Monitoring the aquatic environment may be necessary for a variety of reasons including:
- Refining environmental risk assessments
- Monitoring Environmental Performance e.g. ISO 14001
- Quantification of the effects of operations and incidents
- Control of Major Accident Hazard (COMAH)
- Demonstrating effluent treatment efficacy
- Provision of environmental baseline data
- Long-term monitoring of effluent treatment efficacy
- Developing and validating exposure and effects models
These applications are reflected in numerous environmental regulations in the European Union, North America and Japan including:
- Environmental Impact Assessment regulations (worlwide)
- Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regulations (EU)
- Control of Major Accident Hazard regulations (EU)
- Environmental Liability Directive regulations(EU)
- Water Framework Directive regulations (EU)
- Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Discharge Consents
"The potential impact of each installation or site may be considered case-by-case, in the context of the scale and sensitivity of the surrounding environment" (Expert panel on best practical environmental options)
"Effluent treatment/abatement can be targeted and balanced against environmental benefits"(Chemical Industries Association)
“The toxicity of chemical mixtures can only be elucidated properly by investigating exposures and effects in the receiving environment” (Environmental research consultant)
"The environment itself is the final arbiter"(Industry expert)
