Preliminary investigation on the role of microorganisms in theproduction of phosphine
LIU Zhipei , JIA Shengfen , WANG Baojun , ZHANG Tao , LIU Shuangjiang
DOI:
Received August 01, 2007,Revised September 19, 2007, Accepted , Available online
Volume 20,2008,Pages 885-890
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The relationships between the phosphine content and various microbial populations, activities of di erent enzymes were investigated
firstly. The results indicated that the phosphine content of samples from various environments was positively related to total anaerobic
microorganisms, organic phosphate compound-dissolving bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and the activities of alkaline phosphatase
and dehydrogenase, with correlation coe cients (R2) up to 0.93, 0.90, 0.69, 0.79, and 0.82, respectively. Results also showed that the
phosphine content was not related to total aerobic microorganisms, inorganic phosphate compound-dissolving bacteria, sulfate-reducing
bacteria, and the acidic phosphatase activity. Nutrients such as yeast extract and glucose were added, at a time and individually, to normal
or autoclaved soil samples. The soil samples were inoculated with sulfate-reducing bacterial (SRB) enrichments and/or denitrifying
bacterial (DNB) enrichment. After incubation for one month at 30°C, the phosphane content of these samples was analyzed. The
results indicated that the addition of glucose or yeast extract could greatly increase the phosphane content. Moreover, it was revealed
that inoculation with SRB or DNB could also promote the formation of phosphine. The DNB, however, was more e cient in this regard.
The highest phosphine content, about 5 times that of the control, was detected in the sample that was added with both glucose and yeast
extract and inoculated with SRB and DNB simultaneously. SRB and DNB were enriched for several generations and the phosphane
content of di erent generations was analyzed. Furthermore, SRB and DNB enrichments were inoculated into di erent media, in the
beginning of enriching, the phosphane content was about the same for di erent enrichments, and di ered more significantly as the
enrichment process was carried further. In fourth generation, the phosphane content of DNB enrichment was about 3 times of that of
SRB enrichment, indicating that the inoculation of di erent enrichments into di erent media caused the variations of the phosphine
content. The highest phosphine content was detected in the sample which was inoculated with DNB enrichment into the denitrifying
medium without nitrate. It is inferred from these results that microorganisms play an important role in the production of phosphine in
di erent environments.
