• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.615-621
• /
• 2010

The viability of low-temperature sulfate reduction with hydrogen as electron donor was studied with a bench-scale gas-lift bioreactor (GLB) operated at $9^{\circ}C$. Prior to the GLB experiment, the temperature range of sulfate reduction of the inoculum was assayed. The results of the temperature gradient assay indicated that the inoculum was a psychrotolerant mesophilic enrichment culture that had an optimal temperature for sulfate reduction of $31^{\circ}C$, and minimum and maximum temperatures of $7^{\circ}C$ and $41^{\circ}C$, respectively. In the GLB experiment at $9^{\circ}C$, a sulfate reduction rate of 500-600 mg $l^{-1}d^{-1}$, corresponding to a specific activity of 173 mg ${SO_4}^{2-}g\;VSS^{-1}d^{-1}$, was obtained. The electron flow from the consumed $H_2$-gas to sulfate reduction varied between 27% and 52%, whereas the electron flow to acetate production decreased steadily from 15% to 5%. No methane was produced. Acetate was produced from $CO_2$ and $H_2$ by homoacetogenic bacteria. Acetate supported the growth of some heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria. The sulfate reduction rate in the GLB was limited by the slow biomass growth rate at $9^{\circ}C$ and low biomass retention in the reactor. Nevertheless, this study demonstrated the potential sulfate reduction rate of psychrotolerant sulfate-reducing mesophiles at suboptimal temperature.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.57-62
• /
• 2008

The application of constructed subsurface-flow wetlands for treatment of wastewater from abandoned mines is being increased. Crushed limestone, oak chips, and mushroom composites are often employed in a bulk form, as the substrates in the bed media. Efficiency of the subsurface-flow treatment system drops with time as the hydraulic conductivity of the wetland soil decreases significantly, presumably due to chemical reactions with the wastewater. The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of immobilized beads carrying sulfate reducing bacteria for acid mine drainage treatment system. The ingredients of immobilized beads are organic materials such as mushroom composite and oak chips, limestone powder for a pH buffer, mixed with a modified Coleville Synthetic Brine. It was found that immobilized beads are more efficient than the bulk form for pH recovery, sulfate and heavy metal removal.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.261-270
• /
• 2010

Increasing atmospheric $CO_2$ affects the soil carbon cycle by influencing microbial activity and the carbon pool. In this study, the effects of elevated $CO_2$ on extracellular enzyme activities (EEA; ${\beta}$-glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, aminopeptidase) in salt marsh sediment vegetated with Suaeda japonica were assessed under ambient atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration (380 ppm) or elevated $CO_2$ concentration (760 ppm) conditions. Additionally, the community structure of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was analyzed via terminal restriction fragments length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Sediment with S. japonica samples were collected from the Hwangsando intertidal flat in May 2005, and placed in small pots (diameter 6 cm, height 10 cm). The pots were incubated for 60 days in a growth chamber under two different $CO_2$ concentration conditions. Sediment samples for all measurements were subdivided into two parts: surface (0-2 cm) and rhizome (4-6 cm) soils. No significant differences were detected in EEA with different $CO_2$ treatments in the surface and rhizome soils. However, the ratio of ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity to N-acetylglucosaminidase activity in rhizome soil was significantly lower (P < 0.01) at 760 ppm $CO_2$ than at 380 ppm $CO_2$, thereby suggesting that the contribution of fungi to the decomposition of soil organic matter might in some cases prove larger than that of bacteria. Community structures of SRB were separated according to different $CO_2$ treatments, suggesting that elevated $CO_2$ may affect the carbon and sulfur cycle in salt marshes.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.24-31
• /
• 2008

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) is universally distributed in the sediment, especially in marine environment. SRB reduce sulfate as electron acceptor to hydrogen sulfide in anaerobic condition. Hydrogen sulfide is reducing agent enhancing the reduction of the organic and inorganic compounds. With SRB, therefore, the degradability of organic contaminants is expected to be enhanced. Ferrous iron reduced from the ferric iron which is mainly present in sediment also renders chlorinated organic compounds to be reduced state. The objectives of this study are: 1) to investigate the reduction of TCE by hydrogen sulfide generated by tht growth of SRB, 2) to estimate the reduction of TCE by ferrous iron generated due to oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, and 3) to illuminate the interaction between SRB and ferrous iron. Mixed bacteria was cultivated from the sludge of the sewage treatment plant. Increasing hydrogen sulfide and decreasing sulfate confirmed the existence of SRB in mixed culture. Although hydrogen sulfide lonely could reduce TCE, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide produced by SRB was not sufficient to reduce TCE directly. With hematite as ferric iron, hydrogen sulfide produced by SRB was consumed to reduce ferric ion to ferrous ion and ferrous iron produced by hydrogen sulfide oxidation decreased the concentration of TCE. Tests with seawater confirmed that the activity of SRB was dependent on the carbon source concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1468-1475
• /
• 2010

