Council Directive of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters (79/923/EEC) (repealed) (c. 923)

ANNEX U.K. QUALITY OF SHELLFISH WATERS

a However, pending the adoption of a Directive on the protection of consumers of shellfish products, it is essential that this value be observed in waters in which live shellfish directly edible by man.
Abbreviations:
G = guide I = mandatory
	Parameter	G	I	Reference methods of analysis	Minimum sampling and measuring frequency
1.	pH pH unit		7 — 9	— Electrometry Measured in situ at the time of sampling	Quarterly
2.	Temperature oC	A discharge affecting shellfish waters must not cause the temperature of the waters to exceed by more than 2 oC the temperature of waters not so affected		— Thermometry Measured in situ at the time of sampling	Quarterly
3.	Coloration (after filtration) mg Pt/l		[X1 A discharge affecting shellfish waters must not cause the colour of the waters after filtration to deviate by more than 100 mg Pt/l from the colour of waters not so affected]	— Filter through a 0·45 µm membrane Photometric method, using the platinum/cobalt scale	Quarterly
4.	Suspended solids mg/l		A discharge affecting shellfish waters must not cause the suspended solid content of the waters to exceed by more than 30 % the content of waters not so affected	Filtration through a 0·45 µm membrane, drying at 105 oC and weighing Centrifuging (for at least five minutes, with mean acceleration 2 800 to 3 200 g), drying at 105 oC and weighing	Quarterly
5.	Salinity ‰	12 to 38 ‰	≤ 40 ‰ Discharge affecting shellfish waters must not cause their salinity to exceed by more than 10 % the salinity of waters not so affected	Conductimetry	Monthly
6.	Dissolved oxygen Saturation %	≥ 80 %	≥ 70 % (average value) Should an individual measurement indicate a value lower than 70 %, measurements shall be repeated An individual measurement may not indicate a value of less than 60 % unless there are no harmful consequences for the development of shellfish colonies	Winkler's method Electrochemical method	Monthly, with a minimum of one sample representative of low oxygen conditions on the day of sampling. However, where major daily variations are suspected, a minimum of two samples in one day shall be taken
7.	Petroleum hydrocarbons		Hydrocarbons must not be present in the shellfish water in such quantities as to: produce a visible film on the surface of the water and/or a deposit on the shellfish, have harmful effects on the shellfish	Visual examination	Quarterly
8.	Organohalogenated substances	The concentration of each substance in shellfish flesh must be so limited that it contributes, in accordance with Article 1, to the high quality of shellfish products	The concentration of each substance in the shellfish water or in shellfish flesh must not reach or exceed a level which has harmful effects on the shellfish and larvae	Gas chromatograpny after extraction with suitable solvents and purification	Half-yearly
9.	Metals Silver Ag Arsenic As Cadmium Cd Chromium Cr Copper Cu Mercury Hg Nickel Ni Lead Pb Zinc Zn mg/l	The concentration of each substance in shellfish flesh must be so limited that it contributes in accordance with Article 1, to the high quality of shellfish products	The concentration of each substance in the shellfish water or in the shellfish flesh must not exceed a level which gives rise to harmful effects on the shellfish and their larvae The synergic effects of these metals must be taken into consideration	Spectrometry of atomic absorption preceded, where appropriate, by concentration and/or extraction	Half-yearly
10.	Faecal coliforms/100 ml	≤ 300 in the shellfish flesh and intervalvular liquida		Method of dilution with fermentation in liquid substrates in at least three tubes in three dilutions. Subculturing of the positive tubes on a confirmation medium. Count according to MPN (most probable number). Incubation temperature 44 oC ± 0·5 oC	Quarterly
11.	Substances affecting the taste of the shellfish		Concentration lower than that liable to impair the taste of the shellfish	Examination of the shellfish by tasting where the presence of one of these substances is presumed
12.	Saxitoxin (produced by dinoflagellates)

Editorial Information

X1 Substituted by Corrigendum to Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish waters (Official Journal of the European Communities L 281 of 10 November 1979).