Particle-forming sulfur dioxide is the most damaging pollutant from coal-fired power plants, concludes study
(Natural News) A new study carried out by researchers from Rice University has determined that the most damaging pollutant from the coal-fired power plants in Texas is particle-forming sulfur dioxide. After analyzing the effects of emissions from more than a dozen of the state’s coal plants, they discovered that those living downwind of such plants would be better off now if the state had focused on reducing these emissions along with those that cause ozone.
Environmental engineer Daniel Cohan, who led the study, pointed out that there are more unscrubbed coal plants in Texas than anywhere else in the country, and they’re causing air pollution that has a serious impact on people’s health.
He stated: “What I found eye-opening in this study is that most of the health damage is coming from particulate matter, but most of Texas’ focus on air pollution has been on ozone smog. It’s a real dichotomy where the standard we violate is ground-level ozone, but the biggest cause of damage is particulate matter.”
According to the researchers, EPA statistics show that the power plants in Texas emit double the amounts of sulfur dioxide as second-placed Missouri. Even when the particulate levels meet standards, however, they are still a hazard to people’s health – especially those living downwind of the plants.
Cohan said that the higher that particulate matter levels reach, the greater number of deaths there are in both the short and longer term. Life expectancies calculated by epidemiologists are greater in places with low levels of particulate matter compared to those with higher levels. He also pointed out that the damage extends far beyond causing respiratory diseases; the particulate matter has also been linked to strokes and heart attacks.