ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Transdisciplinary research project NiddaMan: Sustainable water resources management in the catchment area

Jörg Oehlmann on behalf of the NiddaMan consortium Goethe University am , Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology Contents  Background of the project

 Selected results:

 Chemical contamination

 Biological effects and ecosystem health

 Social-ecological analyses

 Information and management system NiddaPro

 Conclusions

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 2 Background of the project NiddaMan  Funding measure ReWaM of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research

 ReWaM = Regional Water Resources Management for Sustainable Water Protection in

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 3 Background of the project NiddaMan

Overarching objective of ReWaM: Development of information, knowledge and decision- making tools for a regional water resources management

 Further objectives of ReWaM

 Support the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and the EU Floods Directive

 Identify strategies to deal with climate change and extreme weather conditions, land use change and pressures due to growing water demand

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 4 Background of the project NiddaMan

 DevelopmentAn alternative of explanation a sustainable waterof the resourcesproject acronym management with the example of the Nidda catchment area

 One of 15 ReWaM projects

 Nidda catchment as a model to investigate conflicting uses of surface waters in Germany Area: 1942 km², length 89.7 Km

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 5 Nidda catchment – structure and use

• Upper course (source to city Nidda):  forests, fields, meadows, pastures  almost pristine conditions

• Middle course (Nidda to Bad Vilbel):  intensive agriculture  mineral water springs and spas

• Lower course (Bad Vilbel to Höchst):  urban character with growing impact from settlements, crafts and industry

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 6 Nidda catchment – conflicting uses

 Examples of conflicting land use:

 intensive agriculture and settlements right to the water's edge

 flood protection vs. ecological development of surface waters

 Water withdrawals and wastewater discharges:  60 sewage treatment plants STP size classes (STPs) in the catchment area

 up to 60% of treated wastewater in the Land use: arable incl. special culture rivers at medium discharge (MQ) surface waters meadows and pastures forest ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 settlements 7

12 NiddaMan partners

 UF – Goethe University Frankfurt research institutions  BGS – Brandt Gerdes Sitzmann Wasserwirtschaft GmbH private enterprises  BfG – Federal Institute of Hydrology public authorities  UT – University Tübingen  HLNUG – Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology

 ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research  KIT – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology  RPDa – Regional Council Darmstadt  TUDa – Technical University Darmstadt  UdB – Bundeswehr University Munich  UI – UNGER Ingenieure  WK – County , Friedberg

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 8 Ecological water deficits – extent and causes German Federal Environment Agency (UBA): „In 2015, 10 percent of German rivers and streams were classified in a „good“ or „very good“ ecological condition.“

Probable causes: • structural degradation • land use • chemical contamination, including micropollutants

source: WasserBlick

Dr. Andrea Sundermann, Senckenberg ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 9 Monitoring the success of renaturation projects*

Nidda near Bad Vilbel recolonization ?

 No significant improvements of the macrozoobenthic community, positive trend for fish and higher plant communities

 No improvement of the ecological status according to WFD: in no case the "good" ecological condition was achieved

* Evaluation is based on 58 analysed national renaturation projects: Sundermann et al., Senckenberg ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 10 Why more dialogue and participation? Causes for delays in the implementation of measures according to a study of the Federal Environment Agency:

Difficulties in providing financial and/or human resources

Difficulties in establishing acceptance of the measures

Difficulties in providing land

New findings on the impact of measures

Technical obstacles

Changed costs

Legal obstacles Source: UBA (2013)

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Number of mentions 11 Routes of entry for micropollutants pharmaceuticals, surfactants, flame retardants, solvents, fluorinated biocides, etc. surfactants, synthetic chemicals, etc.

pesticides

pesticides

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Dr. Arne Wick, BfG 12 Micropollutants, example diclofenac Horloff H2 Diclofenac H1 N1 Nidda N2 H3 U2 H4 N3 H6 U3 U4

