Hydrogen consumption in soil

Gas chromatographic analysis of hydrogen in non-sterile soil incubated aerobically and anaerobically revealed that consumption of the gaseous hydrogen correlated very highly with the initial hydrogen substrate concentration. Hydrogen consumption was not observed in sterile soil. In anaerobically incubated soil, methane evolution was not related to H2 consumption. The optimum temperature range for H2 consumption in both aerobic and anaerobically incubated soil was between 20 and 30°C. Activity rapidly decreased at soil temperatures above and below this optimum temperature range.