BIODEGRADATION OF COALS

Selected strains of bacteria [from the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) collection], capable of degrading heavy crude oils, were used to treat bituminous and lignite coals. Products resulting from biochemic al reactions among several microorganisms and different coals were exa mined by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py. g.c.-m.s. ), and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The results indicated considerable variations in the organic sulfur as wel l as modifications in coal structure. Furthermore, biochemical reactio ns involved in the microbial interactions with coals appeared to be mi crobial species dependent.