Metal-induced inhibition of anaerobic metabolism of volatile fatty acids and hydrogen

The effects of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) on the biotransformation of organic acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate) and H₂ were assessed in serum-bottle microcosms. Experiments were performed over a range of metal concentrations (20–200 mg/1) using biomass from an anaerobic bioreactor fed continuously with ethanol distillery waste as inoculum. In general, the added metals inhibited the biotransformation of organic acids with increasing metal concentration. However, the extent of inhibition varied for the different biotransformations and for the different metals tested. For example, the concentration of CuCl₂ effecting a 50% reduction in the rate constant for biotransformation of acetate, propionate and butyrate was 60, 75 and 30 mg/1, respectively. Cu and Cr (VI) were the most inhibitory metals in organic acid transformation, whereas Pb was the least toxic. The rate of biotransformation of acetate was reduced by half at Cu and Cr concentrations of 60 and 40 gm/1 respectively, whereas Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations of 160 to 200 mg/l had little effect. The activities of hydrogenotrophic methanogens were much less affected by the same metals and metal concentrations.