Landfills produce methane—which can be valuable as an energy source. But scientists haven’t known why landfills make so much methane. The solid waste in landfills is typically at a pH that’s considered too [--1--] to host methanogens, methane-producing microbes.

So scientists did [--2--], literally, to investigate. They found a particularly [--3--] methanogen called named Methanosarcina barkeri, or just M. barkeri, that can survive at low pH levels.

M. barkeri eats the acids and produces some methane. At the same time, it raises the pH level in the area around it. The less-acidic environment that results becomes a better host for other methanogens. As liquid [--4--] the landfill, it carries higher pH materials and the methanogens living among them to other areas of the landfill.

M. barkeri repeats this cycle, making the landfill environment even more methanogen-friendly. The research was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

M. barkeri not only produces methane that could be [--5--]—the microbes also make the whole trash mound more compact. The finding could help in the development of ways to accelerate the process. Leading to more methane collection and more room for waste without more landfills.
【视听版科学小组荣誉出品】
acidic some digging hearty leaches through harvested for fuel
产甲烷菌:我的规则我做主 科学家们一直不明白为什么垃圾填埋场可以产生那么多沼气(一种很有价值的能源). 而且垃圾堆里的固体废料是一种典型的PH值极低的物质[注1], 可以生产甲烷的微生物产甲烷菌无法在这种强酸环境中生存. 于是科学家们跑到垃圾填埋场去刨刨挖挖,说好听点,去做调查. 于是他们发现了一种精力旺盛的产甲烷菌---巴氏甲烷八叠球菌(简称巴氏M.)可以在强酸环境中存活. 巴氏M. 嗜酸并制造一些甲烷. 同时, 它会中和它的周边区域. 而酸性越弱的环境对其他普通的产甲烷菌的寄居越有利. 当液体物质流过垃圾堆时会带来一些PH值较高的物质和在其他垃圾堆寄居的产甲烷菌. 巴氏M. 将垃圾场的环境变得更适合产甲烷菌居住并重复这种生态循环. 该研究发表在<应用与环境微生物学>期刊上. 巴氏M.不仅制造可以用作燃料的甲烷,还可以将整个垃圾堆变得更容易分解. 此项发现有助于加速垃圾处理过程, 收集到更多的甲烷,并且减小垃圾的占地面积.