A large number of bacteria which destroy (decompose) phenol do not guar- 

 antee its active decomposition. Only the bacteria involved in biotic cir- 

 culation are capable of energetically destroying the toxicant (phenol) at 

 the minimum values of other factors (oxygen, nutrients). 



When a toxic substance is added regularly in small portions, a biologi- 

 cal system is able to decompose it in much greater quantitities than when 

 the same toxicant is added at once in a large quantity. 



To create highly effective detoxicating systems of living organisms, it 

 is necessary to account for an adaptation period during which complexes of 

 organism species, capable of effectively decomposing the toxicant, are 

 established. The duration of the adaptation period is approximately two 

 months. 



When the toxicant is no longer introduced, the ecosystem quickly loses 

 its ability to decompose it. 



REFERENCES 



Kaplin, V.T. and Fecenko, N.G. 1962. Calorimetric determination of phenols 

 using dimethylamine antipyrine (pyramidon) with its content in liter 

 0.001 mg and higher. From "Contemporary methods of analysis of natural 

 waters; Moscow. 



Kuba, K. 1969. The action of phenol on neuromuscular transmission in the 

 red muscle of fish. Jap. J. Physiol., 19, pp. 762-774. 



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