Coal mining and organic pollutants: A case of Mahanadi basin coalfields, India

Abstract

Coal has been the leading fuel in the energy industry.Its usage has shown far reaching consequences to health and environment.Occurrence of PAH in coal is well known fact but its effect to the human health is least addressed.It is one of the dangerous carcinogens with its ubiquitous presence in the environment.The present investigation on few coal samples reveals presence of substantial amount of PAH in the Mahanadi basin coalfields.Proper mitigation of this substance is required to ensure proper health of the miners and personnel in coal industry.Among the PAH reported are Anthracene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Phenanthrene and Pyrene etc.According to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a study in 1936 by investigators in Japan and England showed lung cancer mortality among workers in coal carbonization and gasification processes.Later on studies in US was carried on coke oven workers which confirmed the lung cancer mortality, with the suggestion of excessive genitourinary system cancer mortality.Given these implications this investigation attempts to address PAH in the coals of Mahanadi basin.