The Water Framework Directive (Priority Substances and Classification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Environmental Standards for Priority Substances and other Substances

Table 38

Environmental quality standards for priority substances and other substances for which standards have been set at EU-level

Name of substance	Chemical Abstracts Service number	All rivers and lakes		All transitional and coastal waters
		Good		Good
		Annual mean(i) (AA-EQS) (µg/l)	Maximum allowable concentration(ii) (MAC-EQS) (µg/l)	Annual mean(i) (AA-EQS) (µg/l)	Maximum allowable concentration(ii) (MAC-EQS) (µg/l)
(i) This parameter is the Environmental Quality Standard expressed as an annual average value (AA-EQS). Unless otherwise specified, it applies to the total concentrations of all isomers of the pollutant concerned.
(ii) This parameter is the Environmental Quality Standard expressed as a maximum allowable concentration (MAC-EQS). Where the MAC-EQS are marked as “not applicable”, the AA-EQS values are considered protective against short-term pollution peaks in continuous discharges since they are significantly lower than the values derived on the basis of acute toxicity.
(iii) For the group of priority substances covered by brominated diphenylethers listed in Decision 2455/2001/EC, an EQS is established only for congener numbers 28, 47, 99, 100, 153 and 154.
(iv) For cadmium and its compounds the EQS values vary dependent upon the hardness of the water as specified in five class categories (class 1: <40mg CaCO3/l, class 2: 40 to <50mg CaCO3/l, class 3: 50 to <100mg CaCO3/l, class 4: 100 to <200mg CaCO3/l and class 5: ≥200mg CaCO3/l).
(v) DDT total comprises the sum of the isomers 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2 bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethane (CAS number 50-29-3; EU number 200-024-3); 1,1,1-trichloro-2 (o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (CAS number 789-02-6; EU number 212-332-5); 1,1-dichloro-2,2 bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (CAS number 72-55-9; EU number 200-784-6); and 1,1-dichloro-2,2 bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethane (CAS number 72-54-8; EU number 200-783-0).
(vi) If the Department does not apply standards for biota it shall introduce stricter standards for water in order to achieve the same level of protection as the standards for biota set out in regulation 4. The Department shall notify the European Commission of the reasons and basis for using this approach, the alternative standards used, the data and the methodology by which the alternative standards were derived and the categories of surface water to which they would apply.
Application of the standards set out in Table 37 For any given surface water body, applying the AA-EQS means that, for each representative monitoring point within the water body, the arithmetic mean of the concentrations measured at different times during the year does not exceed the standard. The calculation of the arithmetic mean, the analytical method used and, where there is no appropriate analytical method meeting the minimum performance criteria, the method of applying a standard must be in accordance with implementing acts adopting technical specifications for chemical monitoring and quality of analytical results, in accordance with the Water Framework Directive. For any given surface water body, applying the MAC-EQS means that the measured concentration at any representative monitoring point within the water body does not exceed the standard. However, in accordance with section 1.3.4. of Annex V to the Water Framework Directive, the Department may introduce statistical methods, such as a percentile calculation, to ensure an acceptable level of confidence and precision for determining compliance with the MAC-EQS. With the exception of cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel (hereinafter “metals”) the standards set out in Table 37 are expressed as total concentrations in the whole water sample. In the case of metals the standards refer to the dissolved concentration i.e. the dissolved phase of a water sample obtained by filtration through a 0.45 µm filter or any equivalent pre-treatment. The Department may, when assessing the monitoring results against the standards, take into account: natural background concentrations for metals and their compounds, if they prevent compliance with the standard; and hardness, pH or other water quality parameters that affect the bioavailability of metals.
Alachlor	15972-60-8	0.3	0.7	0.3	0.7
Anthracene	120-12-7	0.1	0.4	0.1	0.4
Atrazine	1912-24-9	0.6	2.0	0.6	2.0
Benzene	71-43-2	10	50	8	50
Brominated diphenylether(iii)	32534-81-9	0.0005	not applicable	0.0002	not applicable
Cadmium and its compounds (depending on water hardness classes)(iv)	7440-43-9	≤ 0.08 (class 1) 0.08 (class 2) 0.09 (class 3) 0.15 (class 4) 0.25 (class 5)	≤ 0.45 (class 1) 0.45 (class 2) 0.6 (class 3) 0.9 (class 4) 1.5 (class 5)	0.2	≤ 0.45 (class 1) 0.45 (class 2) 0.6 (class 3) 0.9 (class 4) 1.5 (class 5)
Carbon-tetrachloride	56-23-5	12	not applicable	12	not applicable
C10-13 Chloroalkanes	85535-84-8	0.4	1.4	0.4	1.4
Chlorfenvinphos	470-90-6	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.3
Chlorpyrifos (Chlorpyrifos-ethyl)	2921-88-2	0.03	0.1	0.03	0.1
Cyclodiene pesticides:
Aldrin	309-00-2	Σ=0.01	not applicable	Σ=0.005	not applicable
Dieldrin	60-57-1
Endrin	72-20-8
Isodrin	465-73-6
DDT total(v)	not applicable	0.025	not applicable	0.025	not applicable
Para-para-DDT	50-29-3	0.01	not applicable	0.01	not applicable
1,2-Dichloroethane	107-06-2	10	not applicable	10	not applicable
Dichloromethane	75-09-2	20	not applicable	20	not applicable
Di(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP)	117-81-7	1.3	not applicable	1.3	not applicable
Diuron	330-54-1	0.2	1.8	0.2	1.8
Endosulfan	115-29-7	0.005	0.01	0.0005	0.004
Fluoranthene	206-44-0	0.1	1	0.1	1
Hexachloro-benzene	118-74-1	0.01(vi)	0.05	0.01(vi)	0.05
Hexachloro-butadiene	87-68-3	0.1(vi)	0.6	0.1(vi)	0.6
Hexachloro-cyclohexane	608-73-1	0.02	0.04	0.002	0.02
Isoproturon	34123-59-6	0.3	1.0	0.3	1.0
Lead and its compounds	7439-92-1	7.2	not applicable	7.2	not applicable
Mercury and its compounds	7439-97-6	0.05(vi)	0.07	0.05(vi)	0.07
Naphthalene	91-20-3	2.4	not applicable	1.2	not applicable
Nickel and its compounds	7440-02-0	20	not applicable	20	not applicable
Nonylphenol (4-Nonylphenol)	104-40-5	0.3	2.0	0.3	2.0
Octylphenol ((4-(1,1’,3,3’-tetramethylbutyl)-phenol))	140-66-9	0.1	not applicable	0.01	not applicable
Pentachloro-benzene	608-93-5	0.007	not applicable	0.0007	not applicable
Pentachloro-phenol	87-86-5	0.4	1	0.4	1
Benzo(a)pyrene	50-32-8	0.05	0.1	0.05	0.1
Benzo(b)fluor-anthene	205-99-2	Σ=0.03	not applicable	Σ=0.03	not applicable
Benzo(k)fluor-anthene	207-08-9
Benzo(g,h,i)-perylene	191-24-2	Σ=0.002	not applicable	Σ=0.002	not applicable
Indeno(1,2,3-cd)-pyrene	193-39-5
Simazine	122-34-9	1	4	1	4
Tetrachloro-ethylene	127-18-4	10	not applicable	10	not applicable
Trichloro-ethylene	79-01-6	10	not applicable	10	not applicable
Tributyltin compounds (Tributhyltin-cation)	36643-28-4	0.0002	0.0015	0.0002	0.0015
Trichloro-benzenes	12002-48-1	0.4	not applicable	0.4	not applicable
Trichloro-methane	67-66-3	2.5	not applicable	2.5	not applicable
Trifluralin	1582-09-8	0.03	not applicable	0.03	not applicable

Table 39

Environmental Quality Standards for other dangerous substances

Name of Substance	Chemical Abstracts Service Number	All Rivers and Lakes Annual Mean Concentration (µg/l)	All transitional, coastal and relevant territorial waters(1) Annual Mean Concentration (µg/l)
		Good
(1) “relevant territorial waters” means the waters which extend seaward for 3 miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea adjacent to Northern Ireland is measured.
(2) The reference method of measurement shall be gas chromatography with electron capture detection after extraction by means of an appropriate solvent, or an alternative method that is at least as reliable. The limit of detection is 0.1 µg/litre. The accuracy and precision of the method shall be plus or minus 50% at a concentration which represents twice the value of the limit of determination.
(3) Where samples are taken from more than one sampling point in relation to the waters in question, the standard shall be satisfied in relation to the samples from each sampling point.
(4) Maximum Allowable Concentration
Sampling and analysis of the substances set out in Table 38 Samples shall be taken at a frequency sufficient to show any changes in the aquatic environment, having regard in particular to natural variations in hydrological conditions. Where a discharge containing any substance listed is made to any river, lake or transitional, coastal or territorial water, samples shall be taken at a point sufficiently close to the discharge point to be representative of the quality of the aquatic environment in the area affected by the discharge.
Perchloroethylene(2)	127-18-4	10	10
Azinphos-methyl(3)	86-50-0	0.01	0.01
Demeton(3)	8065-48-3	0.5	0.5
Omethoate(3)	1113-02-6	0.01	Not determined
Triazophos(3)	24017-47-8	0.005	0.005
4-chloro-3-methyl-phenol(3)	59-50-7	40	40
Bentazone(3)	25057-89-0	500	500
Fenitrothion(3)	122-14-5	0.01	0.01
2-chlorophenol(3)	95-57-8	50	50
Biphenyl(3)	92-52-4	25	25
Malathion(3)	121-75-5	0.01	0.02
1,1,1-trichloroethane(3)	71-55-6	100	100
Chloronitrotoluenes(3)	89-60-1	10	10
Triphenyltin and its derivatives(3)	379-52-2	0.02(4)	0.008(4)
1,1,2-trichloroethane(3)	79-00-5	400	300
Dichlorvos(3)	95828-55-0	0.001	0.04 0.6(4)
Xylene(3)	1330-20-7	30	30