U1 N5 N4 Nidder N6 500 ng/L Prescriptions in Germany: N7 30 t in 2015 N10 proposed AA-EQS 50 ng/L N8

Over the counter sales: km further 50 t N12 0 2.5 5 10 15 20 © Dirk Klos, BUND N13 Data: Arne Wick & Uwe Kunkel, BfG Koblenz

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 13 Routes of entry for micropollutants – in case of rain pharmaceuticals, surfactants, flame retardants, solvents, fluorinated biocides, etc. surfactants, synthetic chemicals, etc.

pesticides

pesticides

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Dr. Arne Wick, BfG 14 Event-related detection of micropollutants Example: Waschbach (tributary of the Nidda, catchment 26 km2)

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Dr. Arne Wick, BfG 15 Event-related detection of micropollutants Float switch to trigger event-related sampling during heavy rain

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Dr. Arne Wick, BfG 16 Event-related detection of micropollutants • Runoff event at the Waschbach in May 2017

triggering of the sampler, 2 May, 7:09 pm rainfall(mm/d) water level (cm) level water

Data: Arne Wick and Uwe Kunkel, BfG ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 17 Event-related detection of micropollutants • Concentration curve of the herbicide metamitron

x 20

water level (cm) level water concentration concentration (ng/L)

Data: Arne Wick and Uwe Kunkel, BfG ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 18 1 2 Horloff: ecological condition • Ecological status classes: Perlodes Expert 11097 3 3 (below Ruppertsburg) 3 10728 5 5 (below WWTP Hungen) 4 10732 5 5 (upstream Echzell) 5 • 6 sampling sites at the Horloff: 6  1 to 4 regularly analysed with in-vitro and in-vivo assays (active and Makrozoobenthos passive monitoring, laboratory tests) High / very good  Good 5 and 6 sporadically analysed Moderate Poor ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Bad 19 Active monitoring at Nidda, Horloff and Usa  with amphipods and snails

 four sampling sites at every river

 once per quarter over one year

 exposure period: four weeks

 analysed endpoints:  mortality  growth  reproduction

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 20 Active monitoring at Horloff as an example

 Mortality (left) and reproduction (right) in amphipods (Gammarus fossarum):

60 7

 50 6 SEM] discharge discharge discharge discharge discharge discharge ± 5 40

SD] 4 30  ±  3 20 [mean 2

10 per female offspring 1  

mortality in % [mean mortality in % 0 0 H1 H2 H3 H4 H1 H2 H3 H4 sampling sites at river Horloff sampling sites at river Horloff

Data: dissertation Denise Brettschneider, Univ. Frankfurt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 21 Areecosystem functions affected? ISOE SummerSchoolISOE Brilliant Minds,Homburg,30 July Bad 2018  sampling sites at river Horloff river at sites sampling substrate turnover [mean ± SEM] degradation carbohydrate 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 self Bacterial H1 - cleaning potential of the river the of potential cleaning H2

   discharge

H3 discharge    exo

H4 discharge    - enzyme activities enzyme

substrate turnover [mean ± SEM] sampling sites at river Horloff river at sites sampling 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.00 0.05 0.10 protein degradation protein H1 H2    discharge H3

   discharge

as a parameter for the the for a parameter as H4

   discharge . Example. Data: Master thesis

sampling sites at river Horloff river at sites sampling substrate turnover [mean ± SEM] 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.0

Bianca König,Univ. Frankfurt Horloff lipid degradation H1 H2    discharge :

H3 discharge   

discharge H4    22

Evaluation of measures: STP shutdown

STP Wallern- hausen after the shutdown in November 2016:

reference station upstream STP Wallernhausen

100 m downstream STP

2.4 km downstream STP

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 23 Evaluation of measures: STP shutdown

 Rapid decline of all in vitro effects in Rambach after the shutdown of the STP Wallernhausen

