Priority Substances Inventory Guidance

a step towards international harmonization

Joost van den Roovaart

Outline presentation

• Why emission inventories, why a Guidance document?

• Usefull items from past and present

• Steps to harmonization

• Some questions for discussion

Why emission inventories?

• We have water quality problems

• Emissions are a key factor in that problem

• If we want to solve our problems, we have to know:

• what is the contribution of the sources to the WQ problem?

• what are possible measures?

• what is the effect of the measures (and the costs)

• Focus on the first point

WFD steps

define area/watersystem

define water quality problem

inventory of sources

selection of substance

selection of sources

selection of measures,based on (cost) effectiveness

inventory possible measures

implementation of measures

WFD: analyses of emission sources

surface water

Use of emission data

0

50

100

150

200

250

1990 2007

Ntotal (kton)

Use of emission data

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

kilo copper

lead

Use of emission data

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

benzo(k)fluoranthene

nickel

copper

zinc

PCB's

nitrogen

phosforus

UWWT

industry

agriculture

nature

traffic

deposition

other diffuse

WFD River Basin Management Plan RhineRelative discharges of problem substance for main sources

International catchment: Rhine

Sw itzerlandFrance

Germany

the Netherlands

zinccopper

Ntotal

Why an Guidance Document?

• It seems to be a difficult job

• A lot of substances, sources, pathways, approaches, estimation methods, differences between countries

• A lot of information gathered, project results are available, actions carried out, but:

• Not always succesfull, just rather small steps forward

• Assist the Member States

Why an Guidance Document?

• We want to compare the data: EU-wide, within River Basin

• We need transparancy

• If is is possible: harmonization

• Second reason for this action

Some usefull experiences?

• 4th NSMC

• ICBR

• EU PS documents

• Dutch PRTR

4th NSMC

• 1998-2000, HARP project: Harmonised Quantification and Reporting Systems for nutriënts and hazardous substances:

HARP-NUT and HARP-HAZ

• Documents, reporting formats, digital reporting system

• Just a few countries made use of it: too complex, too early?

• Usefull: General Overview, Source- vs Load oriëntated approach

ICBR

• 1997-2000, Inventory of (some) Priority Substances

• River Basin wide harmonised inventory, methods for estimation of diffuse sources of heavy metals and lindane

• Took some years, nice methods, good match with WQ

• Not adopted by the Member States: each MS preferred own methods

• Usefull: Source schedule, methods

EU

• 2003, Emissions, discharges and losses for priority substances in the field of water policy – source identification and proposals for measures, Haskoning

• Inventory for all PS, Main Schedule, Factsheets per substance including entry routes

• Lots of information, info about measures difficult

• Is it used?

• Usefull: inventory, main routes per substance

Dutch PRTR

• since 1974

• national emissions to air, water and soil of 350 pollutants

• yearly update of dataset (t-2/t-1)

• cooperation about 70 experts of 10 institutes

• time series (>1990)

• national and regional data

• data accessible from internet (www.prtr.nl)

• methods documented in factsheets

• one system for (inter)national reports

Emission Register

Determination of pathways

Industry

Refineries

Energysector

Traffic andTransport

Consumers

Construction

Waste disposal

Trade, services and government

Agriculture

Nature

Surface w

aters

air

agricultural and natural soils

Sewers

UWWTP

discharge to air

discharge to soil

load to sewers

discharged load

Deposition on surface waters

Run-off and leaching

Untreated sewage

Rainwater drains

Stormwater overflows

Effluents

transboundary

Upstream loads

Estimation methods

different sources, different methods combination of models and measurements depending on data and knowledge availability

Basic method: emission factor * statistic variable = discharge load

Example:- Yearly loss of 2 kg copper per ship due to use of antifouling- 5000 ships

2 * 5000 = 10.000 kg copper

Reality is more complex

Spatial distribution

• each diffuse source has a spatial distribution

• the national totals are allocated• geographical coverage: water boards or

WFD river basins.

Example:Intensity of road use by passenger cars on national and regional roads in 2004.

Factsheets

For each source a factsheet documents:

• description of source;

• estimation methods;

• data used: emission factors and activity data;

• time series of emissions (yearly update);

• spatial distribution;

• reliability in five categories.

Available on the internet and in English!

www.prtr.nl

Dutch PRTR

• 35 year of work and money, expensive

• Based on a lot of information and statistical data

• Not to copy to other MS

• Usefull: main schedule, methods, factsheets, spatial distribution

Possible steps for international harmonization

1. Exchange of information (models and data used)

2. Harmonization of definitions (pathways, substances, time and spatial scales)

3. Exchange and comparison of methods and models