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The effects of coal production and usage have been studied in great detail in recent years due to the growing preoccupation of researchers about the safety of the resource. Despite being an old technology first used in the 19th century, somehow, the power plants still utilize coal to generate a large portion of the world’s electricity. Strangely enough, human society has not switched to an alternative way of electricity production, since it is now known how high are rates of coal’s negative influence on the environment and human health are. Coal-burning and mining not only pollute the air with hazardous chemicals and emit greenhouse gases, but also contaminate the soil with mercury, a highly toxic metal, which is an ongoing, and already irreversible process.
In history, coal has been used to acquire energy and heat for a couple of centuries now. However, with the rise of industrial society, factories and power plants needed an extension of recourses to run the steam-powered machines, thus, raising coal production and usage to industrial levels. Nowadays, according to Hendryx et al, “coal accounts for about 38% of electricity generation worldwide” (398). For a long time, coal-burning’s adverse environmental and health effects were not discussed widely – either for economic or political reasons, as coal is a beneficial resource found in abundance on every continent. In more recent years, the growing problem was finally addressed and brought into the public focus.
The hazards that coal poses to human health are closely linked to the air pollution caused by it. Most of the world’s population is now affected by air pollution, with the growing statistics of related health complications, such as “all-cause and premature mortality, respiratory disease and lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and higher infant mortality” (Kravchenko et al. as cited in Hendryx et al. 403). The study of domestic coal usage resulted in similar findings, the health complications including “endemic fluorosis, arsenic, selenosis, lung cancer, and adverse effects on child development” (Chen et al. as cited in Hendryx et al. 404). What is evident in these statistics is that part, the problem lies in people’s outlook, while the other part is connected to the absence of better alternatives.
Coal causes a wide range of environmental effects – it pollutes air and water with toxins and heavy metals. Baig et al. explain this process in detail: “depending on the type of coal, the emissions contain pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur trioxide (SO3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury (Hg), and radioactive nucleoids” (1). With mercury, among others, being a hazardous metal now found in soil and water, it becomes evident that coal-powered industries should be reformed.
The research on the effects of coal on health and the ecosystem has not been studied as long. Nevertheless, there are several alternatives to coal-burning – and they are all examples of clean and renewable energy. They are water, the solar, wind, and nuclear power-based solutions. Each of them may perform differently in different countries. However, Min argues that “hydropower is the most important one” as it is successfully used in minor power plants already (10). The main idea is that clean alternatives exist, and there is really no reason for humanity to continue to use coal so heavily.
Since the general public became aware of the dreadful consequences of coal usage recently, there has been a lot of attention drawn to the problem. Coal remains a valuable economic resource, so it is crucial to understand companies and industry owners will not be willing to switch to safe alternatives due to the revenue losses. Therefore, the change toward clean energy will not happen quickly, and it is still imperative to raise awareness about the hazardous effects of coal on health and the environment.
Works Cited
Baig, Shazad et al. “Coal-Fired Power Plants: Emission Problems and Controlling Techniques.” Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change, vol. 8, no. 7, 2017, pp. 1-9, doi: 10.4172/2157-7617.1000404.
Hendryx, Michael, et al. “Impacts of Coal Use on Health.” Annual Review of Public Health, vol. 41, 2020, pp. 397-415.
Min, Ho Soon et al. Sources of Clean Energy: Solar and Hydropower Energy. International Research Publication House, 2018.
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