Greta Jimenez
Burning coal releases a number of airborne toxins and pollutants, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and various heavy metals. These pollutants have been linked to asthma, breathing difficulties, heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders, and even premature death. Additionally, coal combustion can release radioactive materials and toxic heavy metals such as mercury, which is known to cause developmental damage in humans. The environmental impact of coal pollution is also significant, contributing to global warming, air pollution, and water contamination. While efforts have been made to reduce emissions through pollution controls and carbon capture technologies, the transition to cleaner sources of energy is essential to mitigate the worst impacts of coal combustion on both human health and the environment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) | The primary greenhouse gas produced from burning fossil fuels |
| Sulfur dioxide | Contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses |
| Nitrogen oxides | Contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses |
| Particulates | Linked with chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, cardiovascular effects like heart attacks, and premature death |
| Mercury and other heavy metals | Linked to neurological and developmental damage in humans |
| Radioactive materials | |
| Lead | |
| Cadmium | |
| Arsenic | Causes cancer |
| Carbon monoxide | Causes headaches and places additional stress on people with heart disease |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOC) | Form ozone |
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What You'll Learn
Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide
The combustion of coal releases a range of pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide.
Sulfur Dioxide
Coal contains sulfur in inorganic forms, such as pyritic sulfur and sulfates, and organic forms, such as sulfides. During the combustion of coal, the sulfur is released and converted to hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide. Sulfur dioxide contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses. To mitigate these issues, power plants use flue gas desulfurization equipment (also known as scrubbers) to clean sulfur from the smoke before it exits the smokestacks. Additionally, the coal industry has developed methods to reduce sulfur content and improve coal cleaning processes, and some consumers opt for low-sulfur coal.
Nitrogen Oxides
Nitrogen oxides are another pollutant released during coal combustion. These compounds contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses. While there are regulations in place, such as the Clean Air Act, to reduce the release of these pollutants into the atmosphere, the combustion of coal continues to be a significant source of nitrogen oxide emissions.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas produced from burning coal and other fossil fuels. Coal has a higher carbon content than other fossil fuels, resulting in greater CO2 emissions per unit of energy. The carbon in coal is composed of carbon-carbon bonds, which, when burned, react with oxygen in the air to form CO2. Research is underway to address these emissions, including through carbon capture and storage technologies, as well as the reuse and recycling of waste produced during coal combustion.
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Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
The combustion of coal also releases lead into the atmosphere, which has been studied specifically in Xi'an City, China. It was found that for every ton of coal burned, 20 grams of lead was emitted into the atmosphere, with a lead emission rate of about 66%. This has led to an estimated total lead emission of 200 tons annually in Xi'an City alone.
Other heavy metals released from coal combustion include arsenic, chromium, and nickel, which are also highly toxic and pose significant risks to human health and the environment. These heavy metals can contaminate groundwater and cause neurological and developmental damage in humans.
To address the issue of heavy metal pollution from coal combustion, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed emissions standards to limit mercury, acid gases, and other toxic pollutants from power plants. The EPA estimates that these standards will prevent 91% of the mercury in coal from being released into the air. However, as of 2021, there were still no existing national limits on mercury and toxic air pollution released from power plant smokestacks.
The electric power sector is the largest source of toxic pollutants in the United States, and the waste left over from burning coal generates 125 to 130 million tons of coal ash and coal sludge annually. Despite the health and environmental risks associated with coal ash, it is currently categorized as non-hazardous and is not regulated by the EPA.
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Radioactive materials
The combustion of coal releases radioactive materials, which are a form of air pollution. Coal contains trace amounts of naturally occurring radioactive elements, including uranium, thorium, radium, and radon. These elements are released into the environment during coal combustion, with most transferred to the gas phase and distributed between the gas phase and solid combustion products.
