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Late lessons II Chapter 3 - Lead in petrol 'makes the mind give way': Located in Publications › Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation › Chapters
Change (%) in lead emissions 1990-2007 (EEA member countries): Change in lead emissions
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Sector split of emissions of selected heavy metals (EEA member countries): Sector split of HM
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Heavy metal (HM) emissions (APE 005) - Assessment published Oct 2010: 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.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Heavy metal (HM) emissions
Hazardous substances in lakes: Located in Data and maps › Indicators
EEA32 Heavy metal (HM) emissions (APE 005) - Assessment published Feb 2010: 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.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › EEA32 Heavy metal (HM) emissions
Sector split of emissions of selected heavy metals (EEA member countries): 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): Percentage change in cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2009.
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Change (%) in lead emissions 1990-2010 (EEA member countries): The reported change in lead emissions for each country, 1990-2010.
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Change in cadmium, mercury and lead emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010 (EEA member countries): Percentage change in cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) emissions for each sector between 1990 and 2010.
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs