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- Vanadium
Pollutant Information: Vanadium
About Vanadium
Category: Heavy metals and base cations
Acute exposure to vanadium by inhalation can cause irritation to the respiratory tract. Chronic exposure may lead to pneumonia.
Emissions data are rather limited so the estimates are uncertain. Estimated emissions have declined by 49% since 1990. Petroleum based fuels (DERV, fuel oil, gas oil and petroleum coke) are the main source of vanadium and contributed 90% of the total vanadium emissions in 2021. Use of diesel (DERV) by road transport accounted for 54% of UK emissions and vanadium is one of the few metals where road fuel use is a major source. Emissions from road transport have more than doubled since 1990 due to the increasing use of diesel. The reduction in emissions with time reflects the decline in the use of fuel oils by the electricity supply industry, industry in general and the domestic sector; decreases here have more than offset the increases in emissions from road transport.
» View and Download Vanadium emission summary data
Time series graph
Notable events
| Start year | End year | Sector | Information | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1985 | Public Electricity and Heat Production | Miners strike resulting in a reduction in the consumption of coal and an increase in the consumption of alternative fuels in power stations for that year. | Decrease in emissions |