Biological conversion of low-grade coal discard to a humic substance-enriched soil-like material

A mutualistic relationship between grasses, coal-degrading fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was pro- posed to account for the phyto-biodegradation of coal discard. In this study pot trial experiments were carried out to confirm transformation of the carbonaceous substrate, in the presence of a suite of coal degrading fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, into a humic-enriched soil-like material in the Cynodon dactylon/coal rhizosphere. The results show that after 47 weeks of C. dactylon growth on coal discard the concentration of humics increased from （62.9 -4- 1.5） to （112.1 ＋ 5.4） mg/kg. Substrate humic acid-like substance concentration positively correlated （r2 = 0.95） with accumu- lation of above ground C. dactylon biomass. FTIR spectroscopy of the extracted humic-like substances confirmed both product identity and increased oxidation of the coal discard substrate. Substrate ash content and electrical conductivity declined coincident with an increase in humic acid-like substance concentration, which together reduced the intensity of acidity in the C. dactylon/coal discard rhizosphere. These observations support the proposal that biological oxidative degradation of coal discard leads to increased humic-like substance concentration and formation of a soil-like material. Results have profound implications for use of coal discard as an organic substrate to replace topsoil in phyto-bioreme- diation strategies for sustainable large-scale rehabilitation of coal discard dumps.

Bacterial degradation of coal discard and geologically weathered coal

The biodegradation of coal discard is being intensively studied in South Africa in an effort to develop passive methods for the successful revegetation and rehabilitation of waste dumps, to mitigate pollution, and facilitate mine closure. Bacteria were isolated from slurries of coal tailings and diesel-contaminated soil, screened for coal biodegradation competence, characterized, and the colonization and degradation of coal discard and geologically weathered coal investigated using individual isolates and consortia. Ten novel coal-degrading bacterial strains were isolated and characterized, the gene sequences deposited with GenBank, and the (wild-type) strains deposited at Microbial Culture Collection, India. The results from the present work show that bituminous coal discard and geologically weathered coal is used by these isolates as carbon and energy source. Isolated strains and consortia colonized and degraded both coal substrates. Growth rate of the isolates is faster and stationery phase achieved sooner in minimal medium containing geologically weathered coal. This observation suggests that the oxygen-rich weathered coal is a more friable substrate and thus readily colonised and biodegraded. A reduction in mass of substrate is demonstrated for both individual isolates and consortia. The changes in pH and associated media colouration occurred concomitant with formation of humic acid-like (HS) and fulvic acid-like substances (FS) which is confirmed following analysis of these products by FT-IR spectroscopy. It is concluded that preferential metabolism of alkanes from the coal substrates provided the carbon and energy for bacterial growth and transformation of the substrates to HS and FS.