Long-Term Effects of Coal

One of the most common sources of natural energy, coal is a flammable rock composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Coal originates from calcified peat buried in the earth for millions of years. The U.S. has the largest coal deposit reserves in the world, and approximately 60 percent of of the electricity in the U.S. is generated by coal. Although coal has benefits, coal mining may present long-term environmental and health risks.

Mining

• The two most common methods of mining coal are underground mining and surface mining. In underground mining, two shafts are drilled into coal beds: one to take the coal out of the bed and another that provides access for miners and their equipment. Coal is mined through the use of explosives and rotating cutting machines that move the coal onto conveyor belts. Surface mining is conducted above ground, usually in hillsides that contain coal deposits. Excavators and shovels dig through the earth and soil to access the coal, which is then loaded onto trucks. After this process, the land is restored.

Air Pollution

• Coal is considered a dirty fuel because when it burns, it releases a noxious, thick black smoke into the atmosphere. Power plants that burn coal emit carbon dioxide into the air, increasing the greenhouse effect by releasing this key greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.The pollutants released into the air may also affect the respiratory health of those who breathe in the vicinity of a power plant.

Water Pollution

• Coal mining may contribute to the poisoning of lakes, rivers and groundwater and may damage delicate ecosystems in the surrounding area. Underground mining results in waste that must be removed and brought to the surface, where the runoff from the waste material through rainfall can seep into nearby rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater. To curtail this kind of water pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new guidelines for coal mining in 2010. According to the "New York Times," the EPA's regulations make it far more difficult for coal mining companies to obtain valley fill operation permits, which allow them to pile excavated soil and rock from mountaintops into nearby streams.

Health

• Pollutants that enter the atmosphere through the processing of coal or through the burning of coal by power plants may have long-term health effects. These pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, hydrogen chloride, arsenic and mercury. Sulfur dioxide is an irritant known to trigger asthma attacks. The inhalation of hydrogen chloride may lead to chest pain, coughing and respiratory tract infections. Arsenic in high doses can lead to death, but in the quantities released by power plants, prolonged inhalation can lead to lung disorders and liver cancer. The severity of these adverse health effects is dependent on the length of the exposure and the amount of pollutants in the air.