Study on the Migration and Transformation of Nitrogen in Mine Water under the Action of Water–Coal Interactions

The coal pillar dam of underground reservoirs and residual coal in goaves have a direct impact on the quality of mine water. In this paper, the coal pillar dam of an underground reservoir and residual coal in the goaf and mine water in the Daliuta coal mine are used as research objects. The adsorption mechanism of residual coal with respect to NO3− in mine water was analyzed by carrying out adsorption experiments. The composition and variation of organic matter in mine water at different times were simulated using three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum analysis. The influence of residual coal and microorganisms in underground reservoirs on the change in NO3− contents in mine water was explored. Moreover, the mechanism of NO3− changes in the water body was clarified. The results showed that the concentration of NO3− in the water first decreased and then increased, showing a downward trend as a whole. The adsorption of NO3− by residual coal led to a decrease in its concentration, which conformed to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isothermal adsorption model, indicating that the adsorption process of NO3− by residual coal is mainly carried out via chemical adsorption and multi-layer adsorption. The increase in NO3− concentration was caused by the hydrolysis of tryptophan and other protein-like substances in the water into nitrate under the action of microorganisms.