Fourteen samples of humic acids (HA) were screened for ability to influence reproduction and biodegradation activity of eukaryotic cells in the presence of chosen toxic pollutants. Microorganisms Candida maltosa and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (soil isolates) were used for all tests. It was observed during our experiments that some samples of humic acids served as a protection against the high concentration of toxic pollutants (phenol, naphtalene etc). This effect can be widely used in many bioremediation technologies.

Institute of Chemical Technology Department of Fermentation Technology and Bioengineering Department of Fermentation Chemistry and Bioengineering Technicka 5 166 28 Prague 6 Czech Republic