Microorganisms for Desulfurization of Coal: the Influence of Leaching Compounds on their Growth

An investigation was undertaken to outline how microorganisms suggested for use in coal desulphurization are affected by compounds leached from coal. Three species of the genus Sulfolobus were studied. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius was seen to be affected by compounds leached from coal more negatively than Sulfolobus brierleyi and Sulfolobus solfataricus. It was observed that certain conditions during leaching, such as pH, temperature and leaching time, were important for the concentration of compounds leached from coal. It was seen that compounds leached from coal, in some cases, can improve the growth yield for the microorganisms