Chemical Mass Balance

Abstract

Various applications of the chemical mass balance technique to study source-receptor relationships for air pollutants deposited on particles are described. Examples of the technique used to study the physico-chemical behavior of trace elements during combustion of fossil fuels in electric power plants and wastes in waste incinerators are presented on the basis of measurements carried out in Poland, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. Methods to elaborate emission rates of these elements to the atmosphere are described. The application of the chemical mass balance method to assess the impact of emissions from various point sources on the surrounding environment is discussed. Examples of various chemical mass balances for trace elements in the atmosphere and the terrestrial and aquatic environments are presented in order to illustrate the impact of large point sources on the local scale. Studies on the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants on the local environment in Poland are reviewed. Chemical mass balance used to study the origin of pollutants at remote locations is also described. The application of the method to study the regional scale of air contamination by various pollutants is discussed on the basis of measurements in the Arctic. Finally, the use of chemical mass balance to assess global budgets of selected pollutants is demonstrated. Global budgets of Hg, Pb, other trace elements and organic compounds are discussed using information on their presence in major compartments of the environment.