REMOVAL OF CARBONYL SULFIDE AND HYDROGEN-SULFIDE FROM SYNTHESIS GAS BY CHLOROBIUM-THIOSULFATOPHILUM

The anaerobic, photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum u tilizes CO2 as its carbon source and operates at the mesophilic temper ature of 30 degrees C. It requires incandescent light for growth and c ompounds such as H2S, S degrees, S2O32-, Or H-2 as a source of electro ns. Of these compounds, H2S as sulfide is the preferred electron donor , with other compounds utilized only when sulfide has been depleted fr om the medium. The organism is also capable of indirectly utilizing ca rbonyl sulfide (COS), since COS reacts with water to form CO2 and H2S. This work presents kinetic information on the rate of growth of C. th iosulfatophilum, as well as the rates of uptake of both H2S and COS. T he growth is dependent on light intensity according to a Monod type re lationship.