Trace metals in the Forth Estuary
Trace metals in the waters of the Forth Estuary and Firth of
Forth are routinely monitored by SEPA as required by the EC
Dangerous Substances Directive (76/464/EEC). This directive
requires the statutory regulatory authority to monitor
environmental concentrations of List I and List II substances
wherever there is a consented discharge of a listed substance.
Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) have been set for these
substances in the water column on the basis of their acute
toxicity. Regulatory authorities are required to ensure that the
EQS are met at the monitoring points for these discharges. In
addition to the discharge related monitoring sites the directive
also requires monitoring to be carried out at a suitable
'background site'. Data from these background sites were also
submitted to the UK National Monitoring Programme (MPMMG 1994) and
are reported in the UKNMP Scottish Regional Report (1997).