Trace Elements in West Virginia Coals

Stratigraphic Distribution of Selenium (Se)

Chart of average selenium (Se) content, in ppm on a whole coal basis, for each West Virginia coal bed in stratigraphic order (larger version) — Select the chart to open a larger version.

The stratigraphic distribution of Selenium (Se) shows that coal beds of the Allegheny and upper Kanawha Formations of the Middle Pennsylvanian exhibit the highest selenium contents. The coals show a generally decreasing trend in selenium content from the upper Middle Pennsylvanian to the Lower Pennsylvanian. Coals of the Upper Pennsylvanian exhibit the lowest selenium abundances. Because selenium did not correlate with ash yield, total sulfur, pyritic sulfur or other trace elements, except a poor correlation with thorium (Th), this distribution remains unexplained

General Elements Page
HAP Elements Page

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Page content last revised: March 2, 2002