The Microbial Degradation of Oil in Continuous Culture.

摘要

The report briefly summarizes the authors' research in which oil degradation studies have been carried out in continuous culture systems using a specially designed apparatus which maintains the oil in an undisturbed oil layer. Bacterial attack and degradation of this oil layer has been demonstrated and the further breakdown of the degradation products has been observed in sequential continuous culture systems. Chemical analysis of the oil during degradation has shown a complete removal of the n-alkane fraction, a substantial alteration in the branched alkane and aromatic fractions and a synthesis of metabolic end products which may respresent a more recalcitrant component than the oil itself. The testing of a bioassay system has shown that oil degradation products can be toxic.