Microbiological Evidence of the Formation of Sulfate on the Surface of Yangling Mausoleum

Abstract:

Soil samples were from the surface of delves 13 and 15 of the Yangling Mausoleum. After cultured in mineral salt media with only sulfur source, five bacterial strains were isolated and assigned as TD1, TD2, TD3, TD15 and PL13. According to their physiobiochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequences, TD1, TD3 were identified as Alcaligenes and Bacillus respectively. The ability of metabolizing sulfide was also studied. TD2, TD15 and PL13 can produce a little sulfide. The speed of producing sulfide by TD3 is 1.4 times to that by TD1. These strains feed on sulfide, such as S, S2O32-, S2-, and can oxidize sulfide to sulfate. The conclusion provides a microbiological evidence for the formation of sulfate on the surface of Yangling Mausoleum.

Key words:Yangling Mausoleum, Antiquity, Sulfate, Microbe, 16S rDNA