Methanogens and the Environment

As methane gas has a greenhouse effect more than 20 times that of carbon dioxide, the natural and artificial production of the gas should be curtailed as completely as possible. However, it is not easy to curtail the natural production of the gas. For example, in humans the methanogens reside in the intestines of one third of the population, and persons carrying the methanogens evolve the gas in exhalation and in wind from the anus (Koga, 1988). 

Much methane is included in the gas exhaled by ruminants such as cattle. In the rumen of the ruminant stomach, many anaerobic microorganisms reside and decompose food anaerobically to biosynthesize ATP. As the anaerobic organisms other than the methanogens decompose the organic compounds by releasing hydrogen 

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