Sulfur in coal and its environmental impact from Yanzhou Mining District, China

Sulfur is one of the hazardous elements in coal. The concentrations of sulfur are relatively high in coal. The major forms of sulfur in coal are pyritic, organic and sulfate. Pyritic and organic sulfur generally account for the bulk of sulfur in coal. Elemental sulfur also occurs in coal, but only in trace to minor amounts. When coals are burned, leached and washed, sulfur will be released in the form of sulfide and H2S, which then react with O2, water and other substances to change into vitriol, and in some places it may form acid rain. And they will impact water environment, acidify the soil and do great harm to plants and human health. In this paper, on the basis of the data from the Yanzhou mining district, the distribution and concentrations of sulfur are analyzed and the existing forms of sulfur are studied. The variation of sulfur and its impact on the environments also are described when coal is used.