PV and Air Pollution

Photo of an elk standing in a field, the sky above is grey with pollution.

The elk in a rural setting in the foreground stands in sharp contrast to the air pollution of the urban landscape in the background.

Burning fossil fuels generates a number of air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter (soot), and toxic materials such as mercury. In contrast, PV systems produce no air pollution while operating. So, using PV systems can help reduce the amount of air pollution generated from electric power production.

Acid Rain and Smog

Sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions are the primary cause of acid rain. Electric power generation from fossil fuels produces about two-thirds of U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions, and about one-quarter of nitrous oxide emissions, making them the chief cause of acid rain. For more information, see Acid Rain on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Web site.

Nitrous oxides also react with other chemicals in the air to form ground-level ozone, also known as smog. Smog makes it difficult for some people to breathe, and it reduces visibility. Although smog is a problem primarily in cities, nitrous oxides can travel a great distance before reacting to form ozone. This means that it can create pollution problems throughout a region. See the EPA Ozone page for more information on the effects of smog.

Particulates: Health and Visibility Impacts

According to the EPA, fossil-fueled power plants produce particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter called fine particles. Combined with smog, another type of fine particle, they are proven, serious health threats. The following documents cover these threats in detail:

Pope, C. Arden III, PhD; Richard T. Burnett, PhD; Michael J. Thun, MD; Eugenia E. Calle, PhD; Daniel Krewski, PhD; Kazuhiko Ito, PhD; George D. Thurston, ScD. March 6, 2002. Lung Cancer, Cardiopulmonary Mortality, and Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Vol. 287, No. 9.

From Abt: Davidson, Kenneth; Dr. Leland Deck; Emily King; Marc Landry; Don McCubbin; Ellen Post; from SAI: Das, Dr. Mita; Sharon G. Douglas; Kamala Jayaraman; Thomas Myers; Boddu N. Venkatesh; Yi-Hua Wei; from E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc.: Cohen, Michael; Dr. Frank Divita; Patricia Horch; Dr. Susy Rothschild. October 2000. "The Particulate-Related Health Benefits of Reducing Power Plant Emissions."

Schaeffer, Eric. Particulate-Related Health Impacts of Eight Electric Utility Systems. April 2002. Abt Associates.

Particulate emissions also contribute to haze and cause visibility problems throughout the country, including the nation's national parks and wilderness areas. An August 2000 study by Abt Associates estimated that a complete elimination of power plant emissions by 2007 would yield $4.3 billion in increased U.S. economic activity from increases in visits to the national parks.

Toxic emissions

Burning fossil fuels like coal generates a large amount of toxic chemicals that are emitted into the air. Coal contains minute quantities of mercury and other heavy metals that are carried out of the smokestacks along with the combustion products. For more information on these emissions, see the EPA's 2000 Toxic Release Inventory.

Airborne mercury can also find its way into water supplies, where it can build up in fish and animals that eat fish, thereby presenting a neurological threat to people. See the EPA Mercury Web page for more information.

Additional air pollution information resources

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