Oil and petroleum products are a signifi cant source of environmental pollution, leading to the accumulation of hydrocarbons in the soil profi le. They contaminate groundwater, disrupt natural soil biochemical processes, interact with mineral compounds – thereby reducing their bioavailability to plants – and cause the poisoning and death of living organisms. The study of hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms is of considerable practical importance due to their ability to degrade hydrocarbons.
