Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe
We studied the contribution of coal-fired power plant (CPP) emissions (SO _2 and NO x ) to air pollution levels and annual excess mortality by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Europe, based on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations computed with a regional atmospheric chemistry-tra...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecff |
| _version_ | 1797747737360334848 |
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| author | Jonilda Kushta Niki Paisi Hugo Denier Van Der Gon Jos Lelieveld |
| author_facet | Jonilda Kushta Niki Paisi Hugo Denier Van Der Gon Jos Lelieveld |
| author_sort | Jonilda Kushta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We studied the contribution of coal-fired power plant (CPP) emissions (SO _2 and NO x ) to air pollution levels and annual excess mortality by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Europe, based on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations computed with a regional atmospheric chemistry-transport model. The health burden of European CPP emission-induced PM2.5, estimated with the Global Exposure Mortality Model, amounts to at least 16 800 (CI95 14 800–18 700) excess deaths per year over the European domain. We identified an underestimation of the emissions magnitude and correcting for it doubles CPP-attributed annual excess mortality to 33 900 (CI95 33 000–37 600) per year. Due to the non-linearity of exposure-responses, especially at relatively low concentrations, these estimates represent lower limits of possible health benefits for the EU-28 states. CPP emission phase-out would avoid 18 400 (CI95 16 000–20 500) excess deaths annually assuming background PM2.5 levels of 10 μ g m ^−3 , 25 500 (CI95 22 600–28 200) per year if pollution levels from other sources are reduced by 50% in parallel, and 105 900 (CI95 89 900–121 700) deaths by drastically reducing anthropogenic pollution from other sources to 2.4 μ g m ^−3 that represents the threshold for health impacts. Depending on the emission scenario, large health gains can be achieved from the phase-out of CPP emissions, which calls for coordinated air pollution control strategies at the European level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:54:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95bbc9ffa72d4ff1a72bd9317fc4b591 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:54:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-95bbc9ffa72d4ff1a72bd9317fc4b5912023-08-09T14:57:17ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116404501010.1088/1748-9326/abecffDisease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in EuropeJonilda Kushta0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3695-9267Niki Paisi1Hugo Denier Van Der Gon2Jos Lelieveld3Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute , Nicosia 2121, CyprusClimate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute , Nicosia 2121, CyprusTNO, Department of Climate, Air and Sustainability , Utrecht, The NetherlandsClimate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute , Nicosia 2121, Cyprus; Max Planck Institute for Chemistry , Mainz 55128, GermanyWe studied the contribution of coal-fired power plant (CPP) emissions (SO _2 and NO x ) to air pollution levels and annual excess mortality by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Europe, based on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations computed with a regional atmospheric chemistry-transport model. The health burden of European CPP emission-induced PM2.5, estimated with the Global Exposure Mortality Model, amounts to at least 16 800 (CI95 14 800–18 700) excess deaths per year over the European domain. We identified an underestimation of the emissions magnitude and correcting for it doubles CPP-attributed annual excess mortality to 33 900 (CI95 33 000–37 600) per year. Due to the non-linearity of exposure-responses, especially at relatively low concentrations, these estimates represent lower limits of possible health benefits for the EU-28 states. CPP emission phase-out would avoid 18 400 (CI95 16 000–20 500) excess deaths annually assuming background PM2.5 levels of 10 μ g m ^−3 , 25 500 (CI95 22 600–28 200) per year if pollution levels from other sources are reduced by 50% in parallel, and 105 900 (CI95 89 900–121 700) deaths by drastically reducing anthropogenic pollution from other sources to 2.4 μ g m ^−3 that represents the threshold for health impacts. Depending on the emission scenario, large health gains can be achieved from the phase-out of CPP emissions, which calls for coordinated air pollution control strategies at the European level.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecffcoal power plantsair pollutionemissions, PM2.5 health impact |
| spellingShingle | Jonilda Kushta Niki Paisi Hugo Denier Van Der Gon Jos Lelieveld Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe Environmental Research Letters coal power plants air pollution emissions, PM2.5 health impact |
| title | Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe |
| title_full | Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe |
| title_fullStr | Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe |
| title_short | Disease burden and excess mortality from coal-fired power plant emissions in Europe |
| title_sort | disease burden and excess mortality from coal fired power plant emissions in europe |
| topic | coal power plants air pollution emissions, PM2.5 health impact |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecff |
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