• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 1997

$H_2$ production by Chromatium sp., a large purple sulfur bacterium blooming in lake Kaiike, under various environmental conditions was examined. Chromatium sp. produced $H_2$ only in the presence of light and $H_2$. Maximum $H_2$ production ($0.01\;{\mu}mol/hr/(mg\;dry\;cell\;weight)$) was obtained in the solution of 20 mg $H_2S-S/l$ under low light intensity (1000 lux) at $30^{\circ}C$. $H_2$ production was severely inhibited by the presence of $N_2\;or\;NH_4^+$. The rate observed for Chromatium sp. was relatively low compared to that of other phototrophic bacteria. Chromatium sp. is probably a most potent Ha producing species in lake Kaiike, since the bacterium readily produced $H_2$ photoautotrophically even at low light intensities by the application of suboptimal $H_2$ concentrations. Based on the photoautotrophic characteristics of bacterial $H_2$ production, it is suggested that Chromatium sp. can be an economic and practical species for biological $H_2$ production system, particularly in temperate region.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 1997

Chromatium sp., densely populated on the bacterial plate of Lake Kaiike throughout the seasons, possibly fix N2 and concurrently produce H2 N2 Fixation and H2 production by Chromatium sp. were performed under photoautotrophic growth condition, and of which rates were much higher and showed expontial growth phase. Bacterial plater samples from Lake Kaiike collected on July 27, 1994 were used to know the effect of the light or H2S on N2 fixation and H2 productin by the bacteria. At low light intensity (250 lux), low rates of N2 fixation and H2 production were detected after 18 hours. However, high rates of the production were observed under the condition of high light intensity (1000 lux). On the other hand, a very low rate of N2 fixation was observed without an addition of H2S, while the bacterial rapilly increased N2 fixation and H2 production after adding H2S and the highest rate was observed in case of adding 20mg H2S-S/$m\ell$ to the bacterial plates.