Circular No. 31/2011/TT-BTNMT on the technical procedures for environmental monitoring of seawater (including seabed sediments and marine organisms)

CIRCULAR

Regulations on technical procedures for marine environmental monitoring

(including seabed sediments and marine organisms)

Pursuant to Decree No. 25/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 19/2010/NĐ-CP dated March 8, 2010 and Decree No. 89/2010/NĐ-CP dated August 16, 2010;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 102/2008/NĐ-CP, September 15, 2008, on the collection, management, exploitation, and utilization of data on natural resources and the environment;

Pursuant to Decision No. 16/2007/QĐ-TTg dated January 29, 2007 of the Prime Minister approving the overall planning of the national network of natural resources and environmental monitoring up to 2020;

Upon the proposal of the Director General of the Environmental Administration, the Head of the Science and Technology Department, and the Head of the Legal Department,

c) Enterprises may be granted permission for no more than one block out of the total three dual-frequency blocks (FDD) B

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

These Circulars regulate the technical procedures for marine environmental monitoring, including: determining the objectives of monitoring, designing the monitoring program, and implementing the monitoring program.

Article 2. Applicability

1. This Circular applies to the following subjects:

a) State management agencies on the environment at central and local levels; stations and centers for environmental monitoring within the national environmental monitoring network and the local environmental monitoring network;

b) Organizations with functions and tasks related to environmental monitoring activities and environmental monitoring service activities to submit reports and data to state management agencies on the environment at central and local levels.

2. These Circulars do not apply to marine environmental monitoring using automatic and continuous devices.

Article 3. Principles for applying standards and methods

1. The application of standards and methods referred to must comply with the monitoring and analysis standards and methods prescribed in Chapter II of these Circulars;

2. In case the monitoring and analysis standards and methods prescribed in Chapter II of these Circulars are revised, supplemented, or replaced, the new standards and methods shall be applied.

Chapter II
TECHNICAL PROCEDURES FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Article 4. Objectives of Monitoring

The basic objectives in marine environmental monitoring are:

1. To assess the current water quality status of the sea;

2. To determine the trend of sea water quality changes over space and time;

3. To promptly detect and warn about cases of sea water pollution and marine pollution incidents;

4. To meet other requirements of national, regional, and local environmental management and protection work.

Article 5. Designing the Monitoring Program

After design, the monitoring program must be approved or accepted in writing by the competent authority or the agency managing the monitoring program. The specific design of the marine environmental monitoring program is as follows:

1. Type of Monitoring

Based on the monitoring objectives, when designing the monitoring program, it is necessary to determine whether the type of monitoring is baseline environmental monitoring or impact environmental monitoring.

2. Monitoring Location and Position

Determining the monitoring position depends on the specific conditions of each monitoring location and based on the following requirements:

a) The monitoring point must be a place with favorable conditions for the accumulation of pollutants in the area to be monitored;

b) The number of monitoring points depends on the economic conditions and growth rate of the country, region, or locality but must ensure the representation of the entire sea area or characteristic of a valuable ecosystem;

c) Marine environmental monitoring points, seabed sediment monitoring points, and marine organism monitoring points must be arranged together;

d) For offshore waters, the monitoring points are places affected by economic and defense activities such as oil and gas exploration and exploitation, marine mineral extraction, maritime transportation, fishing... Monitoring points are usually designed along cross-sections with multiple measurement points.

3. Monitoring Parameters

3.1. For Marine Water Environment

Based on the monitoring program's objectives, water source type, purpose of use, pollution sources, or receiving sources, the following parameters should be monitored:

a) Seawater physical parameters, including:

- Wind: wind speed, direction;

- Waves: wave type or form, direction, height;

- Surface current flow: direction and velocity;

- Water clarity, color;

- Air temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure;

- Sea surface condition.

b) On-site measured and analyzed parameters: temperature (t^°), salinity, clarity, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC);

c) Other parameters: chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), phosphate (PO₄^3-), fluoride (F^-), sulfide (S^2-), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), ammonia (NH₄⁺), nitrite (NO₂^-), nitrate (NO₃^-), total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), oil, grease, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, chlorophyll-c, plant protection chemicals, iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cyanide (CN), phenol, total coliform, fecal coliform, floating plants, floating animals, bottom animals;

c) For offshore areas, the following parameters shall not be monitored: plant protection chemicals, total coliform, fecal coliform, COD, BOD₅, bottom animals, and seabed sediments.

3.2. For Seabed Sediments (only applicable to coastal areas)

a) Natural environmental parameter sets

- Mechanical composition of sediments: mechanical composition must be determined according to two particle size fractions: >0.063 mm and <0.063 mm;

- Temperature, humidity, pH, and redox potential (Eh or ORP);

- Color, odor.

b) Environmental pollution parameter sets caused by humans

- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) must include: naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene;

- Organochlorinated pesticides. Compounds to be monitored include Lindane, 4,4'-DDE, Dieldrin, 4,4'-DDD, 4,4'-DDT, total DDT, and Chlordane;

- Oil, grease;

- Inorganic compounds;

- Heavy metals in sediments including chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn);

- Cyanide (CN^-).

3.3. For Marine Organisms (only applicable to coastal areas)

a) Select groups of organisms that are sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment and ensure sampling and sample preservation methods are simple but highly accurate.

b) Biological monitoring parameters include the following three main indicators:

- Species composition;

- Density: measured in individuals/m² for bottom animals; individuals/m³ for planktonic animals; cells/liter for phytoplankton;² - Biomass: measured in mg/m² for bottom animals; mg/m³ for dried planktonic animals; mg/liter for phytoplankton.³ 4. Time and frequency of monitoring

a) Monitoring time points² - For coastal waters: during a monitoring session, water samples and marine organisms are collected at low tide and high tide of the largest tidal range during spring tides, sediment and bottom organisms are collected at low tide.³ - For offshore waters: collect one sample at the measurement point location.

b) Monitoring frequency

- Seawater baseline: at least twice/year;

- Coastal seawater environment: at least once/quarter;

- Offshore seawater environment: at least twice/year.

