A Guide to the Application of the ANZECC/ARMCANZ

September 2003
A Guide to
the Application of the
ANZECC/ARMCANZ
Water Quality Guidelines
in the Minerals Industry
G.E. Batley, C.L. Humphrey, S.C. Apte and J.L. Stauber
Publication Sponsor
A GUIDE TO THE APPLICATION OF
THE ANZECC/ARMCANZ WATER
QUALITY GUIDELINES IN THE
MINERALS INDUSTRY
G.E. Batley1, C.L. Humphrey2, S.C. Apte1 and J.L. Stauber1
1
Centre for Advanced Analytical Chemistry, CSIRO Energy Technology
Private Mail Bag 7, Bangor NSW 2234
2
Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss)
GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801
Project Sponsors
Published by the Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research (ACMER).
ISBN: 0 9577966 6 8 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0 9577966 7 6 (CD-ROM)
September 2003
Copyright © 2003, Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research
Information in this publication is protected by copyright. Material from the publication
may be used provided both the authors and publisher are acknowledged.
Enquiries and requests for copies should be directed to:
The Course Coordinator
Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research (ACMER)
PO Box 883
KENMORE QLD 4069
Telephone:
Facsimile:
Email:
61 7 3327 4555
61 7 3327 4574
acmer@uq.edu.au
Citations of this publication should take the form:
Batley, GE, Humphrey CL, Apte SC and Stauber JL (2003). A Guide to the
Application of the ANZECC/ARMCANZ Water Quality Guidelines in the Minerals
Industry. (Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research: Brisbane).
Disclaimer
Material presented in this document is the responsibility of the authors. The opinions
expressed do not necessarily represent the views of ACMER.
ACMER accepts no liability (including liability in negligence) and takes no
responsibility for any loss or damage which a user of these Guidelines or any third
party may suffer or incur as a result of reliance on the document.
Printed by Smartype 88 Pty Ltd, Brisbane
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
INTRODUCTION
1
2.
THE NEW WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES AND THE MINERALS
INDUSTRY
Water Quality Issues for the Minerals Industry
Introducing the New Guidelines
2
2
3
2.1
2.2
3.
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4
3.1.5
3.1.6
3.1.7
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.3
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.4
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.3
3.4.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW GUIDELINES
5
The NWQMS Guidelines Package
5
Features of the new Guidelines ..................................................................5
Environmental values ..................................................................................7
Guidelines, trigger values, standards and objectives..................................8
Levels of protection .....................................................................................8
Mixing zones ...............................................................................................9
Indicators of aquatic ecosystem health .......................................................9
Ecosystem types .........................................................................................10
Issues and Stressors
10
Issues..........................................................................................................10
Stressors .....................................................................................................11
Default Guideline Trigger Values
11
Default trigger values for toxicants ..............................................................11
Default trigger values for physical and chemical stressors .........................11
Site-Specific Applications of the Guidelines
12
Decision trees and the risk-based approach...............................................12
Using toxicant trigger values .......................................................................12
Site-specific trigger values for physical and chemical stressors .................15
Reference sites ...........................................................................................16
Biological Assessment and its Integration with Chemical Assessment
16
Sediment Quality Guidelines
18
Recommended Levels of Protection for each Indicator Type
20
4.
APPLYING THE WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK IN
THE MINERALS INDUSTRY
The Guideline Management Framework
Regulator and other Stakeholder Involvement
Step-by-Step Approach to the Management Framework
4.1
4.2
4.3
5.
5.1
5.1.1
5.2
5.3
22
22
22
24
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL MONITORING OF WATERS
31
Monitoring Program Design
31
What to measure.........................................................................................32
Developing a Sampling Program
33
Practical Tips on Sampling and Analysis for Physical and Chemical
Parameters
34
iii
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.4
5.5
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.6
5.6.1
5.6.2
5.6.3
5.6.4
5.7
5.7.1
5.7.2
5.7.3
5.7.4
5.7.5
Sample container selection and preparation...............................................34
Sample collection ........................................................................................35
QA/QC in field sampling ..............................................................................36
Field Monitoring
37
Sample Pre-treatment
37
Sample filtration ..........................................................................................37
Sample preservation ...................................................................................38
Chemical Analysis
39
Basic laboratory requirements ....................................................................39
QA/QC in chemical analysis........................................................................40
Determination of key water quality parameters ...........................................40
Metal speciation ..........................................................................................42
Using the Monitoring Data
44
Analysis of data...........................................................................................44
Deriving trigger values from reference data ................................................44
Comparisons between test data and Guideline trigger values ....................44
Dealing with outliers and censored data .....................................................45
Integrating chemical and biological data .....................................................45
6.
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
6.3.5
6.3.6
6.3.7
ASSESSMENT OF SEDIMENTS
46
Monitoring of Sediments
46
Sampling
46
Chemical and Physical Analysis of Sediments
48
Moisture content..........................................................................................48
Grain size ....................................................................................................48
Particulate organic carbon ..........................................................................48
Sediment pH and Eh ...................................................................................48
Metals..........................................................................................................49
Acid-volatile sulfides....................................................................................49
Pore water analyses....................................................................................49
7.
7.1
7.2
7.2.1
7.2.2
7.3
7.3.1
7.3.2
7.3.3
7.3.4
7.3.5
7.3.6
7.3.7
BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
50
Introduction to Biological Monitoring
50
Early Detection
50
Ecotoxicological assessment ......................................................................51
Early detection in the field ...........................................................................57
Biodiversity Assessment
59
Biodiversity approaches ..............................................................................59
Selection of indicators .................................................................................60
Experimental design....................................................................................63
Site selection and sampling considerations ................................................65
Collecting and processing the samples.......................................................66
Optimising the monitoring program .............................................................69
Analysing the data.......................................................................................69
iv
8.
8.1
8.1.1
8.1.2
8.1.3
8.1.4
8.2
INTEGRATING AND OPTIMISING MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
PROGRAMS
72
Integrated Assessment
72
Applying biological assessments as part of an integrated assessment ......72
Integrating chemical and biological approaches in the water quality
management framework..............................................................................74
Recommended balance of indicators ..........................................................75
Interpreting the integrated chemical and biological findings .......................75
Optimising Monitoring and Assessment Programs
76
9.
DEALING WITH TEMPORARY WATER BODIES AND GROUNDWATER
79
9.1
Introduction
79
9.2
Temporary Water Bodies
79
9.2.1 Monitoring of physical and chemical variables ............................................80
9.2.2 Biological monitoring ...................................................................................80
9.3
Special Problems Associated with Salt Lakes
82
9.4
Assessment of Groundwaters
83
10.
FUTURE NEEDS
84
11.
REFERENCES
85
12.
RECOMMENDED READING
86
13.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
88
14.
APPENDIX 1. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS
89
15.
APPENDIX 2. TRIGGER VALUES FOR TOXICANTS
95
16.
APPENDIX 3. HARDNESS ALGORITHMS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF
METAL TRIGGER VALUES
97
17.
APPENDIX 4. INTERIM SEDIMENT QUALITY GUIDELINES
98
18.
APPENDIX 5. TRIGGER VALUES FOR TOTAL AMMONIA AT
DIFFERENT pH VALUES
99
APPENDIX 6. TABLES FOR THE CALCULATION OF UNIONISED
HYDROGEN SULFIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN NATURAL WATERS
100
19.
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