A NEW FUNGUS WHICH DEGRADES HYDROGEN-SULFIDE, METHANETHIOL, DIMETHYL SULFIDE AND DIMETHYL DISULFIDE

A new Basidiomycete showed significantly higher degradation rates, 10,000 times for H2S,40 times for dimethyl sulfide (DMS), 15 times for methanethiol(MT) and 4 times for dimethyl disulfide(DMDS) than any reported previously. The optimal pH for degradation activity was around 7. Degradation rate for each gas when mixed gases of H2S,MT and DMS were supplied was almost the same as that for single gas supply. H2S was oxidized to SO4 via SO3 and DMS was stoichiometrically converted to dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO).