Department of Chemistry and Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas 77341-2117

Batch bioreactor experiments were carried out to study the headspace production of organometalloids by Pseudomonas fluorescens, a facultative anaerobic bacteria. The headspace from control and tellurite or tellurate poisoned cultures were sampled every hour and analyzed by gas chromatography with chemiluminescence detection. Organosulfur and organotellurium peaks were identified using standards and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Specific growth rates were calculated for each culture. Optical densities of over 0.4 were achieved when the bacteria reached stationary phase. In tellurite or tellurate poisoned experiments, black metallic tellurium was also observed in the bioreactor vessel when the stationary phase was reached. Recent experiments involving the possible oxidation of organotellurium to metallic tellurium will be discussed.