Uranium and thorium are concentrated in fly ash, which is a fine particle waste produced during coal combustion. Fly ash can escape from coal-fired power plants and be dispersed in the air, water, or soil surrounding a coal plant. This can affect cropland and food sources, and people living within a "stack shadow"—an area within a half- to one-mile radius of a coal plant's smokestacks—may ingest small amounts of radiation. Fly ash is also disposed of in landfills and abandoned mines, posing a potential risk to nearby residents.
The use of fly ash in building materials has been advantageous from an economical and resource perspective, as it is a waste product. However, the radiation levels in houses may be technologically enhanced due to the presence of natural radionuclides in the uranium and thorium series.
The health and environmental impacts of radioactive elements associated with coal utilization have been studied. These studies concluded that the radiation dose from coal-fired power plants is generally minor, with natural sources accounting for the majority of radiation exposure. However, the accumulation of coal-fired power plants and the total amount of radioactive waste produced is a cause for concern.
To address the release of radioactive materials from coal combustion, mitigation measures such as pre-combustion cleaning of coal and post-combustion approaches like flue-gas desulfurization, selective catalytic reduction, electrostatic precipitators, and fly ash reduction are implemented.
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Particulate matter
In 2014, US coal power plants emitted 197,286 tons of small airborne particles, measured as 10 micrometers or less in diameter. These particles can have severe health impacts, as evidenced by the increased mortality rates for multiple sclerosis in areas near multiple coal plants. Additionally, ambient levels of PM2.5 have been correlated with cerebrovascular disease, and PM10 with hospital admissions for ischemic stroke, which accounts for the majority of strokes.
To reduce the release of particulate matter, technologies such as electrostatic precipitators and baghouses have been employed. Electrostatic precipitators use electrical fields to remove particulate matter from boiler flue gas, similar to how static electricity causes dust to cling to certain materials. Baghouses, on the other hand, function like large industrial-scale vacuum cleaners, capturing ash and dust particles in felt or woven fabric bags. While these technologies have helped reduce emissions, some particulate matter still escapes, continuing to pose negative health effects.
The installation of pollution control technology, such as emissions scrubbers, has been shown to effectively reduce the number of associated deaths. For example, the Keystone facility in Pennsylvania experienced a significant decrease in average annual deaths, from 600 to 80, after installing emissions scrubbers.
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Carbon capture and storage
The combustion of coal releases a variety of pollutants, including particulate matter (soot), carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), arsenic, lead, cadmium, heavy metals such as mercury, and toxic gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants contribute to air pollution, smog, haze, respiratory illnesses, and even lung disease. Additionally, coal combustion is a significant contributor to global warming due to the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas produced from burning fossil fuels.
Captured CO2 is then compressed, transported, and stored deep underground in geological repositories, such as oil and gas reservoirs or depleted natural gas fields. This process prevents carbon emissions from entering the Earth's atmosphere and contributing to global warming. According to the Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions, CCS can capture approximately 90% of CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities.
CCS technology is being developed and implemented worldwide, with North America, specifically the US, leading the way. As of 2021, there were 22 operational or under-construction CCS projects globally, expected to capture 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Despite the progress, the technology remains expensive and has yet to prove its effectiveness at the scale needed to significantly address climate change.
While carbon capture and storage alone may not be a final solution, it is considered a practical approach to achieving deep decarbonization in the industrial sector, especially in heavy industries. Accelerating the deployment of CCS technology is crucial to reducing emissions from power plants and industrial facilities, complementing the transition to cleaner energy sources.
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Frequently asked questions
Coal combustion is the process of burning coal to obtain heat. This heat is then used to produce steam for electric power production.
The combustion of coal releases several harmful pollutants, including:
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen oxides
- Particulates
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Mercury and other heavy metals
Coal combustion releases carbon dioxide (CO2), a heat-trapping gas, into the atmosphere. This leads to global warming, causing rising temperatures, accelerating sea level rise, and increasing risks of drought, heat waves, heavy rainfall, intensified storms, and species loss.
The airborne toxins and pollutants released from coal combustion have significant health impacts, including asthma, breathing difficulties, brain damage, heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders, and premature death.
