Releases from Diffuse Sources to Air

This section provides a close-up picture of air pollution from various sources such as road transport, shipping, aviation, domestic heating, agriculture and small business (diffuse emissions). Pollution from diffuse sources occurs over large areas from often indistinct elements. Although the large numbers of houses and vehicles in cities represent many point sources, they collectively represent a large, diffuse source of pollution.

The data presented are derived from a range of different sources and data collection processes. The emission data are based on datasets officially reported by countries to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The methodology is described in a report and results are summarised in a dissemination document.

What do the maps show?

The maps enable citizens to locate releases of air pollutants, allowing them to zoom in on their own neighbourhood. This includes emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulphur oxides (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM10). The maps complement existing data on emissions from individual industrial plants from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR).