Author(s): H. J. Lensing
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Under natural conditions the degradation of organic matter in the subsurface are dominated by the activities of several groups of heterotrophic bacteria. In a closed aqueous system the stepwise oxidation of the organic substrate is paralleled by a sequence of reduction reactions. In the presence of high organic matter concentrations the following sequence of degradation processes can be observed: aerobic respiration, denitrification, Mn(IV)-, Fe(III)-reduction, sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. The redox state of the subsurface is mainly influenced by this microbially mediated degradation processes. Generally redox reactions play an important role in environmental processes.
Year: 1997