Air polluted emissions from coal-fired power plants and their human health effects in Turkey
Abstract
Air pollution is an important risk factor for health in Turkey and the quality of the air we breathe is even more important for a mega city like Istanbul, having the busiest traffic flow and highest population in Turkey. It is still difficult to gather adequate and verified data on air pollution in Turkey. From the evidence available, Turkey emerges as a country with one of the highest rates of premature deaths due to air pollution. In 2021, 78,924 people in Turkey died prematurely from ambient PM and Covid-19 pandemic. This study shows that for the past 40 years, coal has been reshaping the provinces of Muğla, Çanakkale, Afşin-Elbistan, Zonguldak, Bolu, Ankara, Kocaeli, Bursa, Sıvas, Kütahya, Manisa and Adana in several regions of Turkey. This geographical transformation has brought with it heavy ecological, social and economic burdens. Air pollution in major cities, including from coal-fired power plants, is a serious concern. Thermal power plants in Turkey are subject to the Industrial Air Pollution Control Regulation, which sets limit values for air pollutants such as SO2, CO, NOX and particulate matter. The government’s decision to not grant extra time to existing privatised and public thermal power plants that were exempted from securing environmental permits until the end of 2020 was a step in the right direction.
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