Freshwater - State and impacts (Italy)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

Topics: Water and marine environment

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Freshwater

Topic: Freshwater

more info Organisation name ISPRA Reporting country Italy Organisation website Organisation website Contact link Contact link Last updated 03 Jan 2011 Content license CC By 2.5 Content provider

Published: 26 Nov 2010 Modified: 11 May 2020 Feed synced: 03 Jan 2011 original

Key message

Part C - Italy - Commonality (April, 23 2010) - State and Impacts

The ecological status of rivers is evaluated by the SECA index obtained by integrating chemical-physical and microbiological data (LIM) with the results of the Extended Biotic Index (EBI). It is expressed by five classes: high, good, moderate, poor and bad.

In 2007, of 1,014 points monitored, 48 % were classed as good or high (Figure 1).

Regional variations in 2007 were not regarded as critical. Of the 572 stations in Northern Italy, 55 % were good or high, as were 41 % of the 392 stations in Central Italy and 48 % of the 50 stations in Southern Italy and the Islands were classed as good.

In 2007, as in previous years, the macrobenthic community (EBI) played a greater role in determining the SECA than did the chemical-physical macro-descriptors.

The ecological status of lakes (SEL) index evaluates their different trophic states. In 2007, 73 % of 148 stations covering 134 lakes were classified as moderate, good or high.

In 2007, based on the monitoring of waterways and lake areas designated as being suitable for fish (Dir. 78/659/CEE), 96.2 % of the river segments examined and 100 % of the lakes were found to be suitable.

For a detailed treatment of topics addressed above, see key topics at

http://annuario.apat.it/capitoli/Ver_6/en/Water%20quality.pdf