Microbes “eat” pollution through a series of metabolic reactions that are the core engine of the entire treatment process. These reactions can be broken down into three essential phases, each with a distinct purpose for the microbe and a different impact on the wastewater.

• Oxidation (Breathing & Burning Fuel) This is the process microbes use to generate energy. Just like we burn calories for energy, bacteria oxidize organic matter. About one-third of the organic matter they consume is converted into carbon dioxide, water, and the energy they need to live.
• Synthesis (Building New Cells) This phase is all about growth and reproduction. Using the energy generated during oxidation, the microbes convert the remaining two-thirds of the organic matter into new cellular material, or protoplasm. This is how the microbial population expands, creating more workers to clean the water.
• Endogenous Respiration (Surviving Scarcity) When the food supply (organic waste) runs low, microbes enter a survival mode. Endogenous respiration is a process of “auto-digestion or self-destruction” where microorganisms consume their own cellular material to get the “basal-energy” needed just to stay alive. This reduces the total amount of biomass in the system.

These three processes work together to transform dissolved pollutants into solid, manageable biomass and harmless gases.

The individual actions of each microbe contribute to the overall life cycle of the entire colony.