Daniela Romano, Marina Vitullo
The indicator represents the trend of national emissions of persistent organic compounds by sector of origin, from 1990 to 2023. The objective of achieving emission values lower than those of 1990 was achieved both for PAHs (-32%) and for dioxins and furans (-44%), albeit with different trends.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins and furans are organic compounds deriving from energy production activities, thermal plants and industrial processes. Other minor emission sources are traffic and the incineration of organic waste. PAHs are also released into the atmosphere from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and the activity of certain species of microorganisms. These groups of substances are relevant to health due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment (they give rise to bioaccumulation phenomena) and, as carcinogenic agents of varying intensity, are classified by IARC as: the 2,3,7,8 Tetra-chloro-dibenzo-para-dioxin as a known human carcinogen, PAHs as probable carcinogens, and dioxins and furans as possible carcinogens.
The purpose is to estimate the total national emissions and their disaggregation by production process of PAHs, dioxins and furans, that makes it possible to assess the emission trend during the period under consideration and to compare it with the objective established by the Aarhus Protocol.
The Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (1998), within the Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979), specifies as an objective the reduction of emissions of dioxins, furans and PAHs below the levels achieved in 1990 (or, alternatively, every other year between 1985 and 1995).
ISPRA, 2025. Italian Emission Inventory 1990-2023. Information Inventory Report 2025
ISPRA, Pantaleoni M., Taurino E., De Lauretis R.. Atmospheric emissions of PCBs and HCBs in Italy from 1990 to 2006, 2008.
R. De Lauretis, Dioxin and furan Italian national and local emission inventories, in “Dioxin'99, 19th International Symposium”, vol.41 pp 487-490, Venice, 1999
Pastorelli G., De Lauretis R., De Stefanis P., Fanelli. R, Martines C., Morselli L., Pistone L., Viviano G., Development of emission factors from municipal waste incinerators in Lombardy and their application to the national inventory of dioxins, on Environmental Engineering YEAR XXX N.1 January 2001, 2001
ISPRA
Used ISPRA data from the National Inventory of Atmospheric Emissions (http://emissioni. sina. isprambiente. it/interno-nazionale/).
National, Regional
1990 - 2023
Estimate carried out within the framework of the preparation of the national atmospheric emission inventory. As regards PAHs, the unit of measurement is the tonne (t). For dioxins and furans, emissions are reported in grams of toxic equivalent according to I-Teq toxicity classification (g I-Teq). For atmospheric pollutants, the methodology used is that indicated by the European Environment Agency (EMEP/EEA Guidebook – 2019). For a detailed description of the estimation methodology, reference is made to the Informative Inventory Report – IIR 2025 (https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/rapporti/; https://www.ceip.at/status-of-reporting-and-review-results/2025-submission). To ensure consistency and compatibility of the inventory, the annual update of emissions involves the revision of the entire time series on the basis of more complete information and the most recent methodological developments.
The emission values of PAHs stand at 61 t in 2023, while for dioxins and furans a level of 297 gI-Teq is observed. In 1990 the emission levels were equal to 90 t for PAHs and 529 gI-Teq for dioxins and furans. The objective set by the Aarhus Protocol, reducing emissions of dioxins, furans and PAHs below the levels achieved in 1990, was achieved by both substances (Tables 1 and 2).
Emissions of PAHs and dioxins and furans, from 1990 to 2023, are reduced by 32% and 44% respectively, thus outlining a positive trend (Tables 1, 2 and Figure 1).
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Table 1: PAH – Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons emissions by sector Data source
ISPRA Data legend
A: Combustion – energy and transformation industry; B: Non-industrial combustion; C: Industrial combustion; D: Production processes; F: Solvent use; Note
Emission values have been updated consistently with the annual update of the national emission inventory. |
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Table 2: Dioxin and Furan emissions by sector Data source
ISPRA Data legend
A: Combustion – energy and transformation industry; B: Non-industrial combustion; C: Industrial combustion; D: Production processes; F: Solvent use; Note
Emission values have been updated consistently with the annual update of the national emission inventory. |
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Figure 1: Trend of national emissions of persistent organic compounds indexed to 1990 Data source
ISPRA Note
Emission values have been updated consistently with the annual update of the national emission inventory. |
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Table 3: Regional air emissions of organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs, dioxins and furans) Data source
ISPRA Data legend
a Emissions from offshore point sources, such as vessel cruising phases or activities related to the extraction of liquid or gaseous fuels. Note
Regional data, referring to the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2023, were disaggregated using a top-down methodology based on the data reported in the national inventory submitted in 2025, through ad hoc proxy variables specific to each inventory activity. International aviation emissions and emissions from LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry), in particular those from fires, are excluded. These selections explain the differences between the sum of regional data and national totals for the various pollutants. |
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Figura 2: Emissioni regionali IPA (2023) Data source
ISPRA
Note
I dati regionali, riferiti al 2023, sono stati disaggregati mediante metodologia di tipo top – down a partire dai dati riportati nell’inventario nazionale comunicato nel 2025, mediante variabili proxy ad hoc, specifiche per ogni attività dell’inventario |
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Figure 3: Regional emissions of dioxins and furans (2023) Data source
ISPRA Note
Regional data for 2023 were disaggregated using a top-down methodology based on the data reported in the national inventory submitted in 2025, through ad hoc proxy variables specific to each inventory activity. |
Regarding dioxin and furan emissions, since 1990 there has been a general decrease across all sectors except for production processes (+20%) (Table 2). In 2023, dioxin and furan emissions derive: 32.5% from non-industrial combustion processes, 27.1% from production processes, 17.2% from the waste sector, 19.3% from industrial combustion processes, and smaller shares from road transport (2.2%) and energy production combustion processes (1%). A marked decrease is observed between 1995 and 2002 and between 2008 and 2011 due to the use of abatement technologies in the main national steel production industry (Table 2, Figure 1). PAH emissions show in 2023 an overall reduction compared to 1990 equal to 32%. In detail, a fairly constant trend is observed from 1990 to 1999, followed by a sharp drop between 1999 and 2000 and a recovery starting from 2005. The sharp decrease occurring between 1999–2000 is mainly due to technological improvements in production processes (steelworks), which saw their emissions reduced overall by 86% during the period 1990–2023. Conversely, emissions from the non-industrial combustion sector grew significantly during the period under examination (+54%), accentuated by the substantial increase in firewood consumption for heating purposes. These two sectors account in 2023 for 11.4% and 80% respectively of total PAH emissions (Table 1, Figure 1).
Analyzing the regional detail, it can be seen that in 2023 the largest share of both PAH emissions (7.2 t) and dioxins and furans (83.5 g I-Teq) originated from Lombardy (Table 2, Figures 2 and 3).