Coal Pollution: Deteriorating Our Atmosphere?

Coal is a carbon-rich black rock that releases energy when burned and has been a reliable energy source for the US. However, burning coal releases airborne toxins and pollutants, including mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and various other heavy metals. These emissions contribute to air pollution, water pollution, and global warming, causing severe environmental and public health impacts. The health consequences of coal pollution range from asthma and breathing difficulties to brain damage, heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders, and even premature death. Therefore, the question of whether coal pollution deteriorates our atmosphere is a pressing and complex issue that requires careful consideration of the evidence.

Coal combustion releases airborne toxins and pollutants

Coal is a carbon-rich black rock formed over thousands of years through heat and pressure. When burned, the carbon molecules break down, releasing energy. However, this process also produces harmful environmental impacts and pollutants that damage public health.

• Mercury, a toxic heavy metal that can damage the nervous, digestive, and immune systems. Coal plants are responsible for 42% of mercury emissions in the US.
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2), which combines with other molecules to form acidic particulates that penetrate human lungs, causing asthma, bronchitis, and more.
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are visible as smog and irritate lung tissue, exacerbating asthma and other respiratory diseases.
• Particulate matter, or "soot," which is linked to chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, cardiovascular issues, and premature death.
• Other heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which are highly toxic and can cause cancer and other severe health issues.

These emissions contribute to air pollution and have significant impacts on human health and the environment, including increased asthma, breathing difficulties, brain damage, heart problems, and premature death.

Coal-fired power plants are linked to asthma, cancer, and heart ailments

Coal-fired power plants emit a range of harmful pollutants, including mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These pollutants have been linked to a host of respiratory and cardiovascular issues, including asthma, bronchitis, and heart ailments.

Asthma

The link between coal-fired power plants and asthma is well-established. Studies have shown that people living near these plants experience higher rates of asthma and more frequent asthma attacks. When coal plants decrease pollution levels or shut down, there is a corresponding decrease in asthma attacks, as evidenced by reduced inhaler use, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. This association is particularly pronounced in the case of sulfur dioxide emissions.

Cancer

Coal-fired power plants release toxic heavy metals and pollutants such as mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Arsenic, for example, causes cancer in one out of 100 people who consume water containing 50 parts per billion of arsenic.

Heart Ailments

The particulate matter, or soot, released from coal-fired power plants has been associated with cardiovascular issues, including heart attacks and increased stress on individuals with heart disease. Additionally, carbon monoxide emissions from these plants can cause headaches and further stress for those with heart ailments.

Coal mining changes the landscape and harms aquatic wildlife

Coal mining has a profound impact on the environment, causing long-lasting changes to the landscape and inflicting harm on aquatic wildlife.

Surface mining, for example, involves clearing forests and stripping away the earth to access coal deposits. This practice leaves behind desolate lands incapable of supporting wildlife. The removal of vegetation accelerates erosion, as the loose topsoil is easily washed away by precipitation, clogging nearby waterways and disrupting their natural flow. This process, known as valley fill, has led to the burial of over 2,000 miles of headwater streams, resulting in critical losses of wildlife habitat, clean water sources, and natural benefits such as nutrient regulation and flood control.

Mountaintop removal is an extremely destructive form of surface coal mining. Explosives are used to blast off the mountaintop, removing up to 600 feet or more of elevation. The excess rock and soil are then dumped into adjacent river valleys, creating valley fills that have severe and long-lasting impacts on water quality. According to a report by the EPA, the water quality degradation from mountaintop mines can reach levels that are fatally toxic to wildlife, with increased salinity and metal concentrations that endanger sensitive organisms such as salamanders and certain fish species.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is another significant issue in coal mining areas. AMD occurs when water reacts with sulfur-bearing minerals in rocks, resulting in highly acidic water containing toxic heavy metals. This acidic water poses a severe threat to aquatic life and renders affected waterways unusable for drinking and recreation.

The effects of coal mining extend beyond the immediate landscape and aquatic ecosystems. Clearing forests for surface mining can fragment critical wildlife habitats, displacing or killing species. The loss of headwater streams, which provide refuge for diverse aquatic life, has cascading effects throughout the entire river ecosystem.

A study by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found that coal mining has significantly reduced the abundance and variety of fish, invertebrates, salamanders, and other aquatic life in streams. The study also highlighted the potential impact on humans, including public health outcomes and recreational activities such as fishing and hunting.

The environmental challenges posed by coal mining include not only pollution but also landscape changes. While restoration measures can be implemented to address these changes, the ecosystem disruptions caused by coal mining often have irreversible effects, and the impacts can persist even after restoration efforts.

Coal ash contaminates waterways and drinking water supplies

Coal ash is the grey powder-like substance that remains after coal is burned. It contains concentrated amounts of toxic elements, including arsenic, lead, and mercury. In the US, coal-fired power plants produce over 100 million tons of coal ash and other waste products every year. About a third of that waste is reused (often in concrete), and the rest is stored in landfills, abandoned mines, and hazardous ponds.

Most coal ash is stored in unlined ponds or pits, and over time, the heavy metals in the ash can escape into nearby waterways and contaminate drinking water supplies. In 2014, 39,000 tons of coal ash spilled into the Dan River in North Carolina, and six years earlier, more than five million cubic yards of coal ash spilled into Tennessee's Emory River—one of the country's largest environmental disasters.

According to industry data, 94% of coal ash ponds in the US are unlined, and almost all of them are contaminating groundwater with toxins above safe levels. Coal ash contains a hazardous mix of toxic pollutants, including arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, lead, radium, selenium, and more. Exposure to coal ash is linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart damage, reproductive issues, neurological disorders, and other severe health conditions.

In addition to contaminating groundwater, coal ash can also impact surface water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. A map by Earthjustice identified 101 coal plants with toxic coal ash ponds located in or dangerously close to vital water sources. These plants have contaminated groundwater with heavy metals and other toxins from burning coal. The toxins in coal ash have been detected in private drinking water wells, posing a significant risk to human health.

The issue of coal ash contamination is not limited to groundwater; it has also been found in residential drinking water wells. The Town of Pines in Indiana is a notable example, where a leaking landfill and coal ash used as "fill" led to widespread drinking water contamination. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the town as a Superfund site in 2001.

Coal is a major contributor to global warming

Of these emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas produced from burning coal. CO2 is a heat-trapping gas that, when released into the atmosphere, acts like a blanket, warming the Earth's surface. The warming effect of CO2 is long-lasting, remaining in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. Methane (CH4), which is often found in coal-forming areas and released during mining activities, is even more potent than CO2 at trapping heat, being 34 times stronger over a 100-year period.

In addition to CO2, coal power plants also emit fine particles called aerosols, specifically black carbon (soot) and sulfates. While soot contributes to warming, sulfates have a cooling effect by forming clouds that reflect the sun's heat away from the Earth. However, the cooling effect of sulfates is short-lived compared to the long-lasting impact of CO2. Therefore, while reducing coal power may lead to an initial temperature increase due to the loss of the cooling effect, overall temperatures will cool down over time as CO2 emissions decrease.

The consequences of global warming driven by coal and other fossil fuel emissions are severe and far-reaching. These include rising temperatures, accelerating sea level rise, drought, heat waves, heavy rainfall, intensified storms, and species loss. Climate change poses risks to human health, livelihoods, and ecosystems, with the potential for profound human and ecological disruption if left unchecked.

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