1.0 0.7 70 before shutdown after shutdown 0.6 60

0.8 SEM] ± SEM]

± 0.5 50

0.6 SEM]

0.4 ± 40

0.4 0.3 30 0.2 20 [ %, m e a n -NF-EQ/L, mean dioxin-like activity estrogenic activity 0.2 β 0.1 10 [ng EEQ/L, mean[ng EEQ/L, [µg

0.0 0.0 bioluminescence of inhibition 0 R1outfallR2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1outfallR2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1outfallR2 R3 R1 R2 R3

estrogenic activity dioxin-like activity baseline toxicity

Data: Master thesis Felix Harth, Univ. Frankfurt

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 24 Evaluation of measures: STP shutdown

 Decline of mortality and recovery of river type-specific species distribution of amphipods after the STP shutdown

70 100 before shutdown 60 after shutdown

SEM] 80 G. fossarum ± 50

40 60

30 40 20 G. roeseli 20  10   species distribution [%] species distribution G. pulex mortality in % [mean mortality in %    0 0 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3

Data: Master thesis Felix Harth, Univ. Frankfurt

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 25 Determination of critical fraction of treated wastewater

 TITAN (Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis) uses macrozoo- benthos data from HLNUG and modelled fraction of treated wastewater in rivers of the Nidda catchment area:

Modelling: Stephan Fuchs, Ramona Wander, Sara Ziegler, KIT  Calculates the fraction of wastewater in which species show abrupt density changes (increase/decrease)  Result: change point ± confidence interval

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 26 Determination of critical fraction of treated wastewater

 Determination of the critical fraction of treated wastewater with TITAN for abnehmende Dichte zunehmende Dichte the Nidda catchment area:

12%

decreasing density increasing density Data: Master thesis Catharina Brett-Smith, Univ. Frankfurt

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 27 Investigations at two model renaturations

 Renaturation near Echzell at Horloff (left) with less extensive measures compared with Gronauer Hof at Nidda (right):

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 28 Baseline toxicity (= cytotoxicity) – renaturations  Increased toxicity especially in the renaturated sections:

800 800

SEM] 600 SEM] 600

Horloff Nidda ± 400 ± 400 200 200 180 180 150 150

[REF; mean [REF; 120 mean [REF; 120 50 90 50 90 60 60 increasingtoxicity 30 30 0 0 Microtox EC Microtox EC

H-1RH-2RH-3RH-4RH-5RH-6RH-7RH-8RH-9R N1-RN2-RN3-RN4-RN5-RN6-RN7-RN8-RN9-R sampling sites at river Horloff sampling sites at river Nidda

Data: dissertation Denise Brettschneider, Univ. Frankfurt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 29 Dioxin-like activity – renaturations  Increased activity in the renaturated section of the Nidda: 1.2 1.4 1.0 Horloff Nidda 1.2

SEM] 0.8 SEM] ± 0.6 ± 1.0 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.10 0.6 0.08 0.06 0.4 -NF-EQ/L; mean -NF-EQ/L; mean dioxin-likeactivity 0.04 dioxin-likeactivity β β 0.2 0.02 [µg 0.00 [µg 0.0

H-1RH-2RH-3RH-4RH-5RH-6RH-7RH-8RH-9R N1-RN2-RN3-RN4-RN5-RN6-RN7-RN8-RN9-R sampling sites at river Horloff sampling sites at river Nidda

Data: dissertation Denise Brettschneider, Univ. Frankfurt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 30 Estrogenic activity in vitro – renaturations  Increased activity in the renaturated section of the Nidda: 1.2 1.2 Horloff Nidda 1.0 1.0 SEM] SEM] ± 0.8 ± 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4 estrogenic activity 0.2 estrogenic activity 0.2 [ng EEQ/L; mean [ng EEQ/L; mean 0.0 0.0

H-1RH-2RH-3RH-4RH-5RH-6RH-7RH-8RH-9R N1-RN2-RN3-RN4-RN5-RN6-RN7-RN8-RN9-R sampling sites at river Horloff sampling sites at river Nidda

