Influence of nitrogen source on hydrogen generation by a photosynthetic bacterium.

Axenic culture of photosynthetic purple sulphur bacterium, isolated from a paper mill effluent, grew best with ammonium chloride as nitrogen source. Cells grown with N or ammonium chloride produced hydrogen with initial lag periods of 24 and 48 h, respectively. The maximum amount of hydrogen was evolved by cells grown with N and with malate as electron donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]