b) The organizations licensed or assigned to carry out environmental monitoring, provide environmental monitoring services, and submit reports to central and local environment authorities.

2. This Circular does not apply to inland surface water monitoring using automatic, continuous devices.

Article 3. Rules for applying cited standards and methods

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2. Where any of the monitoring, analysis methods and standards mentioned in Chapter II of this Circular is amended or replaced, the new standard or method shall apply.

Chapter II

PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING INLAND SURFACE WATER

Article 4. Monitoring purposes

Basis purposes of inland surface water monitoring:

1. Evaluate the practical quality of local surface water;

2. Evaluate the conformity of standards with the water;

3. Evaluate spatial and temporal development of water quality;

4. Issue early warnings of pollution to water sources;

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Article 5. Designing monitoring program

The monitoring program must be approved or accepted in writing by a competent authority or an agency in charge of monitoring programs. Designing the monitoring program:

1. Type of monitoring

Depending on the monitoring purposes, the program designer must determine whether the monitoring is background monitoring or impact monitoring.

2. Monitoring location and position

a) The monitoring position depends on the general targets and specific conditions of each monitoring position;

b) The network of monitoring points shall be established according to requirements of the monitoring subject (river, stream, pond, lake, etc.) The quantity of monitoring points shall be annually decided by competent authorities;

c) The selected monitoring positions must be stable and represent the water environment in that area, be marked on the map, and the exact coordinates of which must be determined.

3. Monitoring parameters

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a) On-site measurement and analysis: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, electrical conductance, opacity, total dissolved solids;

b) Other parameters: reduction potential (Eh or ORP), total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrite (NO₂^-), nitrate (NO₃^-), ammonium (NH₄⁺), sulfate (SO₄^2-), phosphate (PO₄^3-), total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), silicate (SiO₃^2-), total iron (Fe), chloride (Cl^-), fluoride (F^-), alkalinity, coliform, E.coli, phecal coli, cyanide(CN^-), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), oil, grease, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), ions of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), magnesium(Mg²⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), phenol, surfactant, residues of pesticides, plankton, and benthos;

c) Some parameters in Point b Clause 3 of this Article may be quickly measured depending on the availability of equipment and personnel.

4. Monitoring duration and frequency

a) Frequency of inland surface water monitoring:

- Background monitoring frequency: at least once per month;

- Impact monitoring frequency: at least once per quarter;

The monitoring frequency shall be determined according to requirements of environmental management, monitoring purposes, characteristics of water sources, economic and technical conditions.

b) Minimum sampling frequency shall be 02 times per day at the positions affected by tides or where there are significant variance of characteristics, flow rate in order to evaluate the overall impact of tides.

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Based on the monitoring program, the monitoring planning plan includes:

a) List of personnel and their tasks;

b) List of organizations and individuals that participate, cooperate in environmental monitoring (if any);

c) List of equipment, instruments, chemicals used on the site and in the laboratory;

d) Protective equipment serving environmental monitoring;

dd) Types of samples, volumes of samples, and duration of sample retention;

e) Laboratory analysis methods;

g) Funding for environmental monitoring;

h) Plan for assurance and control of environmental monitoring quality.

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A monitoring program consists of the following tasks:

1. Preparation

The following preparation tasks must be done before monitoring:

a) Prepare documents, maps, diagrams, and general information about the sampled area;

b) Monitor the climate and weather developments;

c) Prepare necessary tools and instruments; check, clean, and calibrate the instruments for sampling, measuring, and testing before going to the site;

d) Prepare chemicals, supplies, instruments for taking and preserving samples;

dd) Prepare sample labels, forms, monitoring and analysis logs as prescribed;

e) Prepare instruments for taking and transporting samples;

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g) Prepare funding and personnel for monitoring;

i) Prepare accommodation for those who work for many days;

k) Prepare relevant documents and forms;

2. On-site sampling and analysis

a) Inland surface water shall be sampled in accordance with one of the standards listed in Table 1:

Table 1. Method for on-site sampling of inland surface water

No.

Type of sample

Number of standard/method

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Water of river, stream water

• TCVN 6663-6:2008 (ISO 5667-6:2005);

• APHA 1060 B

2

Water of pond/lake

• TCVN 5994:1995 (ISO 5667-4:1987)

3

Samples for microbiological analysis

• ISO 19458

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Sediment samples

• TCVN 6663-15:2004 (ISO 5667-15:1999)

b) With regard to the parameters measured/analyzed on the site, instructions of monitoring equipment manufacturers shall be followed;

c) If national standards for determination of the parameters mentioned in Table 1 are not available, corresponding international standards in Table 1 or other international standards with equal or higher accuracy shall be applied;

d) Quality assurance and control tasks on the site shall comply with regulations environmental monitoring quality assurance and control of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

3. Preserving and transporting samples

Water samples taken shall be preserved and stored in accordance with TCVN 6663-3:2008 (equivalent to ISO 5667-3:2003).

4. Analysis in laboratory

a) Depending on the required quality of results and conditions of the laboratory, the parameters must be analyzed in accordance with one of the methods mentioned in Table 2:

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No.

