Report - DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi

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Figure 2.8 PM2.5 emissions. Distribution according to the main sectors (2010) and time series for 2000 to 2010.
2.3.4 Heavy metals
In general, the most important sources of heavy metal emissions are combustion
of fossil fuels and waste. The heavy metal emissions have decreased
substantially in recent years, except for Cu. The reductions span from 29 % to
91 % for Zn and Pb, respectively. The reason for the reduced emissions is
mainly increased use of gas cleaning devices at power and district heating
plants (including waste incineration plants). The large reduction in the Pb
emission is due to a gradual shift towards unleaded gasoline, the latter being
essential for catalyst cars. The major source of Cu is automobile tyre and
break wear (93 % in 2010) and the increase from 1990 to 2010 owe to increasing
mileage.
Table 2.1 Emissions of heavy metals.
Heavy metals,
kilogramme As Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Se Zn
1990 1 301 985 5 992 36 745 3 062 20 583 125 075 4 925 52 066
2010 313 194 957 50 311 522 4 689 10 713 1 417 37 101
Reduction, % 76 80 84 -37 83 77 91 71 29
According to the UNECE Heavy Metal Protocol, the priority metals are Pb,
Cd and Hg and the objective is to reduce emissions of these heavy metals.
Cadmium (Cd)
The main sources of emissions of cadmium (Cd) to air are combustion in energy
industries (mainly combustion of wood, wood waste and municipal
waste) and manufacturing industries (mainly combustion of residual oil). In
the transport sector emissions from passenger cars is the main source contributing
with 53 % of the sectoral emission in 2010. The emission from nonindustrial
combustion is dominated by wood combustion in residential
plants which accounts for 78 % of the sectoral emission in 2010. Emissions
from combustion in residential plants have increased by 119 % since 1990.
The decreasing emission from energy industries are related to the decreasing
combustion of coal.