NOWPAP POMRAC Northwest Pacific Action Plan Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Centre 7 Radio St., Vladivostok 690041, Russian Federation Tel.: 7-4232-313071, Fax: 7-4232-312833 Website: http://www.pomrac.dvo.ru http://pomrac.nowpap.org REGIONAL OVERVIEW on River and Direct Inputs of Contaminants into the Marine and Coastal Environment in NOWPAP Region POMRAC, Vladivostok, Russian Federation 2006 POMRAC Technical Report No. 4 Foreword The Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land- based Activities was adopted in 1995 and since then significant results have been achieved. Because about 80% of pollutants entering the marine environment originate from land-based activities, the GPA implementation is supported by more than 100 Governments, the European Commission and many international and non-governmental organizations. The comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach of the GPA reflects the desire of Governments to strengthen the collaboration and coordination of all agencies with mandates relevant to the impact of land-based activities on the marine environment, through their participation in a global programme. The Second Intergovernmental Review Meeting (16-20 October 2006, Beijing, People’s Republic of China) will consider the status of GPA implementation and future actions. Several pollutant categories are covered by the GPA including sewage, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, oils (hydrocarbons) and nutrients. This Overview on River and Direct Inputs of Contaminants to the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific has been prepared by the Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Center (POMRAC) of NOWPAP. The Overview can be considered as a NOWPAP contribution to the GPA implementation in the Northwest Pacific region. From the data and information presented in this document, NOWPAP member states can draw conclusions and recommendations regarding further actions necessary to protect their shared marine and coastal environment. Some suggestions on methodologies of pollutant monitoring require attention of member states as well. Future activities of NOWPAP POMRAC will include the Integrated Coastal Area and River Basin Management (ICARM) and preparation of the State of Marine Environment Report. These activities will also hopefully contribute to the GPA implementation and, thus, to the protection of the marine and coastal environment in the Northwest Pacific region. Alexander Tkalin NOWPAP Coordinator 7 July 2006 Page 3 List of Acronyms ADORC Acid Deposition and Oxidant Research Center BOD Biological oxygen demand CEARAC Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre CNEMC China National Environmental Monitoring Centre COD Chemical oxygen demand DDTs Dichlorophenylethane compounds DO Dissolved oxygen FERHRI Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute EQS Environment quality standard FPM Focal Points Meeting GDP Gross domestic product HCHs Hexachlorcyclohexane compounds IC Ion Chromatography IGM Intergovernmental meeting LOICZ Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone MAP Mediterranean Action Plan MDL Minimum detection limit MOE Ministry of Environment MOMAF Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries MOST Ministry of Science and Technology MPC Maximum permissible concentration MTS MAP Technical Report Series NIER National Institute of Environmental Research NOWPAP Northwest Pacific Action Plan OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic PAHs Polyaromatic hydrocarbons PCBs Polychlorbiphenyle compounds PGI Pacific Geographical Institute PHCs Petroleum hydrocarbons POI Pacific Oceanographic Institute POMRAC Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Centre POPs Persistent organic pollutants QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Control SEPA State Environmental Protection Administration SS Suspended solids UNEP United Nations Environment Programme WG Working Group WQS Water quality standard ____________________________ POMRAC Technical Report No. 4 Page 4 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary………………………………………………………….……….….5 2. Introduction 2.1. Goals and objectives of the Overview …………………………………….………6 2.2. General background information on NOWPAP…………………………….……..6 2.3. Geographical scope of NOWPAP area related to this Overview …………….…...7 2.4. General information on river and direct inputs of contaminants…………………12 3. Social and economic situation…………………………………………………………14 4. Monitoring and assessment activities in NOWPAP member countries 4.1. Overview of national and international policies and laws………………………..19 4.2. National and international monitoring programs…………………………………24 4.3 Methodologies and procedures 4.3.1. Brief characteristic of monitoring networks of water quality……………..35 4.3.2. Methodological features of sample preservation and analysis………….....35 4.3.3. QA/QC procedures…………………………………………………………37 4.4. Research activities (national and international)…………………………………..38 4.5. Training activities ………………………………………………………………..39 5. Present situation 5.1. Chemical composition of river run-off ………………………………………….40 5.2. Temporal trend in river water quality …………………………………………...46 5.3. Pollution loads through Rivers…………………………………………....……..47 5.4. Direct inputs of contaminants…………………………………………………... 53 6. Proposals presented by NOWPAP countries in National Reports……………………..57 7. Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………….58 8. Recommendations for future regional activities and priorities……………………….. 61 9. References……………………………………………………………………………...62 ____________________________ POMRAC Technical Report No. 4 Page 5 1. Executive Summary This document is prepared based on decisions taken at the 3rd POMRAC Focal Points Meetings held in Vladivostok Russia on October 13-14 2005. This document, based primarily on data from National Reports, summarizes the current status of monitoring of surface water quality and chemical substance concentrations in river water. Certain chemical substance runoff coming from rivers that is discharged directly in the sea is evaluated for the main parts of the NOWPAP region. A brief description of natural environmental conditions and of socio-economic factors in four countries (China, Japan, Korea, Russia) is provided as part of the analysis of natural and anthropogenic impacts on chemical substances entering the sea. The total area of the river watersheds in the entire NOWPAP region is about 1,792,000 km2 (excluding the Yangtze River basin), with a shoreline of about 30,000 km. Average river runoff is about 406.9 km3/year, again excluding the Yangtze River, and 1,358 km3/y with the Yangtze. Regional population in the study area is 560 million and is very unevenly distributed, ranging from 4 people/km2 in Russia to 475 people/km2 in Korea. The volume of industrial and agriculture production varies from 864 USD per capita in Russia to 15,340 USD per capita in Japan in fiscal 2002 values. The legal basis for water quality monitoring in the four NOWPAP countries is briefly described in this report. The report also describes the existing monitoring network, responsible agencies, methods used and water quality criteria. The main criteria of water quality in all NOWPAP countries are a compliance with standards: EQS – environmental quality standards, WQS – water quality standards, MPC – maximum permissible concentration. Similarities and differences in standards, approaches, and methods used are also outlined. This document summarizes the current status of river water quality based on monitoring results for the year 2002. Discharge quantity for major rivers is calculated and hence the pollution load for the NOWPAP region can be estimated. The current status and historical trends for chemical substances in river water are also described and stability and certain improvements in conditions noted. Existing problems with data compatibility issues are described, including discrepancies in the list of parameters monitored, the different methods used to measure COD, and the use of filtered or unfiltered samples for analysis. A second group of problems relate to determining micro pollutants during routine water quality monitoring. The analysis of National Reports shows that there are currently rather rare reliable data on dissolved forms of trace metals and persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, PAHs, pesticides like DDTs and HCHs) in the surface (river) waters of NOWPAP countries making a comprehensive evaluation of the input of these substances into the sea at the regional and sub- regional levels impossible. These are not problems that are typical of NOWPAP countries only. Similar issues are raised by more developed programs like MAP or OSPAR. Existing data on micro pollutant levels are in most cases far below EQS (WQS, MPC) and so in this respect the situation appears satisfactory. But reliable background concentration data for these substances would make it possible to trace and to assess anthropogenic impacts on surface waters at early pollution stages. This would aid in forecasting future environmental problems with water quality and to elaborate measures to reduce damage. Increased cooperation among NOWPAP members and application of scientific research results within the NOWPAP region are approaches to addressing these issues. Discussion of these issues can be topics of mutual interest for future activities of POMRAC. ____________________________ POMRAC Technical Report No. 4 Page 6 2. Introduction 2.1. Goals and Objectives of the Overview The first goal of this Regional