Sector | Air | Water | Soil/Land |
---|
Chemicals (industrial inorganic and organic compounds, excluding petroleum products) | many and varied emissions depending on processes used and chemicals manufactured | use of process water and cooling water | chemical process wastes --> disposal problems |
emissions of particulate, matter, SO2, NOx, CO, CFCs, VOCs and other organic chemicals, odours | emissions of organic chemicals, heavy metals (cadmium, mercury), suspended solids, organic matter, phenols, PCBs, cyanide --> water quality effects | sludges from air and water pollution treatment --> disposal problems |
risk of explosions and fires | risk of spills |
Paper and pulp | emissions of SO2, NOx, CH4, CO2, CO, hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans, chlorine compounds, dioxins | use of process water |   |
emissions of suspended solids, organic matter, chlorinated organic substances, toxins (dioxins) |
Cement, glass, ceramics | cement --> emissions of dust, NOx, CO2, chromium, lead, CO | emissions of process water contaminated by oils and heavy metals | extraction of raw materials |
glass --> emissions of lead, arsenic, SO2, vanadium, CO, hydrofluoric acid, soda ash, potash, speciality constituents (eg, chromium) | metals --> soil contamination and waste disposal problems |
ceramics --> emissions of silica, SO2, NOx, fluorine compounds, speciality constituents |
Iron and steel | SO2, NOx, emissions of CO, hydrogen sulphide, PAHs, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, selenium, zinc, organic compounds, PCDDs/PCDFs, PCBs, dust, particulate matter, HCs, acid mists | use of process water | slag, sludges, oil and grease residues, HCs, salts, sulphur compounds, heavy metals --> soil contamination and waste disposal problems |
exposure to ultraviolet and infra-red radiation, ionising radiation | emissions of organic matter, tars and oil, suspended solids, metals, benzene, phenols, acids, sulphides, sulphates, ammonia, cyanides, thiocyanates, thiosulphates, fluorides, lead, zinc (scrubber effluent) --> water quality effects |
risks of explosions and fires |
Non-ferrous metals | emissions of particulate matter, SO2, NOx, CO, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, chlorine, aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, zinc, mercury, nickel, lead, magnesium, PAHs, fluorides, silica, manganese, carbon black, HCs, aerosols (local exposures depend on the particular material being processed) | scrubber water containing metals | sludges from effluent treatment, coatings from electrolysis cells (containing carbon and fluorine) --> soil contamination and waste disposal problems |
gas scrubber effluents containing solids, fluorine, HCs |
Refineries, petroleum products | emissions of SO2, NOx, hydrogen sulphide, HCs, benzene, CO, CO2, particulate matter, PAHs, mercaptans, toxic organic compounds, odours | use of cooling water | hazardous waste, sludges from effluent treatment, spent catalysts, tars |
risk of explosions and fires | emissions of HCs, mercaptans, caustics, oil, phenols, chromium, effluent from gas scrubbers |
Leather and tanning | emissions including leather dust, hydrogen sulphide, CO2, chromium compounds | use of process water | chromium sludges |
effluents from the many toxic solutions employed, containing suspended solids, sulphates, chromium |