Anthropogenic emissions sources

The developed assay was successfully applied for the arsenite and arsenate determination in contaminated waters of the gold recovery plant and in snow covers of the industrial anthropogenic sources vicinities as well. The data produced are in a good agreement with the results of independent methods atomic absorptioin and atomic emission spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis. 

Table 15-1 Natural and anthropogenic sources of atmospheric emissions"...

Pirrone N, Costa P, Pacyna JM, Ferrara R. 2001. Atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources in the Mediterranean region. Atmos Environ 35 2997-3006. 

Mercury emissions from European anthropogenic sources in 2002 totaled 180 tons this is 11 % lower than those in 2001. The input from natural emission and re-emission from European soils and the marginal seas is estimated at about 150 tons. More than 65% of emitted mercury was transported beyond the boundaries of Europe. The total mercury depositions to Europe were about 100 tons. Of this amount, 50 tons originated from anthropogenic sources of European countries the rest was the input from natural sources, re-emission and global anthropogenic sources. 

Contribution of the trans-boundary flux from external (European) anthropogenic sources to mercury deposition in European countries is significant. More than half the total mercury deposition to such countries as Chech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Macedonia and Belarus was determined by external anthropogenic sources. This fact can be explained by the proximity of these countries to significant emission sources in Poland and Germany. The lowest contribution of external sources was in countries located at the periphery of Europe Ireland, Spain, Iceland, etc. Deposition of mercury from external sources to the European Union did not exceed 7% of total value. 

High contributions of these sources are also experienced in the Baltic, Aegean and Adriatic Seas. Relatively low contributions were obtained for the northern part of the North Sea and the southwestern part of the Mediterranean Sea. This is caused by remoteness of the main anthropogenic sources. However, it should be noted that depositions from anthropogenic sources to the Mediterranean Sea are most likely underestimated because the anthropogenic emission sources in northern Africa and the Middle East were not taken into account. 

Annual emissions of heavy metals from the anthropogenic sources of HELCOM countries significantly decreased during the period of 1990-2001. In particular, annual emissions of cadmium decreased by 45%, whereas lead and mercury emissions reduced by 60%. Following this reduction and also due to the changes of heavy metals emissions in other European countries the level of atmospheric depositions to the Baltic Sea has also significantly decreased (Figure 20). Compared to 1990... 

We can t do much about the volcanoes, but we do need to address the anthropogenic emissions. To do so, we need to know where these come from. Historically, there is no doubt that the chlor-alkali industry was one of the biggest anthropogenic sources. However, the industry has reduced its emissions by an order of magnitude and it no longer represents a major source. Annual emissions of the West European... 

Olivier JGJ, Bouwman AF, Van der Hoek KW, Berdowski JJM. 1998. Global air emission inventories for anthropogenic sources of NOx,NH3 and N2O in 1990. Environmental Pollution 102 135-148. 

This is a very broad conclusion, and additional measurements must be made. Some of this effort (which is current) should address the problem of other pollutants and condensation nuclei that accompany the nonurban oxidant. Interpretation of these measurements will increase the specificity of separating anthropogenic sources from natural background sources. Theoretical assessments of the existing observations will shed light on the relative roles played by stratospheric injection, plant emission, background methane, and diy deposition on surfaces in the natural portion of the tropospheric ozone cycle. 

Pacyna EG, Pacyna JM, Pirrone N (2001) European emissions of atmospheric mercury from anthropogenic sources in 1995. Atmospheric Environment 35 2987-2996... 

Sulfur dioxide is produced by both natural and anthropogenic sources. The most important of the natural sources are volcanic eruptions, which account for about 40 percent of all natural emissions of the gas. Since volcanic eruptions are episodic events, the amount of sulfur dioxide attributable to this source in any one year varies widely. Other natural sources of the gas are forest fires and other natural burns, biological decay, and certain metabolic processes carried out by living organisms, especially marine plankton and bacteria. Natural sources release about 27.5 million short tons (25 million metric tons) of sulfur dioxide per year. 

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