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Health Effects of Coal burning
Gergely SIMON
Greenpeace CEE
03/05/13
„ Air pollution is causing more deaths than HIV
or malaria combined,”
„If we increase access to clean energy ... the
health benefits will be enormous“
Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the U.N.
Industrial Development Organization, April 2013
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• Air pollution is a serious public health risk in Europe
• Europeans estimated to live on average almost 9 months
shorter due to air pollution-related deaths.
• EEA estimates that over 90% of urban population in the EU is
exposed to fine particle (PM2.5) and O3 above the WHO
guidelines,
•
Coal-fired power plants are among the worst
sources of toxic air pollutants
• coal power plants are only responsible for a
just a smaller portion of total outdoor air
pollution, but they are the most important
source of industrial air pollution.
• Other sources: transport, industrial
processes, residential heating, and
agriculture.
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• Building new coal power plants means that
hazardous emissions and their effects on health
would continue for ~40 years.
• pollutants can travel over
long distances and across
borders
• the whole European
population is affected by
coal pollution
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European Topic Centre on Air and Climate Change on behalf of (EEA), 2010
Premature mortality (expressed as deaths
per 10,000 inhabitants/year) attributable to
PM2.5 exposure at year 2005 pollution levels.
Acidrain, June 2010 http://www.airclim.org/acidnews/2010/AN2-10/particles-killing-half-million
premature deaths caused
mainly by cardiopulmonary
diseases and some
attributable to lung cancer.
HEAL study
• Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) 2013: Emissions from coal
power plants in Europe impacts amount to more than 18,200 premature
deaths, about 8,500 new cases of chronic bronchitis, and over 4 million
lost working days each year.
– Adding emissions from coal power plants in Croatia, Serbia and
Turkey, the figures for mortality increase to 23,300 premature
deaths, or 250,600 life years lost, while the total costs are up to
€54.7 billion annually.
Together, coal power plants in
Poland, Romania and Germany
are responsible for more than
half of the total health impacts.
Other key polluters: Bulgaria,
Czech Republic, France,
Greece, Serbia, Turkey, UK
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• Approximately 300 large coal-fired power plants are in
operation in the EU, producing a quarter of all electricity
consumed, but they emit:
• 70% of the EU’s SO2 emissions and over 40% of NOx
emissions from the power sector.
• ~ half of all industrial mercury emissions and a third of
industrial arsenic emissions into the air.
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Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• Asthma exacerbation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stunted lung
development; cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic stroke, Asthma development
(suspected)
• High NOx conc. cause airway inflammation, reduced lung function.
• Long-term exposure: bronchitis increase in asthmatic children
• NOx contributes to acidification and eutrophication of waters and soils, lead to
the formation of PM. Reacts with VOCs in sunlight to form ground- level ozone
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Affect respiratory system, lung functions,
aggravation of asthma and chronic bronchitis,
makes people more prone to infections of the
respiratory tract; irritation of eyes; cardiac
disease aggravated; ischemic stroke risk
Mayor health impact: formation of sulphate PM
Contributes to acidification: adverse effects on
aquatic ecosystems in rivers-lakes, and
damage to forests.
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Particulate matter (PM)
Most damaging pollutants, especially PM2.5. Penetrates deep into the
lungs and into the bloodstream, and chronic exposure can cause:
• Respiratory diseases: asthma development (suspected), asthma
exacerbation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stunted lung
development (PM2.5), lung cancer;
Cardiovascular: cardiac
arrhythmias, acute myocardial
infarction, congestive heart
failure (PM2.5).
Nervous system: ischemic
stroke.
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Particulate matter (PM)
• The impact of a 10 microgram per cubic metre increase in
average exposure to fine pollution particles (PM2.5) over the
course of a pregnancy. Raised the chances of having a low
birth-weight baby by 10% (Dadvand, 2013)
• PM is emitted directly from
the power plants
• & secondary PM is
formulated from SO2, NOX,
NH3 VOCs.
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Heavy metals
•
•
Tens of thousands of kilograms of toxic metals such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), arsenic
(As) and cadmium (Cs)are emitted from coal power plants
– they pollute the air & heavy metals can be deposited on terrestrial or water surfaces
and subsequently buildup in soils and sediments, and can bio-accumulate in food
chains. They are typically toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Mercury (Hg),
– Coal power plants are the most important source of mercury in Europe.
– Enters the bloodstream. From pollution to food as toxic Methylmercury.
– Damage to brain, nervous system, kidneys and liver; birth defects. Damage to
childrens’ brain development and cause irreversible damage to vital organs of the
foetus.
Lead: damage mental and physical
development in children. Damage to kidney,
blood cells, and reproductive systems
Arsenic, cadmium: cancer, toxic to the lung
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Organic pollutants
VOCs: The main compounds from coal power plants are are
monoaromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
• Aromatic hydrocarbons: e.g. benzene, xylene, ethylbenzene, toluene:
Irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat; difficulty in breathing; impaired
function of the lungs; impaired memory; stomach discomfort; effects to the
liver and kidneys; may cause adverse effects to the nervous system.
Benzene is a carcinogen.
• Aldehydes including formaldehyde: Probable carcinogen (lung and
nasopharyngeal cancer); eye, nose, throat irritation; respiratory symptoms
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Different harmful effects to human health and to ecosystems,
• Most of them is a known or suspected human carcinogen
• They bioaccumulate in the environment.
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Impact of life cycle of coal use
Coal use pollutes from mining, long transport and handling and storing
the coal, through combustion to waste disposal,
• Mining: water, dust/air pollution.
• Mining and combustion: water consuption.
• Transportation: dust
• Disposal of fly ash and
bottom ash can cause
air, water and soil
pollution.
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Effect of a single coal power plant
• In Northern Italy, women’s risk of
dying of lung cancer was found to be
up to twice as high in an area
exposed to air pollution from a coalfired power plant and other industrial
sources.
• Spain: elevated risk of lung, throat
and bladder cancer within 50
kilometers of coal-fired power plants.
• Nováky power plant in Slovakia:
burning high-arsenic coal increased
arsenic conc. in hair and urine,
hearing loss in children and elevated
risks of skin cancer.
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Thank you!
[email protected]
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