DSS Step 4: Inventory of Possible Measures

Step 4 is concerned with creating an inventory of possible management options for the PSs. These management options include e.g. process-oriented options, end-of-pipe techniques, product substitution (phase out) and other options e.g. at Community level. First a scan on the need for measures to solve the actual and future areas of exceedance and sources is performed. For each situation where ‘no action´ is not an option the possible and for the area relevant measures are listed from the measure database. Since measures could be applicable for more than one PS a check is performed on whether measures can be combined. The result of Step 4 is a list of possible measures per substance.

In general the management options can be divided in:

Measures for polluters:

• Process-oriented options: Available source control options in processes (both production of substance and use in other processes), including product recovery, process modification (e.g. use cleaner fuels or cleaner raw materials, better maintenance), new processes, closed-circuit operation, use of other components.
• End-of-pipe techniques Techniques which can be used to remove the selected priority substances from process water and wastewater of industrial sites and wastewater of municipal wastewater treatment plants.

• Substitution of product (phase out) Available other products (alternatives) which can be used (in products, in applications, consumers, agriculture, etc.).
• Options for other (diffuse) sources (Community level options) Management options focused on measures which could be taken at the community level, for example sewage sludge treatment, waste disposal, sediment or soil removal and treatment, etc.

The step will produce an overview of relevant fact sheets and summary tables of possible measures per source-substance combination (see Fact sheets). More detailed information on the listed control options can be found in section 5 of the Substance Reports. Information on measures at regulatory level is given in section 3.3 of these reports.

Instructions how to do it
Basically the steps to be taken in Step 4 follow the figure below.

Substance reports and fact sheets
The main sources of information for this step are the Substance Reports for atrazine, cadmium (Cd), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), isoproturon, mercury (Hg), nonylphenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and tributyltin (TBT) which were produced in WP 3 of the SOCOPSE project.

The Substance Reports are summarized in the fact sheets. The fact sheets can be used for the first selection of measures. The information in the Substance Reports was to a large extent compiled from reference documents and other guidance on Best Available Techniques (BAT), as well as from additional sources such as technical reports and published scientific literature. BAT Reference documents (BREFs) are available from the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau (EIPPCB). These reference documents are subject to periodic revision. The current documents are available on the EIPPCB website.

Other sources
Additional sources of information on a wider range of substances could be e.g. the central database developed by the European Chemicals Agency under the REACH Regulation.

Result of the step
The ultimate output from Step 4 is a table of possible measures per substance and source, as illustrated below.