A new method is proposed for examining the modes of occurrence of trace elements in coal. This method consists of acid leaching of not only raw coal but also the low-temperature ash and the ash derived from the combustion at 550 degreesC. Compared with the conventional staged leaching method, improvement has been achieved with regard to the determination of the organic and pyritic associations of trace elements. The leaching results showed that for all four coals used, chromium, vanadium, cobalt, and nickel in the ashes were more largely dissolved in both hydrochloric acid and nitric acid than those from the raw coal, implying the organic association of these trace elements in coal; the pyritic association of these elements was insignificant even for the pyrite-containing coals. Furthermore, arsenic and cadmium in the used coals were assigned to be partly associated with pyrite, although a predominant portion of these two elements existed in unspecified forms.