Coal-fired Power Plants Research Articles

Cost of escaping air pollution: A way to prevent excessive expansion of industrial areas

To pursue economic growth, many emerging markets prioritize providing land and resources to industries rather than people, resulting in people being forced to relocate. This paper uses Taiwan’s largest industrial city (Kaohsiung) as an example to discuss the negative spillover effect brought about by its most polluted industrial area (the Kaohsiung Linhai Industrial Park, KLIP). This study finds that the proximity between residences and the pollution sources and air pollution severity both cause housing prices to decrease. The results also show that among different air pollution indicators, SO2 concentration exerts the largest influence on housing prices. This may be because the SO2 emitted by large coal-fired power plants and oil refineries in the KLIP is linked to pollution-based haze and creates a visible atmospheric brown haze. By discussing the industrial park’s air pollution problem, this paper illustrates the harm of the overdevelopment of an industrial park. To prevent people’s relocation events resulting from the overdevelopment of an industrial park occurring in the future, we must regularly estimate the shadow price that residents living near the industrial park are required to pay to escape air pollution. This paper also puts forward suggestions that contribute to the sustainable development of industrial parks.

Numerical study on ammonia injection location of ammonia and low-rank coal cofiring in 1000 MWe ultra super critical carolina-type boiler

Global CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants necessitate innovative solutions to reduce their environmental footprint. Ammonia cofiring has emerged as a promising solution for reducing CO2 emissions in these plants. The ammonia injection optimization is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics simulations in a 1000 MW Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant, comparing four injection sites at a 20 % thermal energy cofiring ratio. Results indicated the bottom burner as the most effective location, achieving the lowest NOx emissions (102.20 mg/Nm3) compared to traditional coal-firing (131.78 mg/Nm3). A sensitivity analysis favored bottom and mid burner injections over equal distribution, leading to further investigations into varying injection locations and cofiring ratios (5%–60 %). Increased cofiring ratios decreased gross power output by 3.6 MW per percentage increase in cofiring, alongside shifts in flue gas properties and a complex NOx emission trend. Initially, NOx emissions decreased, with a 0.784 up to 20 % cofiring, but dramatically increased beyond, reaching a ratio of 3.744 at 60 % cofiring. This study reveals critical insights into emission management and highlights the need for improved derating strategies to mitigate acid corrosion risks, marking a significant step towards environmentally sustainable coal power generation.

Experimental and DFT studies of mercury adsorption and oxidation on CuCo2O4(110) surface

Elemental mercury (Hg0) is a typical toxic pollutant in flue gas from coal-fired power plants. The specific role of oxygen transfer on Hg0 oxidation over CuCo2O4 oxygen carrier and the involved reaction mechanisms were systematically studied by experimental and theoretical methods. In this study, the CuCo2O4 oxygen carrier with spinel-structure was prepared with salt-assisted combustion method. To reduce the grain size and increase the specific surface area of the oxygen carrier, the optimal KCl: CuCo2O4 ratio of 1:1 was obtained. Oxygen uncoupling ability of CuCo2O4 oxygen carrier was very strong, and the oxygen-releasing performance was slightly decreased after ten cyclic processes. Simulation based on density functional theory (DFT) shows that CuCo2O4 has relative low oxygen vacancy formation energy and oxygen transport energy barrier, and the oxygen vacancy is the preferred O2 adsorption site. Hg0 removal experiments show that CuCo2O4 has a strong ability to remove Hg0. The proportion of Hg2+ increases with the temperature, and the proportion of HgP decreases accordingly. Simulation shows that the 3-Co site on the surface of the CuCo2O4 oxygen carrier is the optimum Hg0 adsorption site. CuCo2O4 is found as a strong oxygen-releasing oxygen carrier, which can effectively promote the oxidation of Hg0.

