[Study of the integral toxicity of aqueous media, polluted by petroleum and petroleum products using bacterial tests].

A biotest kit was used to assess the integral toxicity level of aquatic medium contamination with petroleum and petroleum-based products. The integral toxicity dynamics was also monitored during biodegradation of petroleum and petroleum-based products by an association of petroleum-degrading strains including Acinetobacter sp., Mycobacterium flavescens, and Rhodococcus sp. The following bacterial tests were used: the bioluminescence (BL) test based on Photobacterium leiognathi; electro-orientation (EO), optoosmotic (OO), and growth test; as well as the reducing activity (RA) test based on the Agrobacterium radiobacter culture. No significant increase in the integral toxicity level of aquatic medium was observed when diesel fuel and kerosene contamination had been subjected to biodegradation. Although express biotests (EO, OO, RA, and BL) detected a pronounced increase in the integral toxicity of aquatic medium, long-term growth biotest revealed no statistically significant increase in the toxicity level.