Health and environmental impact of the coal industry

Part of a series on
Coal
Economic use Ammonia Anthracite Bituminous coal Charcoal Coal combustion products Coal-fired power station Coal gas Coal in Australia Canada Europe India Poland Russia South Africa Turkey Ukraine Coal mining in Chile in the UK in the USA Coal-mining region Coal power in China in the USA Coal preparation plant Coal tar Coke (fuel) Coking Metallurgical coal
Externalities Ash pond Asian brown cloud Asthma Blackdamp Black lung disease Coal dust Coal mining disasters in the United States Coal refuse Coal slurry Environmental problems involving Appalachia coal ash coal mining in Appalachia Greenhouse gas emissions human health NOx smog smoke sulfur dioxide the petroleum industry toxic heavy metals Firedamp Hydrosulfuric acid Outbursts Problems in coal mining Whitedamp
Related articles Carbon bubble Carboniferous Coal oil Coal phase-out Coal pollution mitigation Coal-seam fire Energy lobby Fossil fuel Fossil fuel phase-out Fossil fuels lobby Great Smog of London History of coal mining Peak coal War on coal
v t e

The health and environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash,^[1] bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

There are severe health effects caused by burning coal.^[2][3][4] Worldwide 25 people die early for each terawatt hour of electricity generated by coal, around a thousand times more than nuclear or solar.^[5]

In addition, there have been many coal mining disasters, although work related coal deaths has declined substantially as safety measures have been enacted and underground mining has given up market share to surface mining.^{[citation needed]} Underground mining hazards include suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse and gas explosions. Open cut hazards are principally mine wall failures and vehicle collisions.^[6] Hundreds of people died in coal mine accidents in 2022.^[7]