European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), via Fermi 2749, Ispra 21027, Italy.
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), via Fermi 2749, Ispra 21027, Italy.
Sci Total Environ. 2020 Oct 20;740:140075. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140075. Epub 2020 Jun 9.
The European Union has embarked on a policy which aims to achieve good ecological status in all surface waters (i.e. rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters). In theory, ecological status assessment methods should address the effects of all relevant human pressures. In this study, we analyze the degree to which methods European countries use to assess ecological status tackle various pressures affecting European waters. Nutrient pollution is by far the best-covered pressure for all four water categories. Out of total of 423 assessment methods, 370 assess eutrophication and pressure-specific relationships have been demonstrated for 212 of these. "General degradation" is addressed by 238 methods, mostly validated by relationships to combined pressure indices. Other major pressures have received significantly less effort: hydromorphological degradation is assessed by 160 methods and pressure-specific relationships have been demonstrated for just 40 of these. Hydromorphological pressures are addressed (at least by one BQE) only by 25% countries for coastal waters and 70-80% for lakes and transitional waters. Specific diagnostic tools (i.e. single-pressure relationships) for hydromorphology have only been developed by a few countries: only 20% countries have such methods for lakes, coastal and transitional waters and less than half for rivers. Toxic contamination is addressed by 90 methods; however, pressure-specific relationships have been demonstrated for just eight of these. Only two countries have demonstrated pressure-specific acidification methods for rivers, and three for lakes. In summary, methods currently in use mostly address eutrophication and/or general degradation, but there is not much evidence that they reliably pick up the effects of other significant pressures such as hydromorphology or toxic contamination. Therefore, we recommend that countries re-examine: (1) those pressures which affect different water categories in the country; (2) relevant assessment methods to tackle those pressures; (3) whether pressure-response relationships have been developed for each of these.
欧盟已着手实施一项政策，旨在实现所有地表水（即河流、湖泊、过渡水域和沿海水域）的良好生态状况。从理论上讲，生态状况评估方法应该解决所有相关人类压力的影响。在本研究中，我们分析了欧洲各国用于评估生态状况的方法在多大程度上解决了影响欧洲水域的各种压力。到目前为止，营养污染是所有四类水体受关注程度最高的压力。在总共 423 种评估方法中，有 370 种方法评估了富营养化，其中 212 种方法证明了与特定压力的关系。有 238 种方法解决了“一般性退化”问题，其中大部分是通过与综合压力指数的关系来验证的。其他主要压力受到的关注要少得多：水形态退化是通过 160 种方法进行评估的，其中只有 40 种方法证明了与特定压力的关系。水形态压力仅被 25%的沿海国家（至少有一种 BQE）和 70-80%的湖泊和过渡水域国家所关注。只有少数国家为水形态开发了特定的诊断工具（即单一压力关系）：只有 20%的国家为湖泊、沿海和过渡水域开发了这些方法，不到一半的国家为河流开发了这些方法。有 90 种方法用于解决有毒污染问题；然而，其中只有 8 种方法证明了与特定压力的关系。只有两个国家为河流制定了与特定压力的酸化方法，三个国家为湖泊制定了与特定压力的酸化方法。总之，目前使用的方法主要解决富营养化和/或一般性退化问题，但没有太多证据表明它们能够可靠地捕捉到其他重要压力（如水形态或有毒污染）的影响。因此，我们建议各国重新审视：（1）本国影响不同水体类别的压力；（2）针对这些压力的相关评估方法；（3）是否为这些压力中的每一种都制定了压力-响应关系。
