title: Selection and Application of Sulfide Oxidizing Microorganisms Able to Withstand Thiols in Gas Biodesulfurization Systems.
abstract: After the first commercial applications of a new biological process for the removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from low pressure biogas, the need arose to broaden the operating window to also enable the removal of organosulfur compounds from high pressure sour gases. In this study we have selected microorganisms from a full-scale biodesulfurization system that are capable of withstanding the presence of thiols. This full-scale unit has been in stable operation for more than 10 years. We investigated the microbial community by using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons which showed that methanethiol gave a competitive advantage to bacteria belonging to the genera Thioalkalibacter (Halothiobacillaceae family) and Alkalilimnicola (Ectothiorhosdospiraceae family). The sulfide-oxidizing potential of the acclimatized population was investigated under elevated thiol loading rates (4.5-9.1 mM d-1), consisting of a mix of methanethiol, ethanethiol, and propanethiol. With this biomass, it was possible to achieve a stable bioreactor operation at which 80% of the supplied H2S (61 mM d-1) was biologically oxidized to elemental sulfur. The remainder was chemically produced thiosulfate. Moreover, we found that a conventionally applied method for controlling the oxygen supply to the bioreactor, that is, by maintaining a redox potential set-point value, appeared to be ineffective in the presence of thiols.
authors.affiliation: Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University , P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.|Paqell, Asterweg 109, 1031 HM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes B M
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Klok
authors.affiliation: Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University , Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: João A B
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University , Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University , Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dopson
authors.affiliation: Paques B.V., Tjalke de Boerstrjitte 24, 8561 EL Balk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Zessen
authors.affiliation: Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn F M
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bijmans
authors.affiliation: Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Centre of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences , Prospect 60-let Oktyabrya 7/2, 117811 Moscow, Russia.|Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology , Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dimitry Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sorokin
authors.affiliation: Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University , P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Shell Technology Centre Bangalore, RMZ Centennial Campus B, Kundalahalli Main Road, Bengaluru 560 048 India.
authors.forename: Albert J H
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000737:chemistry; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013440:Sulfides
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide