Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.
Representative depth profile of dissolved sulphate, sulphide, and methane concen-
tration, here shown from SEDLAB Station 1, July 2002. Methane (
◦
), sulphide (•), sulphate
(
).
oxygen in the bottom waters. Therefore, sulphide oxidation can take place
even when there is no dissolved nitrate or oxygen measurable in bottom waters
because the large sulphur bacteria can retain a pool of intracellular nitrate to
bridge periods with low or absent bottom water nitrate.
Experimental data indicate that a biofilm of
Beggiatoa
can quantitatively
oxidize hydrogen sulphide [27], which is also in accordance with field mi-
crosensor measurements through
Beggiatoa
mats from Namibian shelf sedi-
