4. Action plan on monitoring and assessment of EDCs in freshwater

Abstract

A policy-oriented action plan can support the implementation of new methods for monitoring and assessing endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The action plan presented in this chapter is targeted at ministries, environment agencies and utilities who are interested in making a start with assessing and monitoring of EDCs in water.

    

The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals in water (EDCs) is potentially harmful to human health and the integrity of ecosystems. Prevailing methods of water quality monitoring and regulation, based on the substance-by-substance analysis of chemical concentrations in water, have been effective in managing pollution. However, prevailing methods have reached their limits in achieving water quality objectives: there is a growing body of evidence that current methods do not capture the complex and diverse chemical pressures on water. More chemicals are registered than ever before, while the global production capacity of chemicals is also increasing. Moreover, the global impacts of climate change on water, notably intensified flood and drought events, could increase the chemical burden through remobilisation of chemicals from sediments, sewer overflows, increased wastewater recycling, as well as reduced dilution capacity. At the same time, we better understand the risks of chemical pollution, such as risks stemming from mixtures, by-products, metabolites, and lower concentrations of chemicals.

All in all, there is need for methods that capture a broader range of substances than currently monitored, that are more sensitive to lower concentrations, and proactively warn about emerging (potential) risks. This publication therefore recommends adopting new methods, notably bioassays, to better monitor and assess the quality of water bodies, groundwater, (recycled) wastewater and drinking water. Whilst bioassays are increasingly adopted for water quality monitoring, some regulators and utilities are still exploring the practical implementation of bioassays (and other methods).

Table 4.1 presents a policy-oriented action plan that supports the implementation of new methods for monitoring and assessing EDCs. It is targeted at ministries, environment agencies and utilities who are interested in making a start with assessing and monitoring of EDCs in water.

Table 4.1. A policy-oriented action plan on monitoring and assessment of EDCs in freshwater
Action	Objectives of the action	Lead agency (national or local)	International partners	Section
Action area 1: Water quality monitoring and assessment
Supplement existing substance-by-substance monitoring with effect-based methods, where appropriate and applicable	Capture effects of mixtures Capture non-priority-listed substances	Environment agency (national) Water supply and sanitation utilities		Section 2.3 Biological analysis
Maintain existing databases of identified and suspected EDCs and inform utilities, water regulators and other stakeholders about their usefulness and impacts on water quality	Inform about status and potential risk of chemicals Prioritise action for water quality	Environment agency (national) Ministry of Health	Country partnerships Academia	Section 3.3.1. A source-directed approach
Encourage the adoption of non-targeted analytical methods, where appropriate and applicable	Develop a baseline or snapshot of the chemical composition of water	Environment agency (national) River basin authorities Drinking water service providers	Transboundary river basin authorities Regional sea committees	Section 2.2.2 Non-targeted analysis
Carefully manage the transition to adopting new monitoring and assessment methods, by addressing barriers, communicating results and uncertainties, and managing pilot phases	Give room for trial and error Prioritise the adoption of new methods	Environment agency (national) River basin authorities Water supply and sanitation utilities		Section 3.4.1.
Action area 2: Driving innovation for water quality monitoring and assessment
Send clear policy signals to test method providers that confirm the acceptance and further development of new water quality monitoring methods	Standardisation of test methods Encourage suppliers to innovate	Environment agency (national) River basin authorities Water supply and sanitation utilities		Section 3.5 international actions
Stimulate demand for new monitoring methods by sending clear policy signals to regulators and utilities, developing laboratory infrastructure, and introducing user toolkits	Improve monitoring and early warning Providing guidance to users and method suppliers	Environment agency (national) River basin authorities Water supply and sanitation utilities		Section 3.5 international actions; Box 3.6 on Demand and supply of bioassay
Invest in the standardisation and verification of test methods appropriate for water quality testing at international level	Improve monitoring and early warning Capture effects of mixtures Capture non-prioritised substances Reduce monitoring costs in the long-term	Environment agency (national) Private sector (bioassay developers) Academia	OECD and ISO as global standard development organisations	Section 3.5 A global challenge: international actions at the forefront Box 3.7 on Standardisation Box 3.8 Pepper: a public-private partnership to accelerate the validation of bioassays
Stimulate supply of bioassays and other monitoring methods by developing performance standards for bioassays suitable for water quality monitoring	Improve monitoring and early warning Predictability to supplier Reduce monitoring costs in the long-term	Environment agency (national) Private sector (bioassay developers)	OECD and ISO as global standard development organisations	Section 3.5. A global challenge: international actions at the forefront Box 3.6. The demand and supply of bioassays
Action area 3: Environmental quality norms and water quality standards
Consider and prepare to put in place the requisites for the adoption of effect-based environmental quality norms and water quality standards, based on bioassays, in the future	Protect environment and human health Capture effects of mixtures Capture non-priority-listed substances	Ministry of Environment Ministry of Health Environment agency (national)		Section 2.6. Success factors of a robust effect-based monitoring programme
Set standards for wastewater discharge and sludge management that reflect endocrine activity	Protect environment and human health Capture effects of mixtures Capture non-priority-listed substances	Ministry of Environment Ministry of Health Environment agency (national) Water supply and sanitation utilities (invest, operate, monitoring, reporting)	Transboundary river basin organisations Regional sea committees	Section 2.6.1. Setting water quality standards and trigger values
Take endocrine activity into consideration in existing environmental quality norms and water quality standards for single substances (e.g., by including an additional assessment factor for endocrine activity)	Protect environment and human health Accurately reflect the endocrine activity of substances	Ministry of Environment Ministry of Health		Section 2.6.1. Setting water quality standards and trigger values Box 2.12 Considering endocrine disrupting properties in Environmental Quality Standards
Action area 4: Policies and actions that put effects, rather than individual culprit chemicals, at the centre
Develop national and local response plans that can quickly mobilise a response to observed or suspected abnormalities in water quality monitoring results or wildlife	Reduce damage by reducing lag time Predictability to regulator, civil society	Ministry of Health Ministry of Environment Environment agency (national) Water supply and sanitation utilities Sub national entities: River basin authorities, municipalities	Transboundary river basin organisations Regional sea committees	Section 3.4.2. Response plans
Develop or renew national action plans on endocrine disruption	Predictability of a policy signal Drive innovation Reduce uncertainties Establishing a cross sectoral (One Health) approach	Inter-ministerial (often led by the Ministries of Health and Environment) Academia	UN agencies (UNEP, WHO)	Section 3.4.3. National action plans on endocrine disruption
Reaching out, raise concerns, on EDCs		Environmental NGOs Ministries of Environment Ministries of Health
Action area 5: International research and multilateral policy agendas
Develop international research partnerships	Share knowledge and data on EDCs Reduce uncertainty Support the transition to implementing new technologies Evaluate effectiveness of monitoring and policies	Ministries of Health and Environment	International organisations (EU, UN, other) Transboundary river basin organisations Regional sea committees	Section 3.5. A global challenge: international actions at the forefront
Mainstream the issue of endocrine disruption in international science-policy agendas, such as agendas on One Health and chemicals	Address pollution by EDCs at the global scale Establish a cross sectoral (One Health) approach	Ministries of Health and Environment	UN agencies (UNEP, WHO)	Section 3.5. A global challenge: international actions at the forefront
Note: This action plan is my no means exhaustive. Actions may be tailored to local needs and priorities.
Source: Authors