HC Deb 25 January 1989 vol 145 cc644-5W
84. Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the five main sources of pollution into the atmosphere, giving the tonnage of pollution per year in each case.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Data on emissions of selected gases into the atmosphere are published annually in the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics", the latest issue of which (No. 10) contains figures for 1976–86.

The table summarises the data given for 1986.

United Kingdom estimated emissions of selected gases into the atmosphere, by source, 1986
thousand tonnes
Source 1 SO2 NOx CO HCs 2 CO2 (million tonnes)
Domestic 200 57 483 78 91
Commercial/Public Service 130 45 11 1 35
Power Stations 2,600 783 48 13 227
Refineries 170 38 4 1 22
Agriculture (fuel use) 10 3 1 — 3
Other industry 570 179 75 3 122
Transport 50 821 4,762 583 96
Other sources — 3 12 3 220 4 1,387 25
Total 3,740 1,937 5,602 2,065 621
1 from fuel combustion only.
2 to be published for the first time in Digest No. 11.
3 incineration and agricultural burning.
4 mostly industrial processes and solvent evaporation.