The concept of industrial metabolism is introduced as an analytical framework for many diffuse sources of pollution for which 'end of pipe' control will not work and pollution prevention at the source is required. The concept is applied to pollution in the Rhine Basin which ends up in The Netherlands Delta and the North Sea, where the character of the pollutants changes over time. Cadmium, lead and zinc pollution from point sources, traffic, corrosion and atmospheric deposition are considered. Calculations cover the period from 1950 to 2010. In this study strongly urbanized paved and unpaved areas are distinguished based on their transport of pollutants to surface waters.
KEY WORDS Industrial metabolism Rhine Basin Rhine Delta Diffuse and point sources
INDUSTRIAL METABOLISM
The concept of industrial metabolism is a new analytical framework for assessing environmental problems. It recognizes the fact that effective strategies for the reduction of pollution must consider all the processes by which an industrial society, like a living body, takes in substances, uses them, and then disposes of them.
Toxic substances are ubiquitous in industrial societies. Recent studies indicate that the main sources of pollution are shifting from industry and production processes to the use and disposal of consumer and commercial goods. Fuels, agrochemicals, solvents and cleaning agents, chemical additives, pharmaceuticals, paints and other surface coatings, construction materials and many non-ferrous metal products all emit toxic metals during normal use. Traditional, 'end of pipe' control strategies will not work for these diffuse emissions. Instead, the focus must shift from pollution control to pollution prevention, reducing the formation of pollutants at the source. The concept of industrial metabolism stresses the need for a unified, comprehensive view of production and its effect on the environment. It entails a systematic analysis of all sources of a given material, its pathways through the industrial economy, and the mechanisms by which it is transformed into outputs to be adsorbed and processed by the environment.
Only a handful of industrial metabolism studies have been undertaken thus far. The IIASA's Rhine Basin Study, perhaps the most extensive to date, appears to confirm the effectiveness of the approach. Studies of industrial metabolism provide a context within which policies can be assessed. They face important gaps in information and are useful in setting priorities for a range of policy options. By presenting an overall view they help planners to avoid the costly mistakes that can arise from policies based on too narrow an assessment of the sources and flows of toxic materials.