{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-framework-directive-classification-priority-substances-and-shellfish-waters-regulations-northern-ireland-2015/schedule-1/part-2/crossheading-4-environmental-standards-for-specific-pollutants",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-framework-directive-classification-priority-substances-and-shellfish-waters-regulations-northern-ireland-2015/schedule-1/part-2/crossheading-4-environmental-standards-for-specific-pollutants.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2015/351",
  "legislation_title": "The Water Framework Directive (Classification, Priority Substances and Shellfish Waters) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-framework-directive-classification-priority-substances-and-shellfish-waters-regulations-northern-ireland-2015",
  "path": "schedule/1/part/2/crossheading/4-environmental-standards-for-specific-pollutants",
  "kind": "crossheading",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Environmental Standards for Specific Pollutants",
  "text": "Table 18\nEnvironmental standards for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)\n1 The standards for 2,4 D specified in Column 2 and Column 4 must not be used for the purpose of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 21\nColumn 3\nColumn 41\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.3\n1.3\n0.3\n1.3\nTable 19\nEnvironmental standards for 2,4-Dichlorophenol\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n4.2\n140\n0.42\n6\nTable 20\nEnvironmental standards for 3,4-Dichloroaniline\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.2\n5.4\n0.2\n5.4\nTable 21\nEnvironmental standards for arsenic (dissolved)\n1 The standard for arsenic refers to the dissolved fraction of a water sample obtained by filtration through a 0.45µm filter or any equivalent pre-treatment\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 11\nColumn 21\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n50\n25\nTable 22\nEnvironmental standards for benzyl butyl phthalate\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n7.5\n51\n0.75\n10\nTable 23\nEnvironmental standards for carbendazim\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.15\n0.7\nTable 24\nEnvironmental standards for chlorine\n1 The standards for chlorine specified in Column 2 and 3 must not be used for the purpose of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water.\n2 The term “total residual oxidants” refers to the sum of all oxidising agents existing in water, expressed as available chlorine.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 21\nColumn 31\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of total available chlorine\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of total available chlorine\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of total residual oxidant2\n2\n5\n10\nTable 25\nEnvironmental standards for chlorothalonil\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.035\n1.2\nTable 26\nEnvironmental standards for chromium III\n1 The standard for chromium III specified in column 2 must not be used for the purpose of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 21\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of dissolved chromium III\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of dissolved chromium III\n4.7\n32\nTable 27\nEnvironmental standards for chromium VI\n1 The standard for chromium VI specified in column 3 must not be used for the purpose of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water.\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 31\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of dissolved chromium VI\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of dissolved chromium VI\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of dissolved chromium VI\n3.4\n0.6\n32\nTable 28\nEnvironmental standards for copper\n1 bioavailable means the fraction of the dissolved concentration of copper likely to result in toxic effects as determined using the Metal Bioavailability Assessment Tool (also referred to as a PNEC Estimator) for copper.\n2 The recommended salt water standard applies to the fraction of a water sample that passes through a 0.45-µm filter or that is obtained by any equivalent pre-treatment.\n3 “DOC” means the annual mean concentration of dissolved organic carbon in mg/l.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters2\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of dissolved copper\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of dissolved copper\n1(bioavailable)1\n3.76 µg/l dissolved, where DOC3 ≤ 1 mg/l\n3.76 +(2.677 × ((DOC/2) - 0.5)) µg/l dissolved, where DOC > 1 mg/l\nTable 29\nEnvironmental standards for cyanide\n1 The standards for cyanide specified in column 2 and column 4 must not be used for the purpose of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 21\nColumn 3\nColumn 41\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of ‘free’ cyanide (HCN and CN)\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of ‘free’cyanide (HCN and CN)\nAnnual mean concentration (µg/l) of hydrogen cyanide\n95-percentile concentration (µg/l) of hydrogen cyanide\n1\n5\n1\n5\nTable 30\nEnvironmental standards for cypermethrin\n1 Cypermethrin ceases to be a specific pollutant from 22 December 2018, when it shall be listed as a priority substance.\n2 The standards for cypermethrin specified in column 2 and column 4 must not be used for the purposes of classifying the ecological status or potential of bodies of surface water.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes12\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters12\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.1\n0.4\n0.1\n0.41\nTable 31\nEnvironmental standards for diazinon\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.01\n0.02\n0.01\n0.26\nTable 32\nEnvironmental standards for dimethoate\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.48\n4.0\n0.48\n4.0\nTable 33\nEnvironmental standards for glyhosate\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n196\n398\n196\n398\nTable 34\nEnvironmental standards for iron\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean concentration (mg/l) of dissolved iron\nAnnual mean concentration (mg/l) of dissolved iron\n1\n1\nTable 35\nEnvironmental standards for linuron\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.5\n0.9\n0.5\n0.9\nTable 36\nEnvironmental standards for manganese\n1 bioavailable means the fraction of the dissolved concentration of manganese likely to result in toxic effects as determined in accordance with the Metal Bioavailability Assessment Tool for manganese.\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nAnnual mean (µg/l) bioavailable\n1231\nTable 37\nEnvironmental standards for mecoprop\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n18\n187\n18\n187\nTable 38\nEnvironmental standards for methiocarb\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.01\n0.77\nTable 39\nEnvironmental standards for pendimethalin\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.3\n0.58\nTable 40\nEnvironmental standards for permethrin\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.001\n0.01\n0.0002\n0.001\nTable 41\nEnvironmental standards for phenol\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n7.7\n46\n7.7\n46\nTable 42\nEnvironmental standards for tetrachloroethane (TCE)\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n140\n1848\nTable 43\nEnvironmental standards for toluene\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n74\n380\n74\n370\nTable 44\nEnvironmental standards for triclosan\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nColumn 3\nColumn 4\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\n95-percentile (µg/l)\n0.1\n0.28\n0.1\n0.28\nTable 45\nEnvironmental standards for un-ionised ammonia as nitrogen\nGood standard for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standard for transitional and coastal waters\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\nAnnual mean (µg/l)\nNot applicable\n21\nTable 46\nEnvironmental standards for zinc\n1 bioavailable means the fraction of the dissolved concentration of zinc likely to result in toxic effects as determined using the Metal Bioavailability Assessment Tool (also referred to as a PNEC Estimator) for zinc.\n2 Ambient Background Concentration is an estimate of background levels of zinc based on a low percentile of monitoring data. A figure of 1 µg/l has been estimated for freshwaters in Northern Ireland.\nGood standards for rivers and freshwater lakes\nGood standards for transitional and coastal waters\nColumn 1\nColumn 2\nAnnual mean\nAnnual mean\n10.9 bioavailable1 plus Ambient Background Concentration2 (µg/l) dissolved\n6.8 dissolved plus Ambient Background Concentration (µg/l)",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2015/351/schedule/1/part/2/crossheading/4-environmental-standards-for-specific-pollutants",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T01:00:03.181368+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}