Organic Matter in Groundwater Systems

This lecture discusses how organic matter in groundwater systems, derived from living organisms or synthesized compounds, can be an environmental issue. It explores the bioremediation process, microbial degradation of organic compounds, redox sequences, and oxidation reactions for various organic contaminants. The lecture also covers the role of electron carriers like NADH, the oxidation and reduction processes, and the modeling of biodegradation rates, including first-order and Michaelis-Menten models. Additionally, it explains how biomass growth and decay influence organic matter degradation and extends the models to account for microbial population dynamics. Examples illustrate the oxidation of dissolved organic carbon coupled with biomass growth.