Bituminous Coal

The name of bituminous coal comes from the word "bitumen," which is the remaining tar after fuel distillation. Bituminous coal, therefore, belongs to a higher coal rank and was formed from ancient tropical swamps 300 million years ago. Bituminous coal production was among the highest domestically for steel production. The procedure uses metallurgical coke; a purified form of carbon needed for the steelmaking process in blast furnaces. Bituminous coal mining on the East Coast was predominantly in the coal seams of the Appalachian Basin, with a higher contribution from West Virginia (WA) seams. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted extensive studies regarding coal assessment and coal research in the Appalachian Basin [1,2]. Mined coal is then transported to coal ports for consumption and distribution, including Curtis Bay (Baltimore, MD) and Hampton Roads (Newport News & Norfolk, VA). Coal dust pollution (<100μm grain size) is one of the consequences of coal mining and dissipation, especially in neighborhoods in Newport News with pre-existing historically industrial activities (i.e., shipbuilding, aerospace, fishing, etc.)