Microbial transformation of the organic matter of valley peat

The effect of the growth dynamics of heterotrophs on the composition and properties of peat lipids was demonstrated. Microbiological processes resulted in a considerable change in the amounts of water-soluble polysaccharide and polyphenol fractions. The lipid content remained practically unchanged under various model experiment conditions. In this case, an increase in the concentration of alkanes and the antioxidant activity of lipids was observed. The accumulation of antioxidants and an increase in the amount of chrysenes in lipids support the role of a microbiological factor in the origin of hydrocarbons.