Recent Progress in Biocatalysis Applied to Improve Coal Mining, Carbon Sequestration and Ecological Restoration

Rational application of microbes in coal mines helps achieve coordinated progress in resource utilisation, economic growth, production safety and environmental protection. This paper reviews recent laboratory and field research to examine advances in microbial applications for safe coal mining, coal conversion, carbon sequestration, pollutant remediation and ecological restoration, alongside remaining critical knowledge gaps. Researchers have gained a thorough understanding of the metabolic pathways and biological properties of some of the microorganisms utilised. Methanotrophs are deployed to mitigate gas hazards in coal mines, while a range of other microorganisms suppress spontaneous combustion of low-rank coal by consuming reactive functional groups and blocking pore spaces. Low-rank coal can be effectively biodegraded via alkaline, enzymatic, chelating and surfactant-driven pathways, with degradation rates varying widely by strain and pretreatment. Biocatalytic CO2 mineralisation and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis offer dual sequestration routes but face obstacles in biocatalyst longevity and cost. With regard to the remediation of acid mine drainage, recent research covers approaches including microbial synergism, the addition of adsorbents and the construction of microbial fuel cells. Microbial and biocatalysis techniques that suppress pollutant generation at the source have also begun to attract research attention. Addressing these gaps requires multi-omics (proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, genomics) and improved subsurface monitoring. Overall, microbial solutions offer low-energy, selective adjuncts to conventional practices, but industrial-scale viability demands lifecycle modelling and robust in situ validation.