The foul odor ofurban rivers is often attributed to the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB),i.e. bacterial production of H2S fixed with iron ions into FeS or pyrite (FeS2) in river sediments. This process has been examined at the estuaries of urban rivers and in cultivation of SRB, and a close relationship between the activity of SRB and the presence of pyrite was confirmed. Our previous studies in Japan and at Qinghai Lake in China revealed similar findings. Three kinds of SRB, Desulfovibrio sp., an uncultured bacterium, and Desulfomicrobium apsheronum, were isolated from Qinghai Lake sediments, as was pyrite. This is the first report to describe the environmental bacteria of Qinghai Lake and to examine the relationship between bacterial activity and pyrite in its sediments.
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