Microbial removal of organic sulfur from coal (bacterial degradation of sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds): Final report, March 1, 1986-February 28, 1987. [Thiobacillus]

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6572055

Klubek, B; Clark, D

The presence of substantial levels of sulfur in coal is a major source of air pollution, and considerable efforts are being made to devise an inexpensive way of removing the sulfur. One promising method is microbial desulfurization. Almost all of the inorganic sulfur can be removed from coal by the bacteria Thiobacillus or Sulfolobus, which convert sulfide to sulfate but leave the organic sulfur untouched. Certain coals, including those in the Illinois Basin, contain high levels of organic sulfur, especially thiophenes; hence, removal of organic sulfur is also necessary. If strains of bacteria are developed which remove organic sulfur from coal and are used in conjunction with inorganic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, the result should be an effective desulfurization method. We are using two approaches to develop bacteria which remove organic sulfur. One method is to mutate Escherichia coli, an organism which is genetically well-understood. Thiophene degraders have been isolated from E. coli and genetically analyzed. Mutations in three novel genes, thdA (12 min), thdC (92 min), and thdD (98 min) were required for thiophene degradation. Constitutive mutations at the previously characterized fadR and atoC loci were also required. The second approach is the isolation of naturally occurring bacteria capable of thiophene degradation by enrichment culture techniques. The degradation rates of thiophene model compounds indicate the potential for desulfurization. Ultimately, the best characteristics of the natural isolates will be cloned into the thiophene-degrading E. coli to yield an improved organic sulfur degrader.

• Research Organization: Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale (USA). Coal Extraction and Utilization Research Center
• DOE Contract Number: FC22-86PC91272
• OSTI ID: 6572055
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/91272-T2; ON: DE87009878
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
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