New analysis finds that Bitcoin mining operations in the United States are significant sources of air pollution. Perversely, that has led to about 1.9 million Americans losing protections from exposure to hazardous pollution levels each year. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers spearheaded this initiative. Their report focuses on the negative effects this energy-intensive, “mining” production process has, specifically on the environment. These discoveries were published in Nature Communications on March 26. They point out that now is the time to address the sustainability of any new digital currency.

Study Details and Methodology

Our investigation looked at the 34 biggest Bitcoin mines that were active between August 2022 and July 2023. These specialized facilities consumed an astounding 5% of the country’s electricity. In reality, they out-consumed the entire city of Los Angeles by 33%! A quarter of this energy came directly from fossil fuels, worsening air pollution.

It created a detailed dataset with the combination of … investigative seminal reporting, financial disclosures, land ownership information, satellite images and especially interviews, on-the-ground interviews. The dataset chronicles the locations and power capacities of 34 Bitcoin mines. It shines a light on the 635 power plants that produce the electricity they use every day. From there, the team calculated the air pollution emissions that would be generated and followed how those emissions would disperse across the country.

Pollution Hotspots and Health Impacts

Moreover, the study found 56 communities across the country facing especially dangerous hikes in PM2.5, the most deadly air pollutant. These were New York City, the Houston/Austin metro, northeast Texas and areas around the Illinois-Kentucky border.

residents in Metropolis, Illinois, breathe high concentrations of Bitcoin mine-attributable PM2.5 air pollution released from a power plant in Kentucky that supplies a Bitcoin mine in North Carolina" - researchers

The proof-of-work Bitcoin mining process, which creates new cryptocurrency tokens through sophisticated, resource-intensive computer processes requires massive amounts of electrical power. The research illustrates the hidden environmental cost of our growing energy appetite. It highlights the urgent need to reform how we power crypto mining operations to be more sustainable.

Research Team and Publication

It took nearly every one of the 70,000 words to cover the collaborative study, co-authored by Dr. Clarence James Gamble, Professor of Biostatistics, Population, and Data Science, was integral to the research. Gianluca Guidi was a visiting scholar and one of the co-authors. Also providing their invaluable expertise to this department were Falco Bargagli Stoffi, department associate, and Scott Delaney, research scientist. Their breadth of expertise came together to drive the deep analysis you see published in Nature Communications.