5. Monitoring plan

The monitoring plan is based on the monitoring program and includes the following contents:

d) Types of samples to be taken, sample volume, and sample retention time;

e) Laboratory analysis methods;

Article 6. Implementation of the monitoring program

The organization and implementation of the monitoring program includes the following tasks:

a) List of personnel responsible for monitoring and assignment of tasks to each participating staff member;

b) List of organizations and individuals participating and cooperating in environmental monitoring (if any);

c) List of field monitoring equipment, tools, chemicals, and laboratory analysis equipment;

d) Safety equipment and measures to ensure safe labor during environmental monitoring activities;

Prior to conducting monitoring, preparatory work must be carried out as follows:

a) Prepare documents, maps, diagrams, and general information about the sampling area;

g) Budget for implementing environmental monitoring;

h) Plan to ensure quality and quality control in environmental monitoring.

b) Monitor weather conditions and weather trends;

c) Prepare necessary equipment and devices; check, clean, and calibrate sampling, measuring, and analytical equipment before going to the field;

1. Preparation work

d) Prepare chemicals, materials, and tools for sampling and sample preservation;

đ) Prepare sample labels, forms, monitoring and analytical logs as prescribed;

e) Prepare means of transportation for sampling activities and sample transport;

g) Prepare safety equipment and ensure workplace safety;

h) Prepare funding and personnel for monitoring;

i) Prepare accommodation for staff working for extended periods;

k) Prepare other related documents and forms.

2. Sampling, measurement, and analysis at the site

a) Water sampling method

- Water sampling and measurement must follow one of the methods specified in Table 1 below:

Table 1. Methods for sampling seawater at the site

Seawater Samples

• TCVN 5998:1995;

• ISO 5667-9:1992;

• ISO 5667-1

• APHA 2550 B;

• Instrument

Salinity

• APHA 2520 B,C,D;

b) Sediment samples

- Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and methane (CH₄) gas analysis samples are collected first, contained in glass bottles filled with CO₂ gas and refrigerated at 3-4°C, analyzed within 5-7 days from collection;

- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, total organic carbon (TOC), oil, and fat analysis samples are contained in 150-250ml glass bottles and refrigerated at 3-4°C, analyzed within 14 days from collection;

- Heavy metal, particle size, total nitrogen (T-N), and total phosphorus (T-P) analysis samples are contained in 250ml clean polyethylene bags, stored in darkness, in a cool place, and analyzed within 4-6 weeks from collection;

- Nutrient analysis (NO₃⁻, PO₄³⁻) samples are refrigerated at 3-4°C, contained in clean polyethylene bags, and analyzed within 7 days from collection;

c) Plankton samples₂Use 5% formalin solution: mix 95% seawater with 5% concentrated formalin. In some cases, to prevent shell corrosion of plankton, the formalin solution must be buffered with sodium borate or sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃).₄4. Laboratory analysis₂ a) Based on the quality target of data and laboratory conditions, the analysis of parameters must follow one of the methods specified in Table 3 below:^°Table 3. Methods for analyzing parameters in the laboratory

• TCVN 7324:2004 (ISO 5813:1983);^°• APHA 4500;

COD according to KMnO₄

• APHA 5220;₃^-), nitrite (NO₂^-), ammonia (NH₄⁺• TCVN 4566:1988₄^3-• TCVN 6001-1:2008 (ISO 5815-1:2003);^°• TCVN 6001-2:2008 (ISO 5815-2:2003);

• APHA-5210B

• TCVN 6202:2008 (ISO 6878:2004);₂Add distilled water to make up to 1 liter of solution.₃).

• APHA-4500-Si.E

• APHA 4500-P.E

• TCVN 5988:1995;

||| b) In cases where there are no national standards to determine the values of the parameters specified in Table 3 of this Circular, international standards as set out in Table 3 or other international standards with equivalent or higher accuracy shall be applied;

||| c) Quality assurance and quality control activities in the laboratory shall be carried out in accordance with the guidelines and regulations issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on quality assurance and quality control in environmental monitoring.

||| 5. Data processing and reporting

||| a) Data processing

||| - Data verification: comprehensive verification of the reasonableness of the monitored and analyzed environmental data based on sample documentation (field sampling record, field receipt and delivery record, field measurement result record, laboratory analysis result record, etc.), and quality control sample data (blank samples, duplicate samples, standard samples, etc.);

||| - Statistical processing: based on the number of samples and the content of the report, statistical processing may employ different methods and software but must include at least basic descriptive statistics (minimum value, maximum value, average value, number of exceedances, etc.);

||| - Commenting on data: comments on the data must be based on processed, verified monitoring and analytical results, and relevant technical standards and specifications;

||| b) Reporting results

||| After completing the monitoring program, the monitoring results report must be prepared and submitted to the competent state authorities as prescribed.

Chapter III
IMPLEMENTATION

Article 7. Implementation Organization

||| 1. The Environmental Protection Department shall be responsible for guiding, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of this Circular;

||| 2. The Minister, the Heads of Ministries equivalent to ministries, the Heads of government agencies, the Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels, and related organizations and individuals shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

Article 8. Effective Date

||| 1. This Circular takes effect from September 15, 2011.

||| 2. During the implementation of this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, they should be reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (through the Environmental Protection Department) for timely consideration and resolution./.