AIR POLLUTION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN 2007
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute - Air Quality Protection Division




I. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS EMISSION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Pursuant to the legislation which came into force in 2002 air pollution sources are divided into several categories to carry out emission inventories. Complying with this categorisation, the Air Quality Information System (ISKO) operated by CHMI includes REZZO databases (Register of Emissions and Air Pollution Sources) which serve for archiving and presenting data on stationary and mobile air pollution sources.
Extra large, large and medium-sized air pollution sources are monitored individually as point sources, small sources at regional and local (only household heating) level as area sources and mobile sources as line sources (road transport in sections controlled by vehicle census) and as area sources at regional level (other mobile sources).

  1. Extra large and large pollution sources – REZZO 1
  2. Medium-sized pollution sources – REZZO 2
  3. Small pollution sources – REZZO 3
  4. Mobile emission sources – REZZO 4

The data used in the 2007 emission inventory of air pollutants from extra large and large sources (c. 3700 sources) are extracted from the summary operational inventory submitted by source operators to the Czech Environmental Inspection Office (ČIŽP) which is in charge of data collection. Based on these data the REZZO 1 database is also updated, and namely the constant and variable data on operation of air pollution sources (categorisation of sources, parameters, fuel consumption and emission quantity). The medium-sized sources category includes data on about 30,000 sources. Data processing for emission inventory and REZZO 2 database is in charge of the authorities of the basic administrative units with extended competencies.

Final data on emissions from REZZO 1 and REZZO 2 sources were not available by the deadline of the Yearbook. Consequently, emission data for the year 2007 presented in the tables are preliminary.
Emissions from small sources are calculated from local heating units, unregistered sources using organic solvents and farm animals breeding. Inventories of emissions from mobile sources are processed by the Transport Research Centre (CDV) Brno (road and other transport) and VÚZT Prague (agricultural and forestry vehicles) based on the reported statistical data (Czech Statistical Office) and the respective emission factors.

Table I.1 documents data on total emissions of basic air pollutants in 2006, and namely total suspended particles (TSP), SO2, NOx, CO, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and ammonia (NH3), and the shares contributed by each of the emission source categories to total air pollutant emissions. Preliminary data on the total amount of emissions of basic pollutants in 2007 are shown in Tab. I.2. More detailed data on regionally distributed emissions, incl. information on the methods, are presented in the CHMI website. The development of total emissions of basic pollutants in 1990–2007 is shown in Fig. I.1.

The emissions and removals inventory of gases influencing the climatic system of the Earth (greenhouse gases) is carried out in accordance with international methodology of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). This inventory is also used for checking the complying with the international obligations set by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. The Czech Republic will have to reduce the total GHG emissions by 8 % as compared with the reference year 1990 by 2008–2012 (1995 was set as the reference year for HFC, PFC and SF6). The regular monitoring of GHG emissions meets also the requirements of the Decision No. 280/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. Due to the development of the methods and the rigorous implementation of QA/QC mechanisms the values are recalculated if necessary and therefore minor changes may occur in the shown data.

In the Czech Republic, the total GHG emissions including their removals expressed as equivalent values of carbon dioxide (CO2eq) declined from 190.3 mil. tons in 1990 to 144.8 mil. tons in 2006 (see Table I.4). The emissions (without removals from land use and forestry) decreased from 194.2 mil tons to 148.2 mil. tons. Consequently, compared with the reference year 1990 they declined by 23.7 %. Emissions of HFC, PFC and SF6 (substances containing fluorine, the so-called F-gases), the influence of which is also controlled by the Kyoto Protocol, have been also included. Their current share in total GHG emissions amounted to 0.7 % in 2006. The relevant shares in total GHG emissions (without LULUCF) were 86.3 % for CO2, 8.1 % for CH4 and 5.0 % for N2O in 2006.

Recently, the CHMI launched a new methodology for preliminary estimates for the previous year within the national emission reporting (in the given case the year 2007 is concerned). This method uses also data from the verified emission inventories of the emission trading system to make the estimates, as the standard inventory of greenhouse gases takes more than one year.

The more detailed data on emissions and removals of greenhouse gases are available in the CHMI website.

Table I.5 covers total emissions of individual monitored heavy metals (HM) and persistent organic pollutants (POP). The emission inventory is based mainly on the data from the REZZO database with the use of statistical data (fuel and propellant consumption, the production of selected technologies) and of the respective emission factors. The significant sources of heavy metals emissions include those from power engineering (large power plants and heating plants), various technological processes (metallurgy, production of glass and cement) and in case of lead also transport. Significant POP emissions come from small combustion sources, metallurgical processes and PAH emissions also from coke production and bitumen mixture plants.

Fig. I.2 shows the changes in the structure of consumption of principal fuels of REZZO 1 sources in the period 1990–2006. The graphs document the constantly large share of solid fuels combustion. The development of consumption of principal fuels of REZZO 3 sources between 1992 (data based on the inventory carried out by TECO Milevsko) and 2007 is shown in Fig. I.3. Changes in residential heating in 1991 (data provided by General Census), 2000 and 2007 (updated situation) are shown in Fig. I.4. The comparison of emissions from residential heating with regard to temperature changes during the heating season is shown in Fig. I.5.

Emission data processed into charts with the help of GIS are shown in Figs. I.6–I.9. Emission densities for NOx, TSP, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide are plotted in 5 x 5-km grid-squares. The charts are based on emissions from stationary sources (REZZO 1 to 3) and mobile sources (REZZO 4) for the year 2006, with regional disaggregation of emissions from line sources according to the updated 2005 vehicle census.

The change in the emission loads by air pollution sources in the selected territories is illustrated by the comparison of specific emissions in 1990, 2000 and 2006 (Table I.6). The development over the period beginning from the year 2000 shows the stabilized situation in emission loads withstanding even the significant increase of activities of several industrial branches (production of electric energy, cars, metallurgy). The gradual emission reduction is caused, besides the car fleet renewal and increasing average temperatures of heating seasons, also by the modernization of served out technologies (incl. combustion devices). Thus, in the majority of pollutants, it is probably confirmed that there are missing effective tools which would ensure significant emission reduction, similar to that from the second half of the 90’s.

Tab. I.1 Total emissions of basic air pollutants in 2006 – final data

Tab. I.2 Total emissions of basic air pollutants in 2007 – preliminary data

Tab. I.3 Total emissions of greenhouse gases, 1990 to 2007 [Mt CO2eq.]

Tab. I.4 Emissions of greenhouse gases structured by sectors, 1990 to 2007 [Mt CO2eq.]

Tab. I.5 Total emissions of HMs and POP between 1990 and 2006

Tab. I.6 Specific emission, 1990, 2000 and 2006


Fig. I.1 Total emissions of basic pollutants in the Czech Republic between 1990 and 2007

Fig. I.2 Changes in types of fuels in the REZZO 1 sources between 1990 and 2006
(shares of heat contained in the fuel)

Fig. I.3 Fuel consumption in REZZO 3 sources, 1992–2007

Fig. I.4 Changes in residential heating – comparison of 1991, 2000 and 2007

Fig. I.5 Changes in REZZO 3 emission quantities at constant structure of flats and fuels
(100 % = average for 2001–2005)

Fig. I.6 Nitrogen oxides emission density from 5x5 km squares, 2006

Fig. I.7 Emission density of total suspended particles from 5x5 km squares, 2006

Fig. I.8 Sulphur dioxide emission density from 5x5 km squares, 2006

Fig. I.9 Carbon monoxide emission density from 5x5 km squares, 2006