Emissions of oxygen-demanding substances by Industry in the Netherlands, 1975-2000
| 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1999 | 2000 | ||
| million inhabitant equivalents 1) | ||||||||
| Industry | 15.3 | 9.7 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 | |
| among which | food, drinks and tobacco | 9.9 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| textiles and clothes | 0.15 | 0.35 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.20 | 0.18 | 0.17 | |
| pulp, paper and cardboard products | 1.2 | 0.41 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.28 | |
| refineries and chemical industry | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.72 | |
| basic metals and metal products | 0.53 | 0.38 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.17 | |
| Source: CBS. | CBS/EDC/May03/0115 | |||||||
| 1) Until 1986, based on 180 g oxygen demand. Based on 136 g oxygen demand since 1986. | ||||||||
Developments
The fall in total corporate emissions of oxygen-demanding substances was achieved by expanding industrial treatment capacity and by measures in the production processes, primarily in the food, drinks and tobacco industry, and in the chemical industry.
Note on oxygen-demanding substances
Oxygen-demanding substances are all organic and inorganic pollutants found in wastewater that take oxygen from water as they are broken down. Excess discharges of these substances can seriously disrupt the oxygenation conditions of the surface water, leading to, for example, fish deaths.
The amount of oxygen-demanding substances is usually stated in inhabitant equivalents. An inhabitant equivalent corresponds to the oxygen demand of the pollutants in the wastewater that are discharged on average per day per person.
