By Sara Mar, Public Health Post, August 24, 2021
The climate crisis is generating high demand for renewable sources of energy. As calls to harness wind, solar, and hydropower increase, our reliance on coal is on the decline.
Coal-fired power plants emit many harmful pollutants. These include air-borne particles called PM2.5, and chemicals such as sulfur dioxide. Both of these pollutants can cause breathing problems. Children are especially affected by air pollution. They breathe more rapidly than adults and spend more time outdoors where air pollution levels are high. Their lungs may also be more susceptible to damage.
Researchers Sarah Komisarow and Emily Pakhitigian explored the health impacts of coal-fired power plants on children ages 4 and under. The white triangles on the map mark the locations of three operational coal-fired power plants near Chicago in 2009. The zip code areas in bold are located within 10 kilometers of these facilities. As shown by the darker shading, children living in zip codes closest to the power plants had more asthma-related emergency department visits than those living further away.
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