Fossil Fuels: Pollution And Climate Change Culprits

Fossil fuels are a major cause of pollution, which has a detrimental impact on the environment and human health. Burning fossil fuels releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, including nitrogen oxides, benzene, formaldehyde, and soot. These pollutants contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, and can cause health issues such as asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death. Fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths globally, with communities of colour and low-income communities disproportionately affected. In addition to air pollution, fossil fuels also cause water pollution through oil spills and fracking fluids, and plastic pollution, with over 99% of plastics made from fossil fuels.

Air pollution from fossil fuels

Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of smog and acid rain. The presence of excess nitrogen in the atmosphere in the form of nitrogen oxides or ammonia is deposited back onto land, where it washes into nearby water bodies. These excess nutrients contribute to pollution, harmful algal blooms and oxygen-deprived aquatic zones. Excess ammonia and low pH in these areas are toxic to aquatic organisms and affect their survival.

Air pollution from burning fossil fuels can cause multiple health issues, including asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death. Globally, fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths. In the United States, 350,000 premature deaths in 2018 were attributed to fossil fuel-related pollution, with the highest number of deaths per capita in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The annual cost of the health impacts of fossil fuel-generated electricity in the United States is estimated to be up to $886.5 billion. The environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels disproportionately harm communities of colour and low-income communities.

Fossil fuels emit harmful air pollutants long before they’re burned. Indeed, according to a 2017 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, some 17.6 million Americans are exposed daily to toxic air pollution from active oil and gas wells and from transport and processing facilities. These include benzene (linked to childhood leukaemia and blood disorders) and formaldehyde (a cancer-causing chemical).

Burning coal, gasoline, and diesel produces significant quantities of PM 2.5, including soot, but fine particulate matter can also come from natural sources like dust, wildfires, volcanoes, and sea spray.

Water pollution from oil spills and fracking fluids

Fossil fuels cause air pollution, which can have a detrimental impact on human health. Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of smog and acid rain. This can cause asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death.

Water pollution is also caused by fossil fuels, specifically from oil spills and fracking fluids. Fracking uses water laced with sand and additives to shatter rock and release gas or oil. The process often draws water that has been trapped in the rocks to the surface, along with the fracking fluid. This water is contaminated with elements from underground, as well as the chemicals in the fracking fluid. If it can't be treated, it is disposed of by injecting it into wells that store it underground.

Fracking operations can strain and risk polluting water resources. A 2016 EPA analysis found that fracking operations can and do affect drinking water resources. The activities that pose the biggest threats include spills and leaks of fracking fluids, the injection of fluids into inadequately built wells, and poor wastewater management practices.

The oil and gas industry generates billions of gallons of wastewater each year, a potentially hazardous mixture of flowback (used fracking fluid), produced water, and other naturally occurring contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, toxic hydrocarbons, and radioactive materials. This wastewater can enter and contaminate the environment in many ways, such as during transport, storage, or treatment. Each fracking well uses between 1.5 million and 16 million gallons of water, and the resulting wastewater can be toxic, often containing substances like arsenic, lead, chlorine, and mercury that can contaminate groundwater and drinking water.

Years of research have shown how the fracking boom has contaminated groundwater in some areas. A study published in the journal Science suggests there is also a previously undocumented risk to surface water in streams, rivers, and lakes. After analyzing 11 years of data, researchers found a small but consistent increase in three salt compounds—barium, chloride, and strontium—in watersheds with new fracked wells.

Plastic pollution

Fossil fuels are a major contributor to plastic pollution. Over 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and 300 million tons of plastic waste are produced globally each year. Of this, 14 million tons end up in the ocean, killing wildlife and polluting the food chain.

The production and use of fossil fuels result in the release of harmful pollutants into the environment. Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of smog and acid rain. In addition, the combustion of additives found in gasoline, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, produces cancer-causing ultra-fine particles and aromatic hydrocarbons. These pollutants have been linked to various health issues, including asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death.

The impact of plastic pollution from fossil fuels is not limited to the ocean. Plastic waste can also contaminate freshwater ecosystems and harm aquatic life. For example, fracking, a process used to extract fossil fuels, requires a significant amount of water, and the resulting wastewater can be toxic, containing substances like arsenic, lead, chlorine, and mercury. These contaminants can pollute groundwater and drinking water, posing risks to human health and the environment.

Communities of colour and low-income communities are disproportionately harmed by the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuel pollution. Additionally, the global reach of plastic pollution from fossil fuels knows no bounds, affecting both developed and developing nations.

To address plastic pollution, it is crucial to reduce the use of single-use plastics, improve waste management practices, and transition to more sustainable alternatives. By doing so, we can mitigate the environmental and health risks associated with plastic pollution and work towards a more sustainable future.

Health issues caused by air pollution from fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution, which can cause a range of health issues. Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of smog and acid rain. The presence of excess nitrogen in the atmosphere in the form of nitrogen oxides or ammonia is deposited back onto land, where it washes into nearby water bodies. These excess nutrients contribute to pollution, harmful algal blooms and oxygen-deprived aquatic zones.

Air pollution from fossil fuels can also cause multiple health issues, including asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death. Globally, fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths. In the United States alone, 350,000 premature deaths in 2018 were attributed to fossil fuel-related pollution, with the highest number of deaths per capita in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The annual cost of the health impacts of fossil fuel-generated electricity in the United States is estimated to be up to $886.5 billion.

The combustion of additives found in gasoline, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, produces cancer-causing ultra-fine particles and aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzene exposure has also been linked to childhood leukaemia and blood disorders. Formaldehyde, another cancer-causing chemical, is released during the burning of fossil fuels.

Mining operations, particularly strip mining, can also release giant carbon stores held naturally in the wild, contributing to air pollution and its associated health risks. Additionally, fracking operations use large amounts of water, and the resulting wastewater can be toxic, often containing substances like arsenic, lead, chlorine, and mercury that can contaminate groundwater and drinking water.

Nitrogen oxides released from burning fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are a major cause of pollution. Burning fossil fuels releases harmful gases and pollutants into the atmosphere, including nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain.

Nitrogen oxides are released when fossil fuels such as coal, oil, methane gas (natural gas) or diesel are burned at high temperatures. The presence of excess nitrogen in the atmosphere in the form of nitrogen oxides or ammonia is deposited back onto land, where it washes into nearby water bodies. These excess nutrients contribute to pollution, harmful algal blooms and oxygen-deprived aquatic zones. Excess ammonia and low pH in these areas are toxic to aquatic organisms and affect their survival.

The release of nitrogen oxides during coal combustion has a major environmental impact. Nitrogen oxides in the outdoor air contribute to particle pollution and to the chemical reactions that make ozone. They are one of six widespread air pollutants for which there are national air quality standards to limit their levels in the outdoor air.

The burning of fossil fuels has disrupted the nitrogen cycle by altering the amount of nitrogen in the biosphere. Nitrogen oxides combine with other elements to form smog and acid rain. These gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades to hundreds of years, intensifying the greenhouse effect and increasing the Earth's average air temperatures.

Businesses can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by understanding and managing their greenhouse gas emissions, for example by preparing annual greenhouse gas inventories and setting long-term targets to reduce emissions.

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