Air

Other emissions

Coal contains trace amounts of several toxic substances including cadmium and arsenic. Portions of these materials are emitted as fine particulates when coal is burned in power plants.

Government regulations require thermal power generators to set up systems to track and monitor these and other releases. Power generators report releases of hazardous substances through the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). The NPRI provides information on the releases of key emissions to air, water and land from large industrial and commercial sources, including power plants.