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Inventory on Releases from diffuse sources to AIR
Current monitoring of pollutant releases from diffuse sources into air in EU Member States is mainly performed due to obligations under the National Emission Ceiling (NEC) Directive as well as on international agreements such as the UN-ECE Convention on long-range transboundary air pollutions (CLRTAP) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Under these obligations reporting is mainly performed by means of a standardised tool called Common Reporting Format (CFR). This includes a standardised Nomenclature For Reporting (NFR) which lists and classifies a number of source categories and sub-sectors.
Selection of source sectors
For this inventory only figures from NFR codes showing predominantly characteristics of "diffuse sources" as defined in the European PRTR-Regulation could be used.
Therefore an allocation of existing NFR subcodes to "diffuse" source sectors has been performed and documented.
Based on available data 10 source sectors have been identified as being completely or at least largely diffuse. These include all transport sectors (road, shipping, aviation, railway), small consumer fuel combustion, military, fossil fuel distribution of natural gas, solvent use, roofing and road paving with asphalt and agriculture.
Data sources
The following data bases have been selected as best data sources for the inventory on releases from diffuse sources:
- EMEP-WebDab for CO, NH3, NMVOC, NOx/NO2, SOx/SO2, Dioxins and Furans, PCP, PCBs, PAHs, Heavy Metals and all other pollutants
- UNFCCC Greenhouse Gas Inventories and CDR-EIONET for CH4, CO2, N2O
Data availability
In general data are only available for 23 of the 91 pollutants listed in the European PRTR- Regulation for regular reporting.
This includes main pollutants such as CO, NH3, NMVOC, NOx/NO2, SOx/SO2, PCDD/PCDF, PCP, PCBs, PAHs, PM10 and Heavy Metals, where data are available for the reporting year 2003 for most of the Member States as well as greenhouse gases (GHG) CH4, CO2, N2O, where data for 2003 are available for EU 15, Czech Republic and Slovenia and data for 2002 or 2000 are available for Lithuania, Malta and Poland.
Data
A compilation of data of annual releases can be found in the categories EU overview, Pollutants, Source sectors and Member States. Please click on the categories to view the tables or use the navigation bar on this page.
Results
Here you find a short overview on major results of the inventory of releases to air. For further information and diagrams please click on the pollutant you are interested in.
Pie charts showing the sectoral share for each pollutant can be downloaded at the data inventory. A comprehensive discussion of the data is contained in the EEA source appointment report.
It has to be pointed out that the inventory can only represent data already reported and publicly accessible. Therefore data are not complete for all sectors and assessment of shares has to be read with reservation.
Main pollutants and greenhouse gases (see
):
At the EU 25 scale the releases of main pollutants (NMVOC, SOx/SO2, CO,
NH3, NO2 and PM10) and greenhouse gases (CH4, N2O) in general lie in a
range between 1 and 20 Megatonnes per year.
The releases of CO2 are significantly higher (1,500 Mt/a) whereas the
releases for NOx are lower (0.8 Mt/a).
Overall the most contributing sectors for these pollutants are domestic
fuel combustion, road traffic and agriculture, which contribute either
together or alone to more than 90 % of the total releases for each of
the pollutant. The contribution of all other sectors is below 10 %. An
exception is the release of NMVOC where the sector solvent use contributes
with 46 % alone.
Concerning per capita releases the range of releases based on available
data is quite large between Member States. It has to be emphasised again,
that this data interpretation is done on the basis of publicly accessible
data for release from diffuse sources. The data base is very different
between Member States, pollutants and sectors and is far from exhaustive.
The results therefore need be read with reservation. A low value for a
Member State does not automatically mean that the release in reality is
low. It might mean as well that the reporting of this country is insufficient.
- For pollutants which are mostly released by agricultural activities (CH4, NO2, NH4) countries with agriculture as dominating economic sector show highest releases.
- For pollutants related to small consumer fuel combustion (CO, CO2, SOx/SO2 and PM10) the situation is not that uniform. Here aspects such as type of fuel and prevalent type of heating appliances seem to be a strong influencing factor.
- For pollutants related to traffic (CO, CO2, NMVOC, NOx/NO2 and PM10) the picture is also diversified, which might have some background in the composition of used fuel or the prevailing type of vehicles.
- For solvent use there is no explanation yet for differences in per capita releases.
Heavy Metals (see
):
Releases of heavy metals are dominated by zinc (2,400 t/a), copper (470
t),lead (about 400 kt/a) and nickel (270 t) whereas the releases of other
heavy metals lie between 20 and 70 t/a. Compared to this releases of mercury
(Hg) with 4 t/a are low.
As for main pollutants and greenhouse gases, domestic fuel combustion
and road traffic are by far the main contributing sectors, contributing
together or alone to more than 90 % of the total releases for each of
the metals. In this constellation Cu and Zn are dominated by road traffic
while the other metals are clearly dominated by residential combustion.
A smaller contributing source for all of the heavy metals is agriculture
with a share for the individual metals from 3 % to 17 %.
Contribution to specific metals only can be observed for railway transport,
which provides a share of 13 % to the total release of copper, aviation,
which provides 5 % to lead and shipping, which contributes 9 %
to nickel.
There was no reporting on heavy metals for the sectors solvent use, fossil
fuel distribution and road paving and roofing with asphalt.
Concerning per capita releases the range is remarkable between EU Member
States.
It has however to be emphasised again, that this data interpretation is
done on the basis of publicly accessible data for release from diffuse
sources. The data base is very different between Member States, pollutants
and sectors and is far from exhaustive. The results therefore need be
read with reservation. A low value for a Member State does not automatically
mean that the release in reality is low. It might mean as well that the
reporting of this country is insufficient.
- For releases related to small consumer fuel combustion some countries show high releases for all HMs. prevailing type and composition of fuel might. It would be interesting to clarify whether this is to specific measures or provisions applied.
- For road traffic the situation is not uniform. Maybe this might have some background in the composition of used fuel or the prevailing type of vehicles.
Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs) (see
):
The annual amount of reported POPs released to air varies widely. At the
EU 25 scale reported figures are below 1 kg/a for PCDD/PCDF and about
800 t/a for PAHs. Agriculture is the almost unique source for HCB,
solvent use contributes 100% to PCP and over 50% to HCH. Domestic
fuel combustion is dominating for PCDD/PCDF (>60%), PCB (40%) and
PAH (27%). Road traffic (almost 30% for PAHs and 7% for PCDD/PCDF)
and aviation (5% to PCDD/PCDF) have a smaller share. For all others
sectors data on releases of POPs are reported only exceptionally.
Concerning per capita releases of POPs the data base is very limited. Based on data from up to 3 Member States the range of releases per capita is not very large.
- For releases related to small consumer fuel combustion (PCDD/PCDF,PCB, PAH) differences in reported releases seem in part to be related to the prevailing type of fuel and combustion appliances. In part it may be related to differences in emission factors used.
- For releases related to agriculture differences in the use of pesticides seems to be a major parameter for the observed range.
- For releases from solvent use the situation is diversified for the reported releases of HCH, PCP, PCB and PAHs. High per capita figures for PCP might in this context be related to the fact that the use of PCP in wood preservation is not yet banned in certain EU Member States. " Whether high per capita releases of PCB and PAH are somehow associated to accidental spilling in certain Member States would have to be clarified.
