Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
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TREND and SPEZ modules
Samples are taken regularly and analysed for numerous chemical and physical parameters in the TREND and SPEZ modules of the NAQUA National Groundwater Monitoring in order to monitor the groundwater quality.
Nitrates (NO3-), plant protection products (PPP), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and various wastewater tracers are analysed regularly in the TREND and SPEZ modules, i.e. at up to 545 monitoring sites. The analysis of basic hydrochemical parameters, and selected trace elements is limited to the 50 monitoring sites of the TREND module. It is mainly aimed at understanding the groundwater system and its hydrogeological and hydrochemical processes.
Other trace substances potentially relevant to groundwater quality are analysed in limited-term pilot studies as and when required.
Parameters and substances
The following parameters and substances are analysed regularly within the TREND and SPEZ modules (in 2012):
| Module | ||
TREND | SPEZ | ||
Basic parameters | O2 | X | - |
pH value | X | - | |
CO2, alkanility, water hardness | X | - | |
Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Si | X | - | |
Cl-, SO42- | X | - | |
Nutrients | NO3- | X | X |
NO2-, NH4+, PO43- | X | - | |
Trace elements | Li+, Be, B, Sr2+, Ba2+ | X | - |
F-, As, Se | X | - | |
Ti, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb | X | - | |
Plant protection products PPP | X | X | |
Volatile organic compounds VOC | X | X | |
Sum parameters | DOC | X | - |
| Wastewater tracers | Complexing agents (EDTA, NTA) | X | - |
Pharmaceuticals (e.g. Carbamazepin) | X | X | |
| Corrosion inhibitors | X | X | |
Pilot studies
Pilot studies are being or have been carried out on the following substance groups:
|
| Period |
| Plant protection product dynamics | 2010-2011 | |
| Microbiology | e.g. noroviruses, cryptosporidia | 2009-2010 |
| Micropollutants (screening) | e.g. benzotriazole, chlorothanonil | 2007-2009 |
Perfluorinated chemicals | e.g. PFOS, PFOA | 2007-2008 |
Antimony | Sb | 2006-2007 |
Isotopes | 18O, 2H, 3H | 2006-2009 |
Radionuclides | 3H, 222Rn, 226Ra, 234U + 238U | 2005 |
Medicinal products | e.g. Diclofenac | 2004-2006 |
Plant protection products
The following plant protection products and decomposition products (metabolites) of PPP are analysed at nearly all the TREND and SPEZ module monitoring sites (in 2012):
Plant protection products | Decomposition products (= metabolites) | Main uses |
Atrazine | Authorisation withdrawn (01.01.07)* | |
Desethylatrazine | ||
Desisopropylatrazine | ||
| Bentazone | Cereals, potatoes, clover, maize, soya, rice grown on dry soil, beans, peas, flax, lucerne, aromatic herbs | |
| Chloridazon | Beets, beetroot | |
| Desphenyl-Chloridazon | ||
| Methyl-desphenyl-Chloridazon | ||
Chlortoluron | Winter cereals, spelt, rye, triticale | |
Cyanazine | Authorisation withdrawn (25.05.08)* | |
Diurone | Fruit, vines, asparagus, heather, general use | |
Isoproturon | Cereals | |
MCPA | Cereals, grasslands, potatoes, Chinese silver grass, lawns, garden, general use | |
MCPP (Mecoprop) | Fruit, cereals, lawns, embankments, and grass strips along lines of communication, grasslands, Chinese silver grass, ornamental shrubs | |
Metazachlor | Strawberries, cabbage, radishes, rape, Saint John’s wort, rocket, ornamental shrubs, root crops, tobacco, general use | |
Metolachlor | Beans, maize, soya, beets, Chinese silver grass, sunflower, sorghum, chicory, oil pumpkin, kenaf | |
Metolachlor-ESA | ||
Metolachlor-OXA | ||
Propazine | Contaminant of atrazine | |
Simazine | Authorisation withdrawn (01.01.07)* | |
Terbutryn | Authorisation withdrawn (25.05.08)* | |
Terbutylazine | Fruit, maize, sorghum, general use | |
Other metabolites | ||
(Dichlobenyl) | 2,6-Dichlorbenzamide | Ornamental shrubs, grasslands, forestry nursery, Saint John’s wort, vines, general use |
(Dimethenamide) | Dimethenamide-ESA | Authorisation withdrawn (01.07.09)* |
(Propachlor) | Propachlor-ESA | Authorisation withdrawn (17.06.11)* |
* Phased out over several years | ||
Volatile Organic Compounds VOC
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compound[s]) are organic carbon compounds which have a high vapour pressure. Within NAQUA, VOCs from the group of Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MAH) and the group of Volatile Halogenated Hydrocarbons (VHH) as well as other substances such as the fuel additives MTBE and ETBE are analysed.
The following VOCs are analysed at nearly all the monitoring sites of the TREND and SPEZ module (Status: 2012):
| Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs |
| Benzene |
| Ethylbenzene |
| m/p-Xylene, o-Xylene |
| Toluene |
| Volatile halogenated (aliphatic) hydrocarbons VHH |
| 1,1,1-trichlorethane |
| Bromdichlormethane |
| cis-1,2-dichlorethene |
| Dichlordifluormethane |
| Tetrachlorethene (Per) |
| Tetrachlormethane |
| Trichlorethene (Tri) |
| Trichlorfluormethane |
| Trichlormethane (chloroform) |
| Other VOCs |
| MTBE |
| ETBE |
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