The Effect of Emission from Coal Combustion in Nonindustrial Sources on Deposition of Sulfur and Oxidized Nitrogen in Poland

Poland has one of the largest sulfur and nitrogen emissions in Europe. This is mainly because coal is a main fuel in industrial and nonindustrial combustion. The aim of this paper is to assess the amount of sulfur and nitrogen deposited from SNAP sector O-2 (nonindustrial sources) coal combustion. To assess this issue, the Fine Resolution Atmospheric Multipollutant Exchange (FRAME) model was used. The results suggest that industrial combustion has the largest impact on deposition of oxidized sulfur, whereas the oxidized nitrogen national deposition budget is dominated by transboundary transport. The total mass of pollutants deposited in Poland, originating from nonindustrial coal combustion, is 45 Gg of sulfur and 2.5 Gg of nitrogen, which,is over 18% of oxidized sulfur and nearly 2% of oxidized nitrogen deposited. SNAP O-2 is responsible for up to 80% of dry-deposited sulfur and 11% of nitrogen. The contribution to wet deposition is largest in central Poland in the case of sulfur and in some areas can exceed 11%. For oxidized nitrogen, nonindustrial emissions contribute less than 1% over the whole area of Poland. The switch from coal to gas fuel in this sector will result in benefits in sulfur and nitrogen deposition reduction.