Termite hydrogen: a wildcard in the fight against climate change

Termites produce hydrogen via certain bacteria in their digestive tract, such as Enterobacter cloacae KBH3 and Clostridium sporogenes.

These bacteria ferment the cellulosic matter and produce the hydrogen.

One study found that administering termite feed with certain antibiotics (tetracycline and ampicillin) increased hydrogen production by 6 -7 times.

Research could pave the way for the extraction of hydrogen from termite hydrogen from existing colonies in the wild, most of which are found in tropical and subtropical regions.

The largest known termite mound in the world is located in Brazil and covers an area around the size of Great Britain .

Although termites do produce carbon dioxide, it’s clean and produced at low temperatures ( 20-35C ), so can likely be used for carbon sequestration for enhanced crop growth.

The findings can be used and replicated around the world to assess the viability of termite hydrogen from more of the 2972 species.

However, this can only happen if researchers are informed about the field, which is virtually unheard of.

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