Preliminary proposals for classification of marine environmental quality respecting micropollutants in water, sediments and selected organisms

Abstract

A compilation of water quality criteria and information about "background levels" of micropollutants (selected metals, organochlorines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) have been used as basis for proposals of marine environmental quality classification. As knowledge of effects - except at levels wich must be regarded as strong contamination - is inadequate, the classification is based mainly on occurrence. The selected indicator organisms comprise benthic algae (metal indicators only), mussels, snails and fish.