Critical load mapping of heavy metals and other long range transboundary air pollutants in Europe: A case study of Hungary

Abstract

food chain such as GHG gases, SO„, NOx and heavy metals (Flachner, Zs.-Ndmeth, TToth, R.,2002). Recently mor attention is paid on health effects of particulate matters and heavy metal pollution effects on food production, which problems are a mixture of long range and regional, local pollution. Under the supervision of the UN ECE Secretariat the Working Group on Effects, the Task Force of the International Co-operative programme on the Modelling and Mapping of Critical levels (CL) implement the programme of the UNECE on providing assistance for decision makers on abatement strategies since 1980, coordinated by the CCE (Coordination Centre for Effects, RIVM, Bilthoven, the Netherlands) (M.Posch-J.P.Hettelingh, 2005). The programme offered for all participating parties of the convention a harmonised, jointly developed methodology the so called critical load calculating, modelling and mapping. The method is used in the integrated assessment (IA) modelling since the 2 Sulphur Protocol (Oslo, 1994) very successfully almost for 1.2 million different ecosystem types at a scale of 50km x 50km EMEP grid. The present work of the WG contributes to the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) EU programme successful implementation. The ICP M&M has updated CL for several transboundary HM (Cd, Pb, Hg) air pollutants as well, which can be applied by National Focal Centres (NFC) in member states, comparing them with the actual deposition of HM. The last two years the responsible Ministry for Environment and Water did not have sufficient resources to continue subsidizing the work of the Hungarian NFC, so the results presented are building on the existing data and on the results of the Hungarian Meterological Service.