Societal drivers that lead to the spread of hazardous substances
The main drivers in human activities leading to contamination from hazardous substances are power production, long-range transport and legacy contamination in sediments.
The main driver for the input of most legacy hazardous substances except radionuclides is power production using non-renewable resources, not only in Western Europe but also from the long-range transportation of emissions from China, India and Russia, particularly from coal burning. The focus is now shifting to chemicals for domestic use and waste products from other sectors and industrial production, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Local drivers such as industries and wastewater from major cities, and consumer products, can influence locally, but there are also hotspots of historic pollution, buried in sediments and released during storm events, dredging operations and shipping, which can have a major influence on shipping lanes and harbours. Land use and agriculture can have a more general impact, either via run-off or directly from aquaculture.
All social and economic drivers have the potential to influence levels of hazardous substances in the marine environment. Chemicals are integral to all aspects of society, including the production and processing of food, health and welfare, energy, materials, industrial processes and trade and movement of goods.
Agriculture, aquaculture, energy production and many materials and processes are dependent on chemicals. The production of goods and the associated chemical use contributes to stable economies. Growing global populations increase the demand for food, which is met by agriculture, aquaculture and fishing. Aquaculture and agricultural run-off can introduce contaminants into the marine environment (further information in the human activities thematic assessment ).
Growing populations also increase the demand for housing and utilities, in turn increasing the demand for materials and their processing. The manufacturing and processing of goods can introduce pollutants into the marine environment. The shipment of goods by sea and navigational dredging in support of shipping can each contribute to the input or release of hazardous substances into the marine environment. Combustion activities to produce energy and the manufacture, installation and operation of infrastructure, including oil and gas production facilities, for example in the North Sea, can also release hazardous substances into the marine environment. The movement of ships at sea can contribute to the input of hazardous substances (e.g., PAH and heavy metal emissions from scrubbers); oil spills and the testing and historic deposits of munitions can input a range of hazardous substances.
Society benefits from chemicals but can be adversely affected by hazardous substances. The measures to protect society include processes to control their safe manufacture, transportation, use and disposal. Policy responses for managing hazardous substances need to consider all these driving forces so as to reduce inputs, reduce the risks associated with chemical pollutants and facilitate societal change.