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Further description:-
Diffuse pollution
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Diffuse
distribution of chemical substances is ubiquitously occurring including urban
spaces as well as rural regions. Industrial development has brought prosperity
to millions of people, but has also left a legacy of environmental damage that
continues to impact natural resources and ultimately the human well being. A
wide range of man-made chemicals designed for use in industry, agriculture,
pest control, consumer goods and emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels
are the main sources for diffuse pollution of soils. Within the water cycle,
soils act as the key zone for storage, filtration and transport of water and
associated pollutants (Fig. 1). If the accumulation of pollutants exceeds the
buffer capacity, then soils or sediments can become a source of diffuse
pollution releasing pollutants to adjacent compartments such as groundwater and
surface waters.
Diffuse inputs to soil and groundwater can
be of various nature. Typical inputs resulting in soil contamination are:
·
Agricultural practices; i.e. direct input of
nutrients (fertilisers) and pesticides, application of sewage sludge and
manure.
·
Atmospheric deposition of exhaust gases and
particles from vehicles and industry.
·
Sedimentation of diffuse particles from
waste water discharges in surface waters
Major impacts of diffuse inputs to soil
and groundwater are
·
Decrease of soil quality,
·
Decrease of groundwater quality due to
leaching processes of nutrients, organic matter, and pesticides and other
pollutants
·
Eutrophication of surface waters due to
sedimentation processes.
Figure
1: The pressure of diffuse pollution on soils: polluted
soils will eventually loose their important function as filter and buffer in
the water cycle. Soils are the key element in the water cycle determining the
quality of groundwater, surface water, and finally drinking water
Halm, D. and Grathwohl, P.
(2004): Integrating Soil and Water Protection Against Diffuse Pollution. The
Parliament Magazine: 176, March 2004 (in press), Brussels. (http://www.parliamentmag.com).
Grathwohl, P. and Halm, D.
(eds.) (2004): Integrated Soil and Water Protection: Risks from Diffuse Pollution
(SOWA): SOWA-Report 1 (http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/sowa).
Halm, D. and Grathwohl, P.
(eds.) (2003): Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on
Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites (GRACOS) and Integrated Soil
and Water Protection (SOWA). 2nd International GRACOS/SOWA Workshop,
Tübingen, Germany 20/21.03.2003. Tübinger Geowissenschaftliche Arbeiten (TGA) C 69, 260p.,
ISSN 0935-4948 (http://w210.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/dbt/volltexte/2003/794/).
W. Walther, F. Reinstorff, E. Worch,
and S. Wohnlich: Diffuse input of chemicals into soil & groundwater –
assessment & management. Workshop, Dresden, 26 – 28 February, 266 p.,
Dresden
The conservation of European groundwater resources and the establishment of a common policy started decades ago and was continually revised. Recent developments are e.g. the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which defines the management of groundwater at the scale of river basins (despite of national boundaries), postulates environmental quality objectives (good chemical status) and the “no deterioration clause” and sets a clear time frame to achieve the defined objectives. A consequent product of the WFD is the so called “Groundwater Directive” which can be considered as tool to achieve the objectives of the WFD, in particular the quality criteria to achieve “good chemical status” and to prevent and limit groundwater pollution.
In contrast to groundwater conservation
the need for a common European Soil Policy has only recently been
perceived. As a first step in the development of an encompassing EU policy to
protect soils against degradation, erosion and pollution, the Commission has
published a Communication "Towards a
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection". As consequence three thematic
working groups, being “soil
contamination”, “soil organic matter”
and “soil erosion” and two horizontal
working groups being “soil monitoring” and “research” have been formed in 2003
and are currently busy to draft a successful strategy for soil protection. In
the beginning of 2004 results of the working groups are expected which will
form the basis for the future EU regime on soil policy.
The working group on “soil contamination” includes a specific task force on “diffuse inputs”, two major strategies
have been defined as basis for further action:
·
To reduce diffuse inputs to soil to
tolerable levels as far as technically and economically achievable when no
clear benefit of the action resulting in inputs can be recognised.
·
To abate effects of contaminants that are
added to the soils in relation to a beneficial agricultural or other activity.
Proposed future measures so far identified
are:
·
To review diffuse inputs to soil in quality
and quantity and to consider their effects in a broad environmental context:
i.e. soil-water-air.
·
Reconsider intensification of agriculture.
The proposed revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will pave the way
for a new agricultural regime in Europe. The proposal decouples agricultural
subventions from production quantities (direct payments to individual farms
linked to environmental services) and puts emphasis on strengthening rural
areas, the production of high quality products, and conserving the environment.
·
Good agricultural practices (GAP) need to be
promoted and continually improved in view of soil and water protection
·
Existing approval system for agrochemicals
and pesticides need to be reviewed in a broader environmental context, in
particular in view of leaching to groundwater.
·
The existing directive on biowaste recycling
needs to be reviewed in view of the general decrease of organic matter in
European soils.
