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Aerobic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide by Thiobacillus denitrificans
Author(s) -
Subletta Kerry L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260290605
Subject(s) - sulfide , chemistry , oxygen , biomass (ecology) , yield (engineering) , thiobacillus , hydrogen sulfide , anaerobic exercise , bioreactor , inorganic chemistry , nuclear chemistry , sulfur , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , materials science , biology , ecology , physiology
Abstract It has been demonstrated that Thiobacillus denitrificans may be readily cultured aerobically in batch and continuous flow reactors on H 2 S( g ) under sulfide limiting conditions. Under these conditions sulfide concentrations in the culture medium were less than 1μ M resulting in very low concentrations of H 2 S in the reactor outlet gas. Biomass yield under aerobic conditions was much lower than previously reported for anaerobic conditions, presumably because of oxygen inhibition of growth. However, biomass yield was not affected by steady state oxygen concentration in the range of 45μ M –150μ M . Biomass yield was also observed to be essentially independent of specific growth rate in the range of 0.030–0.053 h −1 . Indicators of reactor upset were determined and recovery from upset conditions demonstrated. Maximum loading of the biomass for H 2 S oxidation under aerobic conditions was observed to be 15.1–20.9 mmol/h/g biomass which is much higher than previously reported for aerobic conditions. Other aspects of the stoichiometry of aerobic H 2 S oxidation are also reported.