Bioremediation of Former Coal Mining Land Using Natural Organic Matter
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59261/jequi.v8i3.389Keywords:
Ex Situ Bioremediation, Biochar, Compost, Manure, CEC, First-Order Kinetics, Post-Mining Soil, Zea MaysAbstract
Background: Post-coal-mining soils are typically characterized by severe edaphic degradation, including acidic pH, low cation exchange capacity (CEC), nutrient deficiencies, and reduced microbial activity.
Methods: This study evaluated the effectiveness of compost, manure, and biochar applied at 0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) in improving soil properties through a twelve-week ex situ bioremediation process. Measured parameters included pH, CEC, total N, available P and K, organic C, moisture, and microbial dynamics, with Zea mays used as an agronomic indicator.
Results: Biochar produced the largest increases in soil pH and CEC, while compost and manure more effectively enhanced organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization. Soil pH improvement followed first-order kinetics with treatment-specific rate constants. The 10% amendment rate yielded the highest Zea mays growth.
Conclusion: Overall, compost, manure, and biochar effectively improved post-mining soil quality, nutrient availability, and corn growth, with biochar showing the strongest overall effect. These amendments offer economical, environmentally friendly alternatives for sustainable bioremediation, reclamation, and revegetation of former coal mine land.
Downloads
References
Bandyopadhyay, S., & Maiti, S. K. (2019). Soil Organic Matter and Its Role in Reclaimed Mine Soils: A Review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Doran, J. W., & Parkin, T. B. (2024). Defining and Assessing Soil Quality. In Soil Science Society of America.
Feng, Y., Sun, H., Wu, L., & Chen, X. (2019). Impact of Organic Amendments on Soil Microbial Communities and Vegetation Establishment in Post-Mining Land. Ecological Engineering.
Fisher, R. A. (2024). Statistical Methods for Research Workers. Oliver & Boyd.
Ghosh, D., & Maiti, S. K. (2026). Plant–soil–biochar interactions as a restoration tool. In Climate Change and Soil Interactions (pp. 457–474). Elsevier.
Ghozali, I. (2019). Aplikasi Analisis Multivariate dengan Program SPSS. Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.
Gomez, K. A., & Gomez, A. A. (2024). Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research. John Wiley & Sons.
Gu, X., Zhao, F., & Li, J. (2020). Soil Quality Changes and Plant Growth Response Under Different Organic Amendments in Reclaimed Coal Mine Spoils. Land Degradation & Development.
Guo, X., Zhu, J., & Wang, Y. (2018). Effects of Biochar and Organic Fertilizer on Soil Properties and Plant Growth in a Reclaimed Mine Soil. Journal of Environmental Management.
Karmaita, Y., Latifa, D., Wati, R., Wahyuni, A., Wentasari, R., Resdiar, A., & Nurholis, N. (2026). Reclamation of Post-Gold Mining Land Using Mycotrichocompost and Biochar: Effects on Corn (Zea Mays L.) Growth and Yield. Journal of Applied Agricultural Science and Technology, 10(1), 91–104.
Kumar, A., Singh, S., & Verma, P. (2015). The Role of Biochar and Compost in Soil Restoration and Plant Growth on Coal Mine Spoil. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22(8), 6382–6391.
Lin, B., Yang, W., Zhao, S., Li, Q., Kou, W., Yu, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, X., & Kou, J. (2026). Impacts of Organic Fertilization on the Mineralization of Mine Spoil Organic Carbon in an Alpine Coalmine Field. Land Degradation & Development.
Montgomery, D. C. (2020). Design and Analysis of Experiments. John Wiley & Sons.
Mummey, D. L., Stahl, P. D., & Buyer, J. S. (2002). Soil microbiological properties 20 years after surface mine reclamation: Spatial analysis of reclaimed and undisturbed sites. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 34(11), 1717–1725. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00158-X
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D (2nd ed.). Alfabeta.
Surya Dharma, S. E., Porbo Jadmiko, S. E., & Elfitria Azloyanti, S. E. (2026). Aplikasi SPSS Dalam Analisis Multivariates. LPPM Universitas Bung Hatta.
Wang, J., Luo, Z., Li, J., Li, J., & Xu, M. (2025). Fertilization decreases microbial CUE via enhancing soil properties and microbial respiration in coal mine reclamation area. Applied Soil Ecology, 211, 106145.
Wu, B., Fu, K., Gong, J., Qian, W., & Sun, Y. (2026). Microbial community restoration in abandoned coal mine lands: ecological assembly, functional mechanisms, and restoration strategies. Archives of Microbiology, 208(11), 570.
Zhou, N., Han, Z., Feng, Y., Zeng, R., & Zhao, L. (2026). Soil organic carbon accumulation in response to vegetation restoration across global mining areas: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Management, 412, 130282.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Oktaviano Catur Arya, Chairul Irawan, Primata Mardina
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA). that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
