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Change (%) in lead emissions 1990-2007 (EEA member countries)
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Change in lead emissions
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Sector split of emissions of selected heavy metals (EEA member countries)
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Sector split of HM
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Change (%) in mercury emissions 1990-2009 (EEA member countries)
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The reported change in mercury (Hg) emissions for each country, 1990-2009.
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Heavy metal (HM) emissions (APE 005) - Assessment published Oct 2010
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Across the EEA-32 countries, emissions of lead have
decreased by 90%, mercury by 61% and lead by cadmium by 58% between 1990
and 2008. For each substance, the most
significant sources in 2008 are from energy-related sources associated with
fuel combustion, particularly from public power and heat generating facilities
and in industrial facilities. Much progress has been
made since the early 1990s in reducing point source emissions of cadmium and
lead (e.g. emissions from industrial facilities). This has been achieved
through improvements in for example abatement technologies for wastewater
treatment, incinerators and in metal refining and smelting industries, and in
some countries by the closure of older industrial facilities as a consequence
of economic re-structuring. In the case of mercury, the observed decrease in emissions may be largely attributed
to improved controls on mercury cells used in industrial processes (e.g. in the
chlor-alkali process) including the replacement of old mercury cells by
diaphragm or membrane cells, and the general decline of coal use across Europe
as a result of fuel switching. The promotion of unleaded petrol within the EU and in other EEA member
countries through a combination of fiscal and regulatory measures has been a
particular success story. EU Member States have for example completely phased
out the use of leaded petrol, a goal that was regulated by Directive 98/70/EC. From being the largest source of lead in 1990 when it contributed around
75% of total emissions, emissions from the road transport sector decreased
since then by nearly 99%. Nevertheless, the road transport sector still remains
an important source of lead, contributing around 8% of total lead emission in
the EEA-32 region. However since 2002 little progress has been made in reducing
emissions further; total emissions of lead have remained largely constant. Environmental context:
Heavy metals (such as cadmium, lead and mercury) are recognised as being toxic
to biota. All have the quality of being progressively accumulated higher up the
food chain, such that chronic exposure of lower organisms to much lower
concentrations can expose predatory organisms, including humans, to potentially
harmful concentrations. In humans they are also of direct concern because of
their toxicity, their potential to cause cancer and their potential ability to
cause harmful effects at low concentrations. The relative toxic/carcinogenic
potencies of heavy metals are compound specific. Specifically, exposure to
heavy metals has been linked with developmental retardation, various cancers
and kidney damage. Metals are persistent throughout the environment, and
cadmium, lead and mercury are among those heavy metals that are already a focus
of international and EU action. These substances tend not just to be confined
to a given geographical region, and thus are not always open to effective local
control. For example, in the case of cadmium, much is found in fine particles which
do not readily dry deposit, rather having long residence times in the
atmosphere and hence are subject to long-range transport processes.
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Heavy metal (HM) emissions
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EEA32 Heavy metal (HM) emissions (APE 005) - Assessment published Feb 2010
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Across the EEA-32 countries, emissions of lead have decreased by 88%, mercury by 57% and lead by cadmium by 56% between 1990 and 2007. For each substance, the most significant sources in 2007 are from energy-related sources associated with fuel combustion, particularly from public power and heat generating facilities and in industrial facilities. Much progress has been made since the early 1990s in reducing point source emissions of cadmium and lead (e.g. emissions from industrial facilities). This has been achieved through improvements in for example abatement technologies for wastewater treatment, incinerators and in metal refining and smelting industries , and in some countries by the closure of older industrial facilities as a consequence of economic re-structuring. In the case of mercury, the observed decrease in emissions may be largely attributed to improved controls on mercury cells used in industrial processes (e.g. in the chlor-alkali process) including the replacement of old mercury cells by diaphragm or membrane cells, and the general decline of coal use across Europe as a result of fuel switching. The promotion of unleaded petrol within the EU and in other EEA member countries through a combination of fiscal and regulatory measures has been a particular success story. EU Member States have for example completely phased out the use of leaded petrol, a goal that was regulated by Directive 98/70/EC. From being the largest source of lead in 1990 when it contributed more than 70% of total emissions, emissions from the road transport sector decreased since then by more than 95%. Nevertheless, the road transport sector still remains an important source of lead, contributing around 25% of total lead emission in the EEA-32 region. However over the last 5 year period little progress has been made in reducing emissions further; total emissions of lead have remained largely constant. Environmental context: Heavy metals (such as cadmium, lead and mercury) are recognised as being toxic to biota. All have the quality of being progressively accumulated higher up the food chain, such that chronic exposure of lower organisms to much lower concentrations can expose predatory organisms, including humans, to potentially harmful concentrations. In humans they are also of direct concern because of their toxicity, their potential to cause cancer and their potential ability to cause harmful effects at low concentrations. The relative toxic/carcinogenic potencies of heavy metals are compound specific. Specifically, exposure to heavy metals has been linked with developmental retardation, various cancers and kidney damage. Metals are persistent throughout the environment, and cadmium, lead and mercury are among those heavy metals that are already a focus of international and EU action. These substances tend not just to be confined to a given geographical region, and thus are not always open to effective local control. For example, in the case of cadmium, much is found in fine particles which do not readily dry deposit, rather having long residence times in the atmosphere and hence are subject to long-range transport processes.
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EEA32 Heavy metal (HM) emissions
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Nuclear energy and waste production (ENER 013) - Assessment published Sep 2010
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The amount of high
level nuclear waste from nuclear electricity production continues to
accumulate. In 2007, 34,216 tonnes of heavy metals contained in high level nuclear
waste was in storage, up 13.2% since 2005. The annual quantity of spent fuel
was approximately 3,461 tonnes of heavy metals in 2007, relatively stable since
1990. On the other hand, the electricity produced from nuclear power increased
by 17.7% over the same period. This partial decoupling between electricity
production and generation of radioactive waste can be explained by the fact
that fuel rods are replaced gradually as well as by recent improvements in fuel
burnup, plant efficiency and increased plant availability.
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Nuclear energy and waste production
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Sector split of emissions of selected heavy metals (EEA member countries)
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The contribution made by different sectors to emissions of cadmium - Cd; mercury - Hg; and lead - Pb.
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Change in cadmium, mercury and lead emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2009 (EEA member countries)
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Percentage change in cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2009.
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Change (%) in cadmium emissions 1990-2010 (EEA member countries)
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The reported change in cadmium (Cd) emissions for each country, 1990-2010.
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Historic series in annual spent fuel arisings (tonnes heavy metals)
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The following table refers to nuclear waste: it presents annual spent fuel arisings in nuclear power plants of OECD countries. The data are expressed in tonnes of heavy metal, and include projections and estimates up to the year 2010.
Spent fuel arisings are one part of the radioactive waste generated at various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle (uranium mining and milling, fuel enrichment, reactor operation, spent fuel reprocessing). Radioactive waste also arises from decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and from other activities using isotopes, such as scientific research and medical activities.
The impact of nuclear waste on humans and the environment depends on the level of radioactivity and on the conditions under which the waste is handled, treated, stored and disposed of.
While reading this table it should be noted that these data do not represent all radioactive waste generated, and that amounts of spent fuel arisings depend on the share of nuclear electricity in the energy supply and on the nuclear plant technologies adopted.
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