We Are All Having A Bad Air Day

a presentation about coal fired power stations and its effects on humans and the environment
By: Melanie Nguyen, Dale Akinrefon, Desiree Lash, Sophia JeanLouis, Lourdia Alcide, and Andres Rodriguez

Coal Fired Power Stations

type of power station burning coal to produce electricity Converts heat energy of combustion into mechanical energy, then into electrical energy Waste heat energy is released Flue gas from combustion of the fossil fuels is discharged to the air Gas contains carbon dioxide, water vapor, as well as substances such as elemental nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, mercury, traces of other metals, and, for coal-fired plants, fly ash. Fossil fueled power stations are major emitters of CO2, a greenhouse gas (GHG) which according to a consensus opinion of scientific organizations is a contributor to global warming as it has been observed over the last 100 years Brown coal emits about 3 times as much CO2 as natural gas Black coal emits about twice as much CO2 per unit of electric energy.

Coal
Big Bend Coal Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida in the United States.

Coal-fired power plants provide about 54% of consumed electricity in the United States. This is the Castle Gate Plant near Helper, Utah.

Coal

Coal generates 54% of electricity in the U.S. Single biggest air pollutant

Environmental Impacts
Acid Rain Air Pollution Global Warming Emission of gases- carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide Particulate matter Radioactive trace elements Water and air contamination by coal ash Mercury contamination

When was the problem discovered?

Not identified in the literature. Clean Air Task Force study

Epidemiology
Expensive energy prices Increasing size of the population Employment

Mortality and Morbidity

Healthy people and temporary symptoms: such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest tightness; and shortness of breath People with lung disease: may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as normal, and you may experience coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, shortness of breath, and unusual fatigue May exacerbate asthma People with heart disease, particle exposure can cause serious problems in a short period of time even heart attacks with no warning signs: Asymptomatic, or symptoms such as chest pain or tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue may indicate a serious problem. 24,000 people a year die prematurely because of pollution from coal-fired power plants. And every year 38,000 heart attacks, 12,000 hospital admissions and an additional 550,000 asthma attacks result from power plant pollution.

(American Lung Association, 2011)

Contributing factors
Many ways air pollution can occur
Auto exhaust fumes
emit large amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) into the atmosphere

Formaldehyde found in many products that we use By-product of combustion and can be found both indoors and outdoors
Found in pressed woods, plywoods, gas stove, preservatives in paints

Polycyclic hydrocarbons found in shampoo and lotion Waste disposal emit increased level of Methane
Reacts with other chemical in the air

Dispersal of pollen grains, wind erosion, emissions from radioactive decay taking place inside the earth's crust, burning of fossil fuels and chemicals such as fungicides, insecticides. Volcanic eruptions, gases emitted from animal waste, forest fires and dust Large amount of sulfur dioxide from volcanic eruption Stationary sources such as factories and furnaces release carbon dioxide (CO2)

Exposure Pathways

Air pollution can occurs in many ways by coal power plant Coal combustion releases nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter (PM), mercury, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health. Coal power plants emits these chemicals in the air Nitrogen oxides (NOx) reacts with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to produce ground-level ozone Sulfur dioxide (SO2). formation of microscopic particles (particulate pollution or soot) that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and aggravate respiratory conditions Mercury (HG). Coal contains trace amounts of mercury that, when burned, enter the environment and human bodies, effecting intellectual development. Particulate matter (PM), also known as particle pollution tiny particles of fly ash and dust expelled from burning coal Smog chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere Smog is an invisible gas made of three oxygen atoms Leaves airborne particle sin the air Black carbon or soot Big component of air pollution around the world It is made up of tiny carbon particulate matter that contributes to global warming by absorbing heat in the atmosphere and reducing albedo, the reflection of sunlight, when deposited on snow and ice.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formaldehyde.html http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Air_pollution_from_coal-fired_power_plants

Population at Risk
Coal plants in PA Coal plants concentration in USA Which Risks Are of Greatest Concern? -Present illness -Exposure

Population at Risk (cont.)

("Emissions of hazardous," 2011)

Agencies in Action
Pollution prevention US EPA Region 3 (3HS32) 1650 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Fax: 215-814-3274 Contact: Mindy Lemione Phone: 215-814-2736

Contact: Mindee Osno Phone: 215-814-2074

Agencies in Action (cont.)

The Northwest Air Quality Communicators Group is a consortium of communicators from federal, state, provincial, tribal and local air quality and health organizations. BC Ministry of Environment Air Benton Clean Air Agency Environment Canada Air EPA, Region 10 Air program EPA, Region 10 FARR Lane Regional Air Protection Agency Nez Perce Tribe Air Quality Program Northwest Clean Air Agency Olympic Region Clean Air Agency OR Dept. of Environmental Quality Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Southwest Clean Air Agency Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency WA Department of Health WA Dept. of Ecology Air Program

Prevention Measures
Primary Prevention
Clean Air Act Control technology

Secondary Prevention
Screening

Tertiary Prevention
Treatment of disease processes

Nursing Process Plan of Action

Energy Efficiency Clean/Renewable Energy Wind Water Solar Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) Cracking Assess Community Plan Gov. Agencies & Professional assoc. Interventions Education Evaluation Compliance Decreased CO2 in air

Resources
Air pollution and health risk. (1991, March). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/3_90_022.html Assabumrungrat, S., Phromprasit, J., Boonkrue, S., Kiatkittipong, W., Wiyaratn, W., Soottitantawat, A., & Powell, J. (2012). ENERGY EFFICIENCY EVALUATION FOR A GREEN POWER GENERATION PROCESS WITH MINIMUM EFFORT ON CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE. Chemical Engineering Communications, 199(12), 1642-1651. doi:10.1080/00986445.2012.680218 Emissions of hazardous air pollutants from coal-fired power plants. (2011, March 7). Retrieved from http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/healthy-air/coal-fired-plant-hazards.pdf Environmental Health & Engineering. (March 2011) http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/healthy-air/coal-firedplant-hazards.pdf Gohlke, J. M., Thomas, R., Woodward, A., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Prss-stn, A., Hales, S., & Portier, C. J. (2011). Estimating the Global Public Health Implications of Electricity and Coal Consumption. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(6), 821-826. doi:10.1289/ehp.l00224l Johnsson, F., Kjarstad, J., & Odenberger, M. (2012). THE IMPORTACE OF CO2 CAPTURE AND STORAGE A GEOPOLITICAL DISCUSSION. Thermal Science, 16(3), 655-668. doi:10.2298/TSCI120608135J Morrty, S. (n.d.). What causes of air pollution?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5389740_causes-airpollution.html Pollution prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/p2/ SourceWatch. (September 2012). Existing coal plants in Pennsylvania http://www.sourcewatch.org "Toxic Air: The case for cleaning up coal-fired power plants." www.lung.org. American Lung Association, n.d. Web. 12 Nov 2012.