Aquatic toxicity

Go to: What are aquatic toxicants? What to do? Classification Related legislation and policies References List of substances (Directiva de aguas) List of substances (Peligrosas agua Alemania)

What are aquatic toxicants?

Chemicals included in the category of aquatic toxicity represent a substantial damage to living organisms and human health through aquatic exposure. Effects include among others, damage to the reproductive, immune, endocrine and/or nervous systems, cancer and even death.

What to do?

The release of any of these substances into waterways must be avoided. In case of accidental spillage cleaning must be carried out using absorbent materials instead of rinsing or pouring jets of water.

In the case of substances included in the list of priority hazardous chemicals under EU water policies, elimination or substitution must be recommended according to the principles stated in Directive 2000/60/EC about “the cessation or phasing-out of discharges, emissions and losses of the substances, including an appropriate timetable for doing so. The timetable shall not exceed 20 years after the adoption of these proposals by the European Parliament and the Council”.

Classification

To identify aquatic toxic substances, Former Dangerous Substances Directive, known as DSD (67/548/EEC) and the new Regulation 1272/2008 (commonly known as CLP) set pictograms and the following risk phrases ® and hazard statements (H):

• R50 Very toxic to aquatic organisms


• R51 Toxic to aquatic organisms


• R53 may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment


• H400 Very toxic to aquatic life


• H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects


• H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

Other governmental institutions have set priority lists of this type of substances:

• EU Water Directive

The list includes priority hazardous chemicals a according to the Decision No 2455/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2001 establishing the list of priority substances in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC.

• Substances dangerous to water (German Federal Ministry of the Environment)

The list includes substances dangerous to water according to the German Federal Ministry of the Environment that classifies chemicals by their hazard level into:

Nwg	not dangerous to water
1	low danger to water
2	dangerous to water
3	highly dangerous to water

• Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) annex II establishes a list of pollutants to water.

Related legislation and policies

• Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy.


• Decision No 2455/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2001 establishing the list of priority substances in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC.


• Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration.


• Directive 2008/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2008 amending Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, as regards the implementing powers conferred on the Commission.


• Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/491/EEC, 86/280/EEC and amending Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.


• Regulation 1272/2008 (CLP) on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures.


• Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances.


• Regulation (EC) No 166/2006  of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and amending Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC.

References

This list of aquatic toxicants was developed using following sources:

List	Source	Date of publication
Water Directive	Water Frame Directive	October 2005
Water Directive Amendment	Decision No 2455/2001/EC	September 2007
Water Directive Amendment	Directive 2008/32/EC	January 2009
UBA’s dangerous for water substances	German Environmental Ministry	October 2005

Last update

July 2012