20
June 2008 - The annual Danish inventory
for 2006 shows a continued decline in acidifying
gases and most other air pollutants. The
exceptions are PAH’s and particulate matter
which increase, primarily due to increased
combustion of wood in the residential sector.
This report is Denmark
’s Annual Emissions Inventory Report due
May 2008 to the UNECE-Convention on Long-Range
Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). The
report contains information on Denmark ’s
inventories for all years from the base
years of the protocols to 2006.
The gases reported under
the LRTAP Convention are SO2, NOX, NMVOC,
CO, NH3, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se,
Zn, dioxins/furans, PAHs, TSP, PM10 and
PM2.5.
The inventory is reported
in the Nomenclature for Reporting (NFR)
format as requested by UNECE.
The issues addressed
in this report are: trends in emissions,
description of each NFR category, uncertainty
estimates, recalculations, planned improvements
and procedures for quality assurance and
control. The structure of the report is,
as far as possible, the same as the National
Inventory Report to UNFCCC.
Acidifying gases
In 11000, the relative contribution in acid
equivalents was almost equal for the three
gases. In 2006, the most important acidification
factor in Denmark was ammonia nitrogen and
the relative contributions for SO2, NOX
and NH3 were 8 %, 40 % and 52 %, respectively.
However, regarding long-range transport
of air pollution, SO2 and NOX are still
the most important pollutants.
The total emission of
acid equivalents has almost been halved
since 11000.
Other air pollutants
The emissions of PAH (poly aromatic hydrocarbons)
and particulate matter have increased –
contrary to almost all other emissions included
in the inventory. The increasing emission
trend is due to increasing combustion of
wood in the residential sector.
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Environmental monitoring
at the cryolit mine in Ivittuut
24 June 2008 - This
report evaluates the pollution in Arsuk
Fjord at Ivittuut in South Greenland based
on environmental studies conducted in 2007.
In Ivittuut at Arsuk
Fjord in South Greenland the mineral cryolite
was mined, sorted and shipped out from 1854
to 1987. The mining operations have caused
pollution with lead and zinc in the fjord.
The main source is waste rock, which has
been left at the coastline and is releasing
lead and zinc to the fjord from tidal water
action.
The pollution of the
fjord has been monitored since 1982. Since
1985 this monitoring has included only brown
seaweed and blue mussels, since earlier
studies had shown that fish and shrimp from
the fjord did not have elevated lead and
zinc levels. This report presents the results
of the latest environmental study, which
was carried out in 2007.
The geographical pattern
of lead and zinc levels found in brown seaweed
and blue mussels in 2007 shows that waste
rock in Ivittuut still is the main source
of the pollution of the fjord.
In brown seaweed elevated
lead levels were found on a c. 20 km stretch
of coastline in eastern Arsuk Fjord around
Ivittuut, whereas zinc levels were elevated
on the entire coastline studied in Arsuk
Fjord. In blue mussels elevated lead levels
were seen in all of the studied parts of
Arsuk Fjord, and also on coasts 3-4 km outside
the fjord.
Along a stretch of coastline
of c. 5 km around Ivittuut the lead concentration
in blue mussels is so high that it is recommended
not to eat blue mussels from this area.
Environmental monitoring
at the cryolite mine in Ivittuut, South
Greenland, 2007. Johansen, P., Asmund, G.,
Riget, F. & Johansen, K. 2008. National
Environmental Research Institute, University
of Aarhus. 32 pp. – NERI Technical Report
no. 674