Design of retrofit flue gas (CO2) scrubber for dependable clean energy at the Duvha Coal Power Plant

The coal-fired power sector is facing unprecedented pressure due to the shift to low-carbon energy sources and the need to prevent climate change. It is imperative to incorporate advanced technologies into conventional coal-fired power plants to enhance their efficiency, flexibility, and environmental sustainability. One advantage of post-combustion CCS methods is that they may be retrofitted into power plants that are already in place. The goal of this work is to design a CO2 flue gas cleaning retrofit system that will meet the most stringent air quality regulations in an operational coal power station in Southern Africa. It will operate and expedite the removal of undesired gas (CO2) in order to attain ideal requirements for air quality in one of Southern Africa's current coal-fired power plants, the Duvha Coal Power Plant. This study is based on chemical absorption, and explores the mechanistic design of the scrubber, which was accomplished through simple computations and Ansys simulations. The approach for developing a wet CO2 scrubber and LSTG system is based on chemical absorption and is integrated with a pilot plant. The results of the parametric study provide a foundation for a comprehensive industrial system design for South Africa's coal-powered industry. The results show that the scrubber's cylinder height and diameter can be used for an LSTG system and are appropriate for CO2 gas flow and capture. The application of the suggested scrubber design and the LTSG's contributions will allow the coal power station to operate with minimal GHG emissions released into the atmosphere. Instead of shutting down coal power facilities, this cleaning system that completely absorbs CO2 emissions can be used to maintain a robust power infrastructure, rather than being phased out. This will boost the power plant's efficiency over its initial operating efficiency and benefit the nation's economy and the power industry.

Study on the Performance of a Novel Double-Section Full-Open Absorption Heat Pump for Flue Gas Waste Heat Recovery

Open absorption heat pumps are considered one of the most promising methods for efficiently utilizing low-grade waste heat, reducing energy consumption, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. However, traditional heat pumps have significant limitations in the range of flue gas temperatures they can recover, and their relatively low system performance further restricts practical applications. In this study, we propose a novel double-section full-open absorption heat pump driven by flue gas from the desulfurization tower. By designing the absorber with a double-layer structure, the system can recover more latent and sensible heat from the flue gas, significantly enhancing its thermal recovery capability. Additionally, replacing the traditional LiBr/H2O working pair with LiCl/H2O significantly reduces the risks of solution crystallization and equipment corrosion. Through comprehensive research, the strengths and weaknesses of the system were explored. The results indicate that this system effectively recovers flue gas waste heat within the temperature range of 30–70 °C. Specifically, at a flue gas temperature of 70 °C and a flow rate of 3 kg/s, the system achieves a COP of 1.838, along with a heating capacity of 158.83 kW and a ROI of 34.1%. These metrics demonstrate that the system not only delivers high performance but also exhibits excellent economic viability. Additionally, when the solution temperature is lowered to 10 °C, the system’s maximum COP reaches 1.96, reflecting a significant 30.67% improvement over traditional heat pumps. These findings highlight the system’s potential for application in coal-fired power plants, where varying levels of power output can benefit from enhanced thermal recovery and efficiency.

Simultaneous comparison of the chemical composition and attributable source of PM2.5 during 2014–2018 in major metropolitan cities in South Korea: impacts of policy interventions

Abstract Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of the most concerning pollutants, characterized by its diverse chemical composition. Although various studies have revealed PM2.5 chemical components, there is limited knowledge on how to reduce PM2.5 concentrations through administrative policies focusing on source management. We compared PM2.5 compositional characteristics and performed source apportionment using the positive matrix factorization in four metropolitan cities (Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Ulsan) in South Korea from 2014 to 2018. The annual average of PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the annual national ambient air quality standard of 15 μg m−3 in all areas while secondary inorganic aerosols constituted the largest fraction of PM2.5. This implies that secondary formation from gaseous precursors in the atmosphere was the main factor contributing to ambient PM2.5. However, the concentrations of PM2.5 constituents varied significantly across cities, suggesting that PM2.5 is a heterogeneous pollutant considerably influenced by region-specific conditions. In line with the chemical composition, secondary nitrate, secondary sulfate, and mobile-related sources were found to be significant contributors of PM2.5. Additionally, the extent of contribution from each source varied across the study regions. We also evaluated the impacts of policy interventions by comparing the PM2.5 composition and source apportionment before and after the policies for improving air quality. Intensive programs focused on the vehicle sector in Seoul led to a considerable decrease in the concentrations of carbonaceous compounds and mobile-related sources. In addition, strengthened regulations on coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) since 2016 have influenced the contributions of coal combustion sources in two cities adjacent to the west coastal area, where approximately half of the CFPPs of the country are densely distributed. Overall, the study’s findings indicate that region-specific PM2.5 chemical constituents and source contributions should be considered for establishing PM2.5-related policies, considering the high heterogeneity of PM2.5.

Impact of oxide layer on performance and creep life of a superheater tube in a coal-fired power plant

The failure of a superheater tube in a coal-fired power plant, designed to resist creep damage at high temperatures and pressures, was investigated after it ruptured following 115,360 h of operation, which was significantly shorter than its expected 200,000-hour life. An oxide layer measuring 106 µm was discovered on the inner side of the tube, which acted as a thermal insulator, raising the tube’s temperature and reducing its thickness. This led to increased stress, decreased creep resistance, and a shortened tube life. The oxide layer’s growth, tube temperature, and stress were estimated. After 115,360 h, at a flue gas velocity of 22 m/s, the oxide layer reached an estimated thickness of 120 µm. The outer and inner tube surface temperatures were 522 °C and 510 °C, respectively, and the stress was estimated at 79.9 MPa. To extend tube life to the designed 200,000 h, it was determined that reducing the flue gas velocity to 15.8 m/s or lower would be required. At this velocity, the tube’s creep life was estimated at 200,070 h when accounting for tube thinning. Without accounting for the reduction in thickness, the estimated life was 210,650 h, which was approximately 1.2 years longer.

Study on the Economic Operation of a 1000 MWe Coal-Fired Power Plant with CO2 Capture

The flexible operation of carbon capture units is crucial for the economic performance of coal-fired power plants equipped with CO2 capture systems. This paper aims to investigate the impact of electricity, CO2, and fuel prices on the economic operation of such plants. A novel economic optimization model is proposed, integrating a static model of the carbon capture system with a particle swarm optimization algorithm. A new concept, the CO2 boundary price, is introduced as a key metric for determining the operating conditions of CO2 capture units. The CO2 boundary price rises when the power load decreases due to the decline in power generation efficiency, and it also increases with rising fuel prices, as the cost of steam for CO2 capture increases. Additionally, when the objective is to meet power load demand, CO2 prices have a great influence on the operation of CO2 capture units, assuming fixed coal and electricity prices. However, when the primary goal is to maximize plant profitability, the system’s operational conditions are strongly influenced by the relative prices of electricity and CO2. The proposed optimization model and the uncovered price-effect mechanisms provide valuable insights into the economic operation of carbon capture power plants.

Effect of the temperature control device on the emission character of condensable particulate matter from industrial heating plant

Condensable particulate matter (CPM) is one of the major emissions of primary particles in coal combustion. The removal efficiency of CPM using the temperature control device (TCD) based on the concept of a heat exchanger application with lower capital cost was investigated in an industrial heating plant. TCD operates without water and flue gas interactions and ensures efficient control of CPM emissions, and it also minimizes the potential ion accumulation in recycled WESP water, which could otherwise hinder the removal of CPM. The total mass and chemical speciation were determined by EPA method 202. The total mass of CPM was removed by 25.7–60.6% after the TCD. The CPM captured by CPM filters (CPMspa) was down to around 15–21% and the FPM also was reduced by around 11–26%. The occurrence of vapor gradient forces and thermophoresis forces could enhance the contact between CPM and water film, which was built up on the surface of the cooling tubes during the process of TCD. Then, part of the CPM was removed with a water film. The low capital and operating cost of TCD can be installed in the industrial heating plant or be set up after the WESP in the coal-fired power plant to enhance the CPM removal efficiency.

Dynamic simulation and control strategy development of molten salt steam generation system for coal-fired power plant flexible retrofit

The coal-fired power plant (CFPP) coupled with the molten salt thermal energy storage system is a potential way to improve its flexibility and peak-shaving ability. The steam generation system (SGS) is a suitable choice to convert the feed water into hot steam by using the heat from the molten salt. In this paper, the schematic of an SGS coupled with the CFPP is presented. A dynamic model of the SGS basing lump parameter method is established and validated to investigate its dynamic response characteristics. Five different disturbance experiments including feed water inlet parameters, molten salt inlet parameters and medium pressure steam valve, are conducted and analyzed. The dynamic response curves of molten salt and steam are obtained. Moreover, the load adjustment process of SGS with three different load changing rates (3 %, 6 %, 10 % Pe/min) under the rated conditions is compared and its influence on the SGS is analyzed. The temperature changing rates in the thick-wall components of SGS are within 2 °C/min which meets the safe operating standard. Based on the above results, the three elements control strategy with excellent robustness for the SGS safety operation is proposed and demonstrated. The results show that the response time for the SGS load regulation process and the water level fluctuation have been significantly improved as the three elements control strategy is imposed. The water level can be stabilized in 200 s with tiny fluctuation when the SGS loads down 10 % thermal load with 10 % Pe/min load changing rate. These results could provide useful references for the design and control strategy making of the CFPP coupled with the molten salt thermal energy storage system.

