We present the results of the investigations carried out on the demineralization of coal of the Rajmahal Gondwana basin of India using Pseudomonas mendocina strain B6–1. Petrographically these coals are characterized by high concentration of inertinite macerals with subordinate amount of vitrinite and liptinite macerals. The mineral matter content occurs in high concentration which gives a high ash yield. This coal contains relatively high content of major, minor and trace elements when compared with the Clarke values in coal.
After the bacterial treatment a considerable reduction in the elemental content of oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur was seen. Reduction in the ash content (>5%) was achieved and variable degrees of removal of the various major, minor and trace element concentration was also noticed. Nearly 59% removal of Mn, 53% of Na, 13% of Fe was achieved among the major/minor elements while nearly 54% of As, 41% of Cd, 39% of Cu, 34% of Ni, 32% of Zn, 13% of Cr, 43% of Co and 66% of Pb could be removed. Arsenic, Fe and Ca have a strong positive correlation with the ash removal percentage indicating that the samples having increased concentration of these elements are prone to demineralization with Pseudomonas mendocina strain B6–1. Whereas the elements like Ni, Zn, Cr and Cu maintain a strong negative correlation with the ash removal percentage indicating that their enrichment could have hampered the process of demineralization.
BensonS.A. and HolmP.L., 1985. Composition of inorganic constituents in three low-rank coals. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Product Research and Development24, 145–149.
2.
BIS., 2003. Methods of test for coal and coke (2nd revision of IS: 1350). Part I, Proximate analysis. Bureau of Indian Standard, pp. 1–29.
3.
BleicherK.ZellnerG. and WinterJ., 1989. Growth of methanogens on cyclopentanol/CO2 and specificity of alcohol dehydrogenase. Federation of European Microbiological Societies Microbiology Letters59(3), 307–312.
4.
ChanL.C.GuX.Y. and WongJ.W.C., 2003. Comparison of bioleaching of heavy metals from sewage sludge using iron and sulfur oxidizing bacteria. Advances in Environmental Research7(3), 603–607.
5.
EskenazyG.M., 2009. Trace elements geochemistry of the Dobrudza coal basin, Bulgaria. International Journal of Coal Geology78(3), 192–200.
6.
FinkelmanR.B., 1995. Modes of occurrence of environmentally-sensitive trace elements in coal. In: SwainD.J. and GoodarziF. (Eds.), Environmental Aspects of Trace Elements in Coal. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 24–50.
7.
GivenP.H. and MillerR.N., 1987. The association of major, minor and trace elements with lignites. III. Trace elements in four lignites and general discussion of all data from this study. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta51(7), 1843–1853.
8.
GivenP.H. and SpackmanW., 1978. Reporting of analyses of low rank coals on the dry, mineral-matter-free basis. Fuel57(5), 319.
9.
GoldsmidtV.M., 1935. Rare elements in coal ashes. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry27(9), 1100–1102.
10.
HallT.A., 1999. BIOEDIT: A user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Window 95/98/NT. Nuclic Acids Symposium41, 95–98.
11.
ICCP., 1998. The new vitrinite classification (ICCP System 1994). Fuel77(5), 349–358.
12.
ICCP., 2001. The new inertinite classification (ICCP System 1994). Fuel80, 459–471.
13.
KetrisM.P. and YudovichYa.E., 2009. Estimation of Clarkes for carbonaceous biolithes: World averages for trace element contents in black shales and coals. International Journal of Coal Geology78(2), 135–148.
14.
KilbaneJ.J.II, 2006. Microbial biocatalyst developments to upgrade fossil fuels. Current Opinion in Biotechnology17(3), 305–314.
15.
KissL.T. and KingT.N., 1977. The expression of results of coal analysis: The case for brown coals. Fuel56(3), 340–341.
16.
KissL.T. and KingT.N., 1979. Reporting of low-rank coal analysis—the distinction between minerals and inorganics. Fuel58(7), 547–549.
17.
MillerR.N. and GivenP.H., 1987. The association of major, minor and trace inorganic elements with lignite. II. Minerals, and major and minor elements profiles, in four seams. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta51(5), 1311–1322.
18.
NichollsG.D., 1968. The geochemistry of coal bearing strata. In Coal and Coal-BearingStrata, Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 269–307.
19.
OlsonG.J. and BrinckmanF.E., 1986. Bioprocessing of coal. Fuel65(12), 1638–1646.
20.
OmanC.L.FinkelmanR.B. and TewaltS.J., 1997. Concentrations of platinum group elements in 122 U.S. coal samples. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report, pp. 97–53.
