Stable isotope and high precision concentration measurements confirm that all humans produce and exhale methane

Journal of Breath Research
Frank KepplerDaniela Polag

Abstract

Mammalian formation of methane (methanogenesis) is widely considered to occur exclusively by anaerobic microbial activity in the gastrointestinal tract. Approximately one third of humans, depending on colonization of the gut by methanogenic archaea, are considered methane producers based on the classification terminology of high and low emitters. In this study laser absorption spectroscopy was used to precisely measure concentrations and stable carbon isotope signatures of exhaled methane in breath samples from 112 volunteers with an age range from 1 to 80 years. Here we provide analytical evidence that volunteers exhaled methane levels were significantly above background (inhaled) air. Furthermore, stable carbon isotope values of the exhaled methane unambiguously confirmed that this gas was produced by all of the human subjects studied. Based on the emission and stable carbon isotope patterns of various age groups we hypothesize that next to microbial sources in the gastrointestinal tracts there might be other, as yet unidentified, processes involved in methane formation supporting the idea that humans might also produce methane endogenously in cells. Finally we suggest that stable isotope measurements of volatile organic comp...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 3, 2018·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Prem Prashant ChaudharyJørgen Schlundt
Aug 9, 2017·Optics Express·Ramin Ghorbani, Florian M Schmidt
Jan 31, 2020·Science Advances·M BižićH-P Grossart
Sep 25, 2020·Journal of Breath Research·Gourab D Banik, Boris Mizaikoff
Jan 1, 2018·Applied Physics. B, Lasers and Optics·Ben HendersonSimona M Cristescu
Dec 7, 2019·Intensive Care Medicine Experimental·Marietta Zita PolesMihály Boros
Nov 9, 2019·Scientific Reports·Kiran Sankar MaitiAlexander Apolonski
Oct 16, 2019·Frontiers in Physiology·Mihály Boros, Frank Keppler
Dec 17, 2017·The Science of the Total Environment·Daniela Polag, Frank Keppler
Mar 11, 2021·Periodontology 2000·A M Marije KaanEgija Zaura
Jun 26, 2021·Microbial Ecology·Kenza DjemaiMaryam Tidjani Alou

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