Coal Power Plants Increase Particulate Pollution and Mortality, Study Finds

A new study led by George Mason University has found that exposure to fine particulate air pollutants from coal-fired power plants (coal PM2.5) is associated with a risk of mortality more than double that of exposure to PM2.5 from other sources.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, analyzed data from 2000 to 2016 and estimated the excess mortality attributable to coal PM2.5 in 21 countries.

Coal PM2.5 poses a serious threat to human health

(Photo : SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)

PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, is one of the most harmful air pollutants, as it can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing various health problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to PM2.5 is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths and result in the loss of millions more healthy years of life every year.

However, not all PM2.5 sources are equally toxic.

The new study found that coal PM2.5, which is mainly composed of sulfates, nitrates, and black carbon, has a much higher mortality risk than PM2.5 from other sources, such as biomass burning, dust, and traffic.

The study estimated that coal PM2.5 was responsible for 8.7% of the total mortality in the 21 countries, compared to 4.1% for non-coal PM2.5.

This means that coal PM2.5 killed about 1.05 million people in 2016, while non-coal PM2.5 killed about 0.51 million people.

The study also found that the mortality risk from coal PM2.5 varied significantly across countries, depending on the level of exposure and the population size.

China, India, and the United States had the highest number of deaths from coal PM2.5, accounting for 77% of the total.

However, some countries, such as Poland, Bulgaria, and South Africa, had the highest mortality rates from coal PM2.5, exceeding 100 deaths per 100,000 people.

Also Read: The Countryside Areas of India Suffer from Heavy Air Pollution, Particularly PM2.5

Reducing coal pollution can save lives and mitigate climate change

The study's findings highlighted the urgent need to reduce coal pollution, which not only harms human health but also contributes to climate change.

Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, and its combustion emits large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global warming.

Coal also emits other pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and mercury, that can cause acid rain and damage ecosystems.

The study's authors suggested that phasing out coal power plants and replacing them with cleaner energy sources, such as wind and solar, can have multiple benefits for health and the environment.

They estimated that if coal PM2.5 exposure was eliminated, the total mortality in the 21 countries would decrease by 8.6%, and the life expectancy would increase by 0.97 years.

Moreover, reducing coal emissions would also help achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

The study's findings are consistent with previous research that has shown the detrimental effects of fossil fuel pollution on human health and climate change.

A study published in February 2021 by Harvard University and other institutions found that more than 8 million people died in 2018 from fossil fuel pollution, meaning that air pollution from burning fossil fuels like coal and diesel was responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide.

Another study published in November 2021 by the University of Birmingham and other institutions found that US coal power plants killed at least 460,000 people in the past 20 years, and that pollution caused twice as many premature deaths as previously thought.