Carbon monoxide conversion by anaerobic bioreactor sludges

Abstract

Seven different anaerobic sludges from wastewater treatment reactors were screened for their ability to convert carbon monoxide (CO) at 30 and 55°C. At 30°C, CO was converted to methane and/or acetate by all tested sludges. Inhibition experiments, using 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid and vancomycine, showed that CO conversion to methane at 30°C occurred via acetate, but not via H2. At 55°C, four sludges originally cultivated at 30-35°C and one sludge cultivated at 55°C converted CO rapidly into hydrogen or into methane. In the latter case, inhibition experiments showed that methane was formed via hydrogen as the intermediate. © 2003 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.