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and quality assurance State of the art in France until 31 March 2000 |
Introduction
In 1994, France has begun an implementation of a biological method based on diatoms usable on the whole stations of the French monitoring networks.
A quick statement is done with this paper on the results until 31 March 2000 of the implementation of this methodology on the French National Network (RNB Réseau National de Bassin), and of accompanying actions which have been engaged to facilitate its application.
The IBD, which has been implemented in August 1994 by the Agences de l'Eau and the Cemagref, is definitely achieved and is standardised to the norm NF T 90-354 whose publication will occur current April 2000.
The IBD is a general water quality index integrating numerous chemical (BOD, COD, NH4, NO3, NO2, NTK, P, PO4, chlorides) and physical (pH, T°, conductivity, suspended matters) parameters.
The first version of the IBD (Lenoir and Coste, 1996) has been established on a set of 1332 samples realized on almost the whole French territory. Numerous tests and applications done between 1994 and 1998 have permitted to cover the whole French territory and to dispose over new samples. Thus the IBD has been build on a total of 2704 samples, subject of the norm NF T 90-354. This norm is in conformity with the project norm CEN/TC 230 N 320 draft prEN 002300109.
The Agences de l'Eau and the Cemagref have also realized a methodological IBD guide helping the implementation of the IBD. This guide is made up of 2 big sections. The first one gives some generalities on diatoms, presents an historical of applications of diatomic indices in the French networks and gives details on the whole IBD methodology since the sampling on field to the data running. An original identification key of diatoms intervening in the IBD calculation and composed of about 90 photographic sheets constitutes the second part of this guide.
A bilingual CD-ROM French/English accompanies this guide. Conceived to work at once on PC and on Mac, this programme includes the determination keys of the methodological guide and an Excel macrocommand allowing the IBD calculation. This calculation model can be telecharged freely on the site http://perso.club-internet/clci/. Several Mac and PC versions are proposed.
Printed at 700 and 1000 examples respectively, the methodological guide and the CD-ROM will be available near the Agences de l'Eau and the Cemagref in the course of April 2000.
a) Training actions
Training cycles for hydrobiologists of the Directions Régionales de l'Environnement (Regional Directions of Environment - DIREN), state services in charge of the French National Network (RNB) for hydrobiology have been implemented by the Agences de l'Eau in November 1995 and during the years 1997 and 1998 under a kind of "tutorat". These training cycles concerned the samplings on field as well as the systematic or the interpretation of data. These trainings are now achieved and are followed by training courses organized by research offices and French universities and the one of Luxemburg, by the Ministère de l'Aménagement du Territoire et de l'Environnement (MATE) or some Agences de l'Eau. So France has numerous operators belonging as well as to state services (DIREN) as to water quality managing organisms, universities and research offices (see § b).
b) Development of an IBD map of France
A first initiative to produce an IBD map of France for the year 1998 has been started (see map project enclosed). The final document at format A4 should be published in the course of the summer 2000.
This map takes into account the results of 733 stations of the French National Network (RNB). Have participated to the production of data (sampling and laboratory analyses), the Agences de l'Eau Artois-Picardie, the DIREN Aquitaine, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Ile-de-France, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrénées, Poitou-Charentes, Rhône-Alpes, the group Cemagref from Bordeaux, the INRA from Thonon-les-Bains, the Centre Public Gabriel Lippmann from Luxemburg and the research offices Aquascop (Angers), BI-Eau (Angers), Eulin-Garrigue (Toulouse), GREBE (Lyon) and FPW (Boulogne-sur-Gesse).
To notice that if few stations of the RNB have been subject of the RNB application in the Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse basin for the year 1998, tests have been realized between 1996 and 1998 on numerous stations of the Alps and the Mediterranean periphery and have confirmed the relevance of the IBD for these regions.
c) Integration to the National Network on Water Data (Réseau National des Données sur l'Eau RNDE)
The existence of many diatomists being involved since the beginning of the IBD development has permitted to realize numerous applications since 1996 on most of the monitoring networks of the Agences de l'Eau. The simultaneous implementation of trainings on the practise of the IBD has also made possible the putting into force of the IBD application in the network in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, most of the RNB was prospected (see map enclosed) and the IBD was integrated in the biological part of the Quality Evaluation System of watercourses or SEQ bio (Agences de l'Eau, 2000). This application will be generalized in 2000.
This generalization has led the Direction de l'Eau of the Ministère de l'Aménagement du Territoire et de l'Environnment (MATE) and the Agences de l'Eau to integrate the IBD in the National Network on Water Data (RNDE) and to codify the components via the Secrétariat de l'Administration Nationale des Données Relative à l'Eau (SANDRE), see http://rnde.tm.fr for more informations on RNDE and SANDRE.
The appropriation by the SANDRE of the standard NF T 90-354 aims also to establish a common dictionary for the whole users and to define and explain in detail each available information, to propose automated data exchanges and to ensure an homogeneous localization of data usable by all. This appropriation by the SANDRE will make possible the creation and the spreading of national products as hydrobiological quality maps.
d) Accreditation of hydrobiological laboratories
On the initiative of the Ministère de l'Aménagement du Territoire et de l'Environnement (MATE), a quality procedure has been started in France for the techniques relevant to hydrobiology. A project of a "hydrobiology" accreditation programme has been written by an experts group and will be submitted in the course of April to the Permanent Accreditation Commission "Water and Aquatic Environments" of the Comité Français d'Accréditation (French Accreditation Committee = COFRAC, see http://www.cofrac.fr).
