Partitioning of manganese,iron, copper,zinc, lead,cobalt, and nickel in black coatings on stream boulders in the vicinity of the Magruder mine,Lincoln Co., Georgia

Sequential digestions of Fe-Mn oxide coated boulders collected upstream and downstream from the Magruder mine, Lincoln Co., Georgia, indicate probable partitioning relationships for Zn, Cu, Pb, Co, and Ni with respect to Mn and Fe. Initial digestion with 0.1M hydroxylamine hydrochloride (Hxl) in 0.01M HNO₃ selectively dissolyes Mn oxides, whereas subsequent digestion with 1:4 HCl dissolves remaining Fe oxides.The results indicate that partitioning is not constant, but varies systematically with respect to the location of metal-rich waters derived from sulfide mineralization. Upstream from the mineralized zone Zn and Ni are distinctly partitioned to the Fe oxide component and Co and Cu are partitioned to the Mn oxide component. Immediately downstream from the mineralized zone, Mn oxides become relatively more enriched in Zn, whereas Fe oxides are relatively more enriched in Cu, Co, and Ni. Analytical precision for Pb is poor, but available data suggests it is more closely associated with Fe oxides.For routine geochemical surveys utilizing coated surfaces, a one-step digestion method is probably adequate. Parameters useful for detecting sulfide mineralization are metal concentrations normalized to surface area or various ratios (e.g. Zn/(Mn + Fe), Cu/Mn, Pb/Fe). Ratios can be obtained much faster, and at lower analytical costs than conventional analysis of stream sediment.     

Particulate trace metal speciation in stream sediments and relationships with grain size: Implications for geochemical exploration

Sediment samples were collected from streambeds in an undisturbed watershed in eastern Quebec (Gaspé Peninsula). Two sampling sites were located on a stream draining an area of known mineralization (Cu, Pb, Zn) and two on a control stream. The sediment samples were separated into 8 distinct size classes in the 850 μm to <1 μm size range by wet sieving, gravity sedimentation or centrifugation. Each sediment subsample was then subjected to a sequential extraction procedure designed to partition the particulate heavy metals into five fractions: (1) exchangeable; (2) specifically adsorbed or bound to carbonates; (3) bound to Fe-Mn oxides; (4) bound to organic matter; (5) residual. The following metals were analyzed in each extract: Cu, Pb, Zn; Fe, Mn.Comparison of samples from the mineralized area with control samples revealed the expected increase in total concentrations for Cu, Pb and Zn. Non-detrital metals were mainly associated with Fe oxides (specifically adsorbed; occluded) and with organic matter or resistant sulfides. For a given sample, variation of trace metal levels in fractions 2 and 3 with grain size reflected changes in the available quantities of the inorganic scavenging phase (FeOx/MnOx); normalization with respect to Fe and Mn content in fraction 3 greatly reduced the apparent dependency on grain size.The results of this study suggest that a single reducing extraction (NH₂OH.HCl) could be used advantageously to detect anomalies in routine geochemical surveys. A second leaching step with acidified H₂O₂ could also be included, as the trace metal concentrations in fraction 4, normalized with respect to organic carbon content, also showed high {anomaly/background} ratios.     

Geochemical fractionation of heavy metals in Chilka Lake (east coast of India)—a tropical coastal lagoon

Chilka lake, the largest coastal lagoon of Asia is one of the most dynamic ecosystems along the Indian coast. Historically the lagoon has undergone a considerable reduction in surface area due, in part, to input from natural processes but mostly due to human activities. The purpose of this investigation is to document the heavy metals' affinity for specific geochemical phases in the recently deposited sediments in the lagoon. Thirty-three samples were collected and analyzed for different geochemical phases of Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn utilizing a sequential extraction scheme. In the nonlithogenous fraction, the exchangeable fraction was not geochemically significant, having <2% of the total metal concentration for all the elements. However, the carbonate fraction contained the following percentages of the total concentration: <1% Fe, 13% Mn, 6% Cu, 4% Cr, 8% Ni, 13% Pb, and 12% Zn, suggesting the detrital origin of the sediments. Reducible and organic matter-bound fractions were the significant phases in the nonlithogenous fraction, containing 9% Fe, 16% Mn, 15% Cu, 16% Cr, 16% Ni, 14% Pb, and 14% Zn in the former and 4% Fe, 3% Mn, 17% Cu, 3% Cr, 14% Ni, 15% Pb, and 14% Zn in the latter. The phenomenon has been attributed to the scavenging affinity of Fe-Mn oxides and affinity for sorption into organic matter of the lagoon sediments. The lithogenous, residual fraction generally considered as a guide for natural background values was determined to contain 87% Fe, 67% Mn, 61% Cu, 77% Cr, 61.3% Ni, 56% Pb, and 60% Zn of the total concentrations.     

