4 ms·

Source? What makes combustion particulates from coal substantially worse than combustion particulates from wood?

Verdex 6y ago
Coal can have radioactive materials inside of it. There's radioactive carbon (c14) and it looks like also a bunch of more concerning materials. [] - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/#:~:text=At%20issue%20is%20coal's%20content,10%20times%20their%20original%20levels https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-....
- cyphar 6y ago
  Regarding carbon-14, there is so little of it that it makes no sense to even think about it (about 1 in 10^12 atoms). In addition, all biological matter (including you and the food you eat) has carbon-14 present in it -- that's the basic principle behind carbon dating. In fact, ash from wood burning would probably have more carbon-14 if anything. But yes, the article you linked talks about trace amounts of uranium and other materials that actually could be harmful.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- spqr0a1 6y ago
  The half life of C-14 is much shorter than geologic formation time for coal. Coal's radioactivity is due to primordial nuclides and their decay chains.
- shard 6y ago
  How does the radioactivity from coal compare with the radioactivity from bananas?
tdy721 6y ago
Sulfur is a big one. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal Leading to, for example, acid rain. Also just a guess, coal is a finer particulate matter than wood, I think that might give more particles off. Wood dust, nope, coal dust? Hell no. Also radioactive!
xapata 6y ago
> Source? This one is easy to research. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just being helpful.
- floor2 6y ago
  Spreading dangerous misinformation is not helpful, and you are trying to convince them of something- namely that this air pollution is no big deal. PM2.5 pollution, even at levels far lower than being seen now, is associated with literally hundreds of negative outcomes- lower IQ, worse test scores in standardized tests, more depression, worse ADHD, more asthma, more cancers (of both the lungs and other body parts), emphysema, as well as a whole host of issues related to full-body inflammation (ranging from auto-immune disorders to digestive problems).
  - xapata 6y ago
    I didn't say, "No big deal." I am aware of the danger. Thus, "if you survive." The issues you're describing are studied after what I'd say is long term exposure. So far it's less than a week. A person with healthy lungs and no related problems will be back to normal if this ceases in a relatively short time. Of course, that doesn't mean we should relax about smoke season becoming a month-long annual event. They say dosage makes the poison, but duration is important, too.
refurb 6y ago
Wood is made of complex carbohydrates (lignins). The worst thing you’ll get in the smoke is carbon particles and maybe a small amount of aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene. Coal is made of up of a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons like a anthracene, naphthalene. These are already toxic to humans. Add metals like mercury, antimony, etc. Coal smoke is much worse than wood smoke.

Coal can have radioactive materials inside of it. There's radioactive carbon (c14) and it looks like also a bunch of more concerning materials. [] - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/#:~:text=At%20issue%20is%20coal's%20content,10%20times%20their%20original%20levels https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-....

cyphar 6y ago
Regarding carbon-14, there is so little of it that it makes no sense to even think about it (about 1 in 10^12 atoms). In addition, all biological matter (including you and the food you eat) has carbon-14 present in it -- that's the basic principle behind carbon dating. In fact, ash from wood burning would probably have more carbon-14 if anything. But yes, the article you linked talks about trace amounts of uranium and other materials that actually could be harmful.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
spqr0a1 6y ago
The half life of C-14 is much shorter than geologic formation time for coal. Coal's radioactivity is due to primordial nuclides and their decay chains.
shard 6y ago
How does the radioactivity from coal compare with the radioactivity from bananas?

tdy721 6y ago

Sulfur is a big one. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal Leading to, for example, acid rain. Also just a guess, coal is a finer particulate matter than wood, I think that might give more particles off. Wood dust, nope, coal dust? Hell no. Also radioactive!

xapata 6y ago

> Source? This one is easy to research. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just being helpful.

floor2 6y ago
Spreading dangerous misinformation is not helpful, and you are trying to convince them of something- namely that this air pollution is no big deal. PM2.5 pollution, even at levels far lower than being seen now, is associated with literally hundreds of negative outcomes- lower IQ, worse test scores in standardized tests, more depression, worse ADHD, more asthma, more cancers (of both the lungs and other body parts), emphysema, as well as a whole host of issues related to full-body inflammation (ranging from auto-immune disorders to digestive problems).
- xapata 6y ago
  I didn't say, "No big deal." I am aware of the danger. Thus, "if you survive." The issues you're describing are studied after what I'd say is long term exposure. So far it's less than a week. A person with healthy lungs and no related problems will be back to normal if this ceases in a relatively short time. Of course, that doesn't mean we should relax about smoke season becoming a month-long annual event. They say dosage makes the poison, but duration is important, too.

refurb 6y ago

Wood is made of complex carbohydrates (lignins). The worst thing you’ll get in the smoke is carbon particles and maybe a small amount of aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene. Coal is made of up of a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons like a anthracene, naphthalene. These are already toxic to humans. Add metals like mercury, antimony, etc. Coal smoke is much worse than wood smoke.