Determination of Respirable Dust for Heavy Metals in Some Nigerian Coals.

Abstract

X-ray diffraction technique was used to analyze coal processing dusts of four  samples from Lafia-Obi, Lamja, Doho and Okaba. The diffractograms show a  number of inorganic substances and some heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and titanium at very high concentrations. Uranium and gold were among the compounds that appeared in Doho coal dusts. Apart from the health hazards, gold and uranium represent high potentials for prospecting and mining in a growing economy.