# Risk Elements in Total Suspended Particles in Areas Affected by Opencast Mining of Brown Coal
The opencast coal mining activities and coal-fired power plants have been proven to produce large amounts of inhalable particles, posing severe health risks [19]. Generally, coal burning in power plants generates more nitrogen and sulfur oxides, PM, and risk elements per unit of energy than any other fuel source. The amount of PM released depends strongly on coal quality and coal-burning technology [20]. Besides the inhalable particles, the coarse particles released from coal mining and processing can contribute to the pollution of soil, biota, and whole urban areas. Surprisingly, the impact of these coarse particles is less discovered compared to the small aerial particles. In this regard, communities living in the vicinities of opencast coal mines and/or coal power plants are therefore exposed to enhanced PM and TSP levels, resulting in direct adverse public health impacts [21, 22]. Moreover, non-anthropogenic sources such as spontaneous coal fires are considered PM pollution sources in the coal mining sectors and nearby urban areas [23]. In the Czech Republic, the contamination levels of risk elements in the Moravian-Silesian Region were determined, and an associated human health risks assessment was performed by [PERSON] et al. [24]. This area is characterized by intensive steel industry activities and underground bituminous coal mining; as a result, these regions are regarded as the most polluted in the Czech Republic. However, other polluted locations in the Czech Republic, such as the areas around the North Bohemian coal basin, are affected by opencast mining of brown coal, followed immediately by coal processing and burning in coal-fired power plants. As documented by [PERSON] et al. [25], opencast coal mining in North Bohemia negatively affects the landscape, agriculture, forestry, life in villages and towns, transport structures, and historical monuments. [PERSON] et al. [26] assessed the soil pollution level of risk elements, including the potential bioavailability/bioaccessibility of these elements in the basin area. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [27] monitored the plant uptake of these elements. Their results showed elevated soil contents and high bioaccessibility of As, beryllium (Be), and cadmium (Cd), while plant availability was confirmed for Cd only. However, neither the contents of TSP-related risk elements nor the potential adverse effects on human health from the TSP-associated risk elements have been assessed in this area, and these data are missing in the potential estimation of the comprehensive impact of the coal industry on the inhabitants. Therefore, the objectives of this study are as follows: (i) to consider the impacts of both the sampling season and sampling site on the concentrations of TSPs and associated risk elements in designated locations of two cities situated close to the basin, and (ii) to estimate the potential health risks for the inhabitants of these areas. While numerous studies estimate human health risk separately according to the particle size, this study considers the potential effect of unseparated total deposited particles, as inhabitants are exposed to the deposited material as a whole.