{"id":27522,"date":"2023-12-14T12:26:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T11:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2023\/12\/vyuziti-effect-based-metod-k-hodnoceni-stavu-povrchovych-vod-2\/"},"modified":"2024-04-04T12:58:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T11:58:26","slug":"use-of-effect-based-methods-to-assess-surface-water-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2023\/12\/use-of-effect-based-methods-to-assess-surface-water-status\/","title":{"rendered":"Use of effect-based methods to assess surface water status"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABSTRACT<\/h2>\n

This article deals with the use of effect-based methods for the qualitative assessment of the state of surface waters in the context of Directive 2000\/60\/EC establishing the framework for Community activity in the field of water policy and the upcoming amendment to Directive 2008\/105\/EC on environmental quality standards. The implemented monitoring of priority substances and specific pollutants is not able to capture all sources of pollution that negatively affect surface water quality. Likewise, current practice does not allow a\u00a0comprehensive assessment of mixtures, including emergent pollutants, metabolites, and transformation products of substances on water quality. Effect-based methods are a\u00a0suitable tool for ecotoxicological evaluation of pollution, which considers all substances contained in the sample and possible effects of mixtures (synergistic effects). They thus provide important additional information for the results of the assessment of the state of surface water bodies.<\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/h2>\n

The Water Framework Directive 2000\/60\/EC requires the Member States of the\u00a0European Union (EU) to adopt an integrated approach to the monitoring and assessment of surface water quality. In the Czech Republic, monitoring takes place in accordance with the requirements of Decree 98\/2011 [1] as amended by Section 21 of the Water Act [2] and environmental quality standards throughout the EU. However, for technical and economic reasons, the current monitoring of the chemical state of water does not allow analysis, detection, and quantification of all substances present in the aquatic environment [3, 4]. It is primarily focused on monitoring selected regulated chemical substances \u2013 priority substances and other pollutants which are known to pose a\u00a0danger to the aquatic environment. However, this information does not tell us anything about their actual cumulative effects in the aquatic environment. In addition, it is necessary to include the\u00a0action of so-called emergent micropollutants in the monitoring. These include medicines and cosmetics, biocides, polar pesticides, endocrine disruptors, their metabolites, and transformation products. In addition, substances present in the aquatic environment create mixtures whose final effect cannot be predicted on the basis of chemical analysis alone.<\/p>\n

The main goal of the project \u201cUsing effect-based methods to assess the status of surface waters in the context of the Water Framework Directive\u201d is to create a\u00a0methodology for the assessment of water pollution using effect-based methods (EBM), the use of which would be appropriate to include in the\u00a0Water Framework Directive 2000\/60\/EC (WFD) [5]. This type of monitoring is a\u00a0useful ecotoxicological tool for the assessment of water pollution, serving as a\u00a0screening method, allowing to precisely target other types of monitoring and, subsequently, find the origin of the pollution and set measures to improve water status. This issue is dealt with in detail, for example, by US EPA documents [6\u20138]. Simultaneously, an amendment to Directive 2008\/105\/EC is currently being discussed at the Member States level, which in Article 8a introduces a\u00a0new obligation to monitor the presence of estrogenic substances in\u00a0water bodies using EBM for a\u00a0period of two years; in case of positive findings, the following hormones will be monitored by conventional analytical methods: 7-beta-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and alpha-ethinyl-estradiol (EE2).<\/p>\n

EBMs are analytical methods using whole organism responses (in vivo) or cellular responses (in vitro) to detect and quantify the effects of different groups of chemicals and to determine relevant toxicological endpoints [4]. Incorporation of these methods into current monitoring would therefore allow evaluation of the effects of complex pollutant mixtures occurring in the environment according to the mechanism of their action [5, 7\u20139].<\/p>\n

EBM can help prioritize problematic groups of substances; this can be used for designing targeted measures to reduce their introduction and to\u00a0improve water quality. Another important aspect of their use is the potential to reduce the burden associated with monitoring an ever-growing list of priority substances and pollutants. EBMs are suitable for linking the monitoring of the\u00a0chemical and ecological status of the aquatic environment and can help determine the\u00a0causes of the unsatisfactory ecological water status, as well as to identify other substances that may be a\u00a0threat to both aquatic ecosystems and human health. Using EBM enables a\u00a0cost-effective risk analysis where the\u00a0absence of an effect implies the absence of toxicological risk.<\/p>\n

The methods used were chosen with a\u00a0view to covering different mechanisms of action of toxic substances based on the required sensitivity. The\u00a0basic document was the EU technical report [11] and other sources [10, 12]. Considering the small volume of the sample after the necessary pretreatment, ecotoxicity tests were chosen on representatives of two trophic layers of aquatic ecosystems \u2013 decomposers (bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri), and primary producers (green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata). Mutagenicity was determined using the\u00a0Ames fluctuation test [12, 14, 15]. In recent years, water quality testing has been focused on estrogens and substances with an estrogenic effect. The YES test (yeast estrogen screen) [16, 17] was used to determine the level of estrogens and estrogenic substances recommended for monitoring at the EU level [12].<\/p>\n

METHODOLOGY<\/h2>\n

Selection of profiles and sampling plan<\/span><\/h3>\n

Eleven locations in three river basins (Odra, Morava, and Labe basins) were selected for the assessment of surface water status using EBM, based on CHMI data and consultations with the Povod\u00ed state enterprises. Nine locations show\u00a0long-term poor water quality, which in most cases is caused by exceeding limit of phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, but also by an increased occurrence of some priority substances and other pollutants and metals (according to Government Regulation No. 401\/2015 Coll. [17]). Two locations were selected as the reference ones with reported long-term good water quality. The selected profiles are listed in Tab. 1; the site map is shown in Fig. 1<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Tab. 1. Water profiles overview<\/h5>\n\"\"<\/a>\n
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Fig. 1. Map of monitored locations<\/h6>\n

A\u00a0total of six sampling campaigns took place in 2021 and 2022 (Tab. 2<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Tab. 2. Overview of abstraction dates in selected monitored profiles\"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n

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METHOD USED<\/h2>\n

Pretreatment of samples<\/span><\/h4>\n

Pretreatment of samples consists of concentrating the pollution contained in them. This procedure is chosen on the basis of the assumption that an increase in the concentration of active substances will make it possible to model their possible chronic effect within a\u00a0significantly shorter exposure time, i.e., using acute toxicity tests (the effect is influenced by the indirect dependence of the\u00a0concentration on exposure time).<\/p>\n

Concentration of the collected samples was carried out according to TNV 75 7231 [18]. XAD resins were added to 20 litres of surface water sample and the sample was mixed for 24 hours. The adsorbed substances were then washed\u00a0kilometres\u00a0with solvent and transferred to an aqueous 1000x concentrated sample. It was subsequently used for evaluation using selected effect-based methods:<\/p>\n