Bioconversion of coal to methane by microbial communities from soil and from an opencast mine in the Xilingol grassland of northeast China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Xilingol grassland ecosystem has abundant superficial coal reserves. Opencast coal mining and burning of coal for electricity have caused a series of environmental challenges. Biogenic generation of methane from coal possesses the potential to improve economic and environmental outcomes of clean coal utilization. However, whether the microbes inhabiting the grassland soil have the functional potential to convert coal into biomethane is still unclear.

Results

Microbial communities in an opencast coal mine and in grassland soil covering and surrounding this mine and their biomethane production potential were investigated by Hiseq sequencing and anaerobic cultivation. The microbial communities in covering soil showed high similarity to those in the surrounding so

SUBMITTER: Wang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6781394 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature