Assessing PM2.5 Exposure and Health Risks in a Mining and Thermal Powerplant Township in Southern India: Impacts on Air Quality and Public Health

Coal and lignite mining, along with thermal power generation, are major contributors to air pollution, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. India, ranking fifth globally in coal reserves, is the second-largest producer, consumer, and importer of coal. Currently, 533 active coal mines and 20 lignite mines operate in the country, of which 249 coal mines and all lignite mines are opencast. Approximately 180 coal-based and 9 lignite-based thermal power stations contribute to meeting ~77% of India's energy demands. According to research by the Global Burden of Disease regarding the present state of air pollution, there were an astounding 1.67 million air pollution-related deaths in India alone in 2019. Most of these deaths, or over 0.98 million, were caused by ambient particulate air pollution such as PM_2.5. Long-term PM_2.5 exposure is associated with adverse health effects, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)—the third leading cause of mortality globally—contributing to substantial financial burdens. In this study, we evaluated PM_2.5concentrations at 10 locations in and around the Neyveli Lignite Mine, India’s largest opencast lignite mine, for over two years (March 2020–February 2022). The mean annual PM_2.5 concentrations across the study locations were 41.08 μg/m³ (Year 1) and 41.42 μg/m³ (Year 2), exceeding Indian NAAQS, US EPA, and WHO air quality standards. Meteorological data were obtained from the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis 1 dataset, and air mass back trajectory clusters were analysed using NOAA’s HYSPLIT model. Conditional Bivariate Probability Function (CBPF) and Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) plots were generated to identify potential PM_2.5 sources. CBPF 75^th percentile plots revealed significant pollution events from the south and southeast directions at wind speeds >4 miles/hour. PSCF 75^th percentile plots indicated long-range PM_2.5 transport from the Bay of Bengal (summer and winter), the Arabian Sea (monsoon), and nearby urban areas (post-monsoon). Using the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model, PM_2.5 deposition in the human respiratory system (Yeh/Schum 5-Lobe) was estimated for exposure scenarios of 8 hours/day, 5 days/week, over a year. The total deposition fraction was 0.8238, with the head region contributing the highest deposition (68.28%), followed by the pulmonary (23.56%) and tracheobronchial regions (8.16%). Health impact assessment using WHO’s AirQ+ software estimated COPD hospitalisations attributable to PM_2.5. The Estimated Attributable Proportion (EAP), Excess Attributable Cases (EAC), and Estimated Attributable Cases per 100,000 Population (EACP) ranged from 6.57%–6.63%, 1,085–1,095, and 1,026.35–1,035.59, respectively. The financial burden of COPD, evaluated using the Cost of Illness (COI) and Value of Statistical Life (VSL) methods, was 43.23–43.62 million INR (COI) and 1,768,474 INR (VSL). These results highlight the significant health and economic impacts of PM_2.5 exposure, emphasising the critical need for targeted air quality interventions and sustainable practices. Moving forward, these preliminary findings will be expanded through receptor modelling to provide a more detailed source apportionment, offering valuable insights for enhancing air quality through focused interventions and strategies.