On the problem of establishing the standards of the water quality in fishery waters

Summary

Current problems of establishing pollution limits for fishery waters have been considered. The core objectives of regulating the quality of water bodies in the Russian Federation are highlighted. A detailed comparative description of sanitary-hygienic (MPC_san) and fishery waters (MPC_fishery) water quality standards is presented; the similarities and differences in establishing the given standards are shown. In the process of developing fishery and sanitary-hygienic standards the following issues are considered: the threshold concentration (the lowest concentration that produces an adverse effect both on the quality of habitat of an organism and on the organism itself); the lowest no observed adverse effect concentration (the lowest concentration that does not affect the habitat and organism throughout the life). The experimental validation of MPC_fishery is an overall system of comprehensive (toxicological, hydrochemical, organoleptic etc.) tests of the chemical agent using the representatives of all aquatic organisms groups (from bacteria to fish) including producers, consumers, decomposers and various life-forms of aquatic organisms (plankton, nekton, benthos). The MPC value of a pollutant is the lowest no observed adverse effect concentration for one of the trophic level links (plankton, nekton, benthos organisms, fish as well as hydrochemical and organoleptic water quality parameters can be limiting links). MPC_ssan ensure water quality safe for human life and activities, MPCsfishery are the only environmental requirements that ensure the conservation of ecosystems of fishery waters. The expediency, need and demand for establishing regional regulations in the light of the actual situation in certain water bodies has been considered separately.

Key words

pollutants , water object , fishery and sanitary-hygienic standards , test-object , limiting link , regional regulation