Analysis of chemical characteristics of lignite upgrading wastewater and its agricultural utilization

The lignite upgrading wastewater (LUW) produced in the drying and upgrading process of lignite cannot be discharged directly. Conventional wastewater treatment methods are usually costly and unable to achieve efficient utilization of water resources which are rich in activity components. In this study, the water quality analysis showed that LUW belonged to seriously polluted waters with low pH and very high total nitrogen content. Fifty-five compounds, mainly phenols and organic acids, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The study confirmed that the LUW, after being diluted to an appropriate concentration, could significantly promote the growth of wheat seedlings. The phenols and organic acids were the activity material basis of LUW, which promoted seed germination possibly through playing a role similar to plant hormones and simultaneously enhancing the utilization of nutrient elements. LUW had the natural advantages of directly developing high-end liquid fertilizers in terms of its physical form, chemical composition, biological activity, safety and economy. This study confirmed the feasibility of applying LUW to agricultural field as liquid fertilizer only through simple dilution without other treatments. Applying LUW as liquid fertilizer can not only supply a fertilizer product with low production cost and outstanding efficacy, but also provide an efficient and green way for the treatment of upgrading wastewater, which utilize the LUW as natural resources instead of purifying and discharging.