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A critical review of the last 25 years of dioxin policy in the Elbe river catchment is presented along seven main theses of the River Basin Community (RBC)-Elbe background document "Pollutants" for the Management Plan 2016-2021. In this period, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/-furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) will play a major role: (i) as new priority substances for which environmental quality standards (EQSs) need to be derived (Directive 2013/39/EC); (ii) in the search for innovative solutions in sediment remediation (i.e., respecting the influence of mechanical processes; Flood Risk Directive 2007/60/EC); and (iii) as indicators at the land-sea interface (Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC). In the Elbe river catchment, aspects of policy and science are closely connected, which became particularly obvious in a classic example of dioxin hot spot contamination, the case of the Spittelwasser creek. Here, the "source-first principle" of the first cycle of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) had to be confirmed in a controversy on the dioxin hot spots with Saxony-Anhalt's Agency for Contaminated Sites (LAF). At the Spittelwasser site, the move from "inside the creek" to "along the river banks" goes parallel to a general paradigm shift in retrospective risk assessment frameworks and remediation techniques for organic chemicals (Ortega-Calvo et al. 2015). With respect to dioxin, large-scale stabilization applying activated carbon additions is particularly promising. Another important aspect is the assessment of the ecotoxicology of dioxins and dl- PCBs in context of sediment mobility and flood risk assessment, which has been studied in the project framework FloodSearch. Currently, the quality goals of the WFD to reach a "good chemical status" are not met in many catchment areas because substances such as mercury do and others probably will (PCDD/Fs and dl-PCB) exceed biota-EQS values catchment area-wide. So far, relating biota-EQS values to sediment-EQSs is not possible. To overcome these limitations, the DioRAMA project was initiated, which has led to improved approaches for the assessment of dioxin-contaminated sediment using in vitro bioassays and to a robust dataset on the interrelation between dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in sediments and biota.

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The aim of this study was the development and psychometric assessment of a questionnaire for functions of OCD (FFZ). The instrument was analyzed using factor and item analyses with a sample of 120 OCD patients within the first 5 weeks of an inpatient cognitive-behavioral treatment. The revealed scales were OCD as self-confirmation, emotion regulation, avoidance of responsibility, interpersonal regulation and OCD as occupation. The reliabilities of all subscales and the total value were satisfactory to nearly excellent. The factorial validity was good, content validity was excellent. The FFZ shows correlations with measures of interpersonal problems and emotional competence, but none with measures of self-reflection and therapy experience. No differences were found for gender or age. The results provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the FFZ.

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In order to ensure chemical quality of river basins, measures as required in the Water Framework Directive will also have to address contaminated sediments with subsequent monitoring of their successful application. Financial resources need to be allocated as part of a river basin plan to those contaminated sites that pose the biggest risk to the river basin. In order to differentiate between areas with elevated contaminant levels ("areas of concern") and those sites from which contaminated sediments can become resuspended and transported with the river, affecting the water phase and downstream sites in the catchment ("areas of risk"), the dynamics of sediment and suspended matter need to come into focus. Hydrological data have to be combined with concentration of suspended matter and its contaminant concentration to allow assessment of particle bound contaminant load. Each of these kinds of data, however, are subject to uncertainties--e.g. due to natural variability, heterogeneity of the matrix, challenges during sampling and chemical analyses of the suspended matter. Considering these uncertainties throughout the traceability chains of data collection, use of different lines of evidence and tools like fuzzy logic will increase the confidence of potentially costly management decisions.

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Groundwater resources are at risk from pollution, climate change and land-management practices. Long-term forecast is a tool to demonstrate future development and to support decisions on measures which can be implemented, controlled and eventually corrected. As the basis for preventive action, a forecast can be viewed as a key to groundwater protection. The soil zone plays a vital role in groundwater protection. Research on soil and groundwater trends, as affected by change of climate and/or land-management practices, is on the agenda. Integrated research is necessary to develop numerical soil-water system models reflecting all relevant transport processes at various scales. Even relatively simple problems like forecasting pollutant release from contaminated materials are difficult to resolve. Batch tests may be sufficient in low-risk cases. At higher risk when contaminated substrates are chosen for deposition on a large scale, a thorough characterization of the materials is necessary covering all aspects of stability and possible changes of the environment.

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The big flood in the upper Elbe River catchment area has revealed a wide spectrum of problems with contaminated sediments. So far, an effective strategy for managing contaminated sediments on a river basin scale is still missing and it seems that not much has been learned from the lessons received during the last decade. In the following overview, special emphasis is given to the utilization of geochemically-based techniques for sediment remediation, which can be applied in different parts of a river basin. The examples presented here are mostly from the Elbe River catchment area. In general, new technical problem solutions need a set of practical process knowledge that uses a wide range of simulation techniques, as well as models in different spatial and temporal scales. The evaluation of recent flood events clearly demonstrates the importance of chemical expertise in the decision-making process for the sustainable development in river basins.

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