A Critical Review of Environmental Exposure and Health Risks Around Gas-Fired Power Plants

Gas-fired electricity generation can reduce several combustion emissions relative to coal, but its environmental advantages do not establish the absence of exposure or health risks in host communities. This critical narrative review examines 41 studies and synthesises evidence on particulate matter, potentially toxic metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons across air, soil, indoor dust, and edible plants, with particular attention to Rivers State, Nigeria. The review retains all 41 records in a thesis evidence matrix and supplements them with targeted publication checks and authoritative risk-assessment guidance. Evidence is differentiated by fuel type, environmental medium, study design, and the strength of source attribution. Gas-turbine measurements demonstrate fine and ultrafine particle emissions, while atmospheric modelling and epidemiological studies provide complementary evidence of potential community impacts. Soil and vegetable investigations identify additional exposure pathways, although contamination near a plant cannot automatically be attributed to that facility. Coal-based findings illuminate transport and exposure mechanisms but require qualification before application to gas-fired settings. Important limitations include seasonal sampling gaps, insufficient integration of indoor and outdoor measurements, uncertain source attribution, and limited linkage between environmental measurements and observed health outcomes. An integrated assessment approach is proposed for further studies, combining meteorologically informed sampling, suitable reference locations, chemical characterisation, occupation-specific exposure assessment, and explicit uncertainty analysis. Protection of host communities requires attention to cumulative exposure across workplaces and households alongside control of plant emissions.