T. Nõges, S. Vilbaste, M. J. McCarthy, Marju Tamm, P. Nõges
{"title":"Long-term data reflect nitrogen pollution in Estonian rivers","authors":"T. Nõges, S. Vilbaste, M. J. McCarthy, Marju Tamm, P. Nõges","doi":"10.2166/nh.2022.057","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"\n We analysed long-term (1992–2020) changes in fertiliser use, wastewater treatment, and river water nutrient status in Estonia (N-E Europe) in the context of changing socio-economic situations and legislation. We hypothesised that more precise regulation of fertiliser usage and improved wastewater treatment are reflected as declining riverine nutrient concentrations, and that the largest relative improvements occurred in catchments with initially high proportions of point source loading. We used data on population and livestock densities, fertiliser use, and wastewater treatment from the Statistics Estonia database and riverine nutrient concentrations from the environmental monitoring database. We clustered the rivers by their catchment properties and analysed trends and step changes in their nutrient status. Point source nutrient loading reductions explained most of the observed decline in riverine nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, whereas the application of mineral fertilisers has increased, hindering efforts to reach water quality and nutrient load targets set by the EU Water Framework Directive and the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Highest nitrogen concentrations and strongest increasing trends were found in rivers within the nitrate vulnerable zone, indicating violation of the EU Nitrates Directive. To comply with these directives, resource managers must address non-point source nutrient loading from river watersheds.","PeriodicalId":55040,"journal":{"name":"Hydrology Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2022-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Hydrology Research","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2022.057","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Environmental Science","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We analysed long-term (1992–2020) changes in fertiliser use, wastewater treatment, and river water nutrient status in Estonia (N-E Europe) in the context of changing socio-economic situations and legislation. We hypothesised that more precise regulation of fertiliser usage and improved wastewater treatment are reflected as declining riverine nutrient concentrations, and that the largest relative improvements occurred in catchments with initially high proportions of point source loading. We used data on population and livestock densities, fertiliser use, and wastewater treatment from the Statistics Estonia database and riverine nutrient concentrations from the environmental monitoring database. We clustered the rivers by their catchment properties and analysed trends and step changes in their nutrient status. Point source nutrient loading reductions explained most of the observed decline in riverine nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, whereas the application of mineral fertilisers has increased, hindering efforts to reach water quality and nutrient load targets set by the EU Water Framework Directive and the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Highest nitrogen concentrations and strongest increasing trends were found in rivers within the nitrate vulnerable zone, indicating violation of the EU Nitrates Directive. To comply with these directives, resource managers must address non-point source nutrient loading from river watersheds.
期刊介绍:
Hydrology Research provides international coverage on all aspects of hydrology in its widest sense, and welcomes the submission of papers from across the subject. While emphasis is placed on studies of the hydrological cycle, the Journal also covers the physics and chemistry of water. Hydrology Research is intended to be a link between basic hydrological research and the practical application of scientific results within the broad field of water management.