Anaerobic Explained

Anaerobic is a technical word which literally means without air (where "air" is generally used to mean oxygen), as opposed to aerobic.

In wastewater treatment the absence of oxygen is indicated as anoxic; and anaerobic is used to indicate the absence of a common electron acceptor such as nitrate, sulfate or oxygen. An anaerobic adhesive is a bonding agent that does not cure in the presence of air.

Anaerobic refers to:

• Anaerobic clarigester, is a form of anaerobic digester
• Anaerobic contact process, is a type of anaerobic digester
• Anaerobic digestion, (AD) is the harnessed and contained, naturally occurring process of anaerobic decomposition
• Anaerobic environment, an aquatic environment with little available oxygen - see Hypoxia (environmental)
• Anaerobic exercise, a form of exercise
• Anaerobic filter
• Anaerobic lagoon, used to dispose of animal waste, particularly that of cows and pigs
• Anaerobic organism, any organism that does not require oxygen for growth
• Anaerobic respiration, oxidation of molecules in the absence of oxygen
• Anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox, the microbial process combining ammonium and nitrite.