SOLUBILIZATION OF AUSTRALIAN LIGNITES BY FUNGI AND OTHER MICROORGANISMS

Lignites from the Latrobe Valley in Victoria are solubilized by Coriolus versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and five other species known to be active on Leonardite and various acid-treated North American lignites. Run-of-mine coal from Morwell and Loy Yang is refractory but is soluble after pretreatment with acid. A weathered deposit at Loy Yang, like Leonardite, is susceptible to biosolubilization without pretreatment. The white rot fungi Ganoderma applanatum, Perenniporia tephropora (Fomes lividus), Pleurotus ostreatus, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, Rigidoporus ulmarius, and Xylaria hypoxylon were found to be capable of solubilizing lignite. In contrast, brown rot fungi were weakly active or inactive under the same test conditions. Lignite-degrading fungi, actinomycetes, and other bacteria, including some active on untreated run-of-mine coal, were isolated from natural lignite exposures and mining sites.