The influence of terrestrial plants on the enrichment of critical metals in coal
文献类型：期刊论文
| 作者 | Zhao, Lei2; Wei, Qiang1; French, David4; Hower, James C.3; Graham, Ian T.4; Smith, Gregory C.5 |
| 刊名 | EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
 |
| 出版日期 | 2026-05-01 |
| 卷号 | 276页码:105416 |
| 关键词 | Organic matter Humic substances Metal complexation Volcanic ash Hyperaccumulating plants Theoretical calculations |
| ISSN号 | 0012-8252 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105416 |
| 产权排序 | 2 |
| 文献子类 | Article |
| 英文摘要 | The terrestrialization of plants during the Paleozoic enabled the earliest peat-forming wetlands, initiating coal accumulation in the Middle to Late Devonian. Beyond their role in organic carbon burial, terrestrial plants created the geochemical conditions for peat accumulation and coalification, thereby allowing the incorporation of metals within coal. Metals in coal have multiple sources and modes of occurrence, and mineralisation can occur at various stages. Later-stage processes in coal formation have received considerable attention, whereas the role of precursor plant material in early-stage metal accumulation remains underestimated. This study synthesizes current knowledge of the early-stage processes for metal enrichment in coal and compares the roles of plant biomass, organic matter maturation and hydrothermal processes in the redistribution of metals in coal. Although critical metals (e.g. Ge, U, rare earth elements) are the focus, other metals are also discussed, as they broadly exhibit similar behaviour during peat accumulation, diagenesis, coalification and post-diagenetic stages. Terrestrial plants are the primary precursors of coal and establish the initial metal distribution, with metal uptake by plants (bioassimilation) and by humic substances in peat that interact with associated sediments and volcanic ashfalls. In both peat and low-rank coals, humic substances provide potential metal-binding sites primarily through chelation. Organic association is especially significant in low-rank coals where most metals are bound to organic matter. The stability of these associations depends on the chemical environment and binding energies of specific functional groups, as demonstrated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Several world-class Ge deposits occur in low-rank coals, with Ge and associated metal(loid)s (e.g. W, U, As) being mainly bound organically in chelated form. These metals are progressively released from organic matter as coal rank increases, due to the loss of oxygen-bearing functional groups, and their concentrations in high-rank coals are generally negligible. Instead, these metals reform as submicron- to nanoscale mineral phases, that are commonly reported as organically bound metals in high-volatile bituminous coals, for example, by selective leaching studies. In some coals, post-depositional hydrothermal fluids migrating via permeable conduits such as coal cleats, fractures and porous inertinite layers are the principal control on metal enrichment, exceeding the influence of original peat composition. Nevertheless, metal bioassimilation and complexing by humic substances in peats represent two important pathways of metal enrichment in coal, alongside other geological processes. |
| URL标识 | 查看原文 |
| WOS关键词 | RARE-EARTH-ELEMENTS ; MOUNT-ST-HELENS ; LOW-RANK COAL ; SOLID-STATE C-13 ; FIRE-CLAY COAL ; HIGH-GE COALS ; TRACE-ELEMENTS ; ELECTRON-MICROPROBE ; INNER-MONGOLIA ; VOLCANIC-ASH |
| WOS研究方向 | Geology |
| 语种 | 英语 |
| WOS记录号 | WOS:001695358100001 |
| 出版者 | ELSEVIER |
| 源URL | [http://ir.igsnrr.ac.cn/handle/311030/221237]  |
| 专题 | 资源利用与环境修复重点实验室_外文论文 |
| 通讯作者 | Zhao, Lei |
| 作者单位 | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geog Sci & Nat Resources Res, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China; 2.China Univ Min & Technol Beijing, Coll Geosci & Survey Engn, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China; 3.Univ Kentucky, Ctr Appl Energy Res, 2540 Res Pk Dr, Lexington, KY 40511 USA; 4.Univ New South Wales, Earth & Sustainabil Sci Res Ctr, Sch Biol Earth & Environm Sci, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; 5.Curtin Univ, Sch Earth & Planetary Sci, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia |
| 推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Zhao, Lei,Wei, Qiang,French, David,et al. The influence of terrestrial plants on the enrichment of critical metals in coal[J]. EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS,2026,276:105416. |
| APA | Zhao, Lei,Wei, Qiang,French, David,Hower, James C.,Graham, Ian T.,&Smith, Gregory C..(2026).The influence of terrestrial plants on the enrichment of critical metals in coal.EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS,276,105416. |
| MLA | Zhao, Lei,et al."The influence of terrestrial plants on the enrichment of critical metals in coal".EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS 276(2026):105416. |
入库方式： OAI收割
来源：地理科学与资源研究所
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