EM DISASTER RELIEF

Glossary of Terms
A few terms which will be encountered in this document may be a bit foreign to anyone but a chemist or microbiologist, and thus we offer a brief glossary of terms to ensure that all readers understand the meaning of terms as they are used herein. The glossary follows:

Antioxidant – The term “antioxidant” is a term which indicates that a substance has reducing power, where reduction is the opposite of oxidation, and where the reducing substance donates an electron or hydrogen atom to an atom, molecule or ion. An antioxidant is therefore the opposite of an oxidizer, and an antioxidant is a substance which has the ability to neutralize or destroy oxidized substances and oxidant radicals, also sometimes known as reactive oxygen species (aka ROS). Further, some antioxidants, in some situations, have the ability to reverse the damage caused to organic molecules by oxidants (aka ROS). Antioxidants, as noted above, are actually a part of a larger family of substances called reducing agents, all of which neutralize oxidized substances or oxidant radicals. Usually, particular reducing agents, which are useful in the fields of human or animal nutrition, or in industry (e.g, prevention of corrosion, preservation of plastics, etc.) are called antioxidants.

EM -- EM is a shorthand term for a microbial consortium (mixed culture) consisting of synergistic, metabiotic, antioxidative, syntropic microbes from at least three different genera, and more often six or more genera -- and always containing purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB), aka phototrophic organisms; the culture technology is usually used in fermentation, agriculture and waste management, but also in other settings as well. Many EM products also contain various nutrients and trace nutrients as well.

Consortium -- see section entitled microbial consortium

Disproportionation reactions – disproprotionation reaction are those in which a substance (usually a molecule or ion) is simultaneously oxidized and reduced, thus changing it considerably. Because of the bi-directional and simultaneous nature of this exchange, such reactions are usually considered to be in a realm beyond traditional redox reactions.

Metabiotic -- A metabiotic microorganism creates environmental conditions that favor the survival and growth of certain other microbes, and thus it cooperates with certain other microbes. A metabitotic relationship is one in which two or more species of microbes create conditions which nurture and support growth of each other, which is a type of synergy, often forming a relatively stable and robust microbial consortium. Thus, a metabiotic consortium (or aggregate) is a community of microbes which are mutually supportive and adaptive.

Microbial consortium -- Historians of science, as well as those who study the philosophy of science have noticed that biologists for much of the past two hundred years had tended to look at microorganisms only as single species at a time, and it was therefore (mistakenly) assumed by many in science that this was how they usually functioned in nature, as independent single species. It has been only quite recently that biologists have come to understand that this earlier assumption of "individualist" species and colonies was a gross misconception, and that most species of microorganisms are found in nature not alone, but rather as part of a cluster or aggregate of from nine to about 35 (sometimes far fewer and sometimes far more) synergistic species, which biologists have started to call by the name microbial consortium (or consortia, as some authors use it, depending upon plurality.)

ORP -- ORP, aka oxidation-reduction potential, shows relative degree of oxidative power or reductive (antioxidant) power of a liquid. ORP is measured with a special probe and an ORP meter on a scale of +1,200 millivolts (mv.) to –1,200 mv., where a score of 1,200 indicates maximal oxidative ability and no reductive (antioxidant) ability, and where a score of –1,200 indicates maximal reducing (antioxidant) capability. However, since true hydrogen and reducing power is influenced strongly by pH as well, ORP alone is only a rough and relative indicator of true oxidative or reducing (aka antioxidative) power of a liquid, and relative hydrogen score (aka rH or rH2 or RH), computed from pH and ORP, is a far more accurate indicator; please see section entitled relative hydrogen score.

Oxidation – This term comes from the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, and literally means the opposite of reduction. Oxidation means the removal of an electron from an atom, molecule or ion by an oxidizer or oxidant substance. Oxidation, in effect, reverses reduction, and oxidation usually results in breakdown of organic materials and of complex substances, sometimes yielding toxic or foul-smelling compounds. For a bit of perspective, oxidation and reduction reactions are quite common in chemistry and biochemistry, likely second only to acid-base reactions, and are often referenced via the shorthand term of “redox reactions”.

