I am undertaking a time series experiment to follow the biodegradation of oil compounds over several time points. I would be interested to know if only freezing the sample at -20C would be sufficient to stop biodegradation until the time we analyze the oil composition, or if there still risk of biodegradation. I would use dichloromethane but unfortunately we don't have it accessible on time. Thank you!
Very low temperature like -20C significantly slows down hydrocarbon degradation. To completely arrest the process, use 1% 1N HCl
in biodegradation process, very low temperature is always favourable. Reduce more in temperature may be a good option. However acidification may change the chemical process. It is better to perform series of experiments and examine the quality of the yield.
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