Are nutrient concentrations in Europe's surface waters decreasing?

Key messages

(31 Aug 2020)

• Nutrient conditions in European surface waters have improved over recent decades. However, there has been no overall decrease in the nitrate concentration in groundwater.
• The average phosphate concentration in European rivers has decreased markedly over the last two or three decades (by 0.002 milligrams per litre of phosphate-phosphorous (mg P/l) per year (1.3 % per year). The average total phosphorus concentration in lakes also decreased over the period 1992-2018 (0.0003 mg P/l per year (0.8 %)). The decrease in phosphorus concentration is likely related to improvements in waste water treatment and the reduction of phosphorus in detergents. However, as for nitrate in rivers there is a tendency for concentrations to level off in recent years, especially for rivers.
• On average, the nitrate concentration in European rivers decreased by 0.01 milligrams per litre of nitrate-nitrogen (mg N/l) per year (0.02 % per year) between 1992 and 2018, but the concentration has levelled off since around 2010. The decrease is likely related to effects of measures to reduce agricultural inputs of nitrate and improvements in waste water treatment. However, the apparent stabilisation of river nitrate concentrations in recent years may call for further measures to be taken.

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