Abstract
Low-carbon development of coal-fired power generation (CPG) is essential in achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. While greatly reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide and homologous conventional pollutants, low-carbon CPG may change emitted-pollutants profiles, increase certain emitted-pollutants levels, and even emit new pollutants, bringing both health risks and benefits, which are largely unknown and warrant exigent elucidation by initiating the Tongji carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (TJCC) cohort. Two mainly deployed low-carbon (high-efficiency low-carbon [HLC-] and coal-biomass coupling [CBC-]) and one traditional (Trad-) CPG stations with similar CPG scale in Hubei province, China were randomly chosen. From May to November 2023 (baseline), 3262 adult residents (mean age: 54.4 years; 67.0% female) in communities located 8.5±1.5km downwind of the stations along the annual prevailing wind direction were recruited (1076, 1177, and 1009 around HLC-CPG, CBC-CPG, and Trad-CPG stations, respectively) for survey (questionnaire; health checkup; blood and urine collection for biochemistry and pollutants measurements). A panel (n=150; 50 around each station) was randomly convened from the cohort for additional elaborate survey, like 24-hour personal health and environmental exposure monitoring. Additionally, we established three fixed-sites (at about 1km and 5km downwind of each station, plus community center) to monitor CPG-emitted pollutants. This cohort followed up every 2~3 years will provide novel exquisite data for illuminating emitted-pollutants profile and relevant health risk from CPG and particularly health benefit from low-carbon CPG, which has great significance in identifying priority pollutants for CPG emission control and achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality while safeguarding public health.