Selective chemical extraction of heavy metals in tailings and soils contaminated by mining activity: Environmental implications

Total concentrations of chemical elements in soils may not be enough to understand the mobility and bioavailability of the elements. It is important to characterise the degree of association of chemical elements in different physical and chemical phases of soil. Another geochemical characterisation methodology is to apply sequential selective chemical extraction techniques. A seven-step sequential extraction procedure was used to investigate the mobility and retention behaviour of Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Co, Ni, Mo, Cd, Bi, Sn, W, Ag, As and U in specific physical–chemical and mineral phases in mine tailings and soils in the surroundings of the abandoned Ervedosa mine. The soil geochemical data show anomalies associated with mineralised veins or influenced by mining. Beyond the tailings, the highest recorded concentrations for most elements are in soils situated in mineralised areas or under the influence of tailings. The application of principal components analysis allowed recognition of (a) element associations according to their geochemical behaviour and (b) distinction between samples representing local geochemical background and samples representing contamination. Some metal cations (Mn, Cd, Cu, Zn, Co, Cr, Ni) showed important enrichment in the most mobilisable and bioavailable (i.e., water-soluble and exchangeable) fractions due likely to the acidic conditions in the area. In contrast, oxy-anions such as Mo and As showed lower mobility because of adsorption to Fe oxy-hydroxides. The residual fraction comprised largest proportions of Sn and Al and to a lesser extent Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Bi, W, and Ag, which are also present at low concentrations in the bioavailable fractions. The elements in secondary mineral phases (mainly Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, W, Bi, Mo, Cr, Ni, Co, As and U) as well as in organic matter and sulphides are temporarily withheld, suggesting that they may be released to the environment by changes in physico-chemical conditions.     

The geochemistry of arsenic and its use as an indicator element in geochemical prospecting

The geochemistry of arsenic is reviewed, and the use of the element as an indicator in geochemical prospecting for various types of mineral deposits is outlined.Arsenic is a widespread constituent of many types of mineral deposits, particularly those containing sulphides and sulpho-salts. In these and other deposits arsenic commonly accompanies Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, U, Sn, Pb, P, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Mo, W, Fe, Ni, Co, and Pt metals. Under most conditions arsenic is a suitable indicator of deposits of these elements, being particularly useful in geochemical surveys utilizing primary halos in rocks, and secondary halos and trains in soils and glacial materials, stream and lake sediments, natural waters, and vegetation. Some of the natural arsenic compounds (e.g., arsine, dimethylarsine) are volatile, but methods utilizing gaseous arsenic halos for geochemical prospecting have not yet been developed.     

宁沪高速公路句容段两侧土壤磁化率异常与重金属元素的关系研究

高速公路两侧土壤的磁化率从路中央向两侧具有逐渐降低的特征,相对应的样品中的重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、N i、Cr、Fe等元素的含量也具有从路中心向两侧逐渐降低的现象。相关分析表明,土壤磁化率与土壤中的Cu、Pb、Zn、N i、Cr、Fe的相关性显著,因而可以利用磁化率异常来指示高速公路两侧土壤的重金属污染状况。元素的赋存形态分析表明铁锰氧化物态与残渣态是Cu、Pb、Zn、N i、Cr、Fe的主要赋存形式;各元素的形态分析结果与土壤磁化率的相关统计分析表明,高速公路两侧土壤的磁化率与可交换态中的Cu、Pb、Zn、铁锰氧化物态中的Fe、Pb、Zn、有机还原态中的Cu、Cr、Fe、Zn和残渣态中的Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Co、N i具有明显的相关性。     

太湖MS岩芯重金属元素地球化学形态研究

采用BCR三步提取法对太湖MS岩芯沉积物中Cu、Fe、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn等6种重金属元素的化学形态进行了研究.结果表明,有效结合态的Cu、Ni和Pb主要以有机物及硫化物结合态、Fe-Mn氧化物结合态存在,Fe和Zn主要以Fe-Mn氧化物结合态存在,Mn主要以可交换态及碳酸盐结合态存在;Fe-Mn氧化物结合态的Ni、Pb和Zn与可还原态的Mn有较好的正相关关系,有机物及硫化物结合态的Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn与有机碳含量有较好的正相关关系;重金属形态分布体现了重金属元素地球化学性质的差异,以及重金属形态含量与沉积物理化性质的关系.沉积岩芯重金属元素形态垂向变化规律及次生相富集系数表明,Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn在沉积岩芯13～4 cm有效结合态含量较稳定,为自然沉积;4～0 cm有效结合态含量明显升高,存在一定程度的人为污染.根据137Cs测年结果判断,沉积岩芯Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn等重金属污染开始于20世纪70年代末期,主要污染元素及污染历史与太湖流域污染工业类型及经济发展阶段相吻合.     

The geochemistry of antimony and its use as an indicator element in geochemical prospecting

The geochemistry of antimony is reviewed, and the use of the element as an indicator in geochemical prospecting for various types of mineral deposits is outlined.Antimony is widely diffused in many types of mineral deposits, particularly those containing sulphides and sulphosalts. In these and other deposits, antimony commonly accompanies Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ba, U, Sn, Pb, P, As, Bi, S, Se, Te, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Fe, Ni, Co, and Pt metals. Under most conditions antimony is a suitable indicator of deposits of these elements, being particularly useful in geochemical surveys utilizing primary halos in rocks, and secondary halos and trains in soils and glacial materials, stream and lake sediments, natural waters, and to a limited degree vegetation. Some of the natural antimony compounds (e.g. stibine, dimethylstibine) are volatile, but methods utilizing gaseous antimony halos for geochemical prospecting have not yet been developed.     

Stream water, an ideal medium for rapidly locating polymetallic mineralization in forest-swamp terrain: a case study in the Da Hinggan Mts., northern Heilongjiang, China

A forest-bog landscape is developed in an area of moderate to low topography in northeastern China. Bogs are widespread along U- and V-shaped valleys (200–2000 m wide) and in depressions. Due to the cold climate, it was initially thought that chemical weathering would be slight in the area. However, a study of the geochemistry of surface water showed that, although most elements occur in relatively low concentrations compared to average contents in world river water, a number of mobile elements are dispersed over long distances. Marked Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and SO²⁻₄ anomalies, and relatively weak Ni, Co, Be, Pb and F anomalies form in stream water in the vicinity of known mineralization. Concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn in suspensates show no marked variations between background and anomalous streams whereas Ag exhibits a marked increase in suspensates near the mineralization. The pH of stream water near the mineralization is considerably lower than the 5 to 6.5 values recorded for background water. It can be concluded that water plays an important role in transporting elements chemically and stream water is a useful medium to sample in follow-up geochemical surveys for base and precious metals (Ag) in this landscape.     

Trace metal occurrence in a mineralised and a non-mineralised spodosol in northern Sweden

In order to determine the metal-bearing phases with special emphasis on Cu, a sequential extraction has been carried out on seven soil samples from a sulphide-bearing spodosol profile in Liikavaara Östra, close to the Aitik Copper Mine in northern Sweden. A reference spodosol profile with very low abundances of sulphides located far from anthropogenic emissions was also studied. Five fractions were selected for the extraction: (I) CH₃COONa-extractable (exchangeable/adsorbed/carbonate); (II) Na₄P₂O₇-extractable (labile organics); (III) 0.25 M NH₂OH·HCl-extractable (amorphous Fe oxyhydroxides/Mn oxides); (IV) 1 M NH₂OH·HCl-extractable (crystalline Fe oxides); and (V) KClO₃/HCl-extractable (organics and sulphides). The distribution of trace elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the profile in Liikavaara Östra is different from that in the reference profile. Possible explanations for these differences are (i) the presence of sulphides in the soil, (ii) atmospheric deposition of dust derived from mining activities at the Aitik Copper Mine, and (iii) mineralogical heterogeneities inherited from the deposition of the till. There is no straightforward correlation between the amount of the extracted phases and the metal extractability in the soils. This fact indicates that other factors are important for the retention of trace metals as well. The data presented in this study suggest that Co, Cr and Ni, to a fairly large extent, are associated with the organic matter in the B-horizon in both profiles, while in the C-horizon in Liikavaara Östra, sulphides are probably the more important carriers of these elements. For Co and Ni, Fe oxyhydroxides seem to be important. Most of the Cr occurred in the residual remaining after the leaching procedure. Copper and Zn seem to be associated with the organic matter to some extent in the B-horizon. The concentration of Cu in the C-horizon in Liikavaara Östra is high (2310 ppm), but only a very small fraction is likely to be hosted by sulphides. It is concluded that the major part of Cu in the C-horizon and a prominent fraction in the B-horizon in Liikavaara Östra are associated with some secondary phase that is extractable during extractions III and IV. Possible candidates for this phase are goethite and inclusions of native Cu in weathered biotite.     

Trace Metal Speciation of USGS Reference Sample MAG-I

The USGS reference sample marine mud MAG-1 has been subjected to a sequential extraction procedure designed to partition the constituent trace metals into five fractions: I-exchangeable; II- bound to carbonates; III-bound to Fe-Mn oxides; IV- bound to organic matter; V- residual. The analytical approach involved successive chemical extractions and the subsequent determination of trace metal concentrations (Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn; Fe, Mn) in the leachates by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The chemical speciation results obtained on four replicate sub-samples demonstrate that the coefficients of variation for metal concentrations in the individual fractions are generally better than + 10%. Comparison with published values for total trace metal concentrations in the MAG-1 sample suggests that the overall accuracy of the chemical extraction procedure is satisfactory.     

Partitioning of heavy metals in surface Black Sea sediments

Bulk heavy metal (Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) distributions and their chemical partitioning, together with TOC and carbonate data, were studied in oxic to anoxic surface sediments (0–2 cm) obtained at 18 stations throughout the Black Sea. TOC and carbonate contents, and available hydrographic data, indicate biogenic organic matter produced in shallower waters is transported and buried in the deeper waters of the Black Sea. Bulk metal concentrations measured in the sediments can be related to their geochemical cycles and the geology of the surrounding Black Sea region. Somewhat high Cr and Ni contents in the sediments are interpreted to reflect, in part, the weathering of basic-ultrabasic rocks on the Turkish mainland. Maximum carbonate-free levels of Mn (4347 ppm), Ni (355 ppm) and Co (64 ppm) obtained for sediment from the shallow-water station (102 m) probably result from redox cycling at the socalled ‘Mn pump zone’ where scavenging-precipitation processes of Mn prevail. Chemical partitioning of the heavy metals revealed that Cu, Cr and Fe seem to be significantly bound to the detrital phases whereas carbonate phases tend to hold considerable amounts of Mn and Pb. The sequential extraction procedures used in this study also show that the metals Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb associated with the ‘oxidizable phases’ are in far greater concentrations than the occurrences of these metals with detrital and carbonate phases. These results are in good agreement with the recent studies on suspended matter and thermodynamic calculations which have revealed that organic compounds and sulfides are the major metal carriers in the anoxic Black Sea basin, whereas Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides can also be important phases of other metals, especially at oxic sites. This study shows that, if used with a suitable combination of the various sequential extraction techniques, metal partitioning can provide important information on the varying geological sources and modes of occurrence and distribution of heavy metals in sediments, as well as, on the physical and chemical conditions prevailing in an anoxic marine environment.     

