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EEA32 Persistent organic pollutant (POP) emissions (APE 006) - Assessment published Feb 2010
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EEA-32 emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), an important group of chemicals categorised as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have decreased by 63% between 1990 and 2007. While the majority of individual countries report PAH emissions have fallen during this period, eight countries report increased emissions have occurred.
Important emission sources of PAH, include residential combustion processes (open fires, coal and wood burning for heating purposes etc), industrial metal production processes, and the road transport sector. Emissions from these sources have all declined since 1990 as a result of decreased residential use of coal, improvements in abatement technologies for metal refining and smelting, and stricter regulations on emissions from the road transport sector.
In 2007, the most significant source of PAHs was the 'other energy' sector accounting for 41% of total PAH emissions. This sector comprises emissions caused by fuel combustion mainly from the residential, commercial and institutional buildings sectors.
Environmental context: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances that persist in the environment, have potential to bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. This group of substances includes unintentional by-products of industrial processes (such as PAHs, dioxins and furans) pesticides (such as DDT), and industrial chemicals (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs). All share the property 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 and wildlife, to potentially harmful concentrations. In humans they are also of concern for human health because of their toxicity, their potential to cause cancer and their ability to cause harmful effects at low concentrations. Their relative toxic/carcinogenic potencies are compound specific. POPs have also been shown to possess a number of toxicological properties. The major concern is often centred on their possible role in carcinogenic, immunological and reproductive effects but more recently concern has also been expressed over their possible harmful effects on human development.
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EEA32 Persistent organic pollutant (POP) emissions
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Emissions of acidifying substances (CSI 001) - Assessment published Oct 2010
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Emissions
of acidifying pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NO X ), sulphur oxides (SO 2 )
and ammonia (NH 3 ) have decreased significantly in most of the individual
EEA member countries between 1990 and 2008. Emissions
of SO 2 have decreased by 74 %, NO X by 34 % and NH 3
emissions by 24 % since 1990. The EU-27
is on track to meet its overall target to reduce emissions of SO 2
and NH 3 as specified by the EU's NEC Directive (NECD). However a
large number of individual Member States, and the EU as a whole, anticipate
missing the 2010 emission ceilings set for NO X in the NECD, Of the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings set under the
UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), both
Liechtenstein and Norway also reported NO X emissions in 2008 that
were substantially higher than their respective 2010 ceilings.
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Emissions of acidifying substances
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Emissions of acidifying substances (CSI 001) - Assessment published Dec 2012
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Emissions of the acidifying pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NO X ), sulphur oxides (SO X ) and ammonia (NH 3 ), have decreased significantly in most of the individual EEA member countries between 1990 and 2010. Emissions of SO X have decreased by 75%, NO X by 42% and NH 3 emissions by 28% since 1990 within the EEA-32.
Data reported under the NECD indicates that the EU-27 as a whole has met its overall target to reduce emissions of SO X and NH 3 as specified by the EU’s National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NECD). However twelve individual Member States, and the EU as a whole, reported emissions in the 2010 above their NECD 2010 emission ceilings for NO X , although the twelve Member States joining the EU in 2004/7 reported combined emissions below their collective NECD ceiling. Three EU-27 member states also reported 2010 NH 3 emissions above the levels of their NECD ceilings, neither of which are in the group of twelve new EU member states.
Of the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings for 2010 under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), both Liechtenstein and Norway reported NO X emissions in 2010 that were substantially higher than their respective 2010 ceilings. Liechtenstein also reported 2010 NH 3 emissions above the level of their Gothenburg protocol 2010 ceiling.
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Emissions of acidifying substances
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Emissions of acidifying substances (CSI 001) - Assessment published Dec 2011
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Emissions of the acidifying pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NO X ), sulphur oxides (SO X ) and ammonia (NH 3 ) have decreased significantly in most of the individual EEA member countries between 1990 and 2009. Emissions of SO X have decreased by 76%, NO X by 41% and NH 3 emissions by 26% since 1990.
The EU-27 is on track to meet its overall target to reduce emissions of SO X and NH 3 as specified by the EU’s National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NECD). However a number of individual Member States, and the EU as a whole, anticipates missing their NECD 2010 emission ceilings for NO X .
Of the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings for 2010 under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), both Liechtenstein and Norway reported NO X emissions in 2009 that were substantially higher than their respective 2010 ceilings.
