How can mercury and chlorine in coal contribute to pollution?

When coal is burned, trace elements naturally present in the fuel can be released into the environment, contributing to air pollution and posing significant health risks.1

Mercury and chlorine are categorized as trace elements that escape during the combustion or conversion of coal as volatiles. Their contribution to pollution occurs as follows:1

• Mercury: As a hazardous air pollutant, mercury compounds are released into the atmosphere during coal combustion. Exposure to mercury is associated with serious health risks, including damage to the central nervous system, which can manifest as insomnia, blurred vision, deafness, and kidney damage.21
• Chlorine: Chlorine is also released as a volatile substance during the burning of coal. In the air, chlorine compounds are known to cause irritation to the respiratory tract and mucous membranes.12

It is an ethical imperative to manage these emissions, as they pose direct threats to human health and environmental quality. While technologies such as scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators can help trap some harmful pollutants, the release of these toxic substances remains a critical concern associated with coal utilization.1