Abstract
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires EU member states to assess the chemical status of groundwater bodies, a status defined according to threshold values for harmful elements and based on/the natural background level (NBL). The NBL is defined as the expected value of the concentration of elements naturally present in the environment. The aim of this study is to propose a methodology that will be broadly applicable to a wide range of conditions at the regional and national scale. Using a statistical approach, the methodology seeks to determine NBLs for SO4, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and F based on the lithology of aquifers from which groundwater monitoring data were collected. The methodology was applied in six EU countries to demonstrate validity for a wide range of European regions. An average concentration was calculated for each parameter and chosen water point and linked to a lithology. Based on the dataset created, significant differences between lithologies and pressure categories (urban, agricultural, industrial, and mining) were tested using a nonparametric test. For each parameter, 90th percentiles were calculated to provide an estimation of the maximum natural concentrations possible for each lithology.
Highlights
The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) [1] requires EU member states to assess the chemical status of groundwater bodies, a status defined by threshold values that should take into account concentrations of elements that may be both naturally present in aquatic environments and discharged by human activities
The natural background level (NBL) study was conducted in six (6) countries; a summary of groundwater chemistry data is shown in the following tables and detailed in the Lions et al report [56]
For the highest limit of quantification (LOQ), which may be higher than NBLs, only data with a maximum LOQ were considered
Summary
The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) [1] requires EU member states to assess the chemical status of groundwater bodies, a status defined by threshold values that should take into account concentrations of elements that may be both naturally present in aquatic environments and discharged by human activities. The NBL is defined as the concentration of a component in a groundwater body that corresponds to zero, or only a very minor anthropogenic alteration or undisturbed conditions [2]. Since 2000, the WFD has promoted the establishment of river basin monitoring networks, resulting in a large amount of available data These data, if well-selected, can contribute to the identification of the expected trace element concentrations in groundwater and a determination of the NBLs. the methodology needs to be tailored and harmonized among river basins by taking into account aquifer conditions and anthropogenic inputs.
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