Happy he who could learn the causes of things (Virgil, Georgics 11) There is clearly a place for a book on the environmental aspects of trace elements in coal, especially with the increasing use of coal for power production. Our aim is to provide relevant background information and to update the situation regarding trace elements during beneficiation, combustion, .atmospheric deposition, leaching from wastes anti reclamation. The outcome is a balanced account of the overall situation. The initial chapter gives the rationale behind the planning of the book and puts the topics into the context of trace elements in the environment, while the final chapter summarises the subject matter and conclusions of each chapter. The choice of authors was based on their specialised knowledge. Although every effort has been made to ensure uniformity in layout, use of units, references and the like, authors have been given some latitude in expression and their styles have not been curbed. This book is intended primarily for coal scientists and technologists involved in environmental aspects of trace elements during the mining of coal, its beneficiation and usage, especially for power generation, and for regulatory bodies. It is considered to be suitable for relevant postgraduate courses. Just as it has been said that one of Bruckner's symphonies has enough melodies for a Beethoven to have written ten symphonies, so this book has several chapters that could be themes for other books.

This volume discusses major areas of primary concern for the understanding of the complexity associated with ecological trace element research. These include sources and fates of trace elements; analytical techniques; and the distribution of trace elements in biota and soil and sediment reservoirs. Case studies, field work and laboratory studies intensively discussed in this volume are useful to enhance our knowledge about processes related to the biological response of trace metal stress under realistic environmental conditions.

Emission and Control of Trace Elements from Coal-Derived Gas Streams presents an up-to-date and focused analysis on Trace element (TEs) emissions and control strategies during coal utilization. This book provides insights into how TE’s in coal are distributed from different coal-forming periods, coal ranks and coal-bearing regions. As the emission and control of TEs during coal utilization are a significant concern, this book introduces TEs in coal and pollution in an accessible way before discussing why they occur and how they are distributed during various stages of coal forming, also considering various regions and countries. Specific types of TEs in relation to partition in coal combustion, coal fires, gasification and coal feed furnace are then analyzed, providing the reader with practical knowledge to apply to their own research or projects. This book is an essential reference for energy engineers researching and working in coal technology, with a specific focus on emission control, as well as graduate students and researchers in energy engineering, environmental, thermal and chemical engineering who have an interest in trace element emission and control from coal utilization. Presents characteristics of TE emissions during coal utilization in laboratory-scale experiments, industrial furnaces and power plants Considers different legislation and case studies from various regions and countries Includes contributions from world renowned experts Presents a concise and focused analysis on TE emissions and control strategies

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is carrying out an investigation that will provide methods to predict the fate of selected trace elements in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) systems to aid in the development of methods to control the emission of trace elements determined to be air toxics. The goal of this project is to identify the effects of critical chemical and physical transformations associated with trace element behavior in IGCC and IGFC systems. The trace elements included in this project are arsenic, chromium, cadmium, mercury, nickel, selenium, and lead. The research seeks to identify and fill, experimentally and/or theoretically, data gaps that currently exist on the fate and composition of trace elements. The specific objectives are to (1) review the existing literature to identify the type and quantity of trace elements from coal gasification systems, (2) perform laboratory-scale experimentation and computer modeling to enable prediction of trace element emissions, and (3) identify methods to control trace element emissions.