Parameter

Number of standard/method

1

TSS

• TCVN 6625:2000 (ISO 11923:1997);

• APHA-2540.D

2

COD

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• APHA-5220 C/D

3

BOD₅

• TCVN 6001-1:2008 (ISO 5815-1:2003);

• TCVN 6001-2:2008 (ISO 5815-2:2003);

• APHA-5210.B

4

NH₄⁺

• TCVN 6179-1:1996 (ISO 7150-1:1984);

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• TCVN 5988-1995 (ISO 5664:1984);

• APHA-4500-NH₃.F

5

NO₂^-

• TCVN 6178:1996 (ISO 6777:1984);

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

• APHA 4500-NO₂.B.

6

NO₃^-

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• TCVN 7323-1:2004 (ISO 7890-1:1986)

• TCVN 7323-2:2004 (ISO 7890-2:1986);

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

• APHA-4500 NO₃^-.E ;

• EPA 352.1

7

PO₄^3-

• TCVN 6202:2008 (ISO 6878:2004);

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

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8

T-P

• TCVN 6202:1996;

• APHA 4500.P.B.E

9

SO₄^2-

• TCVN 6200:1996 (ISO 6878:2004);

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

• APHA 4500-SO₄^-2.E;

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SiO₂

• APHA 4500-Si.E

11

CN^-

• TCVN 6181:1996 (ISO 6703:1984);

• TCVN 7723:2007 (ISO 14403:2002);

• APHA 4500.C và E

12

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• TCVN 6194-1:1996;

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

• APHA 4500.Cl^-.B

13

F^-

• TCVN 6195-1996 (ISO 10359-1:1992);

• TCVN 6494-1:2011 (ISO 10304-1:2007);

14

Na⁺ and K⁺

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• TCVN 6660:2000 (ISO 14911:1988);

• APHA 3500.Na/K

15

Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺

• TCVN 6224:1996 (ISO 6059 :1984 (E));

• TCVN 6201:1995;

• TCVN 6660:2000 (ISO 14911:1988);

• APHA-3500.Ca/Mg

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• TCVN 6187-1:1996 (ISO 9308-1:1990);

• TCVN 6187-2:1996 (ISO 9308-2:1990);

• APHA 9221;

• APHA 9222

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Cu

• TCVN 6193:1996 (ISO 8288:1986);

• EPA 6010.B;

• APHA 3500-Cu

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Ni

• TCVN 6193:1996 (ISO 8288 :1986);

• EPA 6010.B;

• APHA 3500-Ni.

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Pb

• TCVN 6193:1996 (ISO 8288 :1986);

• EPA 6010B;

• APHA 3500-Pb

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Zn

• TCVN 6193:1996 (ISO 8288 :1986);

• EPA 6010.B;

• APHA 3500-Zn

21

Cd

• TCVN 6197:2008 (ISO 5961:1994);

• EPA 6010B;

• APHA 3500-Cd

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 Hg

• TCVN 7877:2008 (ISO 5666:1999);

• TCVN 7724:2007 (ISO 17852:2006);

• EPA7470.A;

• EPA 6010.B;

• APHA 3500-Hg

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As

• TCVN 6626:2000 (ISO 11969:1996);

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• APHA 3500-As

24

Mn

• TCVN 6002:1995 (ISO 6333:1986);

• APHA 3500-Mn

25

Fe

• TCVN 6177:1996 (ISO 6332:1988);

• APHA 3500-Fe

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Total Cr

• TCVN 6222:2008 (ISO 9174:1998)

• APHA 3500-Cr

27

Cr (VI)

• TCVN 6658:2000 (ISO 11083:1994)

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Oil, grease

• TCVN 5070:1995;

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Phenol

• TCVN 6216:1996 (ISO 6439:1990);

• APHA 5530;

• TCVN 7874:2008

30

Residue of pesticides

• TCVN 7876:2008;

• EPA 8141;

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• EPA 8081/8141

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Plankton

b) If national standards for determination of the parameters mentioned in Table 2 are not available, corresponding international standards in Table 2 or other international standards with equal or higher accuracy shall be applied;

c) Quality assurance and control tasks in the laboratory shall comply with regulations environmental monitoring quality assurance and control of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

5. Processing data and reporting

a) Processing data

- Data check: check the rationality of the environment analysis and monitoring data. Data shall be checked according to documents of the samples (sampling record, on-site sampling logs, sample delivery note, on-site measurement/analysis result note, laboratory analysis result sheet, etc.), data of QC samples (blank samples, repeated samples, standard samples, etc.);

- Statistical processing: according to the quantity of samples and the report, various methods and software programs may be used for statistical processing as long as the essential description (minimum value, maximum value, mean value, number exceeding standards, etc); must be available;

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b) Reporting

After the monitoring program is completed, a monitoring result report shall be made and send to a competent authority as prescribed.

Article 8. Implementation

1. Vietnam Environment Administration are responsible for providing guidance, inspect, and supervise the implementation of this Circular.

2. Ministers, Heads of ministerial agencies, Heads of Governmental agencies, Presidents of the People’s Committees, relevant organizations and individuals are responsible for the implementation of this Circular.

Article 9. Effect

1. This Circular takes effect on September 15, 2011.

2. Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this Circular should be reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (via Vietnam Environment Administration) for timely consideration./.

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PP MINISTER
DEPUTY MINISTER




Bui Cach Tuyen