EMEP Contribution to the Preparatory Work for the Review of the CLRTAP Protocol on Heavy Metals

MSC-E Information Note 4/2004

ABSTRACT

The prevention of environmental pollution by heavy metals is one of the priority tasks of the international community in the area of environmental protection. In the framework of the UN ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (Convention) Protocol on Heavy Metals (Protocol) had been developed and signed by 36 Parties to the Convention in 1998. In 2003, the Protocol entered into force.

The Protocol defined the main objectives of the Co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe (EMEP):

- To provide Parties with the methodologies and the temporal and spatial resolution, specified by the Steering Body to EMEP, to use in their reporting on the levels of emissions of the heavy metals;
- To provide Executive Body for the Convention with information on long-range transport and deposition of heavy metals.

The aim of the presented note is to summarize emission and measurement data as well as modelling results on atmospheric transport of lead, cadmium and mercury obtained by EMEP to support an Expert Group on Heavy Metals set up under the Working Group on Strategies and Review in its preparatory work for the review of the Protocol.

In accordance with the Protocol, the year of 1990 is considered to be the baseline year to assess the reduction of heavy metal emissions in most of the countries participating in the Protocol. The analysis of available information for the period of 1990 up to now has been performed.

The first section of the Information Note contains a description of the official emission data and expert estimates of heavy metals in the European region.

The second section gives information on EMEP monitoring network and the dynamics of measured concentrations and depositions.

The third section considers the model assessment of levels of air pollution of lead, cadmium and mercury.