People's Unequal Exposure to Air Pollution
The world's over 3,800 coal-fired power plants are sources of substantial emissions of toxic air pollutants. This study explores people's unequal exposure to air pollution from these coal plants. It simulates the wind dispersion of pollutants originating from each coal power plant using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT) with Gaussian dispersion. The study generates three-dimensional pollution trajectories and provide a global map of nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particle pollution from coal plants and their contributions to overall pollution levels. The study estimates that 2.3 billion people globally are exposed to SO2 and particle pollution from coal plants; 247.5 million of them are exposed to transboundary pollution from foreign coal plants. The findings show that pollution increases with income levels, though at a diminishing rate at high income levels. In the proximity of coal power plants, downwind areas are associated with higher pollution and lower income levels compared to areas upwind. These findings are consistent with strategic location choices that cause or reinforce environmental injustices associated with air pollution.
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
Language: | English English |
Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2023-04-13
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Subjects: | AIR POLLUTION, COAL POWER, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, TOXIC COAL POLLUTION, NITROGEN OXIDE POLLUTION MAP, SULFUR DIOXIDE MAP, |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099716004102326162/IDU02de5b4080036704f710a4430c961acc77e3a https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/39688 |
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Summary: | The world's over 3,800
coal-fired power plants are sources of substantial emissions
of toxic air pollutants. This study explores people's
unequal exposure to air pollution from these coal plants. It
simulates the wind dispersion of pollutants originating from
each coal power plant using the Hybrid Single Particle
Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT) with
Gaussian dispersion. The study generates three-dimensional
pollution trajectories and provide a global map of nitrogen
oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particle pollution
from coal plants and their contributions to overall
pollution levels. The study estimates that 2.3 billion
people globally are exposed to SO2 and particle pollution
from coal plants; 247.5 million of them are exposed to
transboundary pollution from foreign coal plants. The
findings show that pollution increases with income levels,
though at a diminishing rate at high income levels. In the
proximity of coal power plants, downwind areas are
associated with higher pollution and lower income levels
compared to areas upwind. These findings are consistent with
strategic location choices that cause or reinforce
environmental injustices associated with air pollution. |
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