Operational monitoring according to the EU Water Framework Directive, in Arendal and Lillesand for Saint Gobain Ceramic Materials AS in 2015

Summary

NIVA has carried out operational monitoring in 2015, outside the company sites for Saint Gobain Ceramic Materials AS. The company is located at two sites in Aust-Agder. At Eydehavn in Arendal municipality, and at Fyresmoen industrial area in Lillesand municipality, hereinafter referred to as SG arendal (Saint Gobain Arendal) and as SG Lillesand (Saint Gobain Lillesand), respectively. The monitoring programs were in accordance to the water framework directive, and were approved by the Norwegian Environmental Agency. The operational monitoring programs have in 2015 included analyzes of river basin specific substances and EU priority pollutants in sediments and blue mussels. The monitoring programs have been conducted in two water bodies, Tromøysund-Bekkevika for SG Arendal, and Lillesandfjord for SG Lillesand. Analyzes of river basin specific substances and EU priority pollutants at four sediment stations and six mussel stations was carried out. Based on these results chemical status for each station was determined. Ecological status could not be determined because biological quality elements were not included in the monitoring programs. However, concentrations of river basin specific substances were determined for mussels and sediments. Exceedance of river basin specific substance limits entails automatic classification to "moderate ecological status" as the best possible condition class, when analyzes of biological quality elements are not carried out.