21.
PickhardtW., 1989. Trace elements in minerals of German bituminous coals. International Journal of Coal Geology14(1), 137–153.
22.
RenD.XuD. and ZhaoF., 2004. A preliminary study on the enrichment mechanism and occurrence of hazardous trace elements in the Tertiary lignite from the Shenbei coalfield, China. International Journal of Coal Geology57(3), 187–196.
23.
SeredinV.V., 2004. The Au-PGE mineralization at the Pavlovsk brown coal deposit, Primorye. Geology of Ore Deposit46(1), 36–63.
24.
SharmaD.K. and WadhavaG., 1997. Determination of coal by stepwise bioleaching: A comparative study of three Indian coals by Fourier Transform Infra Red and X-ray diffraction techniques. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology13(1), 29–36.
25.
ShiS.Y. and FangZ.H., 2005. Bioleaching of marmatite flotation concentrate by adapted mixed mesoacidophilic cultures in an air-lift reactor. International Journal of Mineral Processing76(1–2), 3–12.
26.
ShrivastavaR.D.CampbellI.M. and BlausteinB.D., 1989. Coal bioprocessing: A research-needs assessment. Chemical Engineering Progress85(12), 45–53.
27.
SinghA. L.SinghP.K. and SinghM.P., 2012c. Biomethanization of coal to obtain clean coal energy: A Review. Energy Exploration and Exploitation30(5), 837–852.
28.
SinghA.L.SinghP.K.KumarA. and SinghM.P., 2012b. Desulfurization of selected hard and brown coal samples from India and Indonesia with Ralstonia sp and Pseudoxanthomonas sp. Energy, Exploration and Exploitation30(6), 985–998.
29.
SinghM.P. and SinghP.K., 1995. Mineral matter in the Rajmahal coals: Study through incident light microscopy and scanning electron micrography. Journal of Geological Society of India46(5), 557–564.
30.
SinghP.K., 2004. Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Lalmatia coal seams, Hura coalfield, Rajmahal basin, Jharkhand. Indian Journal of Applied Geochemistry6(1), 45–60.
31.
SinghP.K.SinghA. L.KumarA. and SinghM.P., 2011. A study on removal of selected major elements from Indonesian coal through bacteria: Environmental implications. Proceedings, International conference on Energy, Environment, Sustainable Development, Bangkok, Thailand WASET, vol. 75, pp. 925–935.
32.
SinghP.K.SinghA.L.KumarA. and SinghM.P., 2012a. Mixed bacterial consortium as an emerging tool to remove hazardous trace metals from coal. Fuel102, 227–230.
33.
SinghP.K.SinghA.L.KumarA. and SinghM.P., 2013. Control of different pyrite forms on desulfurization of coal with bacteria. Fuel106, 876–879.
34.
SunY.Z.ZhaoC.L.LiY.H.WangJ.X.ZhangJ.Y.JinZ.LinM.Y. and KalkreuthW., 2013. Further information of the associated Li deposits in the No.6 Coal Seam at Jungar Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, northern China. ACTA Geologica Sinica87(4), 801–812
35.
ValkovicV.V., 1985. Trace Elements in Coal. Florida, pp. 207.
36.
WardC.R., 1991. Mineral matter in low-rank coals and associated strata of the Mae Moh Basin, northern Thailand. International Journal of Coal Geology17(1), 69–93.
37.
WardC.R., 1992. Mineral matter in Triassic and Tertiary low-rank coals from South Australia. International Journal of Coal Geology20(3), 185–208.
38.
WardC.R., 2002. Analysis and significance of mineral matter in coal seams. International Journal of Coal Geology50(1), 135–168.
39.
WardC.R.GurbaL.W.LiZ. and SusilawatiR., 2003. Distribution of inorganic elements in lower-rank coal macerals as indicated by electron microprobe techniques. Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Coal Science, Cairns, Queensland, pp. 2–6.
40.
WedpohlK.H., 1969–1978. Handbook of Geochemistry. Berlin, 4.v.
41.
WhiteD.E., 1963. Chemical Composition of Subsurface Waters: Tabulation and Discussion of Chemical Analyses, 1st Edition. US Government Printing Office, Washington D.C., pp. 67.
42.
ZhaoC.L.SunY.Z.XiaoL.QinS.J.WangJ.X.DuanD.J., 2014. The occurrence of barium in Jurassic coal in the Huangling 2 mine, Ordos Basin, northern China. Fuel128, 428–432.
