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,
, are commonly used in biofiltration technology.
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
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
, higher than the rate exhibited by the biofilm of the
sulphur-oxidizing archaea S. metallicus
(56.8 ± 10.91 mg l-1
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.