An assortment of organic material can leach from lignite (low-rank coal) in water, and the water-soluble fraction from lignite has been associated with adverse health effects in areas of the Balkans. Recent efforts have been made to evaluate this hypothesis in other areas where lignite is in contact with groundwater like in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. In this study, five Gulf Coast lignite samples were extracted with water, and the water-soluble portion of the coal was then characterized by total organic carbon, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Additionally, human kidney cells (HK-2) were exposed to water-soluble extracts of Gulf Coast lignite to assess toxicity. Cell viability was measured, and a dose-response curve was used to generate IC50 values that ranged from 490 to 3000 ppm. The most toxic extract (Dolet Hills) was from Louisiana where lignite-derived organic material has been previously linked to high incidence of renal pelvic cancer. Concentrations of nephrotoxic metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, V, Zn) were screened and were below those considered toxic to renal cells. We conclude that leachates from lignite do indeed have toxic affects on cultured human renal cells. Although the IC50 values are higher than the concentration of organic matter in the local groundwater, typically < 5 ppm, the effects of long-term low-level exposure is not known.
Keywords: Gulf Coast lignite; Lignite–water hypothesis; Medical geology.