Source apportionment of nitrogen and Source apportionment of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs into the phosphorous inputs into the aquatic environment - An EEA aquatic environment - An EEA

assessmentassessment

presented bypresented by

János Fehér János Fehér h. Associate Professorh. Associate ProfessorChairman & General Director of VITUKI CONSULT ZrtChairman & General Director of VITUKI CONSULT Zrt

on behalf ofon behalf of

European Environmental Agency’s European Topic Centre on WaterEuropean Environmental Agency’s European Topic Centre on Water

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

• European Environmental AgencEuropean Environmental Agencyy’s ’s missionmission• AboutAbout the stud the studyy • CConcept of source apportionmentoncept of source apportionment• Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale• What is needed in the future?What is needed in the future?

EEuropean Environmental Agencyuropean Environmental Agency

• Political Mandate:

“To provide the Commission and Member States with objective, reliable and comparable information on the state of the environment.”

• Mission:

“Through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents and the public, the EEA aims to help achieve significant and measurable improvement to Europe’s

environment.”

EEuropean Environmental Agencyuropean Environmental Agency

• Established in 1990 by EU Council Regulation• Located in Copenhagen

•Tasks of the EEA: • Help the Community and member countries make informed decisions• Become an independent analyst, assessor and information provider• Build bridges between science and policy• Coordinate the European environment information and observation

network (Eionet)• to support policy processes and inform the public

EEA Member CountriesEEA Member Countries

EEuropean Environmental Agencyuropean Environmental Agency

THE NETWORK (EIONET)

The network embodies the EEA, which co-ordinates the whole, together with a range of partner organisations as follows:

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EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRES • Air and climate change• Biological diversity• Resource and waste management• Terrestrial environment• WaterWater (rivers, lakes, groundwater, marine and coastal)

EEA

NRC NRC NRC NRC

NFP

ETCs

EEuropean Environmental Agencyuropean Environmental Agency

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EEA 5-year state and outlook reports

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About the studyAbout the study

Project period 2004 - 2005 National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), Denmark

Jens Bogestrand – coordinator, Peter Kristensen and Brian Kronvand. Niels Thyssen, EEA proejct managerand contributions from ETC Water partner institutes.

The study delivered as far as it was possible updated information on the source apportionment of the total load of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the aquatic environment on a large scale

country, large river basins, seas

from the following sectors:agriculture, industry, scattered dwellings, waste water treatment plants and the background contribution.

About the studyAbout the study

Activities

Information inventoryInformation inventory International organisations such as transboundary river

commissions (e.g. Rhine and Danube) and Sea Conventions (e.g. Helcom Baltic Sea Load Compilation).

National (e.g. state of the environment chapters).and regional studies (such as German Länder and French River Basins Authorities),

Studies and research. Many studies and research activities have in the recent years focused on aspects relevant for this study.

ComparCompareded methods methods

AnalyseAnalysedd regional differences in relation to driving forces and regional differences in relation to driving forces and pressurespressures

ProduceProducedd a report a report

Concept of source apportiomentConcept of source apportioment

Point sources : Urban waste water; industry discharges; fish farms;

Diffuse sources: Background load (natural land (e.g. forest); load from agriculture; load from scattered dwelling; (stormwater outfall); atmospheric deposition.

Load oriented approach

Diffuse sources = CatchmentMeasured load river station- Point SourcesMeasured load + (retention)

Source oriented approach

Total sources = Point SourcesMeasured/estimated load + Diffuse Sourcesestimated

load

For example, Diffuse sources estimated from

Background sources: export coefficients from undisturbed catchments

Agricultural catchments: export coefficients from catchments with similar agricultural characteristics.

Concept of source apportiomentConcept of source apportioment

Source-oriented approach:

Inputs into inland surface waters within a river catchment area of monitored rivers, unmonitored catchment areas and coastal zones from

Total load at the lowest monitoring station in the river catchment area and from unmonitored catchment areas

Load-oriented approach: Separation of the load measured/estimated into the source categories

point sources diffuse sources natural background losses

point sources diffuse sources natural background losses

Retention in inland surface waters within the catchment areas and coastal areas

Point (and diffuse) sources

discharging directly

into the sea

Total load to the maritime area

Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

Some examples:Some examples:- Coastal and marine areas - Coastal and marine areas (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Danube (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Danube Basin) – split of point source dischargesBasin) – split of point source discharges

- - Source apportionment annual load of nitrogen (A) and phosphorus (B)in large river catchments

- Geographical differencies:

a) Nitrogen load in selected regions and catchments

b) Phosphorus load in selected regions and catchments

- The estimated input of total The estimated input of total N and PN and P into the Black S into the Black Seaea

Table Table 1a1a: Percentage split of point source discharges to the Baltic, 2000: Percentage split of point source discharges to the Baltic, 2000 [kg[kg/ha/y/ha/y]]

  Nitrogen Phosphorus  Inland waters Direct Inland waters Direct

Municipal wastewater 84 82 85 81

Industry 15 15 14 14Fish farms 1 3 1 4

Source: Helcom (2004). Table Table 11 b: Percentage split of point source discharges to the North Sea, 2000 b: Percentage split of point source discharges to the North Sea, 2000 [kg [kg/ha/y/ha/y]]

  Nitrogen PhosphorusSewage treatment works 75 68Households not connected 10 15Industry 14 16Aquaculture 1 1

Source: OSPAR (2003). Table Table 11 c: Percentage split of point source discharges to the Danube basin, 1996/97 c: Percentage split of point source discharges to the Danube basin, 1996/97

   NitrogenNitrogen PhosphorusPhosphorusMunicipal point sourcesMunicipal point sources 7373 7878Industrial point sourcesIndustrial point sources 1919 1515Agricultural point sourcesAgricultural point sources 88 77

Source:Source: UNDP/GEF (1999). UNDP/GEF (1999).

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Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

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Source apportionment annual load of nitrogen (A) and phosphorus (B)in large river catchments

Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

Source apportionment of nitrogen load in selected regions and Source apportionment of nitrogen load in selected regions and catchments catchments [kg[kg/ha/ha]]

Source apportionment of Source apportionment of phosphorusphosphorus load in selected regions and load in selected regions and catchments catchments [kg[kg/ha/ha]]

Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

The estimated input of total nitrogen into the Black Sea The estimated input of total nitrogen into the Black Sea (1 000 t per year)(1 000 t per year)

CountryCountry DomesticDomestic IndustrialIndustrial RiverineRiverine SubtotalSubtotal

Bulgaria Bulgaria 2.52.5 71.071.0 19.219.2 92.792.7GeorgiaGeorgia 1.61.6 0.00.0 0.00.0 1.61.6RomaniaRomania 0.90.9 44.444.4 132.0132.0 177.3177.3

Russian FederationRussian Federation 0.40.4 0.00.0 62.362.3 62.762.7

TurkeyTurkey 5.45.4 0.60.6 32.032.0 38.038.0UkraineUkraine 9.59.5 31.031.0 36.336.3 76.876.8Other countriesOther countries          198.3198.3SubtotalSubtotal 20.320.3 146.9146.9 281.8281.8 647.3647.3

Source: Black Sea Commission (2002).

Assessment at European scaleAssessment at European scale

The estimated input of total The estimated input of total phosphorusphosphorus into the Black Sea into the Black Sea (1 000 t per year)(1 000 t per year)

Source: Black Sea Commission (2002).

CountryCountry DomesticDomestic IndustrialIndustrial RiverineRiverine SubtotalSubtotal

Bulgaria Bulgaria 0.70.7 0.00.0 1.91.9 2.62.6

GeorgiaGeorgia 0.40.4 0.00.0 0.00.0 0.40.4

RomaniaRomania 0.30.3 0.30.3 11.011.0 11.611.6

Russian FederationRussian Federation 0.50.5 0.00.0 6.16.1 6.66.6

TurkeyTurkey 2.22.2 0.10.1 3.63.6 5.95.9

UkraineUkraine 2.62.6 1.71.7 5.75.7 9.99.9

Other countriesOther countries          13.613.6

SubtotalSubtotal 6.76.7 2.02.0 28.228.2 50.550.5

What is needed in the future?What is needed in the future?

• Results from source apportionment studies are important in the policy formation process and in monitoring the implementation of policies and the effective measures.

•A European-wide source apportioment of nutrient loads could be carried out applying a relevant source apportionment tool at regular intervals (3-5 years using the Eionet-water network).

• Statistical model should be developed and calibrated for diffuse nutrient losses. Such statistical models should be developed for different regions in Europe and calibrated for present-day conditions regarding nutrient surplus and agricultural practices.

This will erquire extention of Eionet-water database with

- annual nutrient discharges

- annual nutrient retention data

- average groundwater residence times in hydrogeological regions- infromation on agricultural practicies (soil type, land use, topography, etc.)

Thank you for your attantion!Thank you for your attantion!