Integrated assessment of chemical pollution in the Mediterranean Sea: Driver-Pressures-State-Welfare analysis

The Mediterranean region is under the threats of chemical hazardous substances that may reach the sea through direct discharge to marine waters, or indirectly through rivers and run-off from soil or atmospheric deposition. Over the last decades, several regulatory frameworks calling for the development of tools for the sustainable use and management of the marine environment have been adopted, notably the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD). These initiatives establish that Coastal States must take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain the Good Environmental Status (GEnS) of the marine environment through the application of an Ecosystem-based Approach (EA) to marine management. With the above in mind, we developed a conceptual model for the chemical contamination of the Mediterranean region and attempt to make an integrated assessment for a case study of chemical pollution by mercury and PAHs. Main gaps requiring improvement of knowledge and further monitoring, as well as the key challenges for the implementation of policies that are relevant for the Mediterranean Sea have also been analysed.