The Huainan and Huaibei coalfields, as two of the most important coal-producing areas in China, have long attracted significant attention regarding coal resource mining and utilization. As an important environmental resource, coal requires a thorough understanding of the content, occurrence modes, and enrichment factors of its trace elements, which is crucial for geochemical characterization, efficient utilization, and environmental protection. Based on a comprehensive review of domestic and international literature and previously published laboratory data, we analyzed the coal quality and conducted a geochemical study of trace elements in the Huainan and Huaibei coalfields, focusing on: (i) distribution and enrichment characteristics of trace elements in different coal seams; (ii) comparison of trace elements between the two coalfields; (iii) modes of occurrence; and (iv) controlling factors of enrichment. Our findings show that As, B, Be, Cd, Sb, Se, and Sn are slightly enriched in Huainan coal, whereas Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, U, and V are slightly enriched in Huaibei coal, with considerable variation among seams. Huainan coal is enriched in light and medium rare earth elements, whereas Huaibei coal is enriched in heavy rare earth elements. Vertically, trace elements in the coal-bearing strata exhibit three overall trends from bottom to top: decreasing, increasing, and increasing then decreasing. Elemental associations exhibit both commonalities and differences across seams. Trace elements in these coalfields occur in various forms, including silicate-bound, sulfide-bound, carbonate-bound, organically bound, ion-exchangeable, and water-soluble forms. Mineralogical transformations in coal are also closely related to trace element redistribution. The degree of trace element enrichment is controlled by multiple factors, including parent rocks in the terrigenous area, sedimentary environment, structure, and magmatic-hydrothermal activity. A deeper understanding of these trace element geochemical characteristics is essential for efficient coal utilization, environmental protection, and advancing green coal chemistry.
淮南煤田是安徽省煤炭资源勘探开发最早的煤田之一,位于淮河中游,地域面积约为3 654 km2 [9],远景储量444亿t,探明储量180亿t,占安徽省的70%,华东地区的32%,全国煤炭储量的19%[10]。淮北煤田是我国华北聚煤区中的大型煤矿储存区之一,位于安徽省淮北平原的西北部,为新生界松散层覆盖的全隐蔽煤田,面积约为11 350 km2 [11],可采煤层总厚度7.7~22.5 m,累计查明资源量143.60亿t,保有资源量127.36亿t[12]。由于大别造山带和郯庐断裂带的影响,淮南煤田总体表现为南推北滑构造格局,南部为阜凤推覆构造,北部为上窑—明龙山反冲构造,中部为淮南复向斜,淮北煤田总体表现为东推西陷构造格局,东部为徐宿推覆构造,西部为涡阳—临涣断陷带[13]。
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