Vv. Ilinskii et al., THE EFFECT OF PETROLEUM-HYDROCARBONS ON THE HYDROCARBON-OXIDIZING BACTERIOCENOSIS IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE MOZHAISKOE WATER STORAGE BASIN, Microbiology, 67(2), 1998, pp. 220-225
Development of the natural hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteriocenosis and a
lterations in its composition caused by the influence of petroleum and
diesel fuel were studied in the Mozhaiskoe water storage basin during
the summer period. The number of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria was s
hown to vary between 25 and 250 cells/ml in the coastal area of the ba
sin. The hydrocarbon-oxidizing community included bacteria of the gene
ra Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Micrococcus; the propo
rtion of individual representatives of these genera varied at differen
t periods in different parts of the reservoir. Model experiments revea
led that the introduction of petroleum hydrocarbons into the reservoir
water induced a rapid increase (by two or three orders of magnitude)
in the total number of hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms and altera
tion of their taxonomic composition, even with a change of dominating
genera. Bacteria of the genus Rhodococcus were found to be the most re
sistant to the pollutants used.