Risk Assessment of Airborne Sulphur Species in Poland

Abstract

Risk which airborne pollutants cause on the environment is always connected with amounts of the pollutants emitted as well as with environment sensitivity to the pollution. The emissions of air pollutants were substantially reduced during last fourteen years in Poland. However, Poland is still among the countries with the highest emissions of sulphur dioxide. The 1999 emissions amounted 1,719 million tonnes, which represented almost 10% of European emissions. Such significant amounts stem from the unique structure of the energy supply system, which, unlike elsewhere in the world, is largely dominated by coal combustion (65% of primary energy consumption). This results in quite high SO₂ and SO₄ ^2- concentrations in the air as well as high total sulphur deposition on ecosystems. Both sulphur species in the air and sulphur deposition may cause harmful adverse effects on human health and the environment.