Marine Litter : Technical Recommendations for the Implementation of MSFD Requirements

As a follow up to the Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status (GES) of marine waters (Commission Decision 2010/477/EU), the Marine Directors requested Directorate General Environment in 2010 to establish a technical subgroup under the Working Group on GES in relation to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (WG GES) for further development of Descriptor 10 Marine Litter and Descriptor 11 Noise/Energy. This report compiles the recommendations regarding Descriptor 10, Marine Litter. The implementation of provisons under MSFD Descriptor 10 as described in the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU is in its first step depending on the availability of appropriate monitoring tools.The group has investigated the monitoring approaches for marine litter and provides a set of monitoring tools which can be employed for that purpose.There are gaps in the regional applicability and differences in the maturity of some tools. There is need for further harmonization and collaborative activities in order to allow EU MS the future reporting of environmental trends and thus the verification of measures against marine litter.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

HYGIENIC PROBLEMS OF RURAL AREAS AFTER A NATURAL DISASTER, DUE TO DRINKING WATER QUALITY AND ITS PROTECTION IN GREECE AND IN THE USA

GREECE BECAUSE OF ITS GEOGRAPHIC POSITION IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF NATURAL DISASTERS WHICH ARE LINKED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH. AMONG THE MOST SERIOUS REASONS OF DISASTERS, EARTHQUAKES AND FLOODS ARE INCLUDED, THAT CAN OCCUR WITH MAJOR FREQUENCY. PRINCIPAL NEED OF THE STRIKEN PEOPLE AFTER A NATURAL DISASTER IS THE DRINKING WATER, BECAUSE ITS CONTAMINATION CAN PROVOKE SERIOUS HYGIENIC PROBLEMS. THE THESIS DEALS WITH THE NATURAL DISASTERS, THEIR REASONS AND THE MEASURES FOR AVOIDING THE DRINKING WATER QUALITY CONTAMINATION IN RURAL AREAS, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT GUARANTEE FOR THE QUALITY IS THE GOOD CONDITION OF THE DRINKING WATER UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY ARE MENTIONED, ALSO, THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF AN ACTION PLAN AND THE MEASURES, THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN FOR THESUPPLY WITH DRINKING WATER, OF THE PEOPLE STRIKEN BY A NATURAL DISASTER.Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΛΟΓΩ ΓΕΩΓΡΑΦΙΚΗΣ ΘΕΣΗΣ ΥΠΟΚΕΙΤΑΙ ΣΕ ΦΥΣΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΝ ΝΑ ΕΠΗΡΕΑΣΟΥΝ ΑΜΕΣΑ Η ΕΜΜΕΣΑ ΤΗ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΑ ΥΓΕΙΑ. ΜΕΤΑΞΥ ΤΩΝ ΣΟΒΑΡΟΤΕΡΩΝ ΑΙΤΙΩΝ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΟΝΤΑΙ ΟΙ ΣΕΙΣΜΟΙ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΠΛΗΜΜΥΡΕΣ, ΦΑΙΝΟΜΕΝΑ ΠΟΥ ΣΥΜΒΑΙΝΟΥΝΜΕ ΜΕΓΑΛΥΤΕΡΗ ΣΥΧΝΟΤΗΤΑ. ΠΡΩΤΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΑΝΑΓΚΗ ΤΩΝ ΠΛΗΓΕΝΤΩΝ ΑΠΟ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΕΣ ΣΕ ΟΛΗ ΤΗ ΧΩΡΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΙ ΤΟ ΠΟΣΙΜΟ ΝΕΡΟ, ΤΟΥ ΟΠΟΙΟΥ Η ΥΠΟΒΑΘΜΙΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΜΠΟΡΕΙ ΝΑ ΠΡΟΚΑΛΕΣΕΙ ΣΟΒΑΡΑ ΥΓΕΙΟΝΟΜΙΚΑ ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑΤΑ. Η ΔΙΑΤΡΙΒΗ ΑΣΧΟΛΕΙΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΦΥΣΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΕΣ, ΤΑ ΑΙΤΙΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΤΙΜΕΤΩΠΙΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΟΒΑΘΜΙΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΣΙΜΟΥ ΝΕΡΟΥ ΣΕ ΑΓΡΟΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ, ΛΑΜΒΑΝΟΝΤΑΣ ΥΠΟΨΗ ΟΤΙ ΕΓΓΥΗΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΔΙΑΣΦΑΛΙΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΙ Η ΚΑΛΗ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΒΡΙΣΚΕΤΑΙ ΤΟ ΠΟΣΙΜΟ ΝΕΡΟ ΣΕ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΕΣ ΣΥΝΘΗΚΕΣ. ΑΝΑΦΕΡΟΝΤΑΙ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΤΑ ΒΑΣΙΚΑ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΣΥΝΘΕΤΟΥΝ ΕΝΑ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΔΡΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΜΕΤΡΑ ΤΑ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΘΑ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΛΗΦΘΟΥΝ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΛΗΓΕΝΤΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΦΥΣΙΚΗ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΗ ΠΛΗΘΥΣΜΟΥ, ΜΕ ΠΟΣΙΜΟ ΝΕΡΟ

Performance of three small-scale wastewater treatment plants. A challenge for possible re use

The study focused on the assessment of the performance of three WWTPs in Greece by the estimation of the microbiological and chemical quality of influent and effluent sewage. Physicochemical parameters were recorded (temperature, pH, COD, BOD, suspended solids, conductivity), and meteorological data were collected (air temperature, rain). Microbiological parameters were analyzed (Escherichia coli, total coliforms, bacteriophages, Salmonella, human adenoviruses, Candida, Pseudallescheria boydii, helminths, parasites Cryptosporidium ssp., and Giardia spp.). Statistically significant correlations among the various aforementioned parameters were investigated, in an attempt to propose appropriate processing performance indicators. Furthermore, the study aimed to assess current joint ministerial decision (JMD) on wastewater reuse, for irrigation purposes; to evaluate its practicability and its potential for public health protection. In the vast majority, outlet samples from all three studied WWTPs were not appropriate for irrigation reuse purposes based on BOD50 and suspended solids limit values, set by the current JMD, for both limited and unrestricted irrigation applications. Reductions for E. coli, total coliforms, and bacteriophages were found to range between 2–3, 1.5–2.5, and 2–4 log10 values, respectively. Salmonella spp. was detected in outlet sewage samples from Patra (PAT), Arachova (ARH), and Livadeia (LEV), at 23 % (3/13), 33 % (4/12), and 38 % (5/13), respectively. Molds were detected at 92.3 % (12/13), 100 % (13/13), and 91.6 % (11/12), respectively, while Candida was found at 85 % (11/13), 67 % (8/12), and 46 % (6/13). A high prevalence of Pseudallescheria boydii, in outlet samples from all studied WWTPs is an important public health issue, which underlines the need for further studies on this emerging fungal pathogen in wastewater reuse applications. Pseudallescheria boydii was found at 85 % (11/13), 67 % (8/12), and 46 % (6/13), respectively. Helminths were found in both inlet and outlet samples, of all studied WWTPs, at 100 %. Human adenoviruses, were detected at high percentages in outlet samples at 76.9 % (10/13), 92.3 % (12/13), 84.6 % (11/13), respectively, while no influence of UV irradiation was recorded on the entry and exit loads of human adenoviruses. No influence of meteorological parameters was found on the microbiological and chemical parameters, with the exception of a weak positive correlation between environmental temperature and bacteriophages. A moderate positive correlation was found between BOD and suspended solids, bacteriophages, and total coliforms, bacteriophages and E. coli, and bacteriophages and adenoviruses. A significant positive correlation was found between total coliforms and E. coli, COD and BOD, and suspended solids and COD. No correlations were proved between human pathogens and bacterial indicator parameters. Collectively, our findings underlined the unsuitability of the current JMD on wastewater reuse in Greece, or public health protection. The study is expected to support the development of a public health risk assessment model based on quantitative risk assessment on the use of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes in Greece. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg