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Emission of Toxic Gases and Condensation
Minerals from Burning Coal Waste Heaps in
Northern France: Measurements and Analyses

published in ERSEC Ecological Book Series – 4, 2007

M. Naze-Nancy Masalehdani¹, Jean-Luc Potdevin¹,
Fabrice Cazier², and Dominique Courcot³

¹ UMR CNRS 8110 “Processus et Bilans des Domaines Sédimentaires,” Université
des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
² Centre Commun de Mesures, MREID, Université du Littoral, Dunkerque,
France
³ Laboratoire de Catalyse et Environnement, Université du Littoral, Dunkerque,
France

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France is well known for its great number of coal waste heaps. One of the problems associated with these residues from coal mining is spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous combustion poses significant safety, geo-technical, and environmental hazards; it is at the origin of gas spots (vents), ground subsidence, surface cavities, noxious gases, secondary minerals, and thermal metamorphosis of rock debris. Gas spots were localized at one site based on field observations and aerial infrared thermography. In-situ gas measurements and analyses were carried out around active spots in two burning coal waste heaps.