Background: Sulphur-oxidizing microorganisms are widely used in the biofiltration of total reduced sulphur
compounds (odorous and neurotoxic) produced by industries such as the cellulose and petrochemical
industries, which include high-temperature process steps. Some hyperthermophilic microorganisms have the
capability to oxidize these compounds at high temperatures (N60°C), and archaea of this group, for example,
Sulfolobus metallicus
, are commonly used in biofiltration technology.
Results: In this study, a hyperthermophilic sulphur-oxidizing strain of archaea was isolated from a hot spring
(Chillán, Chile) and designated as M1. It was identified as archaea of the genus
Sulfolobus
(99% homology
with
S. solfataricus
16S rDNA). Biofilms of this culture grown on polyethylene rings showed an elemental
sulphur oxidation rate of 95.15 ± 15.39 mg S l
-1 d
-1, higher than the rate exhibited by the biofilm of the
sulphur-oxidizing archaea
S. metallicus (56.8 ± 10.91 mg l
-1 d
-1).
Conclusions: The results suggest that the culture M1 is useful for the biofiltration of total reduced sulphur gases at
high temperatures and for other biotechnological applications.