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Emissions of acidifying substances
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Emissions of acidifying substances (version 2) (CSI 001) - Assessment published Dec 2008
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Aggregated emissions of acidifying pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 ) have decreased significantly in most of the EEA member countries between 1990 and 2006. This decrease has been achieved despite the increased rates of economic activity that have occurred during this period. Across the EEA-32 region, emissions of acidifying pollutants decreased from 1 549 kt to 790 kt between 1990 and 2006 - a 49% reduction. The EU-27 as a whole is on track to meet its target to reduce emissions from acidifying pollutants based on an aggregation of its NEC Directive ceilings for the three individual pollutants. However, a number of individual Member States anticipate missing their emission ceilings for one or more of the individual acidifying pollutants.
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Emissions of acidifying substances (version 2)
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Emissions of acidifying substances (version 2) (CSI 001) - Assessment published Jan 2010
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Aggregated emissions of acidifying pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 ) have decreased significantly in most of the EEA member countries between 1990 and 2007. This decrease has been achieved despite the increased rates of economic activity that have occurred during this period. Across the EEA-32 region, emissions of acidifying pollutants decreased from 1 545 kt to 775 kt between 1990 and 2007 - a 50% reduction. The EU-27 as a whole is on track to meet its target to reduce emissions from acidifying pollutants based on an aggregation of its NEC Directive ceilings for the three individual pollutants. However, a number of individual Member States anticipate missing their emission ceilings for one or more of the individual acidifying pollutants.
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Emissions of acidifying substances (version 2)
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Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors (CSI 003) - Assessment published Dec 2008
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Total emissions of primary particulate matter (PM 10 ) and secondary particulate precursors (nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 )) have reduced by 44% across the EEA-32 region between 1990 and 2006. Of this reduction, 43% has taken place in the 'energy industries' sector due to the fuel-switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation and improvements in the performance of pollution abatement equipment installed at industrial facilities. Emissions of primary PM 10 particulate matter make only a small contribution to total particulate matter formation - 13% in 2006. The majority of particulate matter is formed from emissions of the secondary particulate precursors. Of the particulate-forming pollutants, reductions of SO 2 that have taken place since 1990 have accounted for 60% of the overall reduction in particulate emissions, with NO x accounting for a further 30% of the observed reduction. The reduction in emissions of primary particles has accounted for only 6% of the overall reduction.
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Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors
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Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors (CSI 003) - Assessment published Jan 2010
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Total emissions of primary particulate matter (PM 10 ) and secondary particulate precursors (nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 )) have reduced by 45% across the EEA-32 region between 1990 and 2007. Of this reduction, 41% has taken place in the 'energy industries' sector due to the fuel-switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation and improvements in the performance of pollution abatement equipment installed at industrial facilities. Emissions of primary PM 10 particulate matter make only a small contribution to total particulate matter formation (12%) in 2007. The majority of particulate matter is formed from emissions of the secondary particulate precursors. Of the particulate-forming pollutants, reductions of SO 2 that have taken place since 1990 have accounted for 60% of the overall reduction in particulate emissions, with NO x accounting for a further 30% of the observed reduction. The reduction in emissions of primary particles has accounted for only 6% of the overall reduction.
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Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors
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Emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary particulate matter precursors (CSI 003) - Assessment published Oct 2010
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Total emissions of primary PM10 particulate matter have reduced by 21% across the EEA-32 region between 1990 and 2008, driven by a 29% reduction in emissions of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) fraction; emissions of particulates between 2.5 and 10 µm have risen slightly over the same period. Of this reduction in PM10 emissions, 48% has taken place in the 'Energy Production and Distribution' sector due to the fuel-switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation and improvements in the performance of pollution abatement equipment installed at industrial facilities.
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Emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary particulate matter precursors
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Emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary particulate matter precursors (CSI 003) - Assessment published Dec 2011
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Total emissions of primary PM 10 particulate matter have reduced by 27% across the EEA-32 region between 1990 and 2009, driven by a 34% reduction in emissions of the fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) fraction; emissions of particulates between 2.5 and 10 µm have risen slightly (10%) over the same period.
Of this reduction in PM 10 emissions, 37% has taken place in the 'Energy Production and Distribution' sector due reasons including the fuel-switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation and improvements in the performance of pollution abatement equipment installed at industrial facilities.
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Emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary particulate matter precursors
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