Development of an alternative method to quantify H₂S: application in wine fermentation

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Developed a novel colorimetric method for quantifying hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in microbial fermentations.
• Utilized lead-gelled alginate microparticles packed in glass columns for H₂S capture and detection.
• Leveraged the formation of a lead sulfide complex for colorimetric quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, accurate, and sensitive method for H₂S quantification in microbial fermentation.
• To validate the method's performance in a laboratory wine fermentation model.
• To compare the developed method with a reference chemical method for reliability assessment.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of lead ions (Pb²⁺) onto alginate microparticles.
• Packing microparticles into glass columns for H₂S analysis.
• Colorimetric quantification of lead sulfide complex formation.
• Calibration of the system and determination of analytical sensitivity and detection limit.

Main Results:

• The microparticle-loaded columns demonstrated high analytical sensitivity with a calibration curve correlation coefficient (r²) of 0.995.
• Achieved a low detection limit of 1.29 ± 0.02 μg L⁻¹ for H₂S.
• Successfully detected variations in H₂S production in wine fermentation models, correlating with changes in sugar and nitrogen content.

Conclusions:

• The developed colorimetric method is reliable and accurate for H₂S quantification in vinic fermentation models.
• Results showed no statistically significant differences when compared to a reference chemical method.
• The system offers a robust tool for monitoring H₂S during microbial fermentations.