Prioritization of Specific Pollutants in the Scope of EU Water Framework Directive in Turkey

OpenAlex · English

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is concerned with the long-term management of water resources in Europe. The primary goal of the Water Framework Directive is to attain “good water status”. Surface, coastal, and transitional waters must have “good ecological and chemical status” in order to protect human health, water supply, ecosystems, and biodiversity. To obtain a good chemical status, water resources must be free of physical and chemical contamination. Priority and specific pollutants are the key issues in chemical pollution. Nonpoint and point sources of pollution must be taken into account by EU member and candidate countries when determining pollutants distinctive to their own nations. Each basin has its own specific pollution profile in terms of agricultural, industrial, and anthropogenic characteristics. Therefore, the measures to be taken within the scope of water management should also be specific to the basin. Likewise, studies should be carried out to match the pollutants originating from the sectors operating in the basin with those sectors. It is important to evaluate the list of special pollutants created due to industrial and agricultural activities within the boundaries of the basin. Hence, pollutants in this list can also be customized as “prioritization of specific pollutant” using risk factors.