Environmental accounts; emissions to water 1995 to 2014

Table explanation


This table contains information about the origin and destination of emissions to water of nutrients and heavy metals. These data are part of the environmental accounts. The origin of the emissions to water can be divided into the Dutch economy (disaggregated by private households and industries) and the rest of the world. The destination can be divided into absorption by producers, drain off emissions to the rest of the world and contribution to the environmental problem. The figures in this table can be compared in a consistent way to macro-economic indicators. Furthermore, water emission accounts indicators can be derived for the emissions of heavy metals into water and the eutrophication of surface waters. These indicators can be used for supporting water policy.

Data available from:1995 to 2014

Status of the figures:
Discontinued

Changes as of April 1, 2021
No changes

When will new figures be published?
This table has been discontinued as the calculation of the equivalent is open to discussion.

Description topics

Emissions to water, heavy metals
A group of metals with a high atomic weight, in particular metals with high toxicity, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, lead, nickel and zinc.
Chromic compounds like Cr
The sum of chromic compounds, measured as the total amount of chromium that is present in those compounds.
Copper compounds like Cu
The sum of copper compounds, measured as the total amount of copper that is present in those compounds.
Mercury compounds like Hg
The sum of mercury compounds, measured as the total amount of mercury that is present in those compounds.
Lead compounds like Pb
The sum of lead compounds, measured as the total amount of lead that is present in those compounds.
Nickel compounds like Ni
The sum of nickel compounds, measured as the total amount of nickel that is present in those compounds.
Zinc compounds like Zn
The sum of zinc compounds, measured as the total amount of zinc that is present in those compounds.
Emissions to water, nutrients
Nutrients that are necessary for the growth of crops and plants (such as phosphorus and nitrogen).
A too high concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen in the surface water is bad for the quality of the surface water.
Total nutrients (in equivalents)
Nutrients that are necessary for the growth of crops and plants (such as phosphorus and nitrogen)
The emissions of phosphorus and nitrogen are converted to nutrient-equivalents and then added up. In the conversion the harmfulness of the nutrients to the environment is taken into account. Phosphorus gets a heavier weight than nitrogen (factor 10)

A too high concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen in the surface water is bad for the quality of the surface water.
Phosphorus compounds like P
The total amount of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in waste water, measured as phosphorus (P). Phosphate is a compound of phosphorus with oxygen. Phosphorus compounds are nutrients and of vital importance for all organisms, because it is a nutrient for different proteins and for the skeleton.