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.
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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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