Guidance

Environmental Quality Standards Directive (EQSD) list for WFD assessments

Published 15 December 2016

© Crown copyright 2016

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-chemicals-for-water-framework-directive-assessments/environmental-quality-standards-directive-eqsd-list-for-wfd-assessments

Use this list when you carry out a Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessment for estuarine and coastal waters.

The following are listed as priority substances and certain other polluting chemicals in the WFD and Environmental Quality Standards Directive (EQSD):

  • 1,1,1-trichloroethane
  • 1,1,2-trichloroethane
  • 1,2-dichloroethane
  • 2,4-dichlorophenol
  • 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
  • 2-chlorophenol
  • 4-chloro-3-methyl-phenol
  • alachlor
  • aldrin
  • ammonia (as N)
  • anthracene
  • arsenic
  • atrazine
  • bentazone
  • benzene
  • biphenyl
  • brominated diphenylether (BDPE)
  • cadmium and its compounds
  • carbon-tetrachloride
  • chlorfenvinphos
  • chlorine
  • chloroalkanes,C10-13
  • chloronitrotoluenes
  • chlorpyrifos (chlorpyrifos-ethyl)
  • chromium (III)
  • chromium (VI)
  • copper
  • cyanide
  • cypermethrin
  • DDT total
  • di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
  • diazinon
  • dichloromethane
  • dichlorvos
  • dieldrin
  • dimethoate
  • diuron
  • endosulfan
  • endrin
  • fenitrothion
  • fluoranthene
  • hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
  • hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)
  • hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)
  • iron
  • isodrin
  • isoproturon
  • lead and its compounds
  • linuron
  • malathion
  • mecoprop
  • mercury and its compounds
  • naphthalene
  • nickel and its compounds
  • nonylphenol (NP) (4-nonylphenol)
  • octylphenol
  • para-para-DDT
  • pentachlorobenzene
  • pentachlorophenol
  • permethrin
  • phenol
  • polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH):
    • benzo(a)pyrene
    • benzo(b)fluoranthene
    • benzo(g,h,i)perylene
    • benzo(k)fluoranthene
    • indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene
  • simazine
  • tetrachloro-ethylene
  • toluene
  • tributyl tin compounds (TBT) (tributyltin-cation)
  • trichlorobenzenes
  • trichloro-ethylene
  • trichloromethane (chloroform)
  • trifluralin
  • triphenyltin and its derivatives
  • xylene
  • zinc
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