C.G. (Christian) Jagersma: “Microbial aspects of anaerobic methane oxidation with sulfate as electron acceptor”

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20 Nov 2009 13:30
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr. ir. A. J. M. Stams (Microbiology)
Co Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. P.N.L. Lens

 The greenhouse gas methane can be used by bacteria for the reduction of sulfate into sulfide in wastewater. This sulfide will form a precipitate with certain heavy metals and the precipitate can be easily removed. This process could become an excellent solution for industries with a wastewater stream containing toxic heavy metals and sulfate. The methane used is a cheap and readily availible substrate and is very suitable for use in anaerobic bioreactors. The process developed has been shown to function in a novel small scale bioreactor with membranes to overcome the problem of  the extreme slow growth rates of the organisms. Previous research was hampered by the slow growth rates and this was also the reason why the enigmatic organisms are not availible in pure culture. Our research shows the enrichment of a specific microbial community capable of the difficult tast of using methane as a substrate under anaerobic conditions. We found very active organisms and we measured the highest specific rates for this process in global research so far.
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