The file sediment_regional_data.csv contains the summary measures used to make regional assessments of status and trends in contaminants in sediment in the 2022 assessment of the UK's Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). The summary measures are obtained from timeseries models fitted to the contaminant data in sediment_data.csv which in turn are based on data extracted from the MERMAN database on 11 January 2023. Details of the modelling procedures can be found here.
The regional assessments are the basis for the sediment component of the following Descriptor 8 Indicators in the UK's 2025 Marine Strategy Assessment:
* Status and Trends of Metals (including lead, cadmium and mercury) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends of Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) in Biota and Sediment
A full description of the sediment regional assessments can be found in the links below:
* regional assessment of metal concentrations in sediment
* regional assessment of PAH concentrations in sediment
* regional assessment of PCB concentrations in sediment
* regional assessment of PBDE concentrations in sediment
The file sediment_regional_data.csv is UTF-8-BOM encoded so can be read directly into Excel, or into R using the function read.csv with the argument fileEncoding = “UTF-8-BOM”.
The variables in the file are:
series
Description: timeseries identifier
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 1913
Note: links to the timeseries data in sediment_data.csv
MSFD_subregion
Description: Marine Strategy Framework Directive subregion
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Greater North Sea, Celtic Seas
Note: in the map of biogeographic regions the Greater North Sea comprises the Northern North Sea, Southern North Sea, and Eastern Channel, whilst the Celtic Seas comprises the Western Channel and Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, Minches and Western Scotland, Scottish Continental Shelf, and Atlantic North-West Approaches.
biogeographic_region
Description: biogeographic region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Northern North Sea, Southern North Sea, Eastern Channel, Western Channel & Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, Minches & Western Scotland, Scottish Continental Shelf
Notes:
* regional assessments are conducted at the biogeographic regional scale
* there are 8 biogeographic regions but only 7 with results that feed into regional assessments
CSEMP_region
Description: CSEMP region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 16
Notes:
* there are 22 monitoring regions in the CSEMP but only 16 with results that feed into regional assessments
* the CSEMP regions are aggregated into 8 biogeographic regions for regional assessments
CSEMP_stratum
Description: subdivision of the CSEMP region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 44
Note: there are 818 CSEMP strata, most of which are WFD water bodies, but only 44 with results that feed into regional assessments
station_governance
Description: organisation responsible for the monitoring station
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: CEFAS, DAERA, MDSG, SEPA
Notes:
* Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
* Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
* Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government (MDSG)
* Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
station_code
Description: monitoring station identifier
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 60
Note:
station_name
Description: name associated with the monitoring station
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 54
Note:
station_latitude
Description: station latitude
Unit: decimal degrees
Type: continuous
Range: 50.30, 61.03
Note: this is a nominal position: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area broadly centred on this position
station_longitude
Description: station longitude
Unit: decimal degrees
Type: continuous
Range: -8.58, 2.33
Note: this is a nominal position: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area broadly centred on this position
station_type
Description: type of monitoring station
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: B, RH, IH
Note: baseline (B), reference (RH) or impacted (IH)
waterbody_type
Description: station typography
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Coast, Open Sea
Note: only coastal and open sea stations are used in regional assessments
determinand_group
Description: contaminant group
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Metals, PAH parent compounds, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, Polychlorinated biphenyls
Note:
determinand
Description: contaminant
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 43
Note: see ICES reference codes for PARAM
basis
Description: basis of the assessment
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: dry weight (D)
Note:
unit
Description: unit of measurement
Unit:
Type: discrete
Levels: mg/kg, ug/kg
Note:
last_year
Description: last year of the timeseries
Unit: y
Type: discrete
Range: 2016, 2021
Note: only timeseries with some data in the last six monitoring years are included in the assessment (i.e. 2016-2021 for the 2022 assessment)
mean_last_year
Description: the fitted mean concentration in last_year
Unit: see unit
Type: continuous
Range: 0.0044, 940
Note:
BAC_type
Description: the name of the Background Assessment Concentration (BAC) or equivalent
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: BAC
Note:
BAC_value
Description: the value of the BAC (or equivalent)
Unit: see unit
Type: continuous
Range: 0.05, 122
Note: more details can be found in the help file on assessment criteria for contaminants in sediment
status_BAC
Description: the log ratio of mean_last_year to the BAC
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -3.9, 8.72
Note: status_BAC = log(mean_last_year / BAC_value), with a value above / below 0 indicating that the fitted mean concentration in the last monitoring year is above / below the BAC; the standard error is given by status_se
EAC_type
Description: the name of the Environmenal Assessment Criterion (EAC) or equivalent
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: EAC, ERL, FEQG
Notes:
* EAC = Environmental Assessment Criterion
* ERL = Effects Range Low
* FEQG = Federal Environmental Quality Guideline
EAC_value
Description: the value of the EAC (or equivalent)
Unit: see unit
Type: continuous
Range: 0.15, 14000
Note: more details can be found in the help file on assessment criteria for contaminants in sediment
status_EAC
Description: the log ratio of mean_last_year to the EAC
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -15, 1.86
Note: status_EAC = log(mean_last_year / EAC_value), with a value above / below 0 indicating that the fitted mean concentration in the last monitoring year is above / below the EAC; the standard error is given by status_se
status_profile
Description: the log of mean_last_year standardised to a common basis
Unit: log unit
Type: continuous
Range: -5.4, 6.85
Note: these values are used to investigate concentration profiles of selected PAH parent compounds, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and Polychlorinated biphenyls, and have been standardised to the basis given in basis_profile
basis_profile
Description: the basis of status_profile
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: dry weight (D)
Note:
status_se
Description: the standard error of log mean_last_year
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.0023, 2.25
Note: this is the also the standard error of status_BAC, status_EAC and status_profile
trend
Description: the estimated yearly change in log concentration in the last 20 years, multiplied by 100
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -29, 18.5
Note: trend can loosely be interpreted as the percentage yearly change in concentration in the last 20 years assuming the trend in concentration is log-linear; values below / above 0 indicate a decreasing / increasing trend
trend_se
Description: the standard error of trend
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.38, 25.3
Note: