April 23, 2024
Coal trains also carry respiratory diseases to communities on their way – study
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, focuses on the San Francisco Bay Area and is the first-ever health impact assessment of coal train pollution. While centred on East Bay neighbourhoods, the study has implications for communities living alongside passing coal trains elsewhere in the world. At least 80 countries use coal power, which generates about 40% of the world’s electricity. “These trains run all over the world, exposing the poorest populations who often live close to the train tracks,” Bart Ostro, a scientist with the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center and lead author of the paper, said in a media statement.