A new study in Nature Sustainability examines the air pollution and health impacts of retrofitting US coal and natural gas power plants with amine-based carbon capture and storage (CCS). The researchers found that CCS retrofits on newer natural gas plants can address 97% of emissions, while only 27% of coal plant emissions are addressable due to age and viability constraints. The health benefits are concentrated at coal plants, where flue gas pretreatment reduces harmful pollutants significantly. However, the study warns that using monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent on natural gas plants without ammonia controls could increase human health burdens fourfold. The net impact depends on solvent choice, fuel type, and emission controls. The findings highlight that careful deployment of CCS is critical to avoid trading carbon reductions for worse air quality outcomes.
