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Sensitivity of thermophilic methanogenic bacteria to heavy metals

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Abstract

The effects of Cd, Cu, and Ni on pure cultures of thermophilic methanogenic bacteria were studied. The bacteria used wereMethanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and TAM, a thermophilic, acetate-decarboxylating, methanogenic bacterium. Much lower concentrations of heavy metals were needed to cause initial inhibition of TAM (1 mg/liter Cu and Cd; 5 mg/liter Ni) compared withM. thermoautotrophicum (10 mg/liter Cu and Cd; and 100 mg/liter Ni). No growth of TAM occurred at 5 mg/liter Cu and 25 mg/liter Ni, while the corresponding values forM. thermoautotrophicum were 50 mg/liter Cu and 200 mg/liter Ni. Cd (50 mg/liter) was totally inhibitory toM. thermoautotrophicum but allowed minimal growth of TAM. Ni stimulated both organisms at an optimal concentration of 5 mg/liter forM. thermoautotrophicum and 1 mg/liter for TAM. The toxicity of Cd and Cu was found to depend upon the presence of Ni in the medium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83, DK-1307, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Birgitte K. Ahring & Peter Westermann

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  1. Birgitte K. Ahring
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  2. Peter Westermann
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Ahring, B.K., Westermann, P. Sensitivity of thermophilic methanogenic bacteria to heavy metals. Current Microbiology 12, 273–276 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01567977

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