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GREAT-ER: a new tool for management and risk assessment of chemicals in river basins

GREAT-ER: a new tool for management and risk assessment of chemicals in river basins. Dr. Simon Webb (Procter & Gamble, Brussels) Third Meeting of the Expert Advisory Forum (EAF 3) on Priority Substances and Pollution Control 4th March 2002 Brussels. GREAT-ER.

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GREAT-ER: a new tool for management and risk assessment of chemicals in river basins

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  1. GREAT-ER: a new tool for management and risk assessment of chemicals in river basins Dr. Simon Webb (Procter & Gamble, Brussels) Third Meeting of the Expert Advisory Forum (EAF 3) on Priority Substances and Pollution Control 4th March 2002 Brussels

  2. GREAT-ER GeographyreferencedRegionalExposureAssessmentToolfor EuropeanRivers

  3. What is GREAT-ER ? • GREAT-ERis environmental software designed as a new support tool for EU chemical risk assessment and basin infrastructure management, developed by ECETOC for the European Detergent Industry (AISE/CESIO) and the UK Environment Agency • GREAT-ERpredicts chemical concentrations in river basins across Europe • GREAT-ER combines environmental models with a GIS(Geographical Information System)to produce clear maps which visualise chemical concentrations and water quality

  4. Why GREAT-ER ? • Current models (e.g., EUSES) generate exposure concentrations averaged over an entire fictive region. • Current tools (e.g., EU TGD and EUSES) offer one deterministic result that can vary in accuracy (factor 10 - 1000). • Spatial, temporal and demographic variations should be used in a probabilistic approach. • A system is needed for river basin and water quality management tools (e.g., for EU Water Framework Directive)

  5. Treated Discharge Multimedia fugacity model AIR 70% treated 30% untreated WATER SOIL AQUATIC BIOTA “Fictive” “Real” SEDIMENT Atmospheric Transport and Deposition Erosion GREAT-ER Refinement & Runoff WWTP PEC Pseudo-Diffuse Discharges Untreated Discharge

  6. Deterministic core of the model with 3 different complexity levels Mode 1 lumped decay rate k Mode 3 mechanistic and/or empirical process descriptions biodeg. photodeg. - sorb/diss - DO degradation rate kdeg - depth, SS - extinction hydrolysis - pH volatilization rate kvol chemical + river properties volatilization - wind speed - flow velocity - depth settling rate ksed settling Mode 2 - SS, sorption - sediment characteristics - depth

  7. GREAT-ER Outputs 1) GIS maps of river network with colour-coded chemical concentrations 2) Profiles of river concentrations 3) Aggregated PEC values (‘average values’, cf. EU ‘PEC’ regional).

  8. lowest concentration highest concentration

  9. GREAT-ER Calibration and Validation Programme In order to calibrate and verify the model predictions two-year monitoring studies were carried out in rivers and at sewage treatment plants in: • UK (4 rivers) • Italy (1 river) • Germany (1 river)

  10. Future Developments: Pan-European Expansion of Pilot Areas Finished: • UK : Aire, Calder, Went & Rother • Germany: Itter, Unter-Main • Italy : Lambro • Belgium: Rupel Ongoing: • France: Mayenne • Germany: Elbe, Rhine & Main • Spain: Llobregat

  11. Future Developments: Additional Environmental Compartments and Fate Models Euro 138,000 Euro 295,000 Euro 558,000 http://www.cefic.org/lri

  12. Future Developments: Conversion of Stand-Alone Software to Server Application with Central Database B R O K E R Analysis Spatial Data Models Non-spatial Data Source Inventory Common Database API SQL- Database ArcView GUI Map Object WWW Server Modern modular architecture Internet Browser Euro 334,000

  13. Water Framework Directive (WFD) - Some Key Elements • Integrated river basin management (= natural geographical/hydrological unit). • “Good Status” objective. • All emissions and discharges controlled (ELVs). • Control of pollutants requires knowledge of concentrations in the receiving aquatic environment and benchmraking against effects thresholds (EQSs) • “Combined Approach”. • Priority (“Riskier”) chemical pollutants.

  14. GREAT-ER & the WFD • Based on river basins/catchments. • GIS produces site-specific exposure estimations. • Facilitates benchmarking of exposure against effects thresholds (EQSs). • Ideal tool for Priority Substances. • Soon upgraded for other compartments/exposure pathways (run-off, atmospheric, estuaries). • “What-if” Scenarios (simulation of amelioration measures i.e., WWTP infrastructure). • Existing and increasing accepted tool. • Fully documented and free!

  15. From this map of Europe… Click on the GREAT-ER icon on the PC

  16. chemical data (link with IUCLID) river basin scenario name select the following

  17. Sewage treatment plants CALDER RIVER BASIN (YORKSHIRE, UK)

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