Dataset description:

This dataset displays spatial coverage of available data on riverine inputs of hazardous substances to the Baltic Sea. The data illustrates availability and where available contains values of annual average inputs of hazardous substances (the latest assessment period) from sub-catchments and coastal areas designated for the HELCOM PLC assessment.

The sub-catchments are the smallest areas for which loads of nutrients and hazardous substances are assessed. Sub-catchments are always located within borders of a single country and drain into one Baltic Sea sub-basin. Sub-catchments may correspond to either monitored or unmonitored areas. Unmonitored sub-catchments may represent either unmonitored parts of river catchments or aggregated unmonitored areas (depending on the reporting format of each Contracting Party).

The data is obtained through national monitoring programmes and annually reported by Contracting Parties to the HELCOM Pollution Load Compilation (PLC-water) database as an integral part of HELCOM Pollution Load Compilation process https://nest.su.se/helcom_plc/. However, the assessment of inputs and respective data updates are performed periodically in accordance with the workplan of respective PLC-projects. The data is produced, compiled and quality assured in accordance with the HELCOM Guidelines for the annual and periodical compilation and reporting of waterborne pollution inputs to the Baltic Sea (HELCOM PLC-Water Guideline).

Dataset content:

Polygonal feature class contains the following attributes:

Source code (source_code): Unique code for river sub-catchments and unmonitored areas

Source name (source_name): Name of river catchment or unmonitored area

Sub-basin code (subb_code): Sub-basin of the Baltic Sea the sub-catchment drains to.

Country code (c_code): The Country on which territory the river mouth is located, for border rivers both are mentioned.

Area km2 (area_km2): Polygon area in sq.km.

Cd_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Cd_average: average input of cadmium in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Cr_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Cr_average: average input of chromium in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Cu_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Cu_average: average input of copper in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Hg_20XX:annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Hg_average: average input of mercury in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Ni_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Ni_average: average input of nickel in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Pb_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Pb_average: average input of lead in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Zn_20XX: annual average input of cadmium in each year of the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Zn_average: average input of zinc in the assessment period (tonnes/year)

Year: year of the assessment

Visualization:

The following maps visualize the data:

Map of data coverage for zinc

Map of data coverage for chromium

Map of data coverage for copper

Map of data coverage for nickel

Map of data coverage for lead

Map of data coverage for cadmium

Map of data coverage for mercury

Data update:

Metadata is updated by HELCOM Secretariat periodically after adoption of PLC report on sources of nutrients.

The dataset is updated by HELCOM Secretariat periodically after adoption of PLC report on sources of nutrients.