Abstract
Communities living in proximity to coal-fired
power plants (CFPPs) may be at greater risk of negative
health impacts from exposure to air pollution than communities
living further away. The aim of this scoping review
was to provide an update on the evidence of the health
risks of air pollution exposure associated with living in
proximity to CFPPs and to evaluate the relationship between
residential proximity and the extent of the health
burden. We followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and
searched Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus
and Web of Science for relevant studies from inception up
to 31 January 2024. Fifty-six studies were included with
most articles published from 2016 to 2023 (n=33, 59 %) and
35 were in high income countries (63 %). Living close to
CFPPs was frequently associated with increased odds or
likelihood of respiratory disorders, adverse birth outcomes
and child developmental issues. Interventions such as
emission control systems or total shutdown of CFPPs led to
improved health among communities living near CFPPs.
The review highlights the health impacts from air pollution
associated with living in proximity to CFPPs and the need
for policy measures to reduce air pollution by installing
emission control technologies or transitioning to cleaner
energy sources.