Stefano Polesello
CNR-IRSA, Italy
Requirements from Italian legislation
DLgs 175/2015, art 78 requires that:
The national reference institutes will make available
within March 22nd, 2016 a Guideline including:
 practical information for the use of alternative biota
taxa for chemical classification
 Physico-chemical criteria for the evaluation of
site-specific bioavailable concentrations of lead
and nickel in internal waters
Classification
Exceedance
Pass
Tier 2: use of simplified models for site specific EQS
Exceedance
Pass
Tier 3: Local conditions
(comparison with background concentrations)
Program of
measure
Pass
Exceedance
Tier 4: Remediation Measures
No action or measure
Investigation
Tier 1 Comparison with EQSbioavailable
Directive 2013/39/EU
EQSbioavailable: under conditions of maximum bioavailability
Ni: 4 µg L-1
Pb 1.2 µg L-1
BioF = EQSbioavailable / EQSSite Specific
“Available metal” = “Dissolved metal * BioF
Nickel
 General agreement in Europe on the use of simplified BLM
models
 Suggestions for freely available models:
 BioMetTool (www.bio-met.net)
 M-BAT (UKTAG) (http://www.wfduk.org/resources/rivers-
lakes-metal-bioavailability-assessment-tool-m-bat)
 PNEC-Pro, DELTARES, NL, (http://www.pnec-pro.com/)
 Are there substantial differences in the models?
 Are there other free models available?
 Criteria of choice?
 How to harmonise this issue in EU?
Additional variables for monitoring and
their applicability ranges
pH
Calcium
DOC
[mg L-1]
[mg L-1]
Nickel
6.5-8.7
2-90
1-20
Lead
-
-
1- 20
Lead
 G. Merrington sent me a «beta» version of BioMetTool for Pb
 German approach, using DOC as only variable:
 Simplified equation for BioF, considering maximum availability at
DOC= 1.0 mg l–1
 BioF = EQSreference / EQSsite-specific
 BioF = EQSreference (1.0 mg l–1 DOC)/EQSsite-specific (normalised
to the site-specific mg l–1 DOC)
BioF = 1.2 /(1.2 + 1.2 x (DOC - 1)).
 Catchment DOC monitoring data, expressed as the 25th, percentile of
available data, from EQS dossier Pb (EC 2011 )
https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/be12c5a9-19b2-40eb-87cef62eb3b43b39/Lead%20and%20its%20compounds%20EQS%20dossier%2020
11.pdf
What we have done…
 Italian Guideline has been prepared
 We are waiting for the comments of Environmental
Ministry and Local Environmental Agencies
 We are going to organise a National Meeting for the
presentation of the guideline
 We are planning to prepare a tutorial in Italian
language to promote the use of these tools in people
who do not read English