Burning coal produces emissions that can pollute the air. It also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. When coal is burned, a chemical called sulfur may also be released. Sulfur mixes with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide, a chemical that can affect trees and water when it combines with moisture to produce acid rain.

IMPACTS TO OUR HEALTH

Respiratory Effects:

> Coal combustion contributes to smog through the release of oxides of nitrogen, which react with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to produce ground-level ozone, the primary ingredient in smog. Air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and fine particulate matter adversely affect lung development.

> Air pollution triggers attacks of asthma, which now affects more than 9% of all U.S. children, who are particularly susceptible to the development of pollution-related asthma attacks. There are now tens of thousands of hospital visits and asthma attacks each year.

> Coal pollutants also plays a role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease characterized by permanent narrowing of airways.

> Exposures to ozone and PM are also correlated with the development of and mortality from lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in both men and women.

Cardiovascular Effects:

> Air pollution is known to negatively impact cardiovascular health. The mechanisms have not been definitively identified, but studies in both animals and humans suggest they are the same as those for respiratory disease: pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress. Pollutants produced by coal combustion can lead to cardiovascular disease, such as artery blockages leading to heart attacks, and tissue death and heart damage due to oxygen deprivation. It is estimated that soot pollution from power plants contributes to 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks each year.

Nervous System Effects:

> According to the PSR report, the nervous system is also a target for coal pollution’s health effects, as the same mechanisms thought to mediate the effect of air pollutants on coronary arteries also apply to the arteries that nourish the brain. These include stimulation of the inflammatory response and oxidinative stress, which can lead to stroke and other cerebral vascular disease.