Nanoscale Particulate Matter Toxicity and Emissions from Chinese Coal Plants

169 coal-fired power plants across China were analyzed for single-particle elemental profiles and cellular toxicity. The dataset, created by Miao Xu and last updated in April 2026, uses interpretable machine learning to identify iron-rich nanoparticles as a key toxic driver, explaining 27.4% of oxidative stress and 16.9% of cytotoxicity. It includes a high-resolution national inventory estimating 236 tons of iron-rich nanoparticle emissions in 2020.

Use Cases

• Identify key toxic components of coal power emissions based on single-particle elemental profiles.
• Model the health impact of specific nanoparticles based on cellular toxicity data.
• Develop regional emission reduction strategies based on the national inventory of iron-rich nanoparticles.
• Assess the cost-effectiveness of pollution control measures like electrostatic precipitator upgrades.

Strengths

• Data combines physical emission profiles with biological toxicity measurements from human lung cells.
• Analysis covers 169 plants, providing a broad sample across China.
• Results are quantified with specific percentages for oxidative stress (27.4%) and cytotoxicity (16.9%).
• Includes a national emission inventory with a total estimate of 236 tons for 2020.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is specific to China in 2020; applicability to other regions or time periods may be limited.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Combined single-particle elemental profiles from 169 plants with cellular toxicity assays.

Time Range

2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-15 06:02:48; freshness should be verified.

Geography

China, with Eastern China identified as a hotspot.