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Bacterial Solutions to H2S

Bacteria which consume H2S by Oxidation include:

Thiobacillus denitrificans in Alken Enz-OdorŽ 6 can function aerobically or anaerobically using nitrate as an oxygen acceptor
The following bacteria are autotrophic aerobes, requiring a sulfur source (hydrogen sulfide, elemental sulfur or thiosulfate) for energy: Ancalochloris beggiatoa Beggiatoa alba Sulfobacillus Thiohalocapsa halophila Thiomargarita Thioploca
The following bacteria are autotrophic anaerobes, requiring a sulfur source (hydrogen sulfide, elemental sulfur or thiosulfate) for energy: Chromatium warmingii Thiobacillus Ectothiorhodospira mobilis Halochromatium glycolicum Marichromatium purpuratum
How Adding Sodium Nitrate and Alken Clear-FloŽ to an Anaerobic System Assists Odor Reduction With the addition of 10 to 100 ppm of sodium nitrate (or a specialty nitrated blend like Alken 896 or Alken Enz-Odor 9) to the prescribed dosages of Alken Enz-Odor 8 or Alken Clear-Flo 7020 (see product bulletin or dosage chart for correct dosage), the following reactions will occur. Bacteria prefer hydrogen receptors in the following order: oxygen, nitrate ion, and sulfate.
Theoretically, in the absence of oxygen, no sulfide will be generated until all of the nitrate has been reduced to nitrogen gas.

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Oxidation of hydrogen sulfide by different strains of Thiobacillus: If pH is below 5, thiobacillus concretivorus will perform the following reactions, in the presence of up to 7 percent sulfuric acid concentrations. They draw a carbon source from carbon dioxide. A pH above 10 will kill this strain.
1) Elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, thiosulfate and polythionates can be degraded by T. concretivourus to sulfuric acid, which lowers the pH to around 2.
2) In a pH range of 5 to 7, Thiobacillus thioparis will establish itself and degrade hydrogen sulfide to thiosulfuric and polythionic acids.

Controlling H2S by Combining Bonding and Degradation
Another safe option for eliminating the odor from hydrogen sulfide is tthe application of high molecular-weight humified peat moss combined with appropriate bacteria to bind the hydrogen sulfide and degrade the source of odor. Be sure that the product you select is a humified peat moss, not leonardite and that it is not a low molecular weight product, as is commonly marketed to agriculture to enhance plant growth. A high molecular weight humified peat moss , such as that found in Alken Nu-Bind, binds hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, while increasing bacterial cell wall permeability , catalyzing higher performance and increasing activity levels from the bacteria in the product. Alken Nu-Bind is popular for solving municipal waste treatment, industrial applications, and animal farming odors.
Other alternatives for binding hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans are certain natural polymers, which also work co-operatively with bacteria. Alken Nu-Bind 2 is an example of such a product, binding mercaptans that the original product cannot, while its hydrogen sulfide binding is second only to the original Nu-Bind. For garbage cans, dumpsters, etc, there is no better product.
The client's budget, regulatory demands, and composition of the waste, temperature, pH etc. will dictate the appropriate solution, whether it is bacteria alone, bacteria with nitrate, or bacteria with a binding agent.