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Environmental Monitoring: Refinements and Recommendations for Nutrient and Contaminant Analysis

This study focuses on refining nutrient monitoring specifications, specifying contaminants, monitoring wetlands, atmospheric deposition, and biological monitoring, with recommendations for nutrient analyses in tiers and detailed contaminant specifications. It also discusses wetland monitoring specifications in three tiers and detailed atmospheric deposition measurements. Biological monitoring methods and recommendations for knowledge gaps are also included.

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Environmental Monitoring: Refinements and Recommendations for Nutrient and Contaminant Analysis

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  1. Network Refinements During thePilot Study PhaseACWIFebruary 21, 2008

  2. Refinements • Nutrient Monitoring Specifications • Specifying Contaminants (toxics) • Monitoring Wetlands • Atmospheric Deposition • Biology

  3. Nutrient Refinements Refinement Workgroups: • EPA • Headquarters • Regions • Laboratories • NOAA - National Ocean Service • USGS – Various Water Science Centers • Three Pilot Study Agencies • State Agencies • University Groups

  4. Nutrient Refinements • Determine the specific constituents to be monitored • Total or dissolved ? • Sediment? • Methods used should be operational rather than approaches designed for research • Details to address major management issues

  5. Nutrient Refinements Recommendations: • Nutrient Analyses in Tiers • Essential • Useful • Added: • Response variables • Ancillary analyses

  6. Specifying Contaminants Original Level of Detail: • Metals and metalloids • Bulk organics • Volatile organic compounds • Pesticides • Halogenated hydrocarbons • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons • Contaminants of new and emerging concern Estuaries, Rivers, Great lakes & GW in some instances

  7. Specifying Contaminants • Approach: • Provide more detail in each category • Recognize the high cost of analyses • Distinguish between National and regional roles • National: • Clean Water Act coverage • Support other on-going responsibilities • Methods development & risk assessment • Regional • Understanding the locations and concentrations • Reduce sources • Chart progress

  8. Updated Contaminants List New Level of Detail: • Metals and metalloids 28 • Bulk organics • Volatile organic compounds 51 • Pesticides 34 • Halogenated hydrocarbons 53 • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 47 • Contaminants of new and emerging concern

  9. Monitoring Wetlands • Original Design: • Recognized wetlands need to be a monitored component • Declined to specify how it would be done • Now, we see: • EPA planning one of the “National Surveys” of wetlands in 2011 • Our Pilot Study agencies have actively addressed wetland monitoring needs

  10. Wetlands Monitoring Specification • Adopts three tiers of monitoring: • Tier 1: Landscape level to classify • Tier 2: Rapid visual assessment • Tier 3: Detailed study of • Pore and channel water • Sediments • Biota and function

  11. Atmospheric Deposition • The original design was very general • Assigned details to regional area • It noted the importance of measuring wet and dry deposition, noted the several existing networks • The update is more structured • Benchmark stations & Support stations • Knowledge Gaps • Recommended analytes • Recommends the CMAQ model

  12. Atmospheric Deposition • “Supporting stations” already exist • Coastal “Benchmark stations” needed for full coverage: • Wet Deposition • Dry Deposition • Micrometeorology • Speciated mercury • PBTs

  13. Biological Monitoring • Original design was general • Known issues are being pressed by EPA’s National Surveys • Probability & Gradient studies • Methods • Abundance, diversity • Reference sites • The Network is in a good position to use the procedures that gain consensus, but cannot plan to use them yet

  14. Specifying Contaminants • Original Level of detail: • Metals and metalloids

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