School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Resources Exploitation and Hazard Control for Deep Metal Mines, Changsha, China.
School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Resources Exploitation and Hazard Control for Deep Metal Mines, Changsha, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jan 20;805:150231. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150231. Epub 2021 Sep 10.
Coal is not only the main fossil fuel in China but also a pollution source. To evaluate the impact of coal production on the environment, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on the mining process of a typical coal mine in China by using the SimaPro 9.0.0 software. The Ecoinvent v3 database was used to provide the background data, and midpoint results with uncertainty information were calculated using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method. After normalising the midpoint results, fossil depletion was identified as the most predominant environmental impact category, followed by marine ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, climate change, freshwater eutrophication, and human toxicity. The contribution analysis indicates that coal mining activities, consumption of steel and electricity, and mine ventilation are the key processes causing the above-mentioned environmental impact categories, which should be paid special attention. According to the sensitivity analysis, the primary countermeasures for addressing the environmental issues are to reduce the mining activities and improve the efficiency of coal mining and utilisation. In addition, the quantitative and comparative analyses show that the gas extraction production mode is beneficial to the environment. Finally, technical measures were proposed to promote green and sustainable development of the coal industry. This research can provide guidance for ensuring national energy security and promoting healthy development of the national economy.
煤炭不仅是中国的主要化石燃料，也是污染源。为了评估煤炭生产对环境的影响，采用 SimaPro9.0.0 软件对中国某典型煤矿的开采过程进行了生命周期评价（LCA）。使用 Ecoinventv3 数据库提供背景数据，并使用 ReCiPe 中点（H）方法计算具有不确定性信息的中点结果。在对中点结果进行归一化后，发现化石燃料枯竭是最主要的环境影响类别，其次是海洋生态毒性、淡水生态毒性、气候变化、淡水富营养化和人类毒性。贡献分析表明，煤矿开采活动、钢铁和电力消耗以及矿井通风是导致上述环境影响类别的关键过程，应特别关注。根据敏感性分析，解决环境问题的主要对策是减少采矿活动，提高煤炭开采和利用效率。此外，定量和比较分析表明，瓦斯抽采生产模式有利于环境。最后，提出了技术措施，以促进煤炭工业的绿色和可持续发展。本研究可为保障国家能源安全、促进国民经济健康发展提供指导。