Figure 2: EU environmental policies relating to diffuse pollution
Directives:
Directive
2000/60/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the Community
action in the field of water policy.
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html)
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/water-framework/groundwater.html)
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection:
COM
(2002)179 final.
Communication of the European Commission "Towards a Thematic Strategy for
Soil Protection", 16 April 2002
More information on the working groups can be found at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/soil/
Common Agricultural Policy:
COM (2003) 640 final. Proposal for a Council Regulation adapting (EC)
No 1782/2003, establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the
common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for
farmers, Regulation (EC) No. 1786/2003 on the common organisation of the market
in dried fodder, and Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 on support for rural
development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)
by reason of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union.
Clean Air for Europe (CAFE):
(COM(2001)245).
Clean Air for
Europe (CAFE) is a programme of technical analysis and policy development which
will lead to the adoption of a thematic strategy on air pollution under the Sixth
Environmental Action Programme by mid 2005. The major elements of the CAFE
programme are outlined in the Communication on CAFE
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/)
Council
Directive 99/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste
entered into force on 16.07.1999. The deadline for implementation of the legislation
in the Member States was 16.07.2001.
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/landfill_index.htm)
Directive
86/278/EEC. The Sewage Sludge seeks to encourage the use of sewage
sludge in agriculture and to regulate its use in such a way as to prevent
harmful effects on soil, vegetation, animals and man.
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/sludge/index.htm)
Compost
(biodegradable waste):
COM(96) 399. The management of
specific waste streams represents an important element of the general EU Waste
Management Strategy by helping to reduce the impact of waste on the
environment, by ensuring that waste is treated in an environmentally sound
manner. Action on a specific waste stream is occasioned by its volume, its
hazardousness, its treatment properties and its effects on the ecosystem.
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/compost/)
So far, biodegradable waste has been
regulated in order to reduce its negative consequences on the environment (Landfill
Directive 99/31/EC). The Sewage
Sludge Directive 86/278/EEC, the Organic Farming Regulation (EEC) No.
2092/91 and the eco-label for soil improvers and growing media (Commission
Decision 2001/688/EC) are the EU instruments relevant to this waste stream.
COM 2003 0644 (03) Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL concerning the Registration, Evaluation,
Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European
Chemicals Agency and amending Directive 1999/45/EC and Regulation (EC) {on
Persistent Organic Pollutants} Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Council Directive 67/548/EEC in order to
adapt it to Regulation (EC) of the European Parliament and of the Council
concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of
chemicals
(http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2003/com2003_0644en.html)
Presently, diffuse pollution of soil and
water is tackled by sectorial approaches. Water or soil protection usually
focus on their specific domains and do not sufficiently coordinate their
efforts. The sectorial focus is also reflected in the legislative basis of
these activities. Different laws relate to soil and water protection. As
chemicals are cycling in the environment between different compartments,
problems in one compartment often are caused by activities in another
compartment. The nitrate problem in groundwater is a perfect example. Even
severe overfertilisation of agricultural land does create a serious problem for
soil quality. Excessive nitrate loads can be quite rapidly removed through the
uptake by plants which are subsequently harvested or via leaching. In waters on
the other hand, as pointed out before, nitrate is a pollutant of prime concern.
Even rather low fractions of the nitrogen fluxes which are turned over in
agricultural cropping systems can already cause very serious pollution if they
are exported into water bodies. Problems of this kind demonstrate that a
holistic, integrative approach is desperately needed. Fig. 3 shows the
interconnections between the environmental compartments, animals/cattle, and
humans and the pressure pathways of pollutant inputs. The arrows and especially
the crosspoints of arrows indicate the problem zones for ecosystem management,
which have to be tackeled together in an integrative way.
Figure 3:
Pollutant fluxes into and out of soil, groundwater and surface water
compartments, as well as pathways to human, animal and crop plant receptors.
Germany: relevant laws /
legal texts (in German): e.g. Federal Soil Protection Law, Federal Soil
Protection Ordinance, Water Budget Law, Fertiliser Ordinance)
(http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/BMU_index.html)
Authors: Dietrich Halm,
Peter Grathwohl, Rainer Schulin
(http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/sowa)
SOWA – Integrated Soil and
water Protection: Risks from diffuse pollution
(http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/sowa)
Until today, a close interaction of soil and water has not been considered in a holistic, integrative way. Scientific disciplines often still see soil and water as separate bodies and a complete understanding of the functioning of the soil and water as an integrated system is missing. A sound scientific basis, however, is the prerequisite for the mitigation of the impacts of diffuse pollution and the management of our soil and water resources. Therefore, the European Commission funds currently an interdisciplinary group of scientists (SOWA) in the current RTD Framework Programme under “Global Change and Ecosystems”. The main task of this group is to co-ordinate and structure European research work and to provide an open platform for scientists and regulators for innovative strategies in soil and water protection. The SOWA consortium meets regularly – for more information see: http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/sowa.
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