Data: dissertation Denise Brettschneider, Univ. Frankfurt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 31 Estrogenic activity in vivo – renaturations  Increased reproduction in freshwater mudsnails, especially in the renaturated section of the Nidda: 40 40

SD] Horloff SD] Nidda ± 30 ± 30 20

10 20 8 6 4 10 2

embryos per female [Mw female per embryos 0 [Mw female per embryos 0

H-1RH-2RH-3RH-4RH-5RH-6RH-7RH-8RH-9R N1-RN2-RN3-RN4-RN5-RN6-RN7-RN8-RN9-R sampling sites at river Horloff sampling sites at river Nidda Data: dissertation Denise Brettschneider, Univ. Frankfurt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 32 Social-ecological analysis

Citizen information and Stakeholder Authorities knowledge transfer panel dialogue NiddaTalk NiddaLand

Science Tours Activites

Teaching

Publications

Dr. Oliver Schulz, ISOE ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 33 Stakeholder panel  Why involve stakeholders in the project? Stakeholders:

 represent organised stakeholders in the catchment area (bundling of interests, multipliers for results)

 can delay implementation of measures

 are directly affected by measures

 are in conflicts of interest

 bring different expertise

Dr. Oliver Schulz, ISOE ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 34 4 stakeholder panel workshops

 April 2016: Our Nidda: Diverse demands on the river landscape

 October 2016: Our Nidda: Benefits, protection, planning - which aspects should be taken into account for renaturation measures?

 May 2017: Our Nidda: How to communicate renaturation

 March 2018: Creating acceptance, promoting communication, strengthening participation: Recommendations from the stakeholder dialogue Dr. Oliver Schulz, ISOE ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 35 Lessons learned  Affirmation for further participation:  Important for anticipating tensions, promoting understanding, recognising synergies and finding compromises  Participation early and case-related, targeted and justified

 Learning effects among participants and deliverables:  Renaturation is important and is advocated by all  Attention to communication and participation formats is increased  Structuring aid "Communication & participation concept" is developed Dr. Oliver Schulz, ISOE

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 36 Biology

Measurements/model data

Achievement of objectives Measures

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 Wolfgang Kappler, ahu AG 37 What interests the managers in particular?

 Support for two central topics:

1. Measures selection: What should be done to improve the state of surface waters?

2. Impact & prediction: How will the river status change after the measure has been implemented?

Wolfgang Kappler, ahu AG

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 38 What does NiddaPro do?

 Presentation of the NiddaMan results  Suggestions to improve the planning, analysis and coordination of measures  Implementation of new functions for integrated water resources management Wolfgang Kappler, ahu AG

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 39 Example: Representation of river status

Wolfgang Kappler, ahu AG

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 40 Further performance characteristics of NiddaPro

 Providing and integrating of all background data needed (so far in different databases)

 Module for integration of modelling results and scenarios from NiddaMan

 Module for the evaluation of measured data

 Module to consider alternative evaluation approaches

 Further supplementary functions to coordinate measures

Wolfgang Kappler, ahu AG

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 41 Example: Evaluation of measures

Status quo

Emission-based approach Imission-based approach

 Evaluation of need for  measures Implementation of measures  Planing of measures programme  Optimisation with conventional technical measures

Data: dissertation Thomas Fundneider, TU Darmstadt ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 42 Conclusions

 Entry of micropollutants causes ecological deficits in surface waters of the Nidda catchment

 Without a reduction of this entry the targets of the WFD will not be achieved

 Participation and involvement of the public / stakeholders is worthwhile

 This benefits both scientists and practitioners

 NiddaPro is a promising tool for improving the planning, implementation and monitoring of measures

ISOE Summer School Brilliant Minds, Bad Homburg, 30 July 2018 43

Many thanks to:

 the Federal Ministry for Education and Research for funding  all project partners for the fruitful cooperation

... and you for your attention and interest

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