Objectives for the Swedish Environment

Seminar 5

Zero Eutrophication and A balanced marine environment

Outline

• Introduction to the process of eutrophication

• Zero eutrophication and necessary changes

• The interim targets to be met with zero eutrophication

• A balanced marine environment and necessary changes

• The interim targets to be met with the marine environment

• Shared responsibility

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is an accelerated growth of algae on higher forms of plant life caused by the enrichment of water by nutrients, especially compounds of nitrogen and/or phosphorus and inducing an undesirable disturbance to the balance of organisms present in the water and to the quality of the water concerned

Heavy eutrophication entails a distinct reduction in the number of plant and animal species in the water. A few species benefit, but at the expense of all the others

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Eutrophication

Regions with eutrophic waters

From Monitor 14, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

Most minor lakes in the green areas marked on the map have total phosphorus concentrations exceeding 25 µg/l.

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The Process of Eutrophication

High nutrient

Cause

Top layer

Supporting factor

High phytoplankton biomass

Direct effect

Oxygen depletion, flora/fauna changes

Indirect effectsBottom layer

Supporting factor

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Causes of eutrophication

The enrichment of water by nutrients can be of natural origin but it is

often dramatically increased by human activities.

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• Main sources of anthropic nutrient input

• Runoff

• Erosion and leaching from fertilized agricultural areas

• Sewage from cities and industrial wastewater

• Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (from animal breeding and combustion gases) can also be important.

Nutrient leakage from agriculture

Nutrient emissions from agriculture are the main reason why eutrophication has remained a serious problem in many Swedish inland and coastal waters

Phosphorus in artificial fertilizer and manure (tonnes/year)

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Nutrient leakage from agriculture

Nitrogen compounds, unlike phosphorus, are highly mobile in the soil and crops are seldom able to absorb all of the fertilizer nitrogen

Nitrogen in commercial fertilizer and manure (tonnes/year)

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Nitrogen in the ground water

• Concentrations of nitrogen in nitrate form have gradually risen in many wells in the agricultural areas of Central and Southern Sweden, presenting a health hazard to people who depend on such wells for their drinking water

• Infants are sensitive to nitrate, which can be converted into carcinogenic substances in the body

• More than 100,000 people in Sweden are depending on drinking

water which contains nitrate concentrations in excess of the Swedish

health limit (10 mg/l expressed as nitrate nitrogen)

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Marine eutrophication

Emissions of nitrogen to the sea through Swedish watercourses underwent a noticeable increase during the 1970s, due above all, probably, to increased nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere and the increasing use of nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture. In spite of several different measures, no long-term reduction of this nitrogen load on the sea has so far been observed

Nutrient supply to the Baltic Sea proper and Öresund

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• The eutrophication of seawater has entailed a significant increase in algal bloom and other vegetation growth in the coastal and sea areas concerned

• Concentrations of nutrients in these waters have recently started to decline again, but the sharp drop detected at the Gotland Deep in the winter of 2000/01 is most likely a temporary phenomenon

Marine eutrophication

Nutrients in winter in the Baltic proper (Gotland Deep station) 11

Marine eutrophication

• At the depth of 70 meters in the Baltic there is a salinity discontinuity between the surface water and the appreciably saltier bottom water, which impedes the vertical water exchange preventing highly oxygenated surface water from penetrating downwards. Consequently there is a permanent oxygen deficiency

• Roughly one-third of the Baltic is practically dead

• The deepest basins of the Baltic contain hydrogen instead of oxygen

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Oxygen trends in the Bothnian Sea and the

Baltic proper Oxygen deficiency near the sea bed

Monitoring of eutrophication

The main reasons for monitoring a water body for eutrophication are,

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This is mostly relevant for water companies, which have to deal with eutrophic waters

• to prevent the occurrence of eutrophication

• early warning purposes

• public health authorities need to know when eutrophication is likely to start in order to allow them to implement preventive actions

• to know the level of development of the process

• to have a precise picture of the quality of the water.

Zero eutrophication

Nutrient levels in soil and water must not be such that they adversely affect human health, the conditions for biological diversity or the possibility of varied use of land and water.

This objective is intended to be achieved within one generation

Vigorous action needs to be taken without delay if the objective is to be

attained

The environmental state described in this objective will be difficult to bring about by 2020

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Necessary changes

• The release of nitrogen and phosphorous to soil and water must be reduced

• Atmospheric deposition must be decreased to levels below the critical loads (deposition of south-western Götaland needs to decrease to between a half and a third of its levels in 1995)

• Research is required to be able to estimate the critical loads for

phosphorous and nitrogen in different sea areas

• Levels of plant nutrient substances mainly phosphorous need to decease in about 100 extremely nutrient-rich lakes and watercourses in Southern Skåne, the lake Mälar Region, Östergötland and the area of Lake Vänern

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Interim targets

By 2009 programs of measures as provided for in the EC Water Framework Directive will be established, specifying how good ecological status is to be achieved in lakes and streams and in coastal waters.

This target will be met, as EC legislation requires Sweden to prepare programs of measures to achieve good ecological status in its lakes, streams and coastal waters

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By 2010 Swedish waterborne anthropogenic emissions of phosphorus compounds into lakes, streams and coastal waters will have decreased continuously from 1995 levels

Interim targets

1995 2000

1,000 tonnes

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4 Phosphorus emissions to water fell by 15% between 1995 and 2000. Provided that additional action is taken, they should continue to decline.

It is difficult to assess whether this interim target will be met, however, owing to incomplete emission statistics for certain sources, and also because it is unclear what is meant by ‘decreased continuously ’.The Swedish EPA has been asked to define the target more precisely by 2004

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By 2010 Swedish waterborne anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen into sea areas south of the Åland Sea will have been reduced by at least 30% compared with 1995 levels, to 38,500 tonnes

Interim targets

1,000 tonnes

1995 2000

10

30

50

70

Target 2010: 38.5

Target 2010: 47

The period 1995–2000 saw a marked reduction of point-source emissions. As yet, though, there has been no clear decrease in diffuse emissions from agriculture

If emissions and leaching and thus inputs to the sea continue to decrease according to plan, it should be possible to meet this interim target

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By 2010 emissions of ammonia in Sweden will have been reduced by at least 15% compared with 1995 levels, to 51,700 tonnes

Interim targets

Ammonia emissions have fallen by almost 13% since 1995

1,000 tonnes

10

30

50

70

Target 2010

95 96 97 98 99 00 01

The prospects of achieving the interim target by 2010 seem good

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By 2010 emissions of nitrogen oxides to air in Sweden will have been reduced to 148,000 tonnes

Interim targets

1,000 tonnes

90 92 94 96 98 00

Swedish emissions of nitrogen oxides have been reduced by 25% since 1990. With the decisions now taken, emissions are projected to fall to around 160,000 tonnes by 2010. Provided that additional measures are introduced

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150

250

350

Target 2010

The target should be met. One source of uncertainty is the development of road traffic, with freight transport accounting for a particularly large share of emissions

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A balanced marine environment

The North Sea and the Baltic must have a long-term sustainable productive capacity and biological diversity must be preserved. Coasts and archipelagos must have a high degree of biological diversity and a wealth of recreational, natural and cultural assets. Industry, recreation and other utilization of the seas, coasts and archipelagos must be compatible with the promotion of sustainable development. Particularly valuable areas must be protected against encroachment and other disturbances.

This objective is intended to be achieved within one generation

Attainment of this environmental quality objective is dependent on the objectives Zero Eutrophication and A Non-Toxic Environment being achieved.

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Necessary changes

• The development of shallow sea areas and other coastline waters that are important for biological production must be prevented

• The shoreline must be protected. Exploitation of areas that are especia-lly valuable for nature conservation

• Fishing must be adjusted to suit the size of fish stocks to ensure the preservation of long-term production capacity and biological diversity

• For naturally occurring species in coastal areas and the sea to be preserved sufficiently, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions as well as the load from toxic substances must be reduced and the discharge of oil from ships must be prevented

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• By 2010 long-term protection will be provided for at least 50% of marine environments of high conservation value and at least 70% of coastal and archipelago areas with significant natural and cultural assets.

Interim targets

There are currently about 140 areas of national interest which incorporate coastal and archipelago environments, but the areas selected need to be reviewed.

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• By 2005 another five marine areas will be protected as reserves, and the competent authorities will have decided which other areas in the marine environment are in need of long-term protection

• By 2005 a strategy will have been adopted for the preservation and use of the cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes of coastal and archipelago areas.

Interim targets

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• By 2005 action programs will have been prepared and introduced for threatened marine species and fish stocks that are in need of targeted measures.

• By 2010 total annual bycatches of marine mammals will not exceed 1% of each population. Bycatches of sea birds and undesired fish species will have been reduced to levels that have no adverse effect on the populations concerned.

Interim targets

• By 2008 catches of fish, including bycatches of juveniles, will not exceed recruitment, enabling fish stocks to survive and, where necessary, recover

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• By 2010 noise and other disturbance from boat traffic will be negligible in particularly sensitive and designated archipelago and coastal areas.

• By 2010 discharges of oil and chemicals from ships will be minimized and reduced to a negligible level by stricter legislation and increased monitoring

• By 2009 programs of measures as provided for in the EC Water Framework Directive will be established, specifying how good surface water status can be achieved.

• Farmers, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and agricultural organizations

Shared responsibility

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• Energy and transport sectors

• Households, tourist organizations, trade and industry and municipalities

• Regional authorities

• The national board of fisheries, fishing organizations and fishermen

• Shipping lines, the National Maritime Administration and the Swedish coast guard