By applying the methodology “Industrial Pollution Projection System” (IPPS), developed by the World Bank, IBGE has identified, for the first time, the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro ...

By applying the methodology “Industrial Pollution Projection System” (IPPS), developed by the World Bank, IBGE has identified, for the first time, the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro which have the highest potential air pollutant emission of industry and observed what types of industries are more expected to cause air pollution.  

Results indicate that few industrial segments – petroleum refining, non-metallic minerals and metallurgy – concentrate most of the potential  pollutant emission and that, in these segments, a reduced number of producing units account for almost all the polluting potential. Air pollution potential of industry is also concentrated in few municipalities: Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias and Volta Redonda, in terms of sulphur dioxide (SO₂), emission, and Rio de Janeiro, Volta Redonda and Cantagalo, in terms of fine particles (PM10), substances which cause damage to respiratory health and to the environment. By adding the potentials for the two types of pollutants, Rio de Janeiro and Volta Redonda lead the ranking. This means that the highest air pollution potentials of industry are those of the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro and medium Paraíba do Sul. The identification of the location and concentration of potential pollution can facilitate its monitoring and control by environmental organizations.

All the data herein refer to 2003. In that year were identified in Rio de Janeiro, according to IBGE’s Central Register of Enterprises (Cempre) and Annual Survey of Industry (PIA), 21,891 local producing units related to manufacturing industry, which form the survey universe. The total emission potential of industry was calculated based on the number of workers and on the profile of these industries.

Among the pollutants investigated, SO₂ has the highest emission potential of industry in the state (83,115 tons a year). It is a gas originated by the burning of fossil fuels, especially in industry, and it is associated to respiratory problems and the formation of acid rain.

PM10 comes in the second position (19,191 t/year) in the ranking of emission potential in the state. They are very fine solid or liquid particles produced by the burning of heavy fuels, used in industrial processes and in diesel vehicles which, when highly concentrated, cause harm to the respiratory system.

The table below shows the results for polluting potential for the group of industries of the state of Rio de Janeiro, for all the pollutants investigated¹.

In relation to SO₂, metallurgy is the division of highest emission potential in the state (31%). The division of non-metallic minerals (industries of ceramic, cement, glass, concrete and plaster products) is the main responsible for the potential emission in the state). This concentration in few industrial segments is similar with reference to other pollutants: non-metallic minerals is the main division of potential emission of PM10, PT and NO_2.  In relation to other substances, the main groups are metallurgy (SO₂, CO and toxic metals in the air), petroleum refining (VOC) and chemicals (toxic substances in the air).

Within these industrial segments, few local units (ULs) account for almost all potential emissions. For example, nine ULs of non-metallic minerals make up 60% of the potential emission of PM10 and six ULs of metallurgy make up 63% of the potential emissions of SO_2.

Municipality of Rio de Janeiro has highest polluting potential by SO₂

In relation to SO₂, specifically, the municipality of Rio de Janeiro is the one which has the highest emission potential in the state, with 31% of the total, being equivalent to 25,570 t/year. In the capital, metallurgy is the main emitter of de SO₂, with 33% of the municipal potential; chemical industry is in the second position, with 18%. Together both segments make up almost half (51%) of the polluting potential by SO₂ in the municipality and encompass only 8.5% of industries from the city. In metallurgy, the emission of comes mainly from the burning of fossil fuels. Considering chemicals, the biggest source is petrochemical industry.

Duque de Caxias has the second highest emission potential of SO₂ in the state: 17,960 t/year or 22% of the total. In the municipality, the division of petroleum refining is the main one concerning the emission potential of SO₂ (76%). Chemicals, with 9% of the municipal polluting potential, come next.

Among the ten municipalities in the state with highest participation in the potential generation of SO₂, half is located in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro (1^st position), Duque de Caxias (2^nd), São Gonçalo (8^th, with 1,419 t/year), Nova Iguaçu (9^th, with 1,374 t/year) and Guapimirim (10^th, with 1,356 t/year).

In this area, five industrial segments contribute with the highest emission potentials of this pollutant, in the following order: metallurgy, petroleum refining, chemicals, non-metallic minerals and cellulose and paper. In Duque de Caxias and Guapimirim, for example, a single industrial segment represents almost 80% of the emission potential of SO₂: petroleum refining and cellulose and paper, respectively.

In each of the municipalities in the medium Paraíba do Sul valley, which feature among the tem municipalities with the highest polluting potential by SO₂ - Volta Redonda (3 ^rd position, with 10,646 t/year), Barra Mansa (5^th, com 3,870 t/year) and Barra do Piraí (6^th, with 2,457 t/year) -, metallurgy accounts for over 70% of the potential emissions. These three municipalities account, together, for 21% of the emission potential of SO₂ in the state.

Industry of non-metallic minerals is the main potential emitter of particles (PM10)

In relation to PM10, the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, with 25% of the total for the state (or 4,844 t/year), also has the highest emission potential. The industrial division of non-metallic minerals, with 357 local units, is the main potential emitter, accounting for 54% of the PM10 in the municipality.

In the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu (3%), Duque de Caxias (3%) and Itaboraí (2%) also feature among the tem municipalities in the state with the highest emission potentials of PM10 of industry, in the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th position in the ranking, respectively.

Volta Redonda (21%), Barra Mansa (6%) and Barra do Piraí (4%) are, respectively, in the 2^nd, 4^th and 5^th positions. In each one of these municipalities, metallurgy industry accounted for over 50% of the polluting potential of PM10.

In Cantagalo, which features in the 3rd position of PM10, emissions come exclusively from the division of non-metallic minerals, involving only five segments. This municipality, located in the mountain area of the state, is important because of its cement manufacturing.

Rio de Janeiro, Volta Redonda and Cantagalo account, together, for 64% of the emission potential of PM10 of industry in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Non-metallic minerals, in the three municipalities, and metallurgy, in Rio de Janeiro and in Volta Redonda, are the segments which most contribute to this polluting potential.

There are two areas in the state with high potential emission of PM10 of industry: the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu, Duque de Caxias and Itaboraí), with 33% of potential emission, and the area of medium Paraíba (Volta Redonda, Barra Mansa and Barra do Piraí) with 31%.

In both of them, results indicate that a small number of spatially concentrated industry units are responsible for most of the emission potential of this pollutant to the atmosphere. Among the industrial segments with highest emission potential are metallurgy and non-metallic minerals industries.

It is worth mentioning that the municipalities with high emission potentials de SO₂ and PM10 require special attention in terms of health conditions of the population.

See in the following tables the complete ranking of municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro in decreasing order of the emission potential of SO₂ and PM10. In the municipalities in which there were the same figures in the general classification by types (sum of PM10 and SO₂), the criteria used was the positioning in first place of the one with the highest polluting potential of PM10, since it is considered more critical than SO₂ in relation to respiratory illnesses among the population aged 60 year and over.

Classification of municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro – Polluting Potential by pollutants PM10 and SO₂, according to the IPPS methodology

(*) Sources: Baseado no cadastro do IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Cadastro Central de Empresas 2003; IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Indústria, Pesquisa Industrial Anual 2003 – Empresa, e na publicação do Banco Mundial, The Industrial Pollution Projection System. World Bank. Washington D. C. (HETTIGE et al., 1995).