Vol. 9, No 1, 2002 pp. 34 - 38
UC 616.61-004
WEATHERED COAL DEPOSITS AND BALKAN ENDEMIC
NEPHROPATHY
Gerald L. Feder1, Calin A. Tatu2,4,
William H. Orem3, Virgil Paunescu4,
Victor Dumitrascu4, Diana N. Szilagyi4,
Robert B. Finkelman3, Florin Margineanu5,
Francisc Schneider6
1Florida Community College at Jacksonville,
Jacksonville, FL, U.S.A.
2Forslys Group, Arad, Romania
3US Geological Survey, Reston, VA,
USA
4Department of Immunology, Clinical
Laboratory No.1, Timisoara, Romania
5Center of Hemodialysis, County Hospital,
Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania
6Department of Physiology, Western
University, Arad, Romania
Summary. The correlation between the geographic occurrence of Balkan
endemic nephropathy (BEN) and low rank Pliocene lignites is striking. Comparison
of mass spectra of methanol extracts from lignite samples collected in
the vicinity of two endemic villages, with mass spectra of methanol extracts
higher grade coals, shows the presence of many more potentially nephrotoxic
compounds, and much higher total organic concentrations in the lignite
extracts. The Pliocene lignite composition is dominated by highly functional
aromatic compounds not found in the other coal samples. The geologic history
of the endemic regions helps to explain the high concentrations of highly
functional aromatic compounds found in the low grade lignites in this region.
The Pliocene lignite area, and associated endemic villages in Bulgaria,
Romania, Serbia, and Croatia, occur on the margins of the Balkan Peninsula's
major Tertiary basins. The young age and lack of deep burial or tectonic
effects on the lignites have resulted in the incomplete coali-fication
of the original peats.
Key words: Balkan endemic nephropathy, lignite, drinking water
and health, environmental toxins
