In 2010 it was around 13,200 deaths/year from particulate emissions[1]. This is actually a big improvement, stricter regulations brought it down from 30,000 dea

In 2010 it was around 13,200 deaths/year from particulate emissions[1]. This is actually a big improvement, stricter regulations brought it down from 30,000 deaths/year in 2000 [2]. I should say that these numbers are surely not exact, there are big uncertainties both in the atmospheric modelling (how far the particles propagate) and in how dangerous the exposure is. But it's probably the right order of magnitude, there is a different report from the National Academy of Sciences in 2010 which arrived at a similar (but slightly lower) number [3]. The deaths from particulate emissions are not even necessarily the biggest problem with coal: if you price out the externalities, the cost of climate change (from CO₂ emissions) is the biggest item [4]. [1] http://www.catf.us/resources/publications/view/138 http://www.catf.us/resources/publications/view/138 [2] http://www.catf.us/resources/publications/view/8 http://www.catf.us/resources/publications/view/8 [3] http://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hidden.pdf http://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hi... [4] http://xhxhxhx.tumblr.com/post/157192261427/alright-two-important-corrections-first-the http://xhxhxhx.tumblr.com/post/157192261427/alright-two-impo...