Proposals for Quality Criteria for Surface Waters

Chemical risk assessments are carried out by comparing environmental concentrations with the associated quality standards. If the environmental concentration exceeds the quality standard, a risk for aquatic organisms can be assumed. A comparison of the environmental concentration and the acute quality standard may be helpful for assessing the likelihood of possible damage to the organisms within the next 24 to 96 hours. Chronic quality standards are recommended for water quality monitoring. They can be used for assessing pollution over an extended time period. For the continuous input of micropollutants from treated effluents, the chronic quality standard is particularly relevant and helps to protect the organisms against the consequences of long-term pollution. The Ecotox Centre has derived quality criteria for numerous substances.

Furthermore, the Ecotox Centre provides quality criteria for additional substances that have either been determined by other organisations or for which no complete data research has been carried out. These values should primarily be used to verify the environmental relevance of substances measured in surface water monitoring campaigns. Some of the values are environmental quality standards for priority substances under the EU Water Framework Directive, national environmental quality standards or national quality criteria proposals. The environmental quality criteria of the EU and its member states were determined using the same method as the quality criteria proposals of the Ecotox Centre and are therefore just as reliable. The other part are ad hoc quality criteria. These values are based exclusively on the registration data and not on a complete data research. The complete list of all current quality criteria can be downloaded as an Excel file with additional information.

In April 2020, the quality criteria proposals of the Ecotox Centre for 19 pesticides and 3 pharmaceuticals were included in the Water Protection Ordinance as numerical requirements (these substances are marked in the table with an *). The complete list of the current values can also be downloaded as Excel file including additional information on the assessment of mixture toxicity. The derivation of the values can be followed using the data sheets linked in the table. Data sheets that are not linked can be obtained from the Ecotox Centre on request.

If you would like to be informed about changes or new values, please register for regular info mails at anke.schaefer@oekotoxzentrum.ch.

Substance CAS Number Substance
class1
Acute quality standard
µg/l
Chronic quality standard
µg/l
Data as of
AMPA 1066-51-9 P (T) 1500b 1500b 2015
Atenolol 29122-68-7 Ph 330 150 2015
Azithromycin* 83905-01-5 Ph 0.18 0.019a 2015
Azoxystrobin*
131860-33-8  P 0.55** 0.2** 2016
Bentazon
25057-89-0 P 470 270 2015
Bentazon-N-Methyl 61592-45-8 P 860 23 2014
Benzothiazol 95-16-9 I 250 240 2011
Benzotriazol 95-14-7, (273-02-9) I 160 19 2015
Bezafibrate 41859-67-0 Ph 4000 2.3a 2015
Bisphenol A (BPA) 80-05-7 I 53 0.24 2016
Boscalid
188425-85-6  P 12b  12b 2016
Bromate 15441-45-4 I 50 50 2015
Carbamazepine 298-46-4 Ph 2000 2 2016
10,11-Dihydro-10,11-Dihydroxy-Carbamazepine 58955-93-4 Ph (T) at present not possible 100 2016
Carbamazepine-10,11-Epoxid 36507-30-9 Ph (T) at present not possible at present not possible 2016
Carbendazim
10605-21-7 P 0.7 0.44 2016
Chloridazon
1698-60-8 P 190 10 2016
Chloridazon-desphenyl 6339-19-1 P (T) at present not possible 250 2016
Chloridazon-methyl-desphenyl 17254-80-7 P (T) 3700 37 2014
Chlorpyrifos*
2921-88-2 P 4.4*10-3 4.6*10-4 2015
Chlorpyrifos-methyl 5598-13-0 P 7.3*10-3 1.0*10-3 2018
Chlortoluron
15545-48-9 P 2.4 0.6 2016
Ciprofloxacin 85721-33-1 Ph 0.36 0.089 2013
Clarithromycin* 81103-11-9 Ph 0.19 0.12a 2016
N-Desmethyl-Clarithromycin 101666-68-6 Ph (T) 1.5 1.5 2016
14-Hydroxy-Clarithromycin 110671-78-8 Ph (T) 0.140 0.085 2016
lambda-Cyhalothrin 91465-08-6 P 1.9*10-4 2.2*10-5 2018
Cypermethrin*
52315-07-8 P 4.4*10-4 3*10-5 2016
Cyproconazol
94361-06-5 P 1.3b 1.3b 2016
Cyprodinil*
121552-61-2 P 3.3**
0.33**
2016
2,4-D 94-75-7 P 4.0 0.6 2016
Deltamethrin 52918-63-5 P 1.7*10-5 1.7*10-6 2019
Diatrizoat (3,5-Diacetylamino-2,4,6-
trijodobenzoic acid)
117-96-4 Ph at present not possible at present not possible 2011
Diazinon*
333-41-5 P 0.02
0.012
2016
Dicamba
1918-00-9 P 52 2.2 2016
Diclofenac* 15307-86-5, (15307-79-6) Ph not proposed 0.05a 2017
Diethyltoluamid (DEET) 134-62-3 P 410 88 2016
Diflufenican 83164-33-4 P 0.058 0.01 2018
Dimethachlor 50563-36-5 P 4.3 0.12 2019
Dimethenamid-P 163515-14-8 P 2.5 0.26 2019
Dimethoate
60-51-5 P 0.98 0.07 2012
Diuron*
330-54-1 P 0.25** 0.07 2016
EDTA 60-00-4 I 12000 2200 2010
Epoxiconazol*
133855-98-8 P

