The Human Impacts Database

A collection of useful numbers for quantifying the impacts of the human presence on Earth.

Total anthropogenic SO2 emissions

Atmospheric & Biogeochemical CyclesAir pollution

This quantity comes from a time series measurement and the most recent value (2015) is reported.

Value:

This is equivalent to...

105 × (1 + 0.48)±1 Tg SO2 / yr

105 × (1 + 0.48)±1 Mt SO2 / yr
HuID: 34655
Relevant Year(s): 2015
Summary: Bottom-up estimate of anthropogenic SO2 global emissions. Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. People with asthma, particularly children, are sensitive to these effects of SO2. Typically, sulphur dioxide is emitted when fuels or other materials containing sulphur are combusted or oxidised. It is a pollutant that contributes to acid deposition, which, in turn, can lead to changes in soil and water quality. The subsequent impacts of acid deposition can be significant, including adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems in rivers and lakes and damage to forests, crops and other vegetation.
Method: The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) provides independent estimates of the global anthropogenic emissions and emission trends, based on publicly available statistics. This scientific independent emission inventory is characterized by a coherent world historical trend from 1970 to year x-3, including emissions of all greenhouse gases, air pollutants and aerosols. Data are presented for all countries, with emissions provided per main source category, and spatially allocated on a 0.1x0.1 grid over the globe. The uncertainty is taken from EDGARv4.3.2, Tables S4 of Crippa et al. (2018) for non-Annex I countries, with the fractional uncertainty for 2013-2015 taken equal to that of 2012. The uncertainty reported represents one standard deviation of the assumed lognormal distribution.
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) EDGAR v5.0 Global Air Pollutant Emissions. (2019)
Dataset: Bottom-up estimate of SO2 emissions (EDGARv5.0) (SO2_emissions_processed.csv)
global resolution
regional resolution
Trend:
Original Data License: JRC Open Data License
Added By: ilopezgo