3. ORGANIZATION OF THE MONITORING SYSTEM |
3.1 Scope of the Monitoring System
The Monitoring System has been implemented in 30 cities including the capital Prague, regional capitals and selected former district cities. For economical and technical reasons not all subsystems of the Monitoring System have been in operation in all cities. On the other hand, other subsystems have been run at the nationwide level. The cities participating in each of the monitoring subsystems are shown in Fig. 3.1 and Table 3.1 together with population numbers.
3.2 Monitored factors and indicators and their limits
Various factors (pollutants, contaminants, analytes and indicators) have been monitored within the individual subsystems. Their list is based on the respective regulations and analyses carried out both prior to the actual start and during the routine operation of the Monitoring System. These factors together with the respective subsystems are listed in the Supplement. In addition, respective limit or reference values, if established, are given for each of the factors.
For evaluation of the results, several types of limits have been applied. On the one hand, these are limits given in Czech standards and regulations, and, on the other hand, these are values taken from documents of supranational institutions (e.g. the World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency), which usually do not have the force of standards in the Czech Republic. This is true namely of the exposure limits such as the acceptable daily intake (ADI) or recommended daily intake (RDA) applicable to contaminants or trace elements from foodstuffs or drinking water, or tolerable internal doses applicable to the content of toxic substances in biological material. These limits and values are being adjusted to keep up to date with the latest developments and the changes, if any, are indicated in the Technical Reports and the Summary Report.
3.3 Information system and data processing
The structure of the databases and corresponding softwares enable the collection of results from the information system end users (measuring laboratories), their transport to the directors of the individual subsystems, and independent processing according to the requirements of the Monitoring System users. The directors archive all original data in databases for possible reprocessing according to other criteria, if needed. The databases are designed as standard products enabling data processing to the usual extent, are compatible with other database systems and allow additional data processing and evaluation, if required.
The quantitative data processing is based on the calculation of the parametric
sample characteristics (e.g. arithmetic mean) or the nonparametric ones
(median, percentile). Most data on environmental pollutant concentrations
show a statistical distribution close to the lognormal one. Both the detection
limit of the analytical method used and the extreme values due to a specific
burden of a locality or population (so called
It should be noted that the calculation of individual statistical characteristics
is limited by the number of values in the sample processed. In case of small
numbers, only their mean value (arithmetic mean or median) is presented.
Some data on a contaminant (analyte) concentration in an environmental
medium or biological material may fall below the detection limit of the analytical
methods used (so called “negative results” or “trace amounts”). If the concentration
measured is below the detection limit, a value equalling
The trends in environmental quality and population health are established
for the given time intervals in each of the subsystems; their evaluation reflecting
both linear and
3.4 QA/QC system
Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in analytical laboratories taking part in the Monitoring System have been included in the activities of the laboratories as well as their supervising organizations. This means analytical laboratories as part of the public health institutes after reorganization of the Public Health Service, private laboratories and laboratories of other institutions.
The main parts of the QA system for analyses in the Monitoring System laboratories are the accreditation procedure steps focused on:
Information on QA/QC activities of the directors of different subsystems is presented in the Technical Reports.
Most collaborating laboratories of the Public Health Service use accredited methods according to CSN EN ISO/ICE 17025. As in previous years, the QA control for analyses included sampling reliability, observance of good sampling practice and adequate data submission. The Centre for Quality Control and Management in Health Care as part of the NIPH conducts laboratory accreditation audits.
Tab. 3.1 Participants of the Environmental Health Monitoring System in the Czech Republic
City |
Implementation in subsystem |
City code |
No. of inhabitants |
|||||
I |
III |
IV |
V |
VI |
VIII |
|||
Benešov |
x |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
BN |
16,208 |
Brno |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
|
BM |
367,729 |
České Budějovice |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
CB |
94,622 |
Děčín |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
DC |
51,820 |
Havlíčkův Brod |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
HB |
24,296 |
Hodonín |
x |
|
|
|
|
|
HO |
26,290 |
Hradec Králové |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
HK |
94,694 |
Jablonec nad Nisou |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
JN |
44,571 |
Jihlava |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
JI |
49,865 |
Jindřichův Hradec |
|
|
|
|
x |
|
JH |
22,666 |
Karviná |
x |
|
|
|
x |
x |
KI |
63,467 |
Kladno |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
KL |
69,355 |
Klatovy |
x |
|
|
|
x |
x |
KT |
22,893 |
Kolín |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
KO |
29,489 |
Kroměříž |
x |
|
|
|
x |
x |
KM |
29,041 |
Liberec |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
x |
LB |
97,400 |
Mělník |
x |
|
|
|
x |
|
ME |
19,053 |
Most |
x |
|
|
|
x |
|
MO |
67,815 |
Olomouc |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
x |
OL |
100,752 |
Ostrava |
x |
x |
x |
|
|
|
OS |
311,402 |
Plzeň |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
PM |
162,627 |
Prague |
x |
x |
x |
|
|
|
AB |
1,170,571 |
Příbram |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
PB |
35,147 |
Sokolov |
x |
|
|
|
|
|
SO |
24,724 |
Svitavy |
x |
|
|
|
x |
|
SY |
17,322 |
Šumperk |
x |
|
x |
|
x |
x |
SU |
28,475 |
Ústí nad Labem |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
UL |
93,859 |
Ústí nad Orlicí |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
|
UO |
15,007 |
Znojmo |
|
x |
x |
|
x |
|
ZN |
35,177 |
Žďár nad Sázavou |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
ZR |
23,976 |
Note:
Subsystems II and VII are implemented nationwide.
1) Prague 10
Codes A1–A10 are used for Prague districts.
Number of inhabitants is updated on the date
Fig. 3.1 Environmental Health Monitoring System in the Czech Republic – participant cities