Emission of Heavy Metals from Anthropogenic and Natural Sources into the Environment and How to Control them

Abstract
Emission of heary metals into the environment from anthropogenic and natural sources has been summarized using data of the pilot survey on Pollutants Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) in Japan and from a voluntary survey carried out by the Japan Business Federation. Global Assessment of Heavy Metals Emission was earlier reviewed by Nriagu et al.(Nature, 333, 134-139 (1988)). We estimated emission factors of heavy metals into air from municipal solid waste incinerators and total emission in Japan at large. It is extremely important that their usage as raw material is reduced and an appropriate evaluation is performed on the effect of such reduction. For the control of heavy metals, the PRTR regulation gives us basic data of emission from economic activities and individual people. It is also necessary to prepare an inventory of heavy metals emission into the environment with a more precise estimation of emission factors by their actual determination.

Key words: heavy metals, PRTR, environmental emission, emission factor, inventory municipal solid waste incineration