Editing Bituminous coal (section)

==Hazards and their mitigation==
[[File:Constantin meunier, il grisù, 1888-90.jpg|thumb|''Firedamp'' (1889) by [[Constantin Meunier]] depicts the aftermath of a mining disaster]]

Maturation of bituminous coal at medium and low volatile subrank is accompanied by peak methane generation. This makes these bituminous coals "gassy" and precautions must be taken against methane explosions.<ref name="UKBituminousCoal"/> [[Imidazolium]]-based ionic liquid solvents can reduce spontaneous combustion, which accounts for 2 to 3 percent of global annual [[carbon dioxide]] emissions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Xiao |first1=Yang |last2=Lü |first2=Hui-Fei |last3=Yi |first3=Xin |last4=Deng |first4=Jun |last5=Shu |first5=Chi-Min |title=Treating bituminous coal with ionic liquids to inhibit coal spontaneous combustion |journal=Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry |date=March 2019 |volume=135 |issue=5 |pages=2711–2721 |doi=10.1007/s10973-018-7600-5|s2cid=105480726 }}</ref>

Bituminous coal was once extensively  used for home heating in the US. However, bituminous coal is a relatively dirty fuel. The reduction in the use of bituminous coal between 1945 and 1960 is estimated to have saved at least 1,923 lives of all ages and 310 infant lives per winter month.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barreca |first1=Alan |last2=Clay |first2=Karen |last3=Tarr |first3=Joel |title=Coal, Smoke, and Death: Bituminous Coal and American Home Heating |date=February 2014 |pages=w19881 |journal = National Burea of Economic Research Working Paper |doi=10.3386/w19881|s2cid=5745376 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Bituminous coal quality is improved with [[Froth floatation|floatation]] methods, which increase the fraction of vitrinite to yield a cleaner-burning product.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ozbayoglu |first1=G |last2=Mamurekli |first2=M |title=Super-clean coal production from Turkish bituminous coal |journal=Fuel |date=July 1994 |volume=73 |issue=7 |pages=1221–1223 |doi=10.1016/0016-2361(94)90263-1}}</ref>

The bioconversion of bituminous coal to methane is being actively researched as  a clean coal technology.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Ji |last2=Liang |first2=Yanna |last3=Harpalani |first3=Satya |title=Optimization of methane production from bituminous coal through biogasification |journal=Applied Energy |date=December 2016 |volume=183 |pages=31–42 |doi=10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.08.153|doi-access=free }}</ref>