Notable events
| Start year | End year | Sector | Information | Impact |
| 1984 | 1985 | Public Electricity and Heat Production | Miners strike resulting in a reduction in the consumption of coal and an increase in the consumption of alternative fuels in power stations for that year | Decrease in emissions |
Acute exposure to selenium by inhalation results in respiratory effects such as irritation to the mucous membranes, severe bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia.
Selenium emissions have declined by 88% since 1990. The majority of selenium emissions in earlier years were from coal-fired power stations in particular and coal combustion generally, but emissions from coal combustion have fallen by 98% since 1990 as coal use has declined. Coal remained a significant source in 2021, contributing 10% of UK emissions. In 2021, iron and steel production accounted for 9% of total emissions. The use of selenium by the glass industry is also a significant source – 15% of emissions in 1990 and also 15% in 2021, however the mass emitted has been reduced by 89% over that period by eliminating the use of selenium or control on particulate emissions from glass furnaces.