Evaluation of Health Effects from Sulfur Dioxide Emissions for A Reference Coal-Fired Power Plant

Health effects from coal-fired power plants are causing growing concern. Interest is stimulated by delays in the use of nuclear power and the possibility of greater use of coal. A model to evaluate health effects has been developed, based on the concept of a reference 1,000 MW plant. This model has particular relevance to studies of alternative futures and analysis for long range planning. The model consists of two parts, dealing with health impact and dispersion to dosage. The health submodel is based on a study by Finklea et al. at the USEPA, and the dispersion submodel is based on results of detailed dispersion modeling and monitoring for a typical power plant. The human health impacts are parameterized in terms of SO2 emissions, population and site characteristics, and background SO2 concentration. Although these quantified impacts are only a partial indicator of the total air pollution impact, the results show that these impacts may be significant and that they should be considered in the analysis of power plant impacts.