Environmental Impacts of Coal Dust Olga Britantchouk June 1st, 2013 Human/Nature Professor Becky Boesch

Coal is one of the many primary fuel resources to this day. With all the advances in science and all the equipment and resources people have today, there is still a large demand for coal. The largest demand is in China. Due to this the export of coal from states like: Wyoming, Montana, and, the Powder River Basin region; the largest coal region of America, is extremely sought after. However, the transportation of Powder River Basin due to high demands by China and other countries outside the United States, mainly the pacific-northwest, creates coal emissions from coal dust in: the ground water, river water, and air which in turn leads to further damage of the environment and the earth as a whole. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is against the increasing amount of coal transportation because this is scientifically incorrect and their belief is to protect the environment from these types of hazards. The coal trains are planned to be increased and placed in places near rivers and bodies of water. Although there are already railroad tracks there presently, there is a plan to increase the amount of coal trains that go through places such as the Columbia Gorge more often and more in quantity then ever. In turn this will greatly impact the aquatic life especially salmon populations and many other endangered species that live in the north-

western part of America. According to the article: The Hidden Costs of Electricity: Comparing the Hidden Costs of Power Generation Fuels (Keith, et.al 26), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which consist of mercury, SO 2, NO2, Al, and many others are in the water from the coal dust that has come off of coal trains. Acid deposition also mobilizes soil bound aluminum into groundwater where it is toxic to plants and aquatic life (Keith, Jackson, Napoleon, Comings, & Ramey, 26) Sulfur, nitrogen, aluminum, and mercury are gaseous compounds that are naturally released when they are in pure form and come into contact with oxygen. Once they are absorbed into the ground harmful chemicals in the soil adding more pollution to the bodies of water surrounded by the contaminated soil. After the polluted soil mixes with nearby bodies of water such as rivers, the salmon, and other aquatic life are in extreme danger and so are the consumers. The fish that we, the humans, consume are no longer plain river fish they are swimming in a toxic bath of a mixture of deadly acidic gasses that are consumed by locals daily. The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the cleanest and best water in the United States and since at this time there are no caps to cover the tops of the coal trains, coal dust will contaminate water and air that residents of these areas will be around that can cause serious health hazards for residents. According to the Catalysis Reviews: Science and Engineering journal, mercury and other harmful chemicals are extremely dangerous to humans. If the coal trains are increased throughout more areas around the Pacific Northwest this will greatly affect humans living around nearby bodies of water. Children are developing features and are more at risk to low-level methyl mercury exposure that also causes neurological damage, prenatal brain damage, kidney and cardiac diseases, reproductive system injury, vision and hearing loss, learning disabilities,

Minimata disease, and even death at high doses (0.10.5 g/g of body weight/day in lab animals). In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates in the United States that up to 60,000 babies are born with mercury-related diseases every year . (Reddy, Benjaram M.; Durgasri, Naga ; Kumar, Thallada Vinod; & Bhargava, Suresh K.) Even dangerous acidic gaseous compounds, nothing is more damaging to humans and the earth then mercury. Mercury is a very interesting element but also extremely lethal to human consumption. The long-term side effects from mercury being in drinking water, and seeping into the ground which as a result contaminates bodies of water, simply is extreme. All the disease listed above come from consumption of mercury and this is extremely alarming especially since America is considering building more coal-trains which increases the amount of coal dust released into water and the air. Black lung disease, respiratory problems (such as a rise in asthma and inflammatory lung disease), and many other issues are going to escalate very quickly and very dramatically. Before Coal dust gets into the water, it first is airborne. It gets on top of our agriculture and individuals ingest the same chemicals listed in the paragraph above, respectively. Mercury and all the acidic gasses is what people are consuming daily from crops in the nearby area. Not only does it affect the agriculture but the locals also. There are many health risks associated with coal dust being in the air. SO 2 gasses and other acidic compounds from coal dust in air contribute in very serious health associated risks. SO2 is a primary contributor to industrial smog and acid deposition. Smog (or groundlevel ozone) can aggravate asthma and existing cardiovascular disease and result in premature mortality in vulnerable populations (Levy et al., 2005; Bell, et al., 2006). Smog also reduces visibility and degrades buildings and other structures. Acid deposition

