Mineralization Process of Glucose and Low Molecular Fatty Acid Production in an Anoxic Marine Sediment Slurry.

Abstract

The mineralization pathways of glucose and the kinetics of low molecular fatty acid production within the sediment slurry system were examined under anoxic conditions. Glucose was decomposed into some low molecular fatty acids such as acetate, formate, lactate, propionate, and n-butyrate. These intermediates were estimated to be directly produced from glucose. Among these fatty acids, the production rates of formate, acetate, and lactate from glucose conformed to Michaelis-Menten type saturation kinetics. The maximum production rate of formate was highest (0.303mM/h), followed by acetate (0.138mM/h) and lactate (0.090mM/h).Among the fatty acids produced from glucose, acetate and formate were completely mineralized in the anoxic condition. Most of the lactate was fermented to acetate, propionate, and formate. Propionate and n-butyrate were oxidized to acetate by sulfate reduction. Consequently, acetate was thought to be the most important intermediate in the mineralization process of organic matter.