Comment on Environmental quality standards for diclofenac derived under the European Water Framework Directive: 1. Aquatic organisms (Leverett et al. in Environmental Sciences Europe 2021; 33: 133)

Leverett et al. commented on the Environmental quality standard (EQS) for diclofenac derived under the European Water Framework Directive (Leverett et al. Environ Sci Eur 33: 133, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00574-z). They postulated that the derived EQS value for diclofenac is not conducted according to the EQS Technical Guidance but rather using data of poor quality and relevance. Consequently, the authors suggested to use their alternative derived value instead. It is to be noted that the process for the EQS derivation for diclofenac is still ongoing and not finalized, and that as a consequence, any critical analysis is very premature. In general, within the current European Commission process, EQS value proposals are derived by expert groups led by the Joint Research Centre. In the specific case for diclofenac, Leverett and co-authors have also been actively involved as experts. This response to Leverett et al. (Environ Sci Eur 33:133, 2021) aims to clarify the reasoning-behind the proposal from a scientific point of view.