RESISTANCE OF KARST CAVES MICROORGANISMS TO p-NITROCHLOROBENZENE

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine homeostasis quantitative parameters (maximum permissible concentrations of xenobiotic and types of cell response) of microbial communities from cave clays influenced by p-nitrochlorobenzene. It was determined the ability of cave bacteria to transform xenobiotic. General bacteriological methods were used as well as gas chromatography-mass-spectric method. Chemoorganotrophic karst caves microbial communities isolated from Mushkarova Yama (Podolia, Ukraine) and Kuybushevskaya (Western Caucasus, Abkhazia) were highly resistant to p-nitrochlorobenzene. For Mushkarova Yama representative strain Rhodococcus erythropolis P3 the influence of p-nitrochlorobenzene (in concentration range 50–300 mg/l) on physiological parameters of bacterial cells was shown. The efficiency of p-nitrochlorobenzene degradation was proportional to the decreasing of redox potential. Thus, cave microorganisms could potentially be used to create new environmentally friendly biotechnologies, for example enterprises for wastewater treatment from nitrochloraromatic compounds.

Keywords

• karst caves
• microbial communities