Mineralogy and heavy metal distribution in cinders produced by coal combustion

The combustion of coal produces residues rich in aluminosilicate phases and with elevated concentrations of heavy metals. The heavy metal content and leachability of very fine-grained ashes (i.e. fly ash) produced by coal burning are well documented but virtually nothing has been written about the coarser cinders that have been utilized as fill material on many industrial properties. Yet, a basic knowledge of their mineralogy is essential to any evaluation of their impact in environmental assessments.; Soils rich in cinders (cinder fill) and containing elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni were sampled from three railway yards in Quebec and Ontario, at depths ranging from 0.3 to 1 meters. Size fractions were separated by sieving and cinder particles were handpicked from the coarsest size fraction (>2mm). Their mineralogy and chemistry were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy dispersive analyses done on a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...