|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Environmental Effects of Coal Energy

Coal is one of the world's most important fuels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States burned 1,000 million tons of coal in 2009, 94 percent of which was used to generate electric energy, and coal-burning power plants are still the country's leading source of power. Although coal is invaluable to the U.S. economy, its use can affect the health of our environment.

  1. Acid Rain

    • According to the Elmhurst College page on acid rain, some coals--and especially coals from midwestern states such as Ohio and West Virginia--have higher sulfur content than others. When these coals are burned, the sulfur dioxide that forms during combustion may be released into the atmosphere, where it can react with water and oxygen to form sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid decreases the pH of water, leading to acid precipitation (more commonly known as acid rain). Acid rain can leach minerals from soil, damage plants and acidify lakes and rivers, potentially killing or harming fish and other wildlife.

    Greenhouse Gas

    • Plants capture energy from sunlight and use it to synthesize sugars and other organic compounds from atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the process, they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. Coal is formed from plants that were buried and compressed by accumulated sediments millions of years ago, so burning coal takes carbon trapped by plants in the past and returns it to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide can act as a greenhouse gas and in sufficient concentrations can help trap heat on Earth's surface--a little like a blanket holding in warmth. According to "Essential Environment," many scientists are concerned that increasing carbon dioxide levels may cause changes in climate patterns in the future.

    Strip Mining

    • Coal is often extracted through strip mining, in which the coal seam is excavated by removing the layers of soil that cover it. Although strip mining is much safer for the workers involved than subsurface or deep mining, it also can destroy local environments by removing the vegetation and leaving behind denuded soil that's vulnerable to erosion.

Environmental Health - Related Articles