Development and Use of Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) for Priority Pesticides

✍ Scribed by Killeen, Steve

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1526-498X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9063(199702)49:2<191::aid-ps494>3.0.co;2-k

✦ Synopsis

The National Rivers Authority (NRA) has a statutory duty to maintain and improve water quality within England and Wales. In carrying out this and other related duties, the NRA needs to identify and prioritise chemicals of concern, including pesticides, with a particular focus on their routes of entry into the aquatic environment. Pesticides can gain access to the aquatic environment via both point and di †use sources and the NRA therefore undertakes monitoring of surface and groundwaters. The NRA publication, "Pesticides in the Aquatic EnvironmentÏ, summarises the available monitoring data for 1992 and 1993. The signiÐcance of pesticide concentrations in surface waters is assessed by direct comparison with Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) which are designed to give protection to aquatic organisms following acute or chronic exposure. The methodology used in deriving EQSs is outlined, with particular reference to pesticides, together with an indication of how they are used by the NRA and other regulators in pursuit of e †ective environmental protection. Finally, some key challenges facing pesticide EQSs are considered.