Phosphine formation from sewage sludge cultures

Gas-chromatographic analysis of the volatile compounds in the headspace of cultures inoculated with sewage sludge indicated phosphine production over a period of several days, a reaction which is clearly microbiologically med iated. The amounts of phosphine recovered from 40-mL specimens sewage sludg e enrichment were in a pg-range of 5 to 100 in the presence of glucose as c arbon source and phosphate as phosphorus source. Phosphine accumulation was found to be stimulated by increasing the phosphate concentration of the me dium. Hypophosphite and lecithin as phosphorus sources instead of phosphate as well as mannitol and succinic acid instead of glucose as carbon sources affected the phosphine formation. (C) 1999 Academic Press.