Abstract
The trace element contents of eighteen coal, copper, and nickel slags were determined by proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Varying amounts of the suspect carcinogens, beryllium, chromium, nickel, and arsenic were found in the slags. As a class, the coal slags contain the lowest quantities of these elements while the slags from secondary copper smelters contain the greatest quantities.