A METHOD OF REPEATED SAMPLING OF STATIC HEADSPACE ABOVE ANAEROBIC BACTERIAL CULTURES WITH FLUORINE-INDUCED CHEMILUMINESCENCE DETECTION

An enclosure device has been built that will allow for the long-term s ampling of headspace gases and solution from anaerobic bacterial cultu res. Specific design characteristics allow for a strict anaerobic envi ronment to be maintained for long periods of time while resealable rub ber septa are isolated from the culture headspace to prevent interacti ons between the septa and reactive culture components. Using capillary gas chromatography coupled to fluorine-induced chemiluminescence dete ction, an oxygen intolerant, selenium resistant bacterial culture was grown and sampled repeatedly over 240 h. The results show that this sy stem is a useful and reliable tool for time course experiments with an aerobic bacterial cultures as well as with reactive, oxygen sensitive or extremely volatile substances.