Aerobic Biodegradation
Definitions
Aerobic Biodegradation - "The breakdown of organic contaminants by microorganisms when oxygen is present. Aerobic biodegradation also is known as aerobic respiration." - U.S. Geological Survey, 2010
Aerobic Biodegradation - "The degradation of compounds by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen. In aerobic biodegradation, microorganisms convert oxygen to water in the process of transforming other components to simpler products." - National Research Council, 1994
Aerobic Respiration - "Process whereby microorganisms use oxygen as an electron acceptor to generate energy." - National Research Council, 1993
Aerobic Respiration - "The process of destroying organic compounds with the aid of O2 [oxygen] is called aerobic respiration. In aerobic respiration, microbes use O2 to oxidize part of the carbon in the contaminant to carbon dioxide (CO2), with the rest of the carbon used to produce new cell mass. In the process the O2 gets reduced, producing water. Thus, the major byproducts of aerobic respiration are carbon dioxide, water, and an increased population of microorganisms." - National Research Council, 1993
Text in brackets ("[text]") are additions by the editor
Related Definitions
Aerobic
Biodegradation
Anaerobic
Anaerobic Biodegradation
Anoxic
Electron Acceptor
Electron Donor
Biotransformation
Natural Attenuation
USGS Information on Biodegradation
- Crosscutting Topics, Toxic Substances Hydrology (Toxics) Program
- Toxics Program Biodegradation Investigations
- Toxics Program Remediation Related Activities
- Biodegradation of Charcoal Production Wastes, Kingsford, Mich.
- Quantifying Subsurface Biodegredation, Norman Municipal Landfill, Norman, Okla.
- Can Trees Clean Up Ground Water? Phytoremediation of Trichloroethene-Contaminated Ground Water at Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth, Tex.
- Natural Attenuation of Wood Preservatives in Ground Water, Pensacola, Fla.
- Natural Aquifer Restoration, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Mass.
- RDX Biodegradation Assessment, Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Wash.
- Oxygen-Release Compound Remediation Tests, Laurel Bay, S.C.
- Quantifying Natural Attenuation at the Plume Scale, Galloway Township, N.J. and Laurel Bay, S.C.
- USGS National Research Program Biodegradation Related Projects
- Bioremediation Activities, USGS Microbiology Research
- Geochemical and Microbial Evidence of Fuel Biodegradation in a Contaminated Karst Aquifer in Southern Kentucky, June 1999
Related Headlines
Other Information on Biodegradation
References
National Research Council, 1993, In situ bioremediation--When does it work?: Washington, D.C., National Academies Press, 224 p.
National Research Council, 1994, Alternatives for ground water cleanup: Washington, D.C., National Academies Press, 315 p.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2010, VOC's in the nation's ground water--Glossary: U.S. Geological Survey, access date July 22, 2010.
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