OXIDATION OF HYDROGEN-SULFIDE BY CONTINUOUS CULTURES OF THIOBACILLUS-DENITRIFICANS

In order to study the anaerobic oxidation of H//2S by T. denitrificans under constant growth conditions the organism was cultured in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The effect of metabolic state and environment on the maximum loading of H//2S and the relationship between growth rate and yield of biomass per mole H//2S oxidized were studied. It has been demonstrated that continuous cultures of Thiobacillus denitrificans can be utilized to reduce the H//2S content of a gas stream to very low levels. Although H//2S is an inhibitory substrate, stable reactor operation is possible over an extended period of time under sulfide limiting conditions.