Coal-Fired Power Plant Pollution More Deadly Than Previously Thought, New Studies Show

Despite Stricter Regulations and Plant Closures, Air Pollution Remains a Major Global Health Threat

New research shows that air pollution from coal-fired power plants is associated with a mortality risk that is 2.1 times greater than that of particle pollution from other sources.
Between 1999 and 2020, 460,000 deaths among people who got health coverage through Medicare were attributable to coal-fired plants.
Deaths from this kind of pollution decreased substantially by 2020, thanks to stricter regulations and the closure of many coal-fired plants.
Air pollution is still a major environmental health problem in the EU, causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in 2021 alone.
Air pollution from fine particulate matter, PM2.5, is linked to various health problems, including respiratory issues, heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. It is also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and has been shown to impair the health of babies.