Anaerobic methanogenic sludges harbor moderately thermophilic bacteria capable of hydrogen formation from carbon monoxide (CO). Recently, our group isolated a moderately thermophilic, anaerobic, chemolithoheterotrophic, sulfate-reducing bacterium, designated as Desulfotomaculum carboxydivorans from an anaerobic sludge treating paper mill wastewater, capable of hydrogenogenic, i.e. hydrogen producing, growth on CO both in the presence and absence of sulfate. The isolate with (Topt = 55ºC) grows with a generation time of 1.7 hours and is not inhibited by 200 kPa CO, producing equimolar amounts of H2 from CO. In the presence of sulfate the formed H2 is used for sulfate reduction. Therefore, D. carboxydivorans is interesting in both the biotechnological treatment of sulfate-rich inorganic wastewaters using synthesis gas as a cheap electron donor as well as in the purification of synthesis gas to a high purity hydrogen gas.
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