Investigation of Precipitation Behavior of a Novel Ni-Fe-Based Superalloy during High-Temperature Aging Treatment.

The precipitation behavior of a novel Ni-Fe-based superalloy developed for advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) coal-fired power plant applications during high-temperature aging treatment was investigated. The results showed that the major precipitates in the novel alloy were randomly distributed MC carbides, M23C6 carbides at grain boundaries, and the γ'-Ni3 (Al, Ti) phase in grain interiors after aging. MC remained relatively stable during both short-term and long-term aging. M23C6 quickly precipitated and exhibited a discrete distribution at grain boundaries during short-term aging, and partly developed into continuous films during long-term aging. After uniform precipitation, the shape of γ' remained spherical, and the size kept increasing with aging time according to the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) model. The hardness of the novel alloy was mainly associated with the precipitation behavior of γ'; as γ' gradually precipitated, the hardness steadily increased; after complete precipitation, as the size of γ' increased, the hardness first increased and then decreased, reaching the peak hardness when the average radius of γ' achieved the critical size. In addition, the novel alloy exhibited abnormal coarsening behavior at grain boundaries during both short-term and long-term aging. The coarsened grain boundaries were actually precipitate-free zones (PFZs) and the coarsened and elongated rod-like particles inside were identified as γ' precipitates. The mechanism of strain-induced grain boundary migration and the discontinuous coarsening reaction is proposed for the formation of PFZs. Furthermore, PFZs were considered to be potential crack sources during the creep rupture test, leading to earlier failure of the material.

Numerical simulation of co-firing LRC and ammonia in Pangkalan Susu 3 & 4 coal-fired steam power plant (CFSPP) capacity 210 megawatts

The effort to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change, improving air quality, complying with environmental regulations, and promoting clean technology innovation. Ammonia, as an emission-free fuel, shows significant potential as a co-firing agent with Coal in coal-fired steam power plants (CFSPP). Previous studies have demonstrated promising results in emission reduction through ammonia co-firing. This research presents a numerical analysis based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate the co-firing of ammonia with low-calorific Coal (LRC) in the CFSPP Pangkalan Susu Units 3 and 4, with a capacity of 210 MW. The study employs fluid flow modelling and chemical reaction analysis using the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) to provide accurate predictions of temperature distribution and pollutant concentrations in pulverized coal boilers. Cofiring simulations were conducted with ammonia additions of 5 % and 15 % on a calorific basis. Injection experiments from each burner (A-D) were performed to identify the optimal injection location. The simulation results indicate changes in combustion characteristics, particularly in temperature distribution. The main finding reveals a temperature decrease when ammonia is added as a co-firing material, attributed to the higher H2O content, which leads to increased moisture losses. In terms of efficiency, co-firing showed a decline compared to the baseline combustion of 100 % LRC coal due to the more significant moisture losses. The highest reduction in CO2 emissions was observed when 15 % ammonia was injected from burner B in case #6, with a mass fraction value of 0.171 at the boiler outlet. Similarly, the most significant reduction in NOx emissions occurred with a 15 % ammonia co-firing from burner B, yielding a mass fraction value of 8.81E-04 at the boiler outlet. This co-firing technology is expected to enhance decarbonization efforts and optimize the use of renewable energy in the future.

