About the Project

Basic Data on the Project

Introduction of the Project

The Project aims at developing a methodology for assessing the status of waters using selected effect-based methods recommended for inclusion in the Water Framework Directive. The proposed methodology will be used to assess the ecotoxicological status of surface waters and, when eventually integrated into the existing water monitoring programmes, it will guide the subsequent identification of the substances of concern. The methodology will have been finalised in cooperation with the Water Protection Department of the Ministry of Environment by November 2023 at the latest and its implementation in practice will take place over the next two years.

The project fulfils the priority research objective 2.11 of the Environment for Life Programme, i.e., Development and Improvement of Methodologies for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Quantitative and Qualitative Status of Surface Water Bodies. The outcomes of this Project will help to identify the real environmental risks in accordance with the State Environmental Policy of the Czech Republic.

The current monitoring of priority and other pollutants according to Decree 98/2011, in the wording of section 21 of the Water Act, is not able to capture all sources of pollution that negatively affect the surface water quality. It is therefore recommended to incorporate effect-based monitoring into the Water Framework Directive in order to monitor toxic substances in surface waters. The currently available methodologies for the use of effect-based methods are not sufficient in the Czech Republic and do not reflect the up-to-date knowledge on the subject.

As a complement to conventional monitoring, the methodology under preparation will be used in the assessment of the status of water bodies. The current system of surface water monitoring does not allow for the assessment of the effects of complex mixtures, including emergent micropollutants (e.g., industrial substances such as phthalates, alkylphenols and bisphenols, perfluorinated compounds and brominated flame retardants, polar pesticides such as organophosphates, carbamates and triazines, as well as pharmaceuticals and substances from personal care products), their metabolites and transformation products, on water quality. The effect-based methods are a suitable tool for ecotoxicological assessment of water pollution, taking into account the effects of mixtures and providing additional information for the water status assessment. At present, effect-based monitoring is mainly used for scientific purposes but following the approval of the proposed water status assessment methodology including a selection of standardised ecotoxicological methods, the effect-based monitoring will be made available for wider use by institutions involved in surface water monitoring.