Emissions
of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
TX-2
Dispersion
of Toxic Substances
Pressure
1 Indicator
definition and unit of measurement
Different
types of emissions of persistent organic pollutants (
POPs)
by economic sector will take place during certain activities. Emissions can be
diffuse or originate from known or unknown point sources, and may, consequently
be considered as created accidentally or deliberately. This indicator aims at
representing all types of emissions of POPs, on a yearly basis (unit:
tonnes/year).
2 Placement
in the framework
5EAP:
Chapter
4: Selected target sectors, section 4.4 The agriculture sector, table 4:
Agriculture and forestry.
Chapter
5: The themes and targets of the programme, section 5.4: Management of water
resources, table 11: Water quantity and water quality.
Chapter
6: Management of risks and accidents, section 6.1: Industry-related risks,
table 15: Risk management.
Agenda
21:
Chapter
17: Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and
semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and
development of their living resources.
Chapter
18: Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application
of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water
resources.
Chapter
19: Environmentally-sound management of toxic chemicals, including prevention
of illegal international traffic of toxic and dangerous products (section F).
Chapter
20: Environmentally-sound management of hazardous wastes, including prevention
of illegal international traffic of hazardous wastes (section D).
International
conventions and agreements:
A
protocol on atmospheric transboundary transport of persistent organic
pollutants is presently being negotiated under the UNECE LRTAP (Geneva, 1979).
Ranking:
Core
ranking:
2
(61%)
Policy
Relevance:
2
(3.4)
Analytical
Soundness:
5
(3.0)
Responsiveness:
1
(3
.0
)
Most
appropriate related state indicator:
Accumulated
amounts of persistent organic pollutants in parts of society
.
3 Significance
Purpose:
The
main purpose of this indicator is to represent the total emissions of
persistent organic pollutants by economic activity. Different activities lead
to different types of emissions. Better knowledge of emitted amounts helps
activities aiming at decreasing emissions.
Relevance:
Persistent
organic substances are handled by different economic activities, and subsequent
emissions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) take place during production
and use, and as waste. Increasing POP emissions, or keeping POP emissions at
today’s levelis clearly not sustainable.
Linkages
to other pressure indicators:
TX-3:
Consumption of toxic chemicals by economic activity; TX-1: Consumption of
pesticides by agriculture.
Targets:
None.
The 5EAP only sets targets for more environment-friendly
agricultural/industrial practices (e.g.: significant reduction of pesticide use
per unit of land, chemicals: list of 50 priority chemicals...).
4 Methodological
description and underlying definitions
Underlying
definitions and concepts:
Persistent
organic pollutants are a very large group of different substances. POPs degrade
very slowly in the natural environment where they are accumulated and may cause
adverse effects. Two groups of chemicals often associated with POPs are
halogenated hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Emissions
of POPs are probably associated with all economic activities. The total number
of POPs is extremely large (several thousand compounds) and the amount is
increasing since new substances are frequently synthesised and put into
production and use.
Measurement
methods:
Information
will be generated by emission inventories. A large part of the emissions from
products containing POPs will take place not only during production, but also
during use and waste treatment. Emitted amounts are estimated by the use of
emission factors, describing emission rates of substances from various matrices
in different media.
Limitations
of the indicator:
The
group of persistent organic pollutants is heterogeneous and very large. Their
inherent characteristics, their persistence, toxicity and tendency to be
accumulated in organisms vary largely, resulting in generalisation
difficulties.
POPs emitted by society could become metabolised or modified to other new POPs
by living organisms in the ecosystem. Today just a small part of all existing
POPs is identified and possible to analyse. The emission sources are often
diffuse and the emission factors are in some cases unreliable or non-existing.
Alternative
definitions:
Emissions
of an identified group of persistent organic pollutants or a single persistent
organic pollutant by economic activity e.g.
emissions
of PCBs by economic activity and emissions of anthracene by economic activity.
