Pollutants generated by cement production in China, their impacts, and the potential for environmental improvement

A hybrid life-cycle assessment method was performed on national and provincial statistics to study pollutants generated by the cement industry in China, the impacts of these pollutants, and the potential for environmental improvement. Results showed that the key factors that contribute to overall environmental burden are the direct emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x), particulates, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, as well as the use of coal during cement production. The amounts of CO₂, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), NO_x, and particulates generated by the cement industry in China in 2009 were approximately 1.11 billion, 0.53 million, 2.10 million, and 3.60 million tons respectively, which accounted for approximately 14.8%, 2.4%, 12.3%, and 26.2% of the national CO₂, SO₂, NO_x, and particulate emissions, respectively. Effective approaches to reduce the environmental impacts of the cement industry include optimizing the industrial structure in cement production, improving consumption efficiency of energy and raw materials in cement production, using industrial waste and by-products instead of limestone, decreasing cement export, and promoting electricity recovery technologies in the cement industry.