Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Biological Sulfate Reduction: A Review

The major environmental impact of discharge of excessive quantities of sulfate is the pollution of the surface and ground water supplies which can be harmful to life forms and therefore the need for an efficient treatment system arises. Biological sulfate reduction offers the advantage of less sludge production, less operational cost and efficiency in comparison to the physicochemical processes. Depending upon the feeding and operating conditions as well as microbes used, a number of intermediates are formed that may greatly affect the overall performance of bioreactor. This article extensively explores the bacterial community, formation of intermediates and desirable end products, theoretical and practical aspects of various environmental and operating conditions, and performance of bioreactors used for treating sulfate rich wastewater along with process biokinetics involved in biological sulfate reduction.