Mechanism of enrichment of trace metals on fine sludges collected from filtration plants

Fine sludges were collected from five filtration plants, and the partitioning of ten metals (Ag, Cd, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Sn, Co, Ni, and Fe) in them was determined by selective leaching techniques. (1) The available amounts, which shows the total of each metal leached between 1 M CH₃COONH₄ and 30 percent H₂O₂, for Ag, Cd and Mn, ranged from 51 to 98 percent for five sludges. (2) The available amounts for Zn, Pb, Cu, and Sn were 47–92 percent for five sludges. (3) The most important fraction for Co, Ni, and Fe, except the Inagawa sludge, which is markedly polluted by organic matter, was the crystalline particle. Therefore, the above metals, except Co, Ni, and Fe, are thought to be enriched on ion-exchangeable sites, organic matter, hydrous Fe/Mn oxides, and sulfides in fine sludges.     

Selective sequential dissolution of organic-rich stream sediments from Talvivaara, Finland

Organic-rich stream sediments, a widely used material in geochemical prospecting in Finland, were investigated by analyzing Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn after a series of selective extractions.Forty-seven organic-rich stream-sediment samples were collected in the vicinity of a sulphide mineralization in Talvivaara, eastern Finland. Loss on ignition of the samples at 500°C was 20–95%. pH of the samples, measured in the water pressed from the samples, was 3.4–6.2 with a mean of 4.2.The < 0.5 mm grain-size fraction was subjected to a sequential extraction as follows: NH₄-acetate for exchangeable cations; cold NH₂OH·HCl for dissolution of Mn oxides; H₂O₂ for destruction of organic material; hot NH₂OH·HCl for dissolution of Fe oxides; HF/HClO₄/aqua regia for dissolving the residue. Each extraction was analyzed by flame AAS for Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn.Manganese and Co are mostly in exchangeable form and in the residue, while the proportion complexed by the organic components is minimal. Iron and Ni own a lot of exchangeable character although a significant proportion of these elements is complexed by the organic components. Most of Cu is in organic form. Zinc is the element most evenly distributed between extractions.     

Fe-Mn oxide coatings in stream sediment geochemical surveys

Downstream dispersion curves for certain trace metals were obtained from two mineralized areas in the southeastern United States. Fe-Mn oxide coating on lithic fragments and quartz pebbles, as well as the minus 80-mesh fraction of the coexisting stream sediment were analyzed for a variety of metals. In Lincoln County, Georgia, 8 sample sets were collected along a stream draining the Magruder mine, a polymetallic sulfide deposit (Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag-Au) in metavolcanic rocks. Five sample sets were collected along Joe Mill Creek in Grainger County, Tennessee, downstream from a zone of zinc mineralization in carbonate rocks (Mississippi Valley-type). In addition, 5 sample sets were collected from an unmineralized area near Athens, Georgia.The results indicate the following: (1) the anomaly/background ratio for zinc and copper is markedly higher in the Fe-Mn oxide coatings in the mineralized drainages; (2) in drainages containing lead mineralization, the anomaly/background ratio is markedly higher in the minus 80-mesh fraction for lead which is not concentrated in the coatings; and (3) the ratios Zn/Mn and Cu/Mn, as well as Zn/Co and Cu/Co, in the Fe-Mn oxide coatings enhance downstream detectability of mineralization.There are several potential advantages of using coatings versus the conventional minus 80-mesh fraction in stream sediment geochemical surveys. Because soluble metal is brought into the stream mainly in groundwater, deeper anomaly sources may be detectable from the oxide coatings than from clastic fractions of alluvium where much of the metal is derived from surficial erosion. Variability due to sampling may also be reduced, providing better discrimination of anomalies. In areas of glacial or alluvial cover, coating surveys may be particularly applicable.     

Speciation of some heavy metals in bottom sediments of the Ob and Yenisei estuarine zones

The speciation of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd was studied in 52 samples of bottom sediments collected during Cruise 49 of the R/V Dmitrii Mendeleev in estuaries of the Ob and Yenisei rivers in the southwestern Kara Sea. Immediately after sampling, the samples were subjected to on-board consecutive extraction to separate metal species according to their modes of occurrence in the sediments: (1) adsorbed, (2) amorphous Fe-Mn hydroxides and related metals, (3) organic + sulfide, and (4) residual, or lithogenic. The atomic absorption spectroscopy of the extracts was carried out at a stationary laboratory. The distribution of Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd species is characterized by the predominance of lithogenic or geochemically inert modes (70–95% of the bulk content), in which the metals are bound in terrigenous and clastic mineral particles and organic detritus. About half of the total Mn amount and 15–30% Zn and Cu is contained in geochemically mobile modes. The spatiotemporal variations in the proportions of metal species in the surface layer of sediments along the nearly meridional sections and through the vertical sections of bottom sediments cores testify that Mn and, to a lesser extent, Cu are the most sensitive to changes in the sedimentation environment. The role of their geochemically mobile species notably increases under reducing conditions.     

Particulate metal speciation in surficial sediments from Loch Dee, southwest Scotland, U.K.

The geochemical partitioning of ten elements in stratified Holocene sediments from Loch Dee, southwest Scotland, has been established by use of a five-stage sequential extraction procedure. Samples from below 15 cm sediment depth show minimal evidence of modification by anthropogenic contamination or active diagenesis and hold Fe, Mg, Cu, Cd, Co, Pb, and Ni primarily in detrital silicates or organic complexes, while Mn, Ca, and Zn reside largely in adsorbed and reducible oxide phases. In the uppermost ca 15 cm of sediment, enhanced total concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Pb reflect increased atmospheric deposition during the postindustrial period. Of these metals, only Pb displays any notable adjustment of partitioning in the enriched zone, showing disproportionate accumulation in labile oxides and organic-Pb phases. The lack of Pb and Zn carbonates in the contaminated horizon may reflect inherent thermodynamic instability under the acid surface and pore-water conditions of Loch Dee. Increments to total Mn and Co in the surficial ca 5 cm of sediment are attributable to the accumulation of secondary oxides and adsorbed species, consistent with precipitation from the interstitial pore-waters across a sedimentary redox front. The presence of metals such as Zn and Cd in soluble or acid-volatile phases in the interfacial sediment has implications for the future management of the Loch Dee basin, with leaching into the overlying waters likely, given the continuation of current trends of lake acidification.     

Mineral and inorganic chemical composition of the Pernik coal, Bulgaria

The mineral and inorganic chemical composition of five types of samples from the Pernik subbituminous coals and their products generated from the Pernik preparation plant were studied. They include feed coal, low-grade coal, high-grade coal, coal slime, and host rock. The mineral matter of the coals contains 44 species that belong mainly to silicates, carbonates, sulphates, sulphides, and oxides/hydroxides, and to a lesser extent, chlorides, biogenic minerals, and organic minerals. The detrital minerals are quartz, kaolinite, micas, feldspars, magnetite, cristobalite, spessartine, and amphibole. The authigenic minerals include various sulphides, silicates, oxihydroxides, sulphates, and carbonates. Several stages and substages of formation were identified during the syngenetic and epigenetic mineral precipitations of these coals. The authigenic minerals show the greatest diversity of mineral species as the epigenetic mineralization (mostly sulphides, carbonates, and sulphates) dominates qualitatively and quantitatively. The epigenetic mineralization was a result of complex processes occurring mostly during the late development of the Pernik basin. These processes indicate intensive tectonic, hydrothermal and volcanic activities accompanied by a change from fresh to marine sedimentation environment. Thermally altered organic matter due to some of the above processes was also identified in the basin. Most of the trace elements in the Pernik coals (Mo, Be, S, Zr, Y, Cl, Ba, Sc, Ga, Ag, V, P, Br, Ni, Co, Pb, Ca, and Ti) show an affinity to OM and phases intimately associated with OM. Some of the trace elements (Sr, Ti, Mn, Ba, Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Cr, Ni, As, Ag, Yb, Sn, Ga, Ge, etc.) are impurities in authigenic and accessory minerals, while other trace elements (La, Ba, Cu, Ce, Sb, Bi, Zn, Pb, Cd, Nd, etc.) occur as discrete phases. Elements such as Sc, Be, Y, Ba, V, Zr, S, Mo, Ti, and Ga exceed Clarke concentrations in all of the coal types studied. It was also found that a number of elements in the Pernik coals (F, V, As, Pb, Mo, Li, Sr, Ti, Ga, Ni, Ge, Cr, Mn, etc.) reveal mobility in water and could have some environmental concerns.