Coal-Fired Power: a Threat to Our Air

Coal-Fired Power: A Threat To Our Air

Air pollution from coal causes serious health effects and contributes to cancer, stroke, heart disease, and upper respiratory disease.

Smog (Ozone)

Coal plants emit ozone, which combines with other particles and sunlight to produce smog, a toxic compound and a dangerous irritant. Doctors liken inhaling smog to getting a sunburn on your lungs. It can cause chest pain, coughing, and breathing difficulties. It triggers asthma attacks, and it can lead to irreversible lung damage or even death. Smog exacerbates conditions like bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma—sometimes fatally.Children are at the greatest health risk from air pollution because they are more likely to be active outdoors and their lungs are still developing.

Soot

Soot pollution, a by-product from burning fossil fuels, results in small, airborne particles composed of a mixture of metals, chemicals, and acid droplets. It is one of the deadliest and most dangerous air pollutants. The smallest soot particles are less than one-thirtieth the width of a human hair. Because of their minuscule size, this fine particulate matter can travel deep into our lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Exposure to soot pollution is extremely dangerous and is linked to premature death, heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, chronic bronchitis, lung damage,irritation of the airways, and a variety of other significant health problems.

Mercury

Burning coal releases toxic mercury into the air that then rains down into rivers and streams. This poison then accumulates in the food chain, eventually making its way into our bodies when we eat contaminated fish. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can damage the brain and nervous system. Mercury is of special concern to women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant since exposure to mercury can cause developmental problems, learning disabilities, and delayed onset of walking and talking in babies and infants.