4. Bioprocesses

4.1 Principle

The principle of biodegradation is based on the oxidation of organic compounds by microorganisms. Organic matter (OM) present in the air is the main substrate which, in the presence of oxygen, sources of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), trace elements and water, is degraded into carbon dioxide, water and metabolites (reaction by-products). These reactions, which can only take place in an aqueous medium, provide energy for the microorganisms (X) and enable them to multiply in one of 3 biological transformation patterns via enzymatic...