Click to enlargeAmongst others arsenic emissions occur when stone coal, brown coal or mineral oil are combusted. Source: Ralf Geithe / Fotolia.com
Arsenic is toxic and can have metallic or non-metallic characteristics. It rarely occurs elementary but most of the time bound to other substances. In ambient air arsenic is measured bound to particulate matter.
Arsenic emissions are mainly of anthropogenic origin, e.g they occur when stone coal, brown coal or mineral oil is combusted. Another source is the metal industry. Arsenic can also be emitted at volcanic eruptions.
Health risks
Arsenic can be absorbed through the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. After chronic absorption through the lungs the mucous membranes and airways are damaged and lung cancer may occur.
Air quality standards
There is an Europe-wide target value of 6 ng/m³ as annual mean that is valid since 1 January 2013.
Air pollution
Since 2007 the target value was exceeded at only one station in the vicinity of a mining industry. The average pollution in urban and rural areas is between 0.5 and 1 ng/m³. Slightly higher concentrations are measured close to industrial areas, here the average value was about 2 ng/m³. The lowest concentrations are measured at the very remote stations of the Environment Agency (0.4 ng/m³). Compared to other European countries, the arsenic pollution in Germany is quite low.
Arsen in PM10 - Jahresmittelwerte 2007 bis 2015 Source: Umweltbundesamt II 4.2 mit Daten der Messnetze der Länder und des Bundes
Arsen - Jahresmittelwerte 2013 Source: Umweltbundesamt II 4.2 mit Daten der Europäischen Umweltagentur
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
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