Classification and management issues of Greek lakes under the European Water Framework Directive: a DPSIR approach

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection of water bodies. The aim of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to ensure sustainable management of groundwater, freshwater and marine water in the European Union, such that a minimum "good ecological status" will be obtained by 2015. We used background morphometric, hydrologic, physico-chemical and biological data, in order to highlight the ecological status of the natural Greek lakes using also the Driving-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) approach in order to link the driving forces and further the pressures with the present state of the lakes' ecosystems. In addition detailed biodiversity and habitat typology data are provided. The assessment of the DPSIR approach under the view of WFD provided a quite clear identification of pressures and the subsequent impacts of the qualitative status of the Greek lakes.     

Ecological assessment of French Atlantic lakes based on phytoplankton, phytobenthos and macrophytes

Biological elements, including phytoplankton, phytobenthos, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish, are employed by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC as ecological indicators for the assessment of surface waters. The use of primary producers (phytoplankton, phytobenthos and macrophytes) for water quality assessment has a long history, and several methods have been developed worldwide. In this study, we used these three communities to assess the ecological status of five natural lakes located in the Aquitaine region (southwest France). Several biological indices used in lakes from other European countries or in French rivers were employed and compared among the three communities. Each primary producer provided complementary information about the ecological status of the lakes, including the invasiveness of exotic taxa. Regardless of the producer community used, the response to the environment, as reflected by the indices (adequate for each community), was similar: Lakes Cazaux, Lacanau and Hourtin showed the best ecological status and Parentis and Soustons the worst. Phytoplankton diagnosis reflected and integrated unambiguously the water quality of the lakes, as demonstrated by the strong relationships between the phytoplankton index and the trophic status criteria. This community appeared as the best indicator, especially when macrophytes were absent. The methods applied here represent a potential tool for the assessment of the ecological status in the context of WFD, but they need to be refined. We propose modifications for phytobenthos index initially tailored for running waters for adequate use in lentic ecosystems. Indices for the three primary producers should be modified to incorporate exotic species which may provide information on potential biodiversity losses.     

Ecotoxicological Classification of the Berlin River System Using Bioassays in Respect to the European Water Framework Directive

Bioassays as well as biochemical responses (biomarkers) in ecosystems due to environmental stress provide us with signals (environmentally signalling) of potential damage in the environment. If these responses are perceived in this early stage in ecosystems, the eventual damage can be prevented. Once ecosystem damage has occurred, the remedial action processes for recovery could be expensive and pose certain logistical problems. Ideally, “early warning signals” in ecosystems using sensing systems of biochemical responses (biomarkers) would not only tell us the initial levels of damage, but these signals will also provide us with answers by the development of control strategies and precautionary measures in respect to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Clear technical guidelines or technical specifications on monitoring are necessary to establish and characterise reference conditions for use in an ecological status classification system for surface water bodies. For the Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment (ERA) of endocrine effects we used an approach of the exposure – dose – response concept. Based on the “Ecototoxicological Classification System of Sediments” that uses pT-values to classify effects in different river systems, we transferred the bio-monitoring data to the five-level ecological system of the WFD. To understand the complexity of the structure of populations and processes behind the health of populations, communities and ecosystems an ERA should establish links between natural factors, chemicals, and biological responses so as to assess causality. So, our ecological monitoring assessment has incorporated exposure & effects data.     

Investigative monitoring within the European Water Framework Directive: a coastal blast furnace slag disposal, as an example

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection of estuarine and coastal waters, with the most important objective being to achieve 'good ecological status' for all waters, by 2015. Hence, Member States are establishing programmes for the monitoring of water quality status, through the assessment of ecological and chemical elements. These monitoring programmes can be of three types: surveillance monitoring; operational monitoring (both undertaken on a routine basis); and investigative monitoring (carried out where the reason of any exceedance for ecological and chemical status is unknown). Until now, nothing has been developed in relation to investigative monitoring and no clear guidance exists for this type of monitoring, as it must be tackled on a 'case-by-case' basis. Consequently, the present study uses slag disposal from a blast furnace, into a coastal area, as a case-study in the implementation of investigative monitoring, according to the WFD.In order to investigate the potential threat of such slags, this contribution includes: a geophysical study, to determine the extent of the disposal area; sediment analysis; a chemical metal analysis; and an ecotoxicological study (including a Microtox test and an amphipod bioassay). The results show that metal concentrations are several times above the background concentration. However, only one of the stations showed toxicity after acute toxicological tests, with the benthic communities being in a good status. The approaches used here show that contaminants are not bioavailable and that no management actions are required with the slags.     

