WFD – Artois-Picardie Basin – Chemical status – Chemical contaminants – Pesticides

The assessment of the chemical status of the water body is based on two Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) established for each substance or group of substances in Directive 2008/105/EC.
These standards represent thresholds that must not be exceeded in order to protect the environment and human health:
- The MAC-EQS: which represents the Maximum Allowable Concentration (μg/L);
- The MA-EQS: which has the Annual Average Concentration not to be exceeded (μg/L).
The chemical status is defined by two quality classes: "good condition" or "bad condition".

Pesticides - 8 substances on the list of priority substances and 10 substances on the list of priority hazardous substances - are sought in water (hydrophilic substances) or in shellfish and sediment (hydrophobic substances). The most recent assessment of chemical status is presented in the Artois-Picardie WFD Atlas. Previous reports are available in annual archives.