Quantifying the economy-wide employment effects of coal-fired power plants: Two different cases China and the United States

Ensuring a swift transition from coal to clean energy is essential for capping global temperature increases at 1.5 °C, but it poses significant economic and social challenges in coal-dependent regions. This paper examines the economy-wide employment impacts resulting from the activities of coal-fired power plants in China and the United States, the world's largest coal consumers. By analyzing observational data on the different stages of coal power, including both expansion and reduction in the two countries, we aim to derive insights that can inform a more effective and just transition during the phase-out of coal power. We leveraged unique periods post-2010 when China was predominantly opening coal plants while the US was closing them, identifying the economy-wide employment impacts at the county level. By using both two-way fixed effects and spatial econometric models for over 10 years of panel data, covering 2875 in China and 3233 counties in the US, we addressed spillover effects and ensured robust and comprehensive results. Our findings revealed that in China, coal plant deployment increased employment both locally and in the neighboring counties. In the U.S., our findings indicate that before 2015, closing coal plants generally had a negative impact on jobs. However, after 2015, when the U.S. introduced new federal and state-level transition policies, the impact on employment became positive. While it is hard to prove these policies directly facilitate the just transition, our findings demonstrate that they do not hinder the employment aspect of a just transition focused on coal power generation at a regional scale.

Process simulation and techno-economic analysis of CO2 capture by coupling calcium looping with concentrated solar power in coal-fired power plant

The calcium looping (CaL) cycle is an effective high-temperature CO2 capture technology, its primary energy consumption arises from the calcination process, which limits the development of CaL technology. Utilizing concentrated solar power (CSP) instead of combustion for the calcination process in the CaL cycle can significantly reduce the energy penalty associated with CO2 capture of coal-fired power plants. Currently, the application of coupling CaL with concentrated solar power (CaL-CSP) systems in coal-fired power plants is still in its infancy, and there is limited research on its thermal performance and techno-economic analysis. In this study, a process simulation model of a 660 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant is developed as a reference. Subsequently, four different heat transfer routes are integrated into the design of CaL-CSP systems. The results indicate that the coupled power plant achieves a CO2 capture rate of 90 % compared to the reference coal-fired power plant, and reduces annual CO2 emissions by 93 % to only 58.2 g CO2/kWh. The CO2 capture energy penalty is 0.24 MJ/kg CO2. A sensitivity analysis of power generation cost reveals that if the cost of solar concentrator components is halved, the power generation cost will decrease to just 25 % higher than the reference power plant. Given the rapid advancements in CSP technology, this reduction is likely to be realized soon. Moreover, with the increase in carbon taxes and carbon prices, the power generation cost is expected to further decrease.

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions assessment: converting an early retirement coal-fired power plant to a biomass power plant

Decommissioning aging coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) represents an effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accelerating energy mix diversification, and achieving nationally determined contributions and net-zero emissions targets. However, dismantling the CFPP and building a renewable energy-based power plant with a capacity equal to a dismantled CFPP could burden state finances. Therefore, converting coal to 100% biomass fuel in the aging CFPP is one of the proposals that needs to be studied. This study conducted an environmental assessment concerning the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas (LC GHG) emissions, encompassing raw material extraction and power plant operation. Five scenarios were analyzed. Two scenarios related to using sawdust and agroforestry residue for biomass fuel in the aging CFPP. The other three scenarios used biomass fuel from Calliandra wood harvested from tropical forests, production forests, and marginal land, which produced GHG emissions from Land Use Change (LUC). This study demonstrates that sawdust and agroforestry residue can reduce global warming impacts compared to coal. The LUC in higher carbon stock land will increase global warming impacts, while the LUC in lower carbon stock land will reduce global warming impacts. A decrease in the aging CFPP efficiency, when coal is converted to 100% biomass, will cause an increase in global warming impacts.

A method for measuring carbon emissions from power plants using a CNN-LSTM-Attention model with Bayesian optimization

Accurate measurement of CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants is crucial for achieving China's “carbon neutrality” goal; however, traditional CO2 emission measurement methods have several limitations, and emerging prediction models rarely utilize real-time monitoring data from power plants at the micro level. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel hybrid convolutional neural network with long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM)-Attention model, leveraging real-time monitoring data to enhance the accuracy of CO2 emission predictions. The proposed model employs a hybrid architecture that leverages the strength of CNN, LSTM, and Attention mechanism. To address the challenges of multiple hyperparameters and difficult selection, the Bayesian optimization algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters ensuring optimal performance. Using historical operational data from a 660 MW generator set in Hubei province, the proposed model was evaluated and validated horizontally by using three evaluation metrics. Additionally, the vertical evaluation and validation of the proposed model were done using the operational data from other months. The results indicate that the proposed model achieved the highest performance across every evaluation index for predicting CO2 emissions from coalfired power plants, and the prediction accuracy of the CO2 emission in the future months is also guaranteed.