Monitoring, assessment and modelling using water quality data in the Saale River Basin, Germany

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is the overall driver for this environmental study and currently requires the identification of patterns and sources of pollution (monitoring) to support objective ecological sound decision making and specific measures to enhance river water quality (modelling). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate in a case study the interrelationship between (1) hydrologic and water quality monitoring data for river basin characterization and (2) modelling applications to assess resources management alternatives. The study deals with monitoring assessment and modelling of river water quality data of the main stem Saale River and its principal tributaries. For a period of 6 years the data, which was sampled by Environmental Agencies of the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, was investigated to assess sources and indicators of pollution. In addition to the assessment a modelling exercise of the routing of different pollutants was carried out in the lower part of the test basin. The modelling is a tool to facilitate the evaluation of alternative measures to reduce contaminant loadings and improve ecological status of a water body as required by WFD. The transport of suspended solids, salts and heavy metals was modelled along a selected Saale reach under strong anthropogenic influence in terms of contaminants and river morphology between the city of Halle and the confluence with the Elbe River. The simulations were carried out with the model WASP5 which is a dynamic flood-routing and water quality model package developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency.     

Design of a new monitoring network and first testing of new biological assessment methods according to water framework directive

In most European member states, more or less completely new monitoring networks and assessment methods had to be developed as basic technical tools for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). In the river basin of the Stever, the largest tributary to the river Lippe (River Rhine, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany), a WFD-monitoring network was developed, and new German biological methods for rivers, developed for the purposes of the WFD, have been applied. Like most rivers in the German lowland areas, nearly all the river courses of the Stever system are altered by hydro-morphological degradation (straightening, bank fixation, lack of canopy etc.). In 2005 and 2006, the biological quality components of macroinvertebrates, fish and macrophytes were investigated and evaluated for the assessment of the ecological status of about 50 surface water bodies within the whole Stever system. Basic physical and chemical parameters, as well as priority substances, have been analysed in the same period. In this contribution, the design of the new monitoring network, the core principles of the German biological methods, and the most important results of the pilot monitoring will be presented. As main impacts with severe effects on the faunal and floral communities, the many migration barriers and the bad quality of the river morphology could be stated. Organic pollution is no more a severe problem in the Stever. The pilot project was successfully conducted in close collaboration with the water authorities (District Government Münster) and the water association Lippeverband.     

欧盟流域水环境监测与评价及对我国的启示

为提升我国水环境监测与管理能力,介绍了欧盟水框架指令关于水环境监测的规定,举例介绍了捷克、波兰和意大利等欧盟成员国的水环境监测与评价方法,并对我国在该领域的工作提出了一些想法。     

我国流域水生态完整性评价方法构建

流域水生态完整性评价是指通过对水生态系统中不同水生态指标(生物和非生物)的监测以及由数学方法综合形成的综合评价指数,来反映水生态系统完整性状况。近年来,世界各国水环境管理政策发生了变化,开始强调生态保护,重视水体的生态质量。中国现行的常规理化监测指标(如COD、氨氮、BOD5)很难满足水环境管理的需求,难以全面准确地反映水环境质量变化的趋势。因此,在借鉴欧美发达国家流域水生态完整性评价方法的基础上,结合中国目前监测现状以及流域水环境管理需求,构建了包括物理生境指标、理化指标、水生生物指标在内的流域水生态完整性监测与评价方法,以期为中国流域水质目标管理技术体系的业务化运行提供可资借鉴的技术支撑,实现从单一的化学指标监测转向综合的水生态系统监测,实现流域水生态完整性的监测与评价。     

