Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) Emission Summary 1985-2007

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a rapidly diffusing reactive gas that is quite soluble in water. It is emitted principally from combustion or processing of sulfur containing fossil fuels and ores. SO₂ occurs in the atmosphere with a variety of particles and other gases, and undergoes chemical and physical interactions with them forming sulfates and other transformation products.

At elevated concentrations, SO₂ can adversely affect human health, vegetation, materials, economic values, and personal comfort and well-being. SO₂ and its transformation products also are a major component of pollution related acidic deposition and visibility degradation is a criteria pollutant, and has a national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) (exit DNR) . For more information please read the USEPA staff paper (exit DNR) on SO₂.

A graph shows the number of stationary sources reporting sulfur dioxide emissions from 1985-2007.

The graph above shows the reported actual amount of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emitted from stationary air pollution sources from 1985-2007 in the State of Wisconsin. A similar graph shows how the actual tonnage of reported sulfur dioxide from stationary sources from 1985-2007 . The graph shows reported SO₂ emissions ranged from approximately 495,000 tons in 1985 to 203,550 tons in 2007.

The SO₂ air emissions as reported from 1985-2007 were analyzed, sorted into Source Industrial Classification (SIC) code categories. SIC codes are four digit numbers assigned to each company supplying a general description of the products manufactured or sold by the company. A pie chart of the major industrial source categories showing the contribution the major source categories emitting SO₂ for that year can be seen by choosing any of the following years:

With the exception of Menominee County, all Wisconsin counties reported SO₂ emissions from 1985-2007 which are avaiable in an Excel spreadsheet (XLS, 30KB). This information was sorted in alphabetical order by county. This information does not include emissions from portable sources (i.e. rock crushers, hot mix asphalt plants.)

This information is also available by city in an Excel Spreadsheet (XLS, 130KB). This information was sorted first, alphabetically by county, and second, alphabetically by municipality in that county. This information does not include emissions from portable sources (i.e. rock crushers, hot mix asphalt plants.)

Information on each reporting facility's actual 2007 SO₂ emissions are also available in an Excel Spreadsheet (XLS, 255KB). This information was sorted according to facility identification number.

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