Bacterial Sulphate Reduction and the Development of Alkalinity. I. Experiments with Synthetic Media

Abstract
Summary: In liquid cultures of Desulphovibrio desulphuricans the effects of the following on sulphate reduction were determined: the type of cation (Ca++ or Na+) attached to the sulphate ion; the presence of calcium carbonate alone and with sodium chloride; the concentration of sodium sulphate, sodium lactate and sodium chloride; and the initial pH. The titratable alkalinity formed as a result of sulphate reduction was found to be quantitatively related to the sulphate reduced, and apparently unaffected by strain variation or energy source.