPCQE ASSESSMENT
21
Compliancematrix statusclassification
GPCQE total (worst case BSB5, DOC, O2, PO4-P, NO3-N) / Biology
total(worst case MZB + PHB)
equal different

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ASSESSMENT RELEVANT
FOR …
Typology
Pressure &impact
analysis
Development of
status classification
Water body
delineation
Programme of
measures
Monitoring
Gap-Analysis
Design of appropriate
restoration measure
Risk analysis

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL STANDARDS AND
ASSESSMENT ARE RELEVANT FOR …
• Managing the risk of adverse ecological impacts: Where rivers
are already adversely affected, e.g. phosphorus standards can
indicate the likely degree to which phosphorus concentrations
would need to be reduced (e.g. by reducing concentrations in
discharges) to improve ecological quality.
• Permitting new discharges - standards can indicate whether or
not the river is likely to be able to accommodate the additional
inputs without significant risk of adverse ecological effects –
combined approach!
• Evaluation of measures
• Risk analysis and planning of operational monitoring
23

 CIS Guidance Document No 13 (2005):
Overall Approach to the Classification of Ecological Status and
Ecological Potential
 Best Practice Guide on establishing nutrient concentrations to
support good ecological status (2017)
Geoff Phillips, Martyn Kelly, Heliana Teixeira, Fuensanta Salas,
Gary Free, Wera Leujak, Anne Lyche Solheim, Gábor Várbíró;
Final draft, December 2017
LITERATURE
24

Thank you for attention !
Karin Deutsch
karin.deutsch@bmnt.gv.at

The role of physico-chemical parameters in the WFD process

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (7)

Similar to The role of physico-chemical parameters in the WFD process

Similar to The role of physico-chemical parameters in the WFD process (20)

More from EU Water Initiative plus for Eastern Partnership

More from EU Water Initiative plus for Eastern Partnership (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

The role of physico-chemical parameters in the WFD process