Biodegradation of High-Viscous Oil in a Model Soil System
An effect of the highly viscous oil from the Usa deposit on the oxygenase activity of the aboriginal soil microflora under laboratory conditions has been investigated. It was shown that the microorganisms get adapted to hydrocarbons (HC) of high-viscous oil after a definite time and the rate of the biochemical oxidation of these compounds increased. The oil utilization reached 50% at the end of 60-day experiment. Infrared spectrometry made it possible to prove that among the residual HC, a great amount of oxygen-containing compounds, metabolic intermediates of the microbial oxidation of oil HC, occurred. The method of chromatomass -spectrometry permitted to assess the intensity of biodestruction of all the HC in the model soil system.