INDICATION OF SOIL CONTAMINATION WITH POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS BY THE FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE OF SOIL MICROBIAL COMPLEX

摘要

The protection of the environment from technogenic contamination is an essential line of inquiry in modern biotechnology. The intense use of mineral oil, gas, and coal in recent decades resulted in a significant contamination of natural ecosystems with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are environmental pollutants of priority hazardous for human health. PAHs decrease the fertility of soils and the quality of crops. PAH monitoring is required because of their high mutagenic and carcinogenic activities. In spite of the evident topicality of the problem, there is still no clear understanding of structural and functional changes in the microbial complex of soils contaminated with PAHs.