AN EAST-WEST PERSPECTIVE ON RIVERINE LOADS OF NUTRIENTS IN THE VISTULA AND RHINE BASINS

Measures proposed to reduce the load of nutrients to the Baltic Sea fo cus on the removal of point emissions through introduction of environm ental technology in the eastern and southern parts of the drainage bas in. This article draws attention to the mixed success of Western Europ ean river basin management by comparing water quality trends and turno ver of nutrients in the Vistula and Rhine basins. Removal of point sou rces in the Rhine basin has caused a marked drop in the concentrations of phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen, whereas the long-term upward tre nd in the concentration of nitrate was broken only recently. As compar ed to the Vistula river, the Rhine is still in some respects more poll uted. Expressed as area-specific export, the riverine load of nitrate from the Vistula basin is only about one sixth of that of the Rhine ba sin. The area-specific export of phosphorus is comparatively higher in the Vistula, but still only half of that of the Rhine. In addition to the lower input of nutrients in the Eastern European agriculture, the much lower runoff in the Vistula basin is an important explanation to the observed differences. Furthermore, in-stream processes, such as s edimentation of phosphorus, play an important role.