Heavy-metal emissions from coal combustion in Southwestern Poland

Atmospheric As, Cd, Pb, and Zn emissions from coal combustion in the Upper Oder River Basin (Poland) have been estimated for the period 1989–1992. The main power and heating plants achieved reductions of more than 40% while energy production remained unchanged. Power plants equipped with stoker-fired boilers or incorporated in industrial plants were relatively heavy polluters per unit of output energy. The largest sources of metals emissions were individual stoves.