Linking biological and physicochemical water quality

To define water quality, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) demands complex assessments through physicochemical, biological, and hydromorphological controls of water bodies. Since the biological assessment became the central focus with hydrochemistry playing a supporting role, an evaluation of the interrelationships within this approach deems necessary. This work identified and tested these relationships to help improve the quality and efficiency of related efforts. Data from the 384 km² Weisseritz catchment (eastern Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany and northern Bohemia, Czech Republic) were used as a representative example for central European streams in mountainous areas. The data cover the time frame 1992 to 2003. To implement WFD demands, the analysis was based on accepted German methods and classifications, WFD quality standards, and novel German methods for the biological status assessment. Selected chemical parameters were compared with different versions of the German Saprobic Index, based on macroinvertebrate indicator taxa. Relevant dependencies applicable for integrated stream assessment were statistically tested. Correlation analysis showed significant relationships. The highest scores were found for nutrients (NO₂ ^???, N_inorg, and total N), salinity (Cl^???, SO₄ ^2???, conductivity), and microelements (K^?+?, Na^?+?, Ca^2?+?, Mg^2?+?). The Saprobic Index used in the Integrated Assessment System for the Ecological Quality of Streams and Rivers throughout Europe using Benthic Macro-invertebrates program seems to be the most sensitive indicator to correlate with chemical parameters.     

发达国家和地区生态环境监测发展经历对中国的启示

新形势下,中国生态环境监测面临新任务和新挑战,迫切需要明确发展思路和方向.因此,从环境监测管理体系、业务体系、标准方法体系等方面,举例浅析了美国、欧盟等发达国家和地区环境监测业务的发展现状,并从法律制度、业务体系、方法标准等方面对比分析了中国与发达国家和地区的差异及不足,总结归纳了适用于中国国情的先进经验与启示.在此基...     

Report on EU guidance on groundwater monitoring developed under the common implementation strategy of the water framework directive

The establishment of high quality long-term monitoring programmes is essential if the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to be effective. It is recognised that monitoring can be very expensive and so guidance is needed to establish cost-effective, risk-based and targeted groundwater monitoring across Europe that enables WFD objectives to be met. In this context, the Groundwater Working Group (WGC) of the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD has developed recommendations aiming to implement consistent groundwater monitoring across Europe. This has been published on the internet in the form of a non-legally binding guidance document, which provides useful elements for the development and maintenance of networks at high standards and thereby provide the necessary information to assess (ground)water status, identify trends in pollutant concentrations, support establishment and assessment of programmes of measures and the effective targeting of economic resources. This paper presents this guidance document.     

塔里木河流域的生态环境质量综合评价研究

采用切实可行的指标体系综合评价塔里木河流域生态环境质量,对流域的近期综合治理以及其它环境建设工程都具有很强的参考和指导意义。本文结合已有的研究成果,首次运用RS／GIS技术,参考2003年中国环境监测总站颁布的《生态环境质量评价方法》。以塔里木河流域的42个县(市)为评价单元,对塔里木河流域生态环境质量进行综合评价。结果表明,整个塔里木河流域的生态环境质量属较差和差级,其中干流上游与四源流经地区环境质量略好于其它地区。天山南麓、环塔里木盆地北部及西部绿洲区的生态环境状况优于环塔里木盆地南缘的和田地区,评价结果符合实际情况。     

Probability of misclassifying biological elements in surface waters

Measurement uncertainties are inherent to assessment of biological indices of water bodies. The effect of these uncertainties on the probability of misclassification of ecological status is the subject of this paper. Four Monte-Carlo (M-C) models were applied to simulate the occurrence of random errors in the measurements of metrics corresponding to four biological elements of surface waters: macrophytes, phytoplankton, phytobenthos, and benthic macroinvertebrates. Long series of error-prone measurement values of these metrics, generated by M-C models, were used to identify cases in which values of any of the four biological indices lay outside of the “true” water body class, i.e., outside the class assigned from the actual physical measurements. Fraction of such cases in the M-C generated series was used to estimate the probability of misclassification. The method is particularly useful for estimating the probability of misclassification of the ecological status of surface water bodies in the case of short sequences of measurements of biological indices. The results of the Monte-Carlo simulations show a relatively high sensitivity of this probability to measurement errors of the river macrophyte index (MIR) and high robustness to measurement errors of the benthic macroinvertebrate index (MMI). The proposed method of using Monte-Carlo models to estimate the probability of misclassification has significant potential for assessing the uncertainty of water body status reported to the EC by the EU member countries according to WFD. The method can be readily applied also in risk assessment of water management decisions before adopting the status dependent corrective actions.     

长江流域水生态评价指标初步研究

通过调研20世纪90年代以来国外主流水生态评价项目中采用的生境指标,统计了14个类型生境指标的使用频率,并针对不同的河流类型,筛选出物理形态特征、河岸带状况、生境组成、生境复杂性、人类干扰和水质状况等6个类型的11项评价指标,推荐作为长江流域河流生境评价指标.随后,利用层次分析法对国外水生生物评价指标进行了统计分析,并...     

水环境指示生物筛选及水质评价方法研究

以齐齐哈尔市近30年地表水生物监测数据、理化监测数据为研究依据,提出一套基于指示生物的地表水体评价方法。该方法将地表水体划分为5个级别,并从中筛选出每个级别对应的指示生物,最终建立一套基于指示生物描述水体污染程度的评价体系。该方法以理化指标为基础,筛选多种优势种作为指示生物,对水体进行综合评价。相比单一生物监测评价指标,该评价方法更能反映整个生态系统状况,从而更客观地反映水体真实情况,有望为地表水体污染评价新方法的建立提供参考。     

水生态完整性监测评价的基准与参照状态探究

水生态完整性评价通过对水生态系统中不同生态组分(非生物和生物)的监测,整合物理栖息地、环境水质和生物特征形成综合评价指数来反映水生态系统健康状况,是流域水环境管理的重要手段。笔者尝试从水生态完整性评价中基准与参照状态的核心要素出发,探讨基准与参照状态的概念框架与具体定义,综述评价参照状态的四大类确定方法(基于分类学的参照位点法、历史数据法,针对特定位点的模型预测法以及提供经验解释与描述的专家判断法),并对参照状态研究的挑战与应用予以展望。     

The inadequacy of monitoring without modelling support

There is much to gain in joining monitoring and modelling efforts, especially in the present process of implementing the European Water Framework Directive and in the coming implementation of the Groundwater Directive. Nevertheless, present practises in the water management world suggest that most often models are not considered an option when monitoring obligations in the WFD are solved. The present paper analyses the constraints, such as perceived insufficiency of data for modelling, lack of explicit requirement for modelling in the WFD and its associated technical guidance documents, lack of awareness about what models can do and lack of confidence in models by water managers and policy makers. The findings have mainly emerged from a series of Harmoni-CA workshops aiming at bringing the monitoring and modelling communities together for a discussion of benefits and constraints in the joint use of monitoring and modelling. The workshops were attended by scientists, water managers, policy makers, stakeholders and consultants. The overall conclusion is that modelling can significantly improve the benefits of monitoring data; by quality assurance of data, interpolation and extrapolation in space and time, development of process understanding (conceptual models), and the assessment of impacts of pressures and effects of programmes of measures.     

Monitoring compared with paleolimnology: implications for the definition of reference condition in limed lakes in Sweden

Surface water acidification was identified as a major environmental problem in the 1960s. Consequently, a liming program was launched in Sweden in the 1970s. The primary purpose of liming is to restore conditions that existed prior to acidification. To reach this goal, as well as achieve 'good status' (i.e. low levels of distortion resulting from human activity) in European freshwaters until 2016 under the European Union Water Framework Directive, lake data are required to define reference conditions. Here, we compare data from chemical/biological monitoring of 12 limed lakes with results of paleolimnological investigations, to address questions of reference conditions, acidification, and restoration by liming. Using diatom-based lake-water pH inferences, we found clear evidence of acidification in only five of the 12 lakes, which had all originally been classified as acidified according to monitoring data. After liming, measured and diatom-inferred pH agree well in seven lakes. The sediment record of three of the five remaining lakes gave ambiguous results, presumably due to sediment mixing or low sediment accumulation rates. It is difficult to determine whether liming restored the lakes to a good status, especially as some of the lakes were not acidified during the twentieth century. In addition to acid deposition, other factors, such as natural lake and catchment ontogeny or human impact through agricultural activity, influence lake acidity. This study shows that monitoring series are usually too short to define reference conditions for lakes, and that paleolimnological studies are useful to set appropriate goals for restoration and for evaluation of counter measures.