Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The geochemistry of selenium associated with coal waste in the Elk River Valley, Canada

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Selenium (Se) concentrations more than 12 times greater than the provincial freshwater quality guideline (2 µg/L) were detected in the Elk River downstream from the five open-pit coal mines in southeastern British Columbia's Elk River Valley. To identify possible sources of Se to the Elk River, samples from the coal-bearing Mist Mountain Formation were studied using X-ray diffraction, elemental and oxide analyses, sequential extractions and heavy liquid separation. Between 2.5 and 21.3% of the total Se in the five types of materials studied is water-soluble and 1.0 to 10.6% is associated with hydrous ferric and manganese oxides. Se associated with sulphides and organic material varies between 60 and 84% of the total Se and Se in the silicate structure varies from 5.9 to 24.7%. The ratio of sulphides to the total of organic carbon is well-correlated with the amount of Se in materials closely associated with coal seams containing less than 6 mg/kg of Se (r=0.916). This may suggest that the amount of organic matter present during deposition affects the amount of Se incorporated into sulphides.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ASTM (2001) Annual book of ASTM standards. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, vol 05, 06

  • Ballistrieri LS, Chao TT (1987) Selenium adsorption by goethite. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51:1145–1151

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bogle EW, Nichol I (1981) Metal transfer, partition and fixation in drainage waters and sediments in carbonate terrain in southeastern Ontario. J Geochem Expl 15:405–422

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brooke LT, Call DJ, Harting SL, Lindberg CA, Markee TP, McCauley, DJ, Poirier SH (1985) Acute toxicity of selenium (IV) and selenium (VI) to freshwater organisms. Center for Lake Superior Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Superior

  • Brown, CJ, Schoonen, MAA, Candela JL (2000) Geochemical modeling of iron, sulfur, oxygen and carbon in a coastal plain aquifer. J Hydrol 237:3–4, 147–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Brueechert V, Pratt LM (1996) Contemporaneous early diagenetic formation of organic and inorganic sulfur in estuarine sediments from St. Andrew Bay, Florida, USA. Geochem Cosmichim Acta 60(13):2325–2332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casagrande D, Siefert K, Berschinski C, Sutton N (1977) Sulfur in peat-forming systems of the Okefenokee Swamp and Florida Everglades: origins of sulfur in coal. Geochem Cosmichim Acta 41:161–167

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chao TT, Sanzolone RF (1989) Fractionation of soil selenium by sequential partial dissolution. Soil Sci Am J 31:21–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou CL (1990) Formation of pyrite and organic sulfur compounds in coal: a review. Geol Soc Am 22(7):202

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman L, Bragg LJ, Finkelman RB(1993) Distribution and mode of occurrence of selenium in US coals. Environ Geochem Health 15(4):215–226

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson R, Clarke L (1996) Trace elements in coal. IEA Coal Research Perspectives, 60 pp

  • Dreher GB, Finkelman RB (1992) Selenium mobilization in a surface coal mine, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A. Environ Geol Water Sci 19(3):155–167

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frost RR, Griffin RA (1977) Effect of pH on adsorption of arsenic and selenium from landfill leachate by clay minerals. Soil Sci Soc Am J 41:53–57

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galbreath KC, Brekke DW (1994) Feasibility of combined wave-length/energy-dispersive computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy for determining trace metal distribution. Fuel Process Tech 39(1–3):63–72

  • Geering HR, Cary EE, Jones LHP, Allaway WH (1968) Solubility and redox criteria for the possible forms of selenium in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 32:35–40

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DW (1979) The Morrissey and Mist Mountain Formations: newly defined lithostratigraphic units of the Jura-Cretaceous Kootenay Group, Alberta and British Columbia. Bull Can Petrogr Geol 27(2):183–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DW, Hughes JD (1981) Structure, stratigraphy, sedimentary environments and coal deposits of the Jura-Cretaceous Kootenay-Group, Crowsnest Pass area, Alberta and British Columbia: field guides to geology and mineral deposits. Geological Association of Canada Annual Meeting, Calgary, 39 pp

  • Given PH, Miller RN (1985) Distribution of forms of sulfur in peats from saline environments in the Florida Everglades. Int J Coal Geol 5(4): 397–409

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodarzi F, Swaine DJ (1993) Chacophile elements in western Canadian coals. Int J Coal Geol 24(1–4):281–292

  • Hamilton SJ, Buhl KJ (1990) Acute toxicity of boron, molybdenum, and selenium to fry of Chinook salmon and coho salmon. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 19:366–375

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hickmott DD, Baldridge WS (1995) Application of PIXE micro-analysis to macerals and sulfides from the Lower Kittaning coal of western Pennsylvania. Econ Geol 90(2):246–254

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones SR, Garbarino JR (1999) Methods of analysis by the US Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory: determination of arsenic and selenium in water and sediment by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry. US Geological Survey Report, pp 98–639

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald LE, Strosher MS (1998) Selenium mobilization from surface coal mining in the Elk River Basin, British Columbia: a survey of water, sediment and biota. British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Pollution Prevention Branch, Cranbrook, British Columbia

  • Mc Neal MJ, Balistrieri LS, (1989) Geochemistry and occurrence of selenium: an overview. In: Jacobs LW (ed) Selenium in agriculture and the environment. Soil Science Society of America, Special Publication, Madison, Wisconsin, no 23, pp 1–13.

  • Minkin JA, Finkelman RB, Thompson CL, Chao ECT, Ruppert LF, Blank H, Cecil CB (1984) Microcharacterization of arsenic- and selenium bearing pyrite in Upper Freeport coal, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM Inc, AMF O'Hare, Chicago, pp 1515–1524

  • Nagpal NK, Pommen LW, Swain LG (1998) British Columbia approved water quality guidelines. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Water Protection Branch. Victoria, British Columbia

  • Price FT, Shieh YT (1979) The distribution and isotopic composition of sulfur in coals from the Illinois Basin. Econ Geol 74:1445–1461

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan B, Dittrick M (2000) Selenium in the Mist Mountain Formation of southeast British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, Geological Fieldwork 2000, Paper 2001-1

  • Schafer HNS (1984) Determination of carboxyl groups in low-rank coals. Fuel 63:723–726

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sobek AA, Schuller WA, Freeman JR, Smith RM (1978) Field and laboratory methods applicable to overburden and mine soils. EPA-600/2-78-054, National Technical Information Service. Springfield, Virginia

  • Spears A, Martinez Tarazona M, Lee S (1994) Pyrite in UK coals: environmental significance. Fuel 73:7

    Google Scholar 

  • Spears DA, Zheng Y (1999) Geochemistry and origin of elements in some UK coals. Int J Coal Geol 38:161–179

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. National Committee for Geochemistry (1980) Trace element geochemistry of coal resource development related to environmental quality and health. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 132 pp

  • Vessey SJ, Bustin RM (2000) Sedimentology of the coal-bearing Mist Mountain Formation, Line Creek, Southern Canadian Cordillera: relation to coal quality. Int J Coal Geol 42:129–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wandless AM (1959) The occurrence of sulphur in British Coals. J Inst Fuel 32:258–266

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White RN, Smith JV, Spears DA, Rivers ML, Sutton SR (1989) Analysis of iron sulphides from UK coal by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence. Fuel 68:1480

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zehr JP, Oremland RS (1987) Reduction of selenate to selenide by sulfate-respiring bacteria: experiments with cell suspensions and estuarine sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 53:1365–1369

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zodrow EL, Goodarzi F (1993) Environmental implications associated with pyrite concentrates from coal in the Sydney coalfield (Upper Carboniferous), Nova Scotia, Canada, Energy Sourc 15(4): 639–652

Download references

Acknowledgements

Staff at the Fording River, Greenhills, Coal Mountain, Line Creek and Elkview mines are acknowledged for their assistance with sampling and providing background information. We also thank Barry Ryan, along with the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, for coordinating sample collection and providing information on regional geology. Funding for this study was provided by Fording Coal Ltd., Teck Corporation, Luscar Ltd. and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council through an Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    C. Lussier & V. Veiga

  2. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    S. Baldwin

Authors
  1. C. Lussier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Veiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Baldwin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Lussier.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lussier, C., Veiga, V. & Baldwin, S. The geochemistry of selenium associated with coal waste in the Elk River Valley, Canada. Env Geol 44, 905–913 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0833-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0833-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation