Platinum group elements in the environment - anthropogenic impact - Anthropogenic platinum fluxes: Quantification of sources and sinks, and outlook

Employing the data available to date, anthropogenic PI fluxes are calculate d for Germany with special emphasis on the Pt emitted by cars equipped with catalytic converters. Pt fluxes are quantified using five different method s (street deposition, automobile emission rate, sewage sludges, atmospheric load, industrial consumption). During the first and the second methods, ap prox. 100 kg of emitted Pt are seen to result fur both for the mid 1990's. Up to the year 2018, a total of 2100 kg of Pt will be emitted by cars equip ped with catalytic converters. The diffuse atmospheric Pt deposition amount s to 0.73 - 4.4 mu g/m(2)y or 260 kg Pt/year. Industrial sources emitting P t into the atmosphere are likely but difficult to quantify. The enrichment of Pr in soils during agriculture fertilization with sewage sludges and dur ing diffuse atmospheric deposition result in a level of 46 - 460 ng/kg up t o the year 2018. Although this is slightly below the geogenic background, a comparison with the pollution history of Pb implies that forthcoming envir onmental Pt enrichment should nor be neglected.