Sulfate reduction rates (SRR) using $^{35}SO_4^{-2}$, sulfide producing rates (SPR) using gas chromatography, the number of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) using the most probable number (MPN) method, and soil components (moisture, ammonium, total nitrogen, total organic carbon, total carbon, total inorganic phosphorus, total phosphorus, and sulfate) using standard methods in the organic/conventional rice paddy soils, cleaned/polluted reservoir soils, and cleaned/polluted foreshore soils were studied with the change of seasons. The average SRR was more related to the number of SRB and soil components (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) than sulfate concentration. SRR was also recorded to be highest in October soil samples. However, SPR was higher in foreshore soils containing a high concentration sulfate than in fresh water soils, and it was also recorded to be higher in the polluted areas than in clean areas. From these results, we can conclude that the SRR and SPR of anaerobic environments were affected by the number of SRB, soil components and temperature.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.7
• /
• pp.698-708
• /
• 2009

High rate sulfate reduction under acidic conditions opens possibilities for new process flow sheets that allow the selective recovery of metals from mining and metallurgical waste and process water. However, knowledge about high-rate sulfate reduction under acidic conditions is limited. This paper investigates sulfate reduction in a membrane bioreactor at a controlled pH of 5. Sulfate and formate were dosed using a pH-auxostat system while formate was converted into hydrogen, which was used for sulfate reduction. Sulfide was removed from the gas phase to prevent sulfide inhibition. This study shows a high-rate sulfate-reducing bioreactor system for the frrst time at pH 5, with a volumetric activity of 188 mmol $SO_4^{2-}$/I/d and a specific activity of 81 mmol $SO_4^{2-}$volatile suspended solids/d. The microbial community at the end of the reactor run consisted of a diverse mixed population including sulfate-reducing bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.757-762
• /
• 2016

The group of Fe(III) oxide-reducing bacteria includes exoelectrogenic bacteria, and they possess similar properties of transferring electrons to extracellular insoluble-electron acceptors. The exoelectrogenic bacteria can use the anode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as the terminal electron acceptor in anaerobic acetate oxidation. In the present study, the anodic community was compared with the community using Fe(III) oxide (ferrihydrite) as the electron acceptor coupled with acetate oxidation. To precisely analyze the structures, the community was established by enrichment cultures using the same inoculum used for the MFCs. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed considerable differences between the structure of the anodic communities and that of the Fe(III) oxide-reducing community. Geobacter species were predominantly detected (>46%) in the anodic communities. In contrast, Pseudomonas (70%) and Desulfosporosinus (16%) were predominant in the Fe(III) oxide-reducing community. These results demonstrated that Geobacter species are the most specialized among Fe(III)-reducing bacteria for electron transfer to the anode in MFCs. In addition, the present study indicates the presence of a novel lineage of bacteria in the genus Pseudomonas that highly prefers ferrihydrite as the terminal electron acceptor in acetate oxidation.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.267-272
• /
• 2015

The performance of three tubular materials (C-90, L-80, and N-80) was evaluated in a synthetic brine inoculated with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the absence and presence of biocides. A flow loop was used in the evaluation of the three alloys. Morphological examination of the alloy surfaces after exposure to SRB and after biocide treatment was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine the nature of any localized corrosion. The SE images of the coupon samples showed a marked difference between the biocide-treated and untreated samples. Small pits were observed on the ultrasonically cleaned surfaces of the three alloys after exposure to SRB. The biocide treatment reduced the number of SRB on the surfaces of the alloys. Results indicated that C-90 and L-80 alloys exhibited better MIC resistance than N-80 under the conditions used in this study.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 1993

The aims of the present study are to examine the precipitation of uranyl ion in the culture of Desulfovibrio desulfricans for the sedimentary recovery of aqueous uranium. D. desulfricans had the highest utilization rate of lactate and precipitated iron ion in the three sulfate reducing bacteria. So, subsequent experiments were conducted using lactate as an energy source. The normal growth was observed with increased pH and lactate utilization. During the culture, the amounts of SO42- consumed and S2- produced in aqueous phase were 8.5 and 7.5 mmol/m3-broth, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 1991

Sulfate-reducing bacteria have been isolated from soil and their abilities to degrade dibenzothiophene (DBT) were compared with those of type cultures. Among the strains tested a soil isolate M6 showed the highest ability to degrade DBT. Isolate M6 was characterized as a mesophilic obligatory anaerobe. The morphology of the bacterium was vibrioid with the size of $0.4-0.7{\;}\mu\textrm{m}{\;}by{\;}1.0-1.5{\;}\mu\textrm{m}$. Gram reaction was negative and nonsporulating. Desulfoviridin is present. Lactate, pyruvate, ethanol and malate supported growth of the bacterium in the presence of sulfate. Sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfur served as electron acceptors for growth. Hydrogenase was present. The mol% of guanine and cytosine of DNA was determined as 56%. The bacterium produced viscous material. From these results, the isolate M6 was identified as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans.