Transitional waters - Venice Lagoon - Nutrients and suspended solids (years 2011-2021)

<p>Transitional waters - Venice Lagoon - Nutrients and suspended solids (years 2011-2021).</p> <p>The&nbsp;<strong>ecological monitoring</strong> of the water bodies of the Venice lagoon provides for the detection of Biological Quality Elements (EQB: benthic macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, fish fauna and phytoplankton), water physicochemical elements (nutrients, total suspended solids, etc.) and hydromorphological elements in the sediment matrix (granulometry, carbon concentrations, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.).<br /> EQB surveys concern the study of animal and plant communities. The populations present are exposed to natural and anthropogenic factors that can cause an alteration (e.g. physico-chemical variations in water, presence of pollutants, dredging). The study of the composition and structure of the communities (also through the calculation of indices) are used to evaluate possible changes and identify any alterations in the area studied.<br /> The chemical-physical and hydromorphological parameters of the water and sediment matrices are useful for the interpretation of biological data.</p> <div> <p><strong>Legislative Insight</strong></p> <p>The legislation in force (D.M. 260/2010; D.Lgs. 172/2015)&nbsp;provides that the surveys on some elements of biological or EQB quality (e.g. macroinvertebrates for marine waters, macroinvertebrates and macrophytes for transitional waters) are carried out every three years, i.e. one year in the three-year period of operational monitoring; only the Fitoplankton EQB is monitored every year. Also with regard to the sediment matrix (if not used to classify chemical status), the current legislation indicates a three-year sampling interval for the purpose of analysing the long-term trend of concentrations of substances on the priority list.</p> </div>