Selection and study of surfactant and mineral oil-degrading microbial consortia

The formation of microbial biocatalysts in laboratory sectional aerobic biotreatment plants for purification of non-ionic surfactant and oil-containing waste-waters was studied. Analysis of the microbial composition of biocatalysts from both plants showed that different microbial consortia, containing 13 (in oil waste-water purification plant) or 18 (in surfactant waste-water purification plant) species of microorganisms, formed in the plant columns. The degradative and emulsifying activities and the distribution of strains in the plant columns were analysed. It was established that the degradative activity of strains, with respect to different chemical structures of pollutants, changed from column to column.