EFFECT OF METHANE CONCENTRATION ON THE RATE OF ITS OXIDATION BY BACTERIA IN SPHAGNUM PEAT

The kinetics of methane consumption in samples of native peat from a r aised sphagnum bog was studied as a function of methane concentration in the gas phase. A good agreement between the experimental data and t he mathematical model was obtained by taking into account the diffusio n of methane into peat micropores and by assuming that two transport s ystems are involved in bacterial methane consumption-one with a high ( K-s1 = 43 nM) and the other with a low (K-s2 = 1.8 mu M) affinity to t he substrate. Inoculation of peat samples under CH4 gave rise to expon ential growth of methanotrophic microorganisms at specific rate of 0.0 0086 h(-1). By extrapolation to the starting point of incubation, the initial biomass of methanotrophs was estimated, which exceeded 100 mu g C/g peat.