Rapid method for the radioisotopic analysis of gaseous end products of anaerobic metabolism.

A gas chromatographic procedure for the simultaneous analysis of (14)C-labeled and unlabeled metabolic gases from microbial methanogenic systems is described. H(2), CH(4), and CO(2) were separated within 2.5 min on a Carbosieve B column and were detected by thermal conductivity. Detector effluents were channeled into a gas proportional counter for measurement of radioactivity. This method was more rapid, sensitive, and convenient than gas chromatography-liquid scintillation techniques. The gas chromatography-gas proportional counting procedure was used to characterize the microbial decomposition of organic matter in anaerobic lake sediments and to monitor (14)CH(4) formation from H(2) and (14)CO(2) by Methanosarcina barkeri.