Biodegradation of naphthenic acids by rhizosphere microorganisms.

Naphthenic acids are components of most petroleums, including those found in the Athabasca Oil Sands of northeastern Alberta. Some naphthenic acids that are solubilized during bitumen extraction from oil sands are acutely toxic to a variety of organisms. Four-month enrichment cultures obtained from the rhizospheres of five plant species native to Alberta, and established with the addition of bitumen (0.