Environmental impact and risk quantification based on selected water quality indicators

Environmental assessments are often approached in an integrated manner, taking into consideration the decision-making processes, the stakeholders’ roles and the preservation of environmental components and human health. An environmental impact and risk assessment (EIRA) methodology could respond to the new challenges in water resources management such as those related to industrial/agricultural development and urbanization. Romania is a country that still faces problems in terms of integrated water resources management implementation, due to some industrial/agricultural activities that exceed water quality discharge limits and the influence of diffuse pollution sources over surface waters. This study presents the development and implementation of a methodology for the quantitative assessment of environmental impact and associated risk of the economic activities from four counties from the northeastern part of Romania (Botosani, Iasi, Vaslui and Galati counties) within the Prut river catchment. This methodology was developed for river basin evaluations by using representative quality indicators for the case of surface water pollution, i.e. biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia (NH4+) and detergents, with reference to the maximum concentrations allowed by the national standards. The monthly water samples from 112 wastewater discharging agents (industry, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, and small and medium enterprises) were analyzed, and the yearly average values of these five indicators were considered in the integrated assessment procedure. The results revealed that there are consistent environmental impacts and risks within Prut river basin, these being mainly produced by industry. The integrated impact and risk assessment methodology presents the advantages of rapidity and the potential for improving the decision-making process.