0.24**

0.2** 2016
Erythronmycin 114-07-8 Ph

1.1

0.3 2017
17-beta-Estradiol 50-28-2 Ph

not proposed

4.0*10-4 2011
Estron 53-16-7 Ph

not proposed

3.6*10-3 2011
17-alpha-Ethinylestradiol 57-63-6 Ph

not proposed

3.7*10-5 2011
Ethofumesate
26225-79-6 P 260 3.1 2016
Fenoxycarb 79127-80-3 P 8.7*10-3 2.3*10-4 2019
Fenpropimorph 67564-91-4 P 3.27 0.016 2021
Fipronil 120068-37-3 P 3.2*10-3 7.7*10-4 2021
Flufenacet 142459-58-3 P 0.75 0.048 2018
Foramsulfuron 173159-57-4 P 0.096 0.017 2020
Glyphosate
1071-83-6 P 360 120 2016
Guanylurea 141-83-3 Ph (T) at present not possible at present not possible 2016
Ibuprofen 15689-27-1, (31121-93-4) Ph 1700 0.011a 2016
Imidacloprid*
138261-41-3 P 0.1 0.013 2016
Iomeprol 78649-41-9 Ph at present not possible at present not possible 2011
Iopamidol 60166-93-0 Ph at present not possible at present not possible 2011
Iopromide 73334-07-3 Ph at present not possible at present not possible 2011
Iprovalicarb
140923-17-7 P 190b 190b 2016
Irbesartan 138402-11-6 Ph 19000 700 2013
Irgarol (Cybutryn) 28159-98-0 P 0.013 0.0023 2010
Isoproturon*
34123-59-6 P 1.7** 0.64** 2015
Linuron
330-55-2 P 1.4 0.26 2015
MCPA*
94-74-6 P 6.4** 0.66** 2016
Mecoprop-P (MCPP)
16484-77-8 P 4.7 0.8 2023
Mefenamic acid 61-68-7 Ph at present not possible 1 2016
Mesosulfuron-methyl 208465-21-8 P 0.13 0.027 2019
Metalaxyl-M
70630-17-0 P 97
20
2016
Metamitron
41394-05-2 P 39 4.0 2016
Metazachlor*
67129-08-2 P 0.28** 0.02 2015
Metformin 657-24-9 Ph 640 160 2016
Methiocarb 2032-65-7 P 0.77 0.01 2019
Methomyl 16752-77-5 P 0.21 0.032 2019
Methoxyfenozide
161050-58-4 P 0.28 0.086 2017
Methylbenzotriazol (Tolyltriazol) 29385-43-1, 2987 I 430 20 2016
Metoprolol 51384-51-1 Ph 75 8.6 2016
Metribuzin*
21087-64-9 P

0.87**

0.058 2016
Napropamid
15299-99-7 P 6.8 5.1 2016
Naproxen 22204-53-1, (26159-34-2) Ph 860 1.7a 2015
Nicosulfuron*
111991-09-4 P 0.23** 0.0087 2016
Nonylphenol 25154-52-3, 8485 I 3.8 0.043 2016
NTA 139-13-9, (5064-31-3) I 9800 190 2010
Perfluorooctansulfonate (PFOS) 1763-23-1 I 36 0.002
Biota-EQSc = 33 ug/kg
2011
Permethrin 52645-53-1 P 2.5*10-3 2.7*10-4 2023
Pirimicarb*
23103-98-2 P 1.8** 0.09 2016
Propamocarb
24579-73-5 P 1000b 1000b 2016
Propanolol 4199-09-1 Ph 12 0.16 2013
Propyzamid 23950-58-5 P 2.1 0.063 2018
Pyrimethanil
53112-28-0 P 32 1.5 2016
S-Metolachlor*
87392-12-9 P 3.3** 0.69** 2016
Sotalol 3930-20-9 Ph at present not possible at present not possible 2016
Spiroxamin 118134-30-8 P 0.063 0.063 2021
Sulfamethazine 57-68-1 Ph 30b 30b 2016
Sulfamethoxazole 723-46-6 Ph 2.7 0.6 2016
Tebuconazole
107534-96-3 P 1.4 0.24 2016
Terbuthylazine
5915-41-3 P 1.3 0.22 2016
Terbutryn*
886-50-0 P 0.34** 0.065 2016
Thiacloprid*
111988-49-9 P 0.08 0.01 2016
Thiamethoxam*
153719-23-4 P 1.4** 0.042 2016
Triclosan
3380-34-5 P 0.11b 0.11b 2018
Trimethoprim 738-70-5 Ph 210 120 2015
Valsartan 137862-53-4 Ph 9000 560 2012

1I: industrial chemical, P: pesticide, P (T): transformation product of pesticide, Ph: pharmaceutical or steroid hormone, Ph (T): transformation product of pharmaceutical 

*The values for this substance have been included in the Water Protection Ordinance as numerical requirements 

**In surface waters that are used for the production of drinking water, a limit value of 0.1 μg/L is set to protect the drinking water quality.

aSubstances for which there may be a secondary intoxication risk that has not been numerically considered to date.

bFor some substances, the chronical (CQC) and the acute quality criteria (AQC) are identical. This may happen if the acute and the chronic toxicity are very similar. Then, if a larger assessment factor is used for the calculation of the CQC than for the calculation of the AQC (100 instead of 10), the AQC would be lower than the CQC. In this case, the technical guidance document for deriving EQS specifies to raise the AQC to the CQC.

cThis value is not based on direct (chronic) toxicity, but is intended to protect organisms of higher trophic levels against secondary poisoning. The chronic quality standard refers to the concentration in the water phase, while the biota EQS refers to the concentration in the whole fish.