Resources
The alarm list contains species thought to pose a risk to surface waters and their ecological status under the EC Water Framework Directive, but whose presence has not yet been recorded in Great Britain.
This method statement provides guidance on the use of the metal bioavailability assessment tool (M-BAT) for practitioners involved in monitoring, assessment and classification using the new EQSbioavailable that have been developed for a number of metals under the Water F
This method statement describes a system for assessing and classifying surface water bodies (rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal) based on the presence of high impact alien species.
A Nickel Bioavailability Tool (NiBAT) has been developed that simplifies the integrated NiBLM (Biotic Ligand Model) but runs in MS Excel. It requires data input for site-specific dissolved organic carbon, pH and calcium.
The Final Recommendations on Environmental Standards following phase 3 of the review have been published (November 2013). This report includes zinc standards.
Following a consultation that ended on 28th February 2013, UKTAG has finalised its recommendations on 1) biological standards for rivers, lakes, coastal and estuaries and 2) phosphorus standards for rivers.
Setting appropriate environmental standards for metals is particularly challenging because the proportion of metal in the water environment that is bound up in forms that do not pose a risk of toxic effects on water animals and plants varies.
The UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG) has commissioned a programme of work to derive Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) for substances falling under Annex VIII of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The assessment of compliance of surface waters with environmental quality standards (EQSs) for metals has to deal with a number of issues that do not apply to other substances.
A Manganese Bioavailability Tool has been developed that simplifies the integrated Biotic Ligand Model but runs in MS Excel. It requires data input for site-specific dissolved organic carbon, pH and calcium.