Bacterial Sulphate Reduction and the Development of Alkalinity. I. Experiments with Synthetic Media

Abstract

Summary In liquid cultures of Desulphovibrio desulphuricans the effects of the following on sulphate reduction were determined: the type of cation (Ca ++ or Na + ) attached to the sulphate ion; the presence of calcium carbonate alone and with sodium chloride; the concentration of sodium sulphate, sodium lactate and sodium chloride; and the initial pH. The titratable alkalinity formed as a result of sulphate reduction was found to be quantitatively related to the sulphate reduced, and apparently unaffected by strain variation or energy source.