Mineral matter environmental pollution

Because of the importance of coal as a major source of energy and the environmental hazards involved in its use, considerable research has become necessary in order to understand fully the different compounds appearing in the coal and their transformation during processing and to know how those compounds contribute to the pollution of the environment, i.e., acidity of water streams near the coal mines and pollution by power plants. Some positive properties can be associated with the mineral matter in coal. For example, recently several researchers have shown that the mineral matter in the coal may play an important role in the liquefaction process (i). Of all the minerals in the coal, the iron-bearing minerals seem... 

Thirty-four minor and trace elements are of potential environmental concern (n ). Sulfur is the element of major concern due to its abundance in flue gases from some coal-burning plants and its subsequent contribution to "acid rain." Sulfur as acidic ions of sulfate can also contribute to pollution of surface water and groundwater. Other elements of greatest concern are As, B, Cd, Pb, Hg, Mo, and Se. With the exception of B and Se, these elements are strongly associated with mineral matter in the coal and are concentrated in waste piles from coal preparation plants. If the waste disposal site is not constructed as a closed system, pollution of nearby groundwater is possible. Boron and Se may contribute to the pollution risk as they are associated with both mineral and organic components. On the other hand, certain coal-mine wastes have potential for recovery of valuable metals such as zinc and cadmium (18). 

Forstner U (1998b) The obal problem of the impact of the production of energy, metals, materials, chemicals, and radionuclides in the modern industrial society on air, water, and soil pollution. In Bambauer U, ed. Advanced Mineralogy, Vol. III. Mineral Matter in Space, Mantle, Ocean Floor, Biosphere, Environmental Management, Jewelry (Series Editor A. S. Marfunin). Chapter 5.1, pp. 268-278. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York. 

Photocatalytic chemistry involving semiconductor materials has grown from a subject of esoteric interest to one of central importance in both academic and technological research. In this context, environmental pollution and its control through nontoxic treatments and easy recovery processes is a serious matter. The number of publications concerning mineralization of dyes, pesticides, fungicides and hazardous compounds, etc., increased tremendously in the last decade [16,17, 20, 27, 357]. 

Inorganic geochemistry will continue to play a central role in palaeolimnology. No techniques will replace chemical characterization of mineral matter as a basic indicator of catchment sources. As in the past, procedures will evolve, and interpretation will improve with the growing numbers of studies. With current interest in the environmental fate of pollutant trace elements in catchments, there has never been greater potential for chemical palaeolimnology to make a major contribution. 

A solid phase, as discussed in detail in Chap. 2, is composed of varying amounts of mineral and organic matter which influence the crumb structure and the binding capacity, by the association of clay minerals with organic matter of the solid. The ability of a solid phase to sorb organic pollutants is also influenced by variable system conditions and differing environmental conditions. 

Beckett described inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as an off-line detector for FFF which could be applied to collected fractions [ 149]. This detector is so sensitive that even trace elements can be detected making it very useful for the analysis of environmental samples where the particle size distribution can be determined together with the amount of different ele-ments/pollutants, etc. in the various fractions. In case of copolymers, ICP-MS detection coupled to Th-FFF was suggested to yield the ratio of the different monomers as a function of the molar mass. In several works, the ICP-MS detector was coupled on-line to FFF [150,151]. This on-line coupling proved very useful for detecting changes in the chemical composition of mixtures, in the described case of the clay minerals kaolinite and illite as natural suspended colloidal matter. 

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