Oil-oxidation properties of Micrococcus bacteria isolated from the Nakhodka Bay seawater of the Sea of Japan
This paper shows the oil-oxidizing ability of Micrococcus bacteria isolated from the Nakhodka Bay surface waters of the Peter the Great Gulf, the Sea of Japan. Micrococcus Bacteria are known to be the most active destructors of petroleum hydrocarbons in natural biotopes, contaminated objects. Voroshilova-Dianova liquid containing 2,5% oil or oil products was introduced into sterile penicillin bottles with 105 cells of the investigated bacteria. The ability to destruct petroleum hydrocarbons by bacteria of this genus was studied using a gravimetric method during 30 days. Destruction of oil, gasoline, fuel oil and diesel fuel was shown. Micrococcus bacteria showed a high oil-oxidizing ability and decompose 65-99,9% of oil and oil products within 30 days. Gasoline was the source of petroleum hydrocarbons with the greatest ability to utilize this genus of bacteria. The destruction of this hydrocarbons source by bacteria on days 15-20 was about 99% of the initial concentration. The lowest ability of destruction by Micrococcus bacteria was revealed for diesel fuel.