Freshwater biodiversity risk exposure of Natura 2000 sites to industrial pollution

Abstract

While every protected and conserved area can be exposed to pollution, some may suffer more. We develop methods to analyze their freshwater biodiversity risks from industrial sites around Europe. This study is novel as it is the first attempt at linking the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register to the geographic data of Natura 2000 sites. Furthermore, we applied the improved characterization factors in the Environmental Footprint database published by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. The proximity of biggest industrial facilities to Natura 2000 sites, which is the largest network of protected areas in the world, can affect freshwater biodiversity risks in Europe and globally. We quantify hazards in the recent past and at the Natura 2000 site level. We find that European protected natural areas are exposed to more eutrophication and biodiversity risks mostly from the Sewerage and water treatment sector in the most industrialised European regions especially in the Benelux states, Southern Germany, in Northern Italy and South-West France. 370 of the E-PRTR facilities were located less than 500 m away from the border of Natura 2000 sites with protected freshwater species, 126 of which less than 100 m away and 51 within Natura 2000 sites. River basin districts of the Danube, Ebro and the Elbe were estimated to be most affected by pollutant releases with ecotoxicity and eutrophication impact potential in 2019. Approximately 3 % of industrial facilities reporting to the E-PRTR pollutant releases into water are closer to foreign Natura 2000 sites with freshwater fish or amphibian species than to the closest Natura 2000 site in the country where they are located. All this calls for improved monitoring and respective prevention measures in some key regions of Europe along with coordinated international biodiversity loss mitigation efforts.