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Air Pollution Emissions 2008–2018 from Australian Coal Mining: Implications for Public and Occupational Health

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Listed:
  • Michael Hendryx

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA)

  • Mohammad Saidul Islam

    (School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia)

  • Guang-Hui Dong

    (Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China)

  • Gunther Paul

    (Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia)

Abstract

Occupational exposure limits for respirable coal dust are based on exposure during working hours, but coal miners may experience additional community-based exposures during nonworking hours. We analyzed Australia National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) data for the years 2008–2018 to estimate air pollutants (metals, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter ≤ 10 micrometers (PM10) and ≤2.5 micrometers (PM2.5)) originating from coal mines. PM10 levels from community-based air monitors in Queensland and New South Wales were also compared between mining and nonmining communities. Results indicated that tons of coal mined increased over the study period, and that levels of particulate matter, metals, and nitrogen oxides increased significantly over time as well. Coal mines accounted for 42.1% of national PM10 air emissions from NPI sites. PM2.5 from coal mines accounted for 19.5% of the national total, metals for 12.1%, and nitrogen oxides for 10.1%. Coal mining occurred in 57 different post codes; the 20 coal-mining post codes with the highest PM10 emissions were home to 160,037 people. Emissions of all studied pollutants were significantly higher from coal mining sites than from other types of NPI sites. Results from community-based air monitoring stations indicated significantly higher population PM10 exposure in coal mining communities than in nonmining communities. The health of the public at large is impacted by coal mining, but to the extent that miners also live near coal mining operations, their total exposure is underestimated by consideration of exposure only during working hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Hendryx & Mohammad Saidul Islam & Guang-Hui Dong & Gunther Paul, 2020. "Air Pollution Emissions 2008–2018 from Australian Coal Mining: Implications for Public and Occupational Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-11, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1570-:d:326476
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nathan Cooper & Donna Green & Katrin J. Meissner, 2017. "The Australian National Pollutant Inventory Fails to Fulfil Its Legislated Goals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad S. Islam & Puchanee Larpruenrudee & Sheikh I. Hossain & Mohammad Rahimi-Gorji & Yuantong Gu & Suvash C. Saha & Gunther Paul, 2021. "Polydisperse Aerosol Transport and Deposition in Upper Airways of Age-Specific Lung," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Bao V. Duong & Puchanee Larpruenrudee & Tianxin Fang & Sheikh I. Hossain & Suvash C. Saha & Yuantong Gu & Mohammad S. Islam, 2022. "Is the SARS CoV-2 Omicron Variant Deadlier and More Transmissible Than Delta Variant?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-25, April.

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