ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses sulfate reduction using a minimal quantity of carbon. It was expected that the lactate formed during acidogenesis would first be incompletely oxidized to acetate and carbon dioxide by incomplete oxidizing sulfate reducing bacterias (SRBs) then the remaining acetate would be completely oxidized to carbon dioxide by the complete oxidizing SRBs. The pulp and paper industry, pharmaceutical industry, and segments of the food industry produce effluents which are high in sulfates and other species of oxidized sulfur compounds. The application of methanogenic treatment processes to the wastes may be hindered by the resulting reduction of the oxidized sulfur species by SRB to sulfides. The reactors were fed a mixture of acclimated sludge obtained from previous experiments and with anaerobic sludge from the City of Winnipeg North End Treatment Plant anaerobic digesters. The comparison to aerobic treatment systems would appear to be justified since the carbon source is oxidized during the process of the dissimilatory reduction of sulfates.
