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Health hazards due to heavy metals High mercury emissions from German power plants
According to the results of a new study, all German coal-fired power plants would have to be taken off the grid if stricter mercury limits were to apply. In particular, lignite miners emit huge amounts of health-endangering heavy metal. The Greens are campaigning for stricter limits.
High mercury emissions from German power plants
Planned nuclear phase-out, sustainable electricity production from renewable energy sources, shining example in the global solar market: Germany's "green" reputation is frequently emphasized. In some areas, however, there are significant deficits. Germany's coal-fired power plants emit around seven tons of mercury every year. This emerges from a new report of the Hamburg Institute for Ecology and Politics (Ökopol) on behalf of the Greens parliamentary group. This is reported by various media, which the study claims to have submitted.
Many German coal-fired power plants emit significantly too much mercury. In the USA, they are unlikely to be operated on the available values. (Image: patila / fotolia.com) Harmful heavy metal
Mercury is one of the six most dangerous pollutants listed in the poison report of the Swiss environmental organization Green Cross and organization Pure Earth from New York. Especially for pregnant women and toddlers mercury represents a danger. For example, the heavy metal in unborn babies and toddlers can lead to brain damage. Among other things, poisoning with mercury can lead to kidney, liver and nerve damage in adults. In addition, the toxic heavy metal is suspected to increase the risk of heart attack and Alzheimer's disease. An increased cancer risk from mercury is also assumed.
Most of the emissions could be avoided
Germany, together with Greece and Poland, is the leader in the release of mercury in Europe. According to the Ökopol study, coal-fired power plants contribute the most to mercury emissions at 70 percent. Nevertheless, the largest amount of electricity in Germany is still produced in Kohlemeilern: According to "Spiegel Online" their share of the electricity supply is more than 40 percent. According to Welt am Sonntag (WamS), most of the emitted mercury emissions in 2013 came from the 16 lignite-fired power plants, the rest from the 37 coal-mining companies. "85 percent of mercury emissions could have been avoided by mercury-specific techniques," says study author Christian Tebert. According to a short study by the researcher Barbara Zeschmar-Lahl, the costs for companies would only be in the low single-digit million euro range, depending on the size of the power plant and the chosen technology, but so far the utility companies seem to have no reason to retrofit their power plants.
According to US guidelines, German oilers would have to close down
If in this country sharper guideline values would apply, the power plants would have to be switched off. Even in the US, significantly stricter mercury limits apply than in the EU and in Germany. Even after tightening the thresholds, which will come into force in 2019, they will be 2.5 to 6.7 times higher in the EU. "We urge the Union and SPD to finally introduce stricter limits as in the United States and Germany," said Green Vice-Premier Oliver Krischer of the WamS. And Peter Meiwald, spokesman for environmental policy of the Greens parliamentary group, said: "The US - truly no refuge of environmental protection - have stricter mercury limits than Germany: This is an indictment of the black-red government, here at the expense of human health and Nature does not act. "Only one of the 53 coal-fired power plants in Germany would currently comply with the US limit on mercury emissions, the researchers write. This is the now defunct Datteln power plant.
"Say goodbye to coal energy"
Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks (SPD) rejected the criticism. Compared to the "world", she said that Germany is one of the few countries in the world that has had mercury limits for a long time. "Germany has been campaigning for low EU limits, even against the reservations of our EU partners, who were not all willing to lower and monitor mercury emissions." Measures already taken have had an impact in recent years, Nonetheless, "further mitigation measures are needed," says Hendricks. "The mercury pollution must remain permanently low and be lowered further possible, in the air, in the soil and in the water." The quarrel over the mercury expulsion of power plants will have done anyway according to the Minister anyway. "If we want to meet our long-term climate goals, we have to say goodbye to coal energy," said the politician. "And with that, an important source of mercury disappears." (Ad)