Effect of Reduced Sulfur Species on Chemolithoautotrophic Pyrite Oxidation with Nitrate

We compared the response at neutral pH of some denitrifiers to different electron donors such as reduced sulfur (pyrite, S(0), and marcasite) and reduced Fe. Chemolithoautotrophic oxidation of pyrite with nitrate as electron acceptor was not possible when the pyrite was in a pure crystalline form, whereas oxidation of synthesized FeS₂ of low crystallinity and of S(0) with nitrate as electron acceptor was possible. Neither nitrite nor sulfate was formed when Fe(II)-oxidizing strain Acidovorax sp. BoFeN1 was tested. Microbial reduction of nitrate appears to be induced via S oxidation but not via Fe oxidation.