Geology of Trace Elements in Coal

Coal is known to concentrate many elements, for example Ge, U, and Se (Goldschmidt, 1954; Swaine, 1990). This is partly due to the interactions of organic matter in a reducing environment with solutions entering the swamp, precipitation of minerals, breakdown of other minerals, along with the concentrating effect of some plants and the potential for elements to bind chemically to coal’s organic components. Geology plays an important role in the nature, concentration and distribution of elements in coal. The geochemical nature of a coal seam is strongly influenced by geological parameters (Zubovic, 1976; Bouska, 1981; Swaine, 1975, 1990).