Oxidizer -- An oxidizer, aka an oxidant, is a substance which aggressively tries to steal electrons from another substance, often damaging substances or living tissues in the process, thus resulting in a lower energy state and lower state of complexity and structure, which is also known as increased entropy. Please see sections on oxidative free radicals and reactive oxygen species (aka ROS) as well. Oxidizers may be neutralized, and further, the damage which they wreaked may sometimes be reversed by, substances known as reducing agents, which, if useful in the field of human or animal nutrition, are often called antioxidants.

pH -- pH indicates relative degree of alkalinity or acidity of a liquid. Scale is semi-logarithmic, and runs from 0 to 14, where 7 indicates neutral, a score below 7 indicates acidity, and a score above 7 indicates alkalinity; 0 indicates maximum acidity, and 14 indicates maximum alkalinity.

Phototrophic microorganisms -- Phototrophic microorganisms are microbes which are photosynthetic, which can use sunlight to produce energy and energy compounds. All EM cultures contain at least 2 or 3 species of phototrophic organisms, usually from the extremely powerful and versatile and near-magical Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria (PNSB) family, a family of soil-based and pond-based microbes commonly found in nature in soils, in ponds, on green leaves, in pitcher plants, and in icicles and other ice formations in the wild. These organisms are not obligate phototrophes, and can also consume organic material and even inorganic chemicals in anaerobic and even aerobic conditions. See also section in Glossary on Purple non-sulfur bacteria.

PNSB -- PNSB is an abbreviation used for the purple non-sulfur bacteria, an essential class of organisms found in EM culture, and the heart of the culture. Most EM cultures contain at least 2 or 3 species of PNSB.

Purple non-sulfur bacteria -- Purple non-sulfur bacteria, aka PNSB, are a family of phototrophic microbes which seem to possess powerful and interesting energy and antioxidative effects; an essential class of organisms found in EM culture, and the heart of the culture. Most EM cultures contain at least 2 or 3 species of PNSB, a family of soil-based and pond-based microbes commonly found in nature in soils, in ponds, on green leaves, in pitcher plants, and in icicles and other ice formations in the wild.

Redox reactions -- Oxidation and reduction reactions are a means via which substances may be modified in chemical form. These reactions are quite common in chemistry and biochemistry, likely second only to acid-base reactions, and are often referenced via the shorthand term of “redox reactions”.

Reducing compound or reducing agent -- A reducing agent is a substance which neutralizes oxidative radicals, aka reactive oxygen species (ROS), and, if a reducing agent is useful in the field of human or animal nutrition, it is often called an antioxidant. Not all reducing agents known to science are useful antioxidants for life forms such as humans and animals, and so it may be said that not all reducing agents are effective antioxidants, but it is true that all antioxidants may function as reducing agents. Please see antioxidant section as well. EM, AEM and EM brews contain large amounts of live-food form, raw antioxidants.

Reduction – while the word “reduction” in normal everyday usage will usually mean to decrease the quantity of some factor or measure, the term “reduction” has a more specialized meaning in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, and literally means the opposite of oxidation. Thus, where oxidation means the removal of an electron from an atom, molecule or ion by an oxidizer or oxidant substance, reduction is the donation of an electron, or more precisely, the donation to an atom, molecule or ion of an electron or a hydrogen atom or a negatively-charged hydrogen atom. Reduction, in effect, reverses oxidation, and can often neutralize highly oxidized compounds. As a matter of note, all substances which are called “antioxidants” are reducing agents. For a bit of perspective, oxidation and reduction reactions are quite common in chemistry and biochemistry, likely second only to acid-base reactions, and are often referenced via the shorthand term of “redox reactions”.

Reductive agent or reductive compound -- please see reducing compound

Relative hydrogen score, aka rH2 or rH score -- Relative hydrogen score, also known as rH2 or RH score, is a score proposed by Clark in 1923, derived from the Nernst equation, which expresses true hydrogen concentration/power in a liquid far more accurately than ORP alone. rH score is computed from pH and ORP, and rH scores run from 0 to 42, where 28 is midpoint, scores approaching 42 indicate maximal oxidative power, and a score approaching 0 indicates maximal reducing or antioxidative power. RH score is often employed in various sectors of the beer brewing industry, in the high-end aquarium world and in the food industry (esp. bottling of juices, etc.) to indicate relative oxidative damage to a liquid product versus relative reducing power (aka antioxidant protection) levels in such a product


Endnotes

1) Some additional electron shuttles or electron relays are melanin, melatonin, NAD, heme groups in microbial cytochrome, flavin groups of FAD in microbial cytochrome, microbial dehydrogenase and microbial reductase, most or all of which are found in EM technology; these compounds are produced by the beneficial microbes in the EM consortium.

Introduction | How EM Technology May be Used to Help Remediate |
Brief Notes on EM Technology | In Closing | Glossary