Research on mercury re-release model in wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) in coal-fired power plants

Mercury (Hg), a toxic heavy metal, has triggered regulations for emission control from coal-fired power plants. It has been found that mercury re-release occurs in WFGD slurry, which is affected by WFGD process parameters. The coal co-combustion with bromide technology proves to be an efficient approach for enhancing mercury removal ratio but the accumulation of introduced bromine in WFGD slurry would impact the re-emission behavior of mercury significantly. Model study is efficient method to reveal the physicochemical processes in WFGD systems. However, previous model studies were carried out under Hg2+ contained simulated slurry systems without consideration of Hg2+ transformation process from gas to liquid phase, and co-combustion with bromide technology was not considered. Here, a model which encompasses droplets motion sub-model, gas–liquid heat transfer sub-model, gas–liquid mass transfer sub-model and the mercury re-release kinetic sub-model is developed and validated against experimental data. The effects of bromine concentration, slurry temperature, pH value and S(IV) concentration were investigated. It was found that introduced bromine has significant inhibitory effects on the re-release of mercury. When the slurry temperature is higher, the absorption rate of Hg2+ is lower and more Hg0 is released. Moreover, the increase in the slurry pH value and S(IV) concentration has certain inhibitory effects on the re-release of Hg0 in WFGD. Above all, the developed model has high prediction accuracy for the absorption of Hg2+ and the re-release of Hg0 in WFGD which is expected to be beneficial for guiding the operation of WFGD systems.

Operational Hybrid Neural Network Model for NO$_{x}$ Forecast and Control in Real-World 2-GW Coal-Fired Power Plant

Operational Hybrid Neural Network Model for NO$_{x}$ Forecast and Control in Real-World 2-GW Coal-Fired Power Plant

Monitoring of GFRP pipelines in Power Plants using acoustic emission testing

In coal-fired power plants, the flue gas is transported through fibreglassreinforced pipelines to cooling towers during the combustion of the respective raw material, which often serve as a marker for a power plant in the landscape. These glass-fibre reinforced pipelines are located at great heights and can have very large diameters. Up to now, testing has been carried out as part of inspections during planned shutdowns and is associated with corresponding costs. The article discusses the use of acoustic measurement methods based on a 4-month installation at the Niederaußem power plant. Measurement results based on the acoustic emission analysis were shown. For the acoustic emission measurements, a repaired site was instrumented and different parameters like hit/event rates, acoustic energies as well as weighted peak frequencies of the acoustic signals were recorded over the monitoring period of 4 months at power plant Niederaußem. In a second power plant Neurath a 5-month AE monitoring were carried out. This measurement results were discussed as well.

Heterogeneity in the health effects of PM2.5 sources across the major metropolitan cities, South Korea: Significance of region-specific management

Ambient PM2.5, well-known for its adverse impacts on human health, is a very heterogeneous pollutant. Its chemical composition and attributable sources vary by region, influenced by meteorological and geographical conditions as well as emission sources. However, administrative policies are currently focused on mass concentrations. However, not all PM2.5 sources provide equally toxic particles. Thus, those sources that should be the focus of controls has not been the priority. In the present study, we conducted source apportionment utilizing positive matrix factorization (PMF) and investigated the association of PM2.5 source contributions with emergency department visits (EDVs) in major megacities in South Korea. Overall, an interquartile range (IQR) increment in source contribution increased the number of emergency room visits. Industry and coal combustion sources, marked by heavy metals, were principally associated with the adverse health impacts. However, the sources showing significant associations with EDVs differed across the study area. In addition, we found that region-specific relationships between PM2.5 sources and morbidity were plausible, considering the existence of relevant sources such as industrial complexes and coal-fired power plants. The analysis of source contributions according to wind conditions also supported the source-morbidity relationships. These findings suggest that administrative policies for PM2.5 control should be established and implemented considering region-specific characteristics of the links between PM2.5 sources and health impacts to maximize the control’s public health effects. Furthermore, the results of the present study indicate that PMF was an effective method for linking acute exposure to PM2.5 source types with health outcomes to prioritize its sources.