Toxicity of nitrite toward mesophilic and thermophilic sulphate-reducing, methanogenic and syntrophic populations in anaerobic sludge

The various problems associated with treating sulphate-containing wastewaters stem inherently from successful competitive interactions between sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) and other bacteria involved in the process, resulting in the formation of H₂S. Prevention of in-reactor sulphide generation by use of specific SRB inhibitors presents a potential solution. Nitrite has been reported to be a specific inhibitor of SRB but its possible toxicity to syntrophic and methanogenic members of the anaerobic consortium has not been investigated. In batch activity and toxicity tests, under both mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, nitrite, at concentrations of up to 150 mg L^–1, was found to be ineffective as a specific inhibitor of SRB, and was also shown to have an inhibitory effect on the activity of syntrophic and methane-producing bacteria in mesophilic and thermophilic digester sludge samples.