Operational monitoring in compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive for Glencore Nikkelverk AS in the Kristiansandfjord. Investigations of blue mussel in 2018.

Summary

NIVA has carried out operational monitoring outside Glencore Nikkelverk AS in the Kristiansandfjord in accordance to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Norwegian Environment Agency approved the monitoring program. The 2018 program was conducted according to the compounds present in the plant’s discharge to the WFD water body “Kristiansandsfjorden-indre havn”. The plant has permission for a limited discharge of arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) to seawater recipient. Discharges may also contain a small amount of chlorinated alkylbenzenes (KAB). From 1.1.2021, the plant will also have permission for limited discharges of silver (Ag) and total suspended material (TSM). In 2018, samples of blue mussel have been collected from four of the same locations that were investigated in 2016 and 2014/15. In addition, the 2018 added a new blue mussel reference station. These five stations are sufficiently representative to assess the reflect spreading and effects of the discharges from Glencore Nikkelverk AS, and provides at the same time an opportunity to assess a more comprehensive picture of the recipient water bodies. The stations near the points of discharge, Glencore kai and Kolsdalsbukta, function as discharge control sites as well as being used to show the impact of the effluent. These two stations are not considered representative for the water body status and are not used to classify the water body. The classification stations, Hanneviksbukta and Myrodden, are placed farther from the points of discharges and are considered more representative for the water body. The station at Dvergsøya is in another nearby water body and functions as a reference station where it is assumed that the impact of discharges from Glencore Nikkelverk AS is negligible. The purpose of the investigation was to identify contamination of priority substances and river basin specific substances. Blue mussels were analysed for silver (Ag), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), thorium (Th), uranium (U), zinc (Zn), dioxin, dioxin-like PCBs and trichloro-trimethyl benzenes as representatives for halogenated alkylbenzenes (KAB). Of all parameters analysed in this study, the Norwegian guidance document for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, Guidance 02:2018 (Directorate Group Water Directive 2018), only defines the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Hence, because these two are priority pollutants only chemical status can be assessed using EQS. Lacking EQS for the remaining contaminants, concentrations in these were classified relative to Provisional High Reference Concentration (PROREF) according to Green et al. (2018). (...)