has been found to accelerate the leaching of Long-term studies at the Hubbard Brook experimental forest in New Hampshire have documented significant declines in available Calcium and magnesium over the past several decades (Driscoll et al. 2001) (Keith, Jackson, Napoleon, Comings, & Ramey, 25) This is a serious issue for locals that are living next to the rail roads that these coal trains are about to be increased at. It will be hazardous in the air and that is extremely dangerous because unlike water, it is something that surrounds us all constantly. But the scariest consequence of all is that in the atmosphere there is a protective layer called the o-zone layer which protects the earth from damaging ultraviolet and gamma rays. Once these rays penetrate the earth radiation will be amongst us all and they will have touched everything in sight and contaminated it. This occurs from burning coal and, from coal dust emissions. Coal dust contains another deadly ingredient other than everything listed above, it releases O2 gas which mixes with additional oxygen to create the O-Zone balanced equation:

3O2(g) 2O3 (g) This equation states that regular O2 gas molecules join with an additional 1 mole of Oxygen molecules when components are mixed with air and energy (i.e. Coal dust in the air moving at a fast pace from the trains) and becomes a new molecule O3 (O-zone). This is a global issue for the environment because this leads to the radiation and toxicity of our environment even further and has longer environmental impacts and hazards. The burning of coal is slowly being replaced by alternative energy sources and methods. However, it is still generating 44% of Americas electricity (Union of

concerned scientists.) The emissions of SO2, CO2, and many other gasses that come from coal dust creates pollution by air, water, and damages our agriculture and aquatic life as well as the consumer. According to Fuels for Electric Power Generation: Regulatory, Policy
and Economic Pressures. Other forms of fuel are proposed to change the way that America and other countries are contributing to the climate change. regulation of fuels used for electric

power generation, focusing on regulatory trends and economic considerations that are likely to have the largest impacts on GHG emissions and, therefore, climate change. (Spence, David B. and Meazell, Emily Hammond) It is something that will really affect every human long-term and something that is happening constantly since it is such a large part of the fuel economy. Even if the demand for coal is high the price that we, as a whole, have to pay is very concerning. If coal was phased out then the water, air, and global pollutions would decrease from coal dust and we would stop digging a bigger hole for ourselves as a civilization; because the coal dust pollution is just a smaller problem in the midst of a larger more serious issue. It is necessary that change is made soon because we are destroying our environment and ourselves.

Works Cited
Comings, Tyler; Jackson, Sarah; Keith, Geoff; Napoleon, Alice & Ramey, Jean Ann. The

Hidden Costs of Electricity: Comparing the Hidden Costs of Power Generation Fuels synapse-energy.com 19, September 2012. 10, May 2012. Reddy, Benjaram M.; Durgasri, Naga ; Kumar, Thallada Vinod; & Bhargava, Suresh K. Abatement of Gas-Phase MercuryRecent Developments Catalysis Reviews: Science and Engineering Vol. 54: 19, Jul 2012. 344-398
Spence, David B. and Meazell, Emily Hammond Fuels for Electric Power Generation: Regulatory, Policy and Economic Pressures. 2d ed., Michael B. Gerrard & Jody

Freeman, eds. 12, December 2012. Union of Concerned Scientists. Environmental impacts of coal power: air pollution. Union of concerned scientists. 2012. 14 May 2013. Columbia River Keeper. Dirty Coal Export. Columbia River Keeper. 2013. 12 May 2013. Ashley Ahearn. Coal Companies Look to the Northwest for Export Opportunities. earthfix.opb.org. 2013. 28 May 2013.