| Summary | Heavy metals like Cadmium, Zinc and Lead that are mainly originated by the chemical industry |
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| Project | SESMAD |
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| Subtype | Pollutant |
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| Sector | Fresh Water Pollution |
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| Commons Boundaries | Clear boundaries (3) |
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| Explanation | Important portions of the river have been channeled and its water course is generally well defined |
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| Commons Unit Size | Microscopic (1) |
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| Explanation | |
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| Environmental Medium | Freshwater |
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| Explanation | Rhine's waters |
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| Residence Time | Multiple years (3) |
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| Explanation | This applies not only to water but also to the sediments of the Rhine riparian area |
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| Toxicity | Moderate (2) |
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| Explanation | Some heavy metals like Cadmium are very toxic while other like Zink are not. |
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| Inter Annual Predictability | Moderate (2) |
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| Explanation | Pollution by the chemical industry can be moderately predicted in the mid-term by the economic activity of the industry and the nation in general. |
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| Intra Annual Predictability | Moderate (2) |
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| Explanation | Pollution by the chemical industry can be moderately predicted in the mid-term by the economic activity of the industry and the nation in general. |
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| Commons Renewability | Renewable (1) |
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| Explanation | The pollutants are natural metals, which are potentially renewable |
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| Commons Accessibility | Very accessible (3) |
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| Explanation | The Rhine river is very accessible and thus also the heavy metals |
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| Commons Heterogeneity | Low (1) |
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| Explanation | The continuity of the Rhine's watercourse is not significantly or permanently fragmented by dams. |
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| Commons Mobility | High (3) |
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| Explanation | Although moderated by the existence of dams along the Rhine's course, water and thus the pollutants' mobility is high compared to human standards |
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| Commons Spatial Extent | 170000 |
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| Explanation | Size of the catchment area of the Rhine |
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| Point/Nonpoint | Point source |
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| Explanation | Heavy metals generated by chemical industry |
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| Technical Substitute | Yes |
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| Explanation | Electrolitic processes in metal refineries were introduced in the 1960s to replace old thermal smelters. The chemical industry has shown more generally that new technologies can be used to reduce emissions of heavy metals. |
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