Selenium oxyanion inhibition of hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis.

Inhibitory effects of selenite and selenate towards hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis were evaluated in anaerobic toxicity assays. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of both selenium oxyanions was below 6.1x10(-5)M in hydrogenotrophic assays, whereas acetoclastic methanogens were less inhibited: IC50=8.3x10(-5)M and 5.5x10(-4)M for selenite and selenate, respectively. Selenite completely inhibits methanogenesis from both substrates tested at concentrations > or =10(-3)M selenite, while only marginal methanogenic activities occur at equimolar concentrations of selenate. Selenite becomes irreversibly inhibitory upon a single exposure, whereas selenate inhibits methanogens upon repeated exposure. Consequently, methane recovery can be seriously hampered or even impossible during anaerobic treatment of highly selenium contaminated waste streams.