The concentration of fourteen environmentally important trace elements (Be, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Sn, Ba, Tl, Pb, Th and U) was studied in thirteen coal samples from Xinan coalfield, Henan province. In addition, virtrinite reflectance analysis, proximate analysis and elemental analysis were also conducted on these samples. The vitrinite reflectance values (Ro) ranges from 2% to 2.35%, revealing that these samples are lean coal. The coals have low moisture content, with M_advalue ranging from 0.57 to 0.95%. The ash and volatile matter content vary between 8.11-22.61% and 10.36-14.64%, respectively. Carbon, hydrogen, sulphur and nitrogen content vary between 71.51-83.54%, 3.068-3.879%, 0.494-2.326% and 0.953-1.38%, respectively. In comparison with the crustal average (Clarke value), some potentially hazardous elements are moderately enriched in the coals from Xinan coalfield, such as Pb, Th, U, Sn and Mo. The average concentration of most of the elements in Xinan coalfield coals is in the range of Chinese coals and world coals. No elements with the abnormally high concentrations analyzed are found.