This accreditation programme concerns several biological indices among which the Global Normalized Biological Index (IBGN NF T 90-350) and the IBD. For technical aspects, the programme is based on the existing standards and on specific requirements to each indicator.
e) Forming of a Group of Scientific Interest (GIS = Groupement d'Intérêt Scientifique) "Diatoms of Continental Waters"
The principle of the creation of a GIS Diatoms has been mentioned for the first time during the 17° seminar of the Association des Diatomistes de langue Française (ADLaF) in Luxemburg in september 1998 (Prygiel et al. in Ector et al., 1999). Diatoms and diatomic indices, especially the IBD, taking a more and more important place in the water quality monitoring networks in France, it appeared indispensable and urgent to better structure the French-speaking diatomists community by creating an expert group able to keep the dialogue between managers and users and to constitute a reflection and proposition group.
This proposal has taken shape under the creation of a GIS "Diatoms of Continental Waters" on 11th June 1999 in Paris under the shape of an association of law-type 1901, which is not declared.
The GIS Diatoms aims essentially to promote the use of diatoms in the monitoring operations of the quality of aquatic environments and help managers and users to implement different techniques using diatoms.
9 members bringing together searchers as well as managers and research offices compose the GIS. This multi-origin seemed indispensable since the beginning in the measure where the GIS wanted to tackle very operational aspects such as the quality assurance. The points of view of the different partners had absolutely to be considered to allow recommendations and proposals to be at the same time applicable and acceptable to everyone.
One of the first actions of the GIS was to organize an IBD intercalibration exercise during the 18° seminar of the ADLaF in September 1999 on the river Loup (Maritime Alps). 32 diatomists participated. Each one took 3 samplings. 3 slides were prepared per sampling and 3 inventories of IBD type were done per slide. To these 27 inventories, one more was added realized from a unique sampling (witness slide) and prepared by one person.
This operation has been led in the respect of the IBD norm by using the appropriated tools (flora and index calculation programme).
This intercalibration, from which the results will be available for the summer 2000, should allow to better appreciate the variability of the different stages leading to the index calculation as well as to the variability due to the operators. This intercalibration should also permit to appreciate the variability of the index value.
The GIS has also proposed to centralize the microscopic preparations of the samplings done in the monitoring networks of the Agences de l'Eau. According to the possibilities, sub-samples of fresh material in formol and inventories at Omnidia format (Lecointe et al., 1993; 1999 - see also Ector et al., 1999) could also be centralized.
This database will be managed and organized by the Agence de l'Eau Artois-Picardie in Douai.
The database should allow :
- to keep a trace of the different samplings done in France, on the RNB in particular, with a view to proceed if necessary to determination verifications, historicals, to take stock of the extension of certain species;
- to have reference slides to disposal, in particular for certain taxa sometimes difficult to identify.
AFNOR (1992) Norme NF T 90-350 : Détermination de l’Indice Biologique Global Normalisé (IBGN), 9 pp.
AFNOR (2000) Norme NF T 90-354 : Qualité de l’eau - Détermination de l’Indice Biologique Diatomées (IBD), 50 pp.
Agences de l’Eau (2000) Système d’évaluation de la qualité biologique des cours d’eau, SEQ bio (version 0) principes généraux (étude n° 77), Agence de l’Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse, ISSN 1161-0425, 13 pp.
Ector L, Loncin A, Hoffmann L (1999) Compte-rendu du 17° colloque de l’Association des Diatomistes de langue Française, Luxembourg, 8-11 septembre 1998. Cryptogamie-Algologie 20(2) : 105-149.
Lecointe C, Coste M, Prygiel J (1993) " OMNIDIA " : a software for taxonomy, calculation of diatom indices and inventories management. Hydrobiologia 269/270 : 509-513.
Lecointe C, Coste M, Prygiel J, Ector L (1999) Le logiciel OMNIDIA version 2, une puissante base de données pour les inventaires de diatomées et pour le calcul des indices diatomiques européens in Compte rendu du 17° colloque de l’Association des diatomistes de langue française, Luxembourg, 8-11 septembre 1998. Cryptogamie-algologie 20(2) : 132-134.
Lenoir A, Coste M (1996) Development of a practical diatom index of overall water quality applicable to the French National Water Board Network. In : Whitton BA, Rott E (eds) Use of Algae for Monitoring Rivers II, Rott E, Institut für Botanik, Universität Innsbruck, 29-45.
Prygiel J, Coste M, Ector L (1999) Projets d’intercalibration européens et mise en place d’une charte de qualité diatomées pour l’IBD (et l’IPS) in Compte-rendu du 17° colloque de l’Association des Diatomistes de langue Française, Luxembourg, 8-11 septembre 1998. Cryptogamie-algologie 20(2) : 139-142.