Biodegradation

Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic contaminants by microbial organisms into smaller compounds. The microbial organisms transform the contaminants through metabolic or enzymatic processes. Biodegradation processes vary greatly, but frequently the final product of the degradation is carbon dioxide or methane. Biodegradation is a key processes in the natural attenuation of contaminants at hazardous waste sites. A related term is biotransformation.

More Information

• New Version of NAS (Natural Attenuation Software) Available
• RDX Biodegradation Under Metal-Reducing Conditions
• Does NDMA Biodegrade at Ground-Water Recharge Facilities?
• USGS Patents Bioreactors that Treat Nitrate and Methyl Bromide Contamination
• Predicting Plume Growth Rates - A Simple Method for Calculating Growth Rates of Petroleum Plumes
• History and Ecology of Chloroethene Biodegradation–A Review
• The Changing Face of Microbial Communities in Contaminant Plumes
• Using Oxygen to Enhance Biodegradation of Contaminants – Lessons Learned
• A Unique Approach to Evaluating Natural Attenuation is Applied Worldwide
• Relying on Nature to Clean Up Contaminated Ground Water
• Can a Sewage-Contaminated Aquifer Naturally Clean Itself?
• How do you Clean Up Gasoline Spills Naturally?
• Landmark Book Published on the Fate of Contaminants in the Environment: Partition and Adsorption of Organic Contaminants in Environmental Systems
• Topical Information on Natural Attenuation

References

• Chapelle, F.H., 2000, Ground-Water Microbiology and Geochemistry: New York, John Wiley and Sons, 468 p.
• Natural Attenuation for Groundwater Remediation, 2000: National Academies Press
• In Situ Bioremediation: When Does it Work?,1993: National Academies Press
• Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup, 1994: National Academies Press
• EPA, Underground Storage Tanks Glossary of Technical Terms
• IUPAC, 1996, Glossary of Terms Relating to Pesticides: Pure Applied Chemistry, v. 68, no. 5, p. 1167-1193.
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000: Houghton Mifflin Company, Fourth Edition.

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