Respiratory symptoms and annoyance in the vicinity of coal-fired plants.

Abstract

This study constitutes one part of a program for assessing the impact of coal-fired power plants on the surrounding communities. A questionnaire was mailed to a total of 12,000 subjects living in six areas with coal-fired plants and in matched reference areas. The participation rate was 77.3%. In one coal-fired plant/reference area pair, a more detailed medical examination was carried out among subjects who reported symptoms of the respiratory tract. The match between coal-fired plant and reference areas was successful primarily in three pairs. Neither respiratory symptoms nor disease rates were increased among adults or children near any of these plants, but one plant seemed to give rise to annoyance. For the remaining coal-fired plants, consistently higher prevalences of respiratory tract symptoms and annoyance were observed in the surrounding population. The effects cannot, however, conclusively be related to the coal-fired plants. It should be pointed out that the air pollution levels were relatively low, also in the vicinity of most of the plants in this study.

Respiratory Symptoms and Annoyance in the Vicinity of Coal-Fired Plants

“…Several studies have emphasized the importance of attitudes to the source of annoyance for reported annoyance (16,17). In the present study, attitudes to air pollution were studied by a series of cumulative items (11). Attitude scores were only slightly related to reported annoyance and could not explain the differences in annoyance between plant areas and their reference areas.…”

“…Chi-square tests without Yate's correction were used in the statistical analyses, and two-sided p-values are given. Smoking, education and occupation were controlled in other analyses (11), but the results were essentially the same as those reported below.…”

“…The mean concentrations of SO2, NO2, soot, and suspended particulates in ambient air during 1981-82 in area D and in its reference area were similar and low, i.e., below 30 ,ug/m3 (10). In area B and its reference area, yearly SO2 concentrations in 1977 were estimated to be 25 to 35 ,ug/m3 (11). The levels were even lower in area E and could be expected to be low also in its reference area.…”

“…The differences in ambient SO2 concentrations (and possibly also other air pollutants) are probably greatest between the coal plant and the reference areas in area pairs A, C and F (11). Unfortunately, measurements of ambient air concentration are scanty, but it has been estimated that differences in yearly mean SO2 concentration between area A and its reference area were up to 30 ,ug/m3 during the 1970s.…”

“…The questionnaire, which is presented in full else- where (11), was divided into several sections and began with general questions about marital status, education, occupation, size and type of residence, and satisfaction with the residential area. A following section dealt with the respondent's state of health.…”