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INAA of coals from the Midwestern USA

II. Assessment of the relative pollution potentials

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Abstract

Coal leachates were prepared by leaching the coals analyzed in Part 1 of this project in solutions having initial pH values ranging from 4 to 8. The concentrations of 30 elements were determined in the coal leachates using INAA. The pH of the leachate solutions was allowed to drift during the course of the experiment. Following a leaching period of two weeks the pH of the leachates was measured to determine which of the leachates had the greatest potential for producing highly acidic waste-waters. The results of the elemental analysis of the leachates were compared to Maximum Acute Toxicity Effluent (MATE) values to establish the pollution potentials for the coal leachates. The elements Al, As, Ca, Co, Fe, Mn and Zn were found to exceed MATE values in at least one leachate; Ca and Mn exceed MATE values in all of the leachates. A comparison between the chemical compositon of the coal leachates, the final pH of the leachates and MATE values reveals that the leachates that exhibit the lowest final pH contain the largest number of elements that exceeded MATE values and have the greatest potential for producing toxic leachates.

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Provance, D.R., Glascock, M.D. & Applin, K.R. INAA of coals from the Midwestern USA. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 140, 285–293 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02039500

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02039500

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