Microbial Formation of Ethane in Anoxic Estuarine Sediments

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Estuarine sediment slurries produced methane and traces of ethane when incubated under H2. Formation of methane occurred over a broad temperature range with an optimum above 65.degree. C. Ethane formation had a temperature optimum at 40.degree. C. Formation of these 2 gases was inhibited by air, autoclaving, incubation at 4.degree. and 80.degree. C, and by the methanogenic inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid. Ethane production was stimulated by addition of ethylthioethanesulfonic acid and production from ethylthioethanesulfonic acid was blocked by 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid. A highly purified enrichment culture of a methanogenic bacterium obtained from sediments produced traces of ethane from ethylthioethanesulfonic acid. The small quantities of ethane found in anaerobic sediments evidently can be formed by certain methanogenic bacteria.