Influence of pH on terminal carbon metabolism in anoxic sediments from a mildly acidic lake
The carbon and electron flow pathways and the bacterial populations responsible for transformation of H/sub 2/-CO/sub 2/, formate, methanol, methylamine, acetate, glycine, ethanol, and lactate were examined in sediments collected from Knaack Lake, Wisconsin. The sediments were 60% organic matter (pH 6.2) and did not display detectable sulfate-reducing activity, but they contained the following average concentration (in micromoles per liter of sediment) of metabolites and end products: sulfide, 10; methane, 1540; CO/sub 2/, 3950; formate, 25; acetate, 157; ethanol, 174; and lactate, 138. Methane was produced predominately from acetate, and only 4% of the total CH/sub 4/ was derived from CO/sub 2/. Methanogenesis was limited by low environmental temperature and sulfide levels and more importantly by low pH. Increasing in vitro pH to neutral values enhanced total methane production rates and the percentage of CO/sub 2/ transformed to methane but did not alter the amount of /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ produced from (2-/sup 14/C)acetate (approx. 24%). Analysis of both carbon transformation parameters with /sup 14/C-labeled tracers and bacterial trophic group enumerations indicated that methanogenesis from acetate and both heterolactic- and acetic acid-producing fermentations were important to the anaerobic digestion process.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
- OSTI ID:
- 5956981
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 48:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
ETHANOL
FORMATES
GLYCINE
HYDROGEN
PH VALUE
LACTIC ACID
LAKES
METHANE
BIOSYNTHESIS
METHANOL
METHYLAMINE
ACETATES
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMENTATION
INHIBITION
METABOLITES
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SEDIMENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
WISCONSIN
ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
AMINES
AMINO ACIDS
BIOCONVERSION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
DIGESTION
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION V
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
090122* - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
140504 - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)
550701 - Microbiology- Tracer Techniques