title: Coal utilization in China: environmental impacts and human health.
abstract: Coal is one of the major energy resources in China, accounting for approximately 70 % of primary energy consumption. Many environmental problems and human health risks arise during coal exploitation, utilization, and waste disposal, especially in the remote mountainous areas of western China (e.g., eastern Yunnan, western Guizhou and Hubei, and southern Shaanxi). In this paper, we report a thorough review of the environmental and human health impacts related to coal utilization in China. The abundance of the toxic trace elements such as F, As, Se, and Hg in Chinese coals is summarized. The environmental problems (i.e., water, soil, and air pollution) that are related to coal utilization are outlined. The provenance, distributions, typical symptoms, sources, and possible pathways of endemic fluorosis, arsenism, and selenosis due to improper coal usage (briquettes mixed with high-F clay, mineralized As-rich coal, and Se-rich stone coal) are discussed in detail. In 2010, 14.8, 1.9 million, and 16,000 Chinese people suffered from dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and arsenism, respectively. Finally, several suggestions are proposed for the prevention and treatment for endemic problems caused by coal utilization.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China, chenj@mail.ustc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guijian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ruoyu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chuncai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000209:etiology; D002681:China; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis; D004777:Environment; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005461:Fluorine / Q000633:toxicity; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity; D011634:Public Health; D012643:Selenium / Q000633:toxicity; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D005461:Fluorine; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium; D001151:Arsenic