Belastung österreichischer Gewässer mit Spurenstoffen und Vergleich unterschiedlicher Eintragspfade | Pollution of Austrian waters with trace substances: comparison of various entry paths

A number of synthetic substances are used in manufacturing and in consumer goods, and these substances are released into the environment after use or during production. All these substances can also be detected in the water. The Water Framework Directive outlines a strategy for preventing these harmful chemicals polluting the water and has established environmental quality standards for those substances that are relevant at an European level. In addition there are quality standards for substances that are relevant at a national level. The National River Basin Management Plan monitors the traceable concentrations relating to these goals, and currently only a negligible number of water bodies are not in good chemical status. However, it can be assumed that this positive overall assessment of chemical pollution will change in the future, particularly in relation to ubiquitous, persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic substances, even though many of them are banned or their use is restricted. They include, for example, brominated diphenyl ethers, mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. While up to now measures to improve water quality have mainly been taken by municipal and commercial plants, in the future water management plans will have to take other entry paths at the (sub) river-basin level into account. Current data suggests that for many of these substances, processed wastewater from sewage plants is not the main source of pollution. However, it should be noted that for most diffuse emission pathways there is little or no data on the origin of these substances. Since it is not possible now, nor will it be possible in the future to take quantitative measurements at a large number of sites for the full range of chemicals, the use of models at the river basin level will become increasingly important.