09 August 2022
The European Union's fourth surface water watch list was published in August. The water watch list is implemented under the EU´s Water Framework Directive.
The watch list is an important union-wide compilation of information on emerging pollutants and substances that may pose a serious risk to aquatic environments. The list is for those substances which can´t be accurately monitored – in particular emerging pollutants – due to the lack of data, hence it is referred to as a ‘watch list’.
Newly added to the list this year are seven additional substances or groups. These are the fungicide azoxystrobin (which joins dimoxystrobin to form a group), the herbicide diflufenican, the insecticide and veterinary pharmaceutical fipronil, the antibiotics clindamycin and ofloxacin, the human pharmaceutical metformin (used to treat Type 2 diabetes) and its metabolite guanylurea, and a group of three sunscreen agents (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, also known as avobenzone; octocrylene; and benzophenone-3, also known as oxybenzone).
More information on European Union official website