Seite - 247 - in Freshwater Microplastics - Emerging Environmental Contaminants?
Bild der Seite - 247 -
Text der Seite - 247 -
“[w]ith regard topollutionpreventionandcontrol,Communitywaterpolicyshould
be based on a combined approach using control of pollution at source through the
setting of emission limit values and of environmental quality standards” [7, p. 4].
Article 10 describes the combined approach for point and diffuse sources inmore
detail, “(a) the emission controls based on best available techniques, or (b) the
relevant emission limit values, or (c) in the case of diffuse impacts the controls
including,asappropriate,bestenvironmentalpractice” [7,p.13],andpoints, in this
respect, to further relevant directives.
Eventhoughthe8yearsolderWFDdoesnotexplicitlyrefer to(micro)plasticsor
litter in general,Wesch et al. [16] argued that plastic waste is already indirectly
integrated in the WFD as it currently stands. In their opinion, litter is broadly
associated with relevant quality elements determining the good ecological status
of freshwater systems.Consequently, the occurrenceof litter, in particular (micro)
plastics,couldconsiderablyinfluencethewaterquality.Furthermore, theypointout
that a good chemical status of surface waters according to theWFD is achieved
when concentrations of listed chemicals (Annex X, WFD) do not exceed the
environmental quality standards.
InArticle 16, strategies against the pollution ofwater arementioned in such a
way that “the European Parliament and theCouncil shall adopt specificmeasures
against pollution of water by individual pollutants or groups of pollutants
presenting a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment” [7, p. 17].
ApproachesdescribedinArticle16of theWFDresult inalistofprioritysubstances
(approved in Annex X). This list registers 45 priority substances or groups of
substances, several of which are applied in plastic products such as di
(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, nonylphenol, or octylphenol.As far aspriority substances
are concerned, themember states are legally obligated tomonitor them.However,
themeasuredtotalconcentrationofasubstanceincludesallsourcesofpollutionand
cannot indicate the plastic-relatedpercentage.
Furthermore, Annex VIII comprised an indicative list of the main pollutants,
amongothers“persistenthydrocarbonsandpersistent andbioaccumulativeorganic
toxic substances” as well as “substances and preparations, or the breakdown
products of such, which have been proved to possess carcinogenic or mutagenic
properties or properties whichmay affect steroidogenic, thyroid, reproduction or
otherendocrine-relatedfunctions inorvia theaquaticenvironment” [7,p.68].This
might include syntheticpolymersand their additives.However, (micro)plastics are
not explicitly addressed in the WFD. This discrepancy should be clarified in a
possible future revisionof theWFDdueby2019, andanassessment systemneeds
to bedeveloped.
WaterProtectionandWastewaterTreatmentDirectives
Toprotect theenvironmentfromtheadverseeffectsofurbanwastewaterdischarges
and discharges from certain industrial sectors, the EuropeanUrbanWasteWater
TreatmentDirective[17]wasadoptedin1991.Itconcernsthecollection, treatment,
and discharge of domestic effluent or mixture of domestic and certain industrial
FreshwaterMicroplastics:Challenges forRegulation andManagement 247
Freshwater Microplastics
Emerging Environmental Contaminants?
- Titel
- Freshwater Microplastics
- Untertitel
- Emerging Environmental Contaminants?
- Autoren
- Martin Wagner
- Scott Lambert
- Verlag
- Springer Open
- Datum
- 2018
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-61615-5
- Abmessungen
- 15.5 x 24.1 cm
- Seiten
- 316
- Kategorien
- Naturwissenschaften Chemie