Final answer:
Regions like North Dakota that have coal plants contribute to some of the world's worst air pollution, including areas in Great Britain, Central Europe, and China. The health impacts of pollution from coal burning are extensive, affecting both outdoor and indoor air quality globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regions that house coal plants and experience some of the world's worst air pollution include industrial areas such as those in Great Britain, Germany, Ukraine, and more extensively in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia. Coal burning notably pollutes the air with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and particulates, which contribute to respiratory diseases, acid rain, smog, and significant environmental impacts. Additionally, China has become infamous for its poor air quality due to rapid industrialization and coal use, often leading to smog that is so dense it disrupts transportation and necessitates the use of air-filter masks by pedestrians.
Beyond specific regions, coal burning is a global issue with widespread health impacts, including an increase in respiratory infections from indoor air pollution, especially in developing countries where solid fuels are used for household cooking and heating. The largest political regions by population—China, the United States, the European Union, and India—contribute to more than half of all CO2 emissions, with coal accounting for a significant portion of these emissions.