THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN SULPHIDE BY 



BACTERIA 



JOHN T. MYERS 

 From the Department of Hygiene and Bacteriology, the University of Chicago 



Received for publication, December 11, 1919 



Hydrogen sulphide formation in sewage is supposed to be due to 

 two distinct processes, the splitting of protein by certain organ- 

 isms and the reduction of inorganic sulnha.tps Tw r>+v.~™ i ~j 



ERRATUM 



T « , * W1 The Production of Hydrogen Sulphide by Bacteria John 

 T My- Vfoln the Depart of Hygiene and Bacteriology, the Umvers.tv 



of Chicago. nanPV w ns done in the laboratories of 



and Bacteriology, Omaha, Nebraska. 



■^t.uxujur, anci uiiiiiKs ii probable 



that the action may be due to some unknown specific organism 

 similar to the Spirillum desulphuricans of Beijerinck (1895). 



Several workers have observed the formation of hydrogen sul- 

 phide in large quantities in the effluent of sewage disposal plants. 

 Barr and Buchanan (1912) report the isolation of a specific or- 

 ganism in one such instance. Clark (1913) and others have re- 

 ported the reduction of inorganic sulphates in sewages. 



Sulphur metabolism may also play a beneficial role in sewage 

 disposal in that certain species of bacteria may cause the oxida- 

 tion of sulphur and of hydrogen sulphide to sulphates thus reduc- 

 ing the amount of odor. This is a well known property of such 

 organisms as Beggiatoa and Thiothrix (Jordan, 1918). 



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