Emissions of Ukrainian coal-fired CHPPs killed 1,315 people in the EU, and twice as many in Ukraine, the research says

In 2019, emissions from Ukrainian coal-fired heat and power plants are likely to have killed 2,690 people in Ukraine and 1,315 in the European Union (EU).

This is stated in a new study, "The Impact of Emissions from Ukrainian Coal-fired Power Plants on Public Health" by the research organization, Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air(CREA), and NGO Ecodia, conducted using modern computer models and recommendations of the World Health Organization Health (WHO).

According to the study authors, in 2019, 8 out of 20 domestic coal-fired heat and power plants exceeded the emission limit values ​​for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ash dust. If the rules were followed, a total of approximately 2,300 deaths would be avoided in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Among the most affected regions of the country are Donetsk, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions. Pollution caused about 430, 410, 280, and 230 deaths in 2019, respectively.

Among the EU countries, Romania and Poland suffer the most from emissions from Ukrainian coal-fired power plants, which in 2019, according to the study, lost 534 and 325 lives due to pollution, respectively.

In addition, in the study year, the approximate cost of social expenses of Ukrainians associated with related health care, declining economic productivity, and declining welfare was 3.2 billion euros.

Other health impacts from coal-fired power plant emissions in 2019 are 6,800 children with bronchitis, 68,000 days with asthma and bronchitis symptoms in children, 3,000 hospitalizations, 800,000 lost working days, and 5,300,000 hospital days, 400 low birth weight infants, and 2,100 new cases of chronic bronchitis in adults.

"The results of the study show that the implementation of the National Emission Reduction Plan from large combustion plants cannot be postponed, although the Ukrainian Government is trying to do so for the second time. National legislation needs to be brought into line with the requirements of the EU Industrial Emissions Directive and related sectoral standards, in particular the mandatory use of best available techniques and management methods.

This will mean that coal-fired power plants and other industrial enterprises will be obliged to modernize and, most importantly, the number of emissions will be reduced," said Maryna Ratushna, a specialist in the department of industry greening of the NGO Ecodia.

Note

To recap, Ukraine has one of the most polluting fleets of coal-fired power plants in the world. According to a recent report by the EMBER think tank, the country's coal-fired power plants are leaders in SO2 and ash dust emissions in Europe.

According to the World Health Organization's data on mortality and disease burden, air pollution in Ukraine kills 2,538 years of life each year, including disability, per 100,000 people, the largest number of years in Europe.