Les ECSPER à Smellville - Partie 2

The member states of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) (European Union, North American, and Eastern European countries) have introduced several protocols and regulations related to air quality to prevent or reduce pollutant emissions into the atmosphere from anthropogenic and industrial activities such as combustion processes, energy production, transportation, etc. In some industrialized countries, regulations have been introduced since the mid-1980s (e.g., the electricity production sector), but in many developing regions, such as China, regulations have only recently been adopted. Depending on the regulation, emission limits may be defined as annual emissions specific to the sector for certain pollutants, as total annual emissions by country (Directive 2010/75/EU), or as concentrations at the chimney or in ambient air.

Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and Council of November 24, 2010, on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control, "IPPC Directive") covers the following industrial activities: energy, metal production and processing, minerals, chemical products, waste management, and other sectors such as pulp and paper production, slaughterhouses, and intensive poultry and pig farming. All installations covered by the Directive must prevent and reduce pollution by applying the best available techniques (BAT), ensuring efficient energy use, preventing and managing waste, and taking measures to prevent accidents and limit their consequences.

Additionally, Directive 2015/2193/EU of the European Parliament and Council of November 25, 2015, provides for limiting emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants. The list of relevant pollutants includes: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and other sulfur compounds, Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other nitrogen compounds, Carbon monoxide (CO), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Metals and their compounds, Dust, including fine particles, Asbestos (suspended particles, fibers), Chlorine and its compounds, Fluorine and its compounds, Arsenic and its compounds, Cyanides, Substances and mixtures proven to have carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive toxicity properties through air, Polychlorodibenzodioxins and polychlorodibenzofurans.

For each type of installation and each pollutant, emission limit values are specified in Annexes 5 to 10 of the directive and can be consulted here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32010